“Bilisan ang kilos, mga alipin,”

Masamang tingin ang binigay namin kay Spencer. Parker and I were doing a lot of chores because of him. Samantalang siya ay feeling boss do’n habang nakaupo at kumakain ng popcorn. He already devoured half of the chocolates in the supermarket, and because of that, he is way more hyper than our first meeting.

Mas hyper s’ya, mas nakakairita.

“Should I punch him?” Parker whispered.

I just made a face while looking at the emergency hose. Nang inabot sa akin ni Parker ang martilyo ay binasag ko ang salamin na nagpoprotekta rito. This is probably the last emergency hose on the second floor.

When I was about to lift the hose out, I heard a snap, and I almost laugh when I saw Parker massaging his forehead. “This is not funny,” he whimpered while glaring at me.

He was removing his gloves earlier. At tiyak akong napasala siya nang bitaw dahilan upang lumagitik iyon sa noo niya.

“Are you done?” I asked.

He nodded. Parker was tending the electricity circuits earlier while I was busy destroying glasses and hanging the hoses to the glass panels.

Nang tuluyan nang matanggal ni Parker ang mga gloves ay kinuha niya ang hose na hawak ko at s’ya na mismo ang nag-hang nito sa glass panel. “That is my job!” I said.

“You’re welcome, Mahal na Prinsesa,” he teased and poked my forehead.

Nang lumingon ako sa paligid ay wala na ang maingay at nakakairitang si Spencer. We’ve been hiding in this mall for two days. Those days are tiring, especially that I have to hear their complaints. I hate the most when they are arguing—palagi nila akong ginigipit sa paraan kung sino ang kakampihan ko sa kanila.

Aside from that, nalaman din namin ni Parker na pinagtripan lamang kami ni Spencer sa unang araw namin dito. The horror of getting caught by Pigmalone was a fucking bluff.

And it turns out, Pigmalone can’t lift his head. His vision was only for the first floor, and it only means that as long as we are here— we are safe; after all, the second floor is the safest part of the mall.

“Do you think it will work?” I asked Parker.

He suddenly wrapped his arms around my shoulder and once again poked my forehead. Kairita. “Hindi ka nakikinig sa chemistry class mo ‘no?” He asked suspiciously.

I grimaced and clicked my tongue, “Future CPA doesn’t have any chemistry class, duh,” I said.

“Sinong magpapa CPA Board Exam sa’yo, mga Bozos?”

I glared at him. His joke is not even funny. Ayokong isipin na walang ng pag-asa na bumalik sa normal ang bansang ito. And I actually have a theory about the apocalypse.

“Akala ko ba hindi kayo mag-on?” Parehas kaming napalingon ni Parker sa gilid namin. Naroon si Spencer, may mga kutson sa gilid niya at sigurado akong tinulak niya iyon papunta rito.

Bigla na lamang s’yang nagkibit balikat at tinulak ang anim na kutson pababa sa escalator.

Nang matapos si Spencer sa katangahan niya ay lumapit siya sa amin at tumingala. May mga manikin na nakasabit sa itaas ng mall, hindi ko rin alam kung paano nila nailagay iyon ni Parker basta pag gising ko ay nagtatalo silang dalawa na kulang pa ang manikin na nakasabit sa kisame.

“Gutom na ako. Ang bagal niyong maglakad,” Spencer said. Pailing-iling na tinanggal ni Parker ang kamay n’ya saka ako iniwan upang hamapasin ang ulo ni Spencer sa harap.

Nang pumunta kami sa supermarket ay hindi ko maiwasan ang mapanguso’t magmaktol dahil sa canned goods na kinuha nila. My stomach is already tired of digesting processed food, and fucking missed my roommate’s homemade food.

Humiwalay ako sa kanila at kumuha ng lettuce, kamatis at kung anu-ano pang ingredients para sa salad. At saka ako tumungo sa pwesto namin.

“This is our last meal here,” I whispered.

“And hopefully, hindi rin tayo maging meal ni Pigmalone bukas,” Spencer said. Biglang umurong ata ‘yung sikmura ko dahil sa sinabi niya. I don’t want to die.

“Well, it only means na palpak ang plano mo,” Parker teased.

Spencer smirked and mockingly put his hands in his pocket, “My plans never fail,”

“Then we will survive,” I stated, and as soon as I finished my meal ay saglit akong naglakad sa second floor.

Nang makarating ako sa tapat ng emergency exit ni Spencer, na kung saan kami pumasok ni Parker ay may napansin akong kakaiba. Nakaangat ang bintana ro’n kahit na sinaraduhan naman namin iyon ni Parker.

Marahan akong lumapit do’n. I can hear the faint growls at nasasanay na rin ang tainga ko sa pandinig na iyon. Nang maisara ko ang bintana ay tumalikod na agad ako at bumalik sa aming hideout.

I slammed my body on the bed and looked at Parker beside me. “Moron,”

“Yes, bitch?”

Spencer was already sleeping while he was busy playing on my phone. Ang kapal nga ng mukha niya e, hindi man lang nagsabi na gagamitin ang cellphone ko.

“Don’t you miss your crush?”

He softly laughed. Lumingon siya sa akin habang nakangisi, “You really thought that I would fall for that teacher? It was just a dare from my co-baseball players,” he explained.

I shrugged. “It seems so real,”

“I’m too busy studying and playing baseball. And why would I spend my life on flirting when I have so much to do?”

“Ah, I remembered! You are aiming to be a doctor,” I said. I can’t imagine spending all my years studying different medical fields, and in the end, you get to choose only one field to study for real.

“I was. Pero hindi na ako sigurado kung matutupad pa ‘yon,”

“Then let’s cross the wall. Lahat ng gusto pangarap natin ay matutupad do’n,”

He softly smiled and ruffled my hair, “Goodnight, bitch.” I was about to speak when he poked my forehead again, “We will cross the wall together,”

Hindi tilaok ng mga manok ang gumising sa akin kundi ang kakaibang ungol ni Pigmalone, isama pa rito ang mga Bozos sa labas ng mall. Nakakairita sila sa tainga ngunit kailangan namin masanay.

Spencer gave me fireproof clothes, hindi ko alam kung paano n’ya nagawa iyon at wala rin naman akong pakielam.

“Amira, are you ready?” Spencer asked.

I fake a smile and glared at him, “Ate Amira,”

“No. It doesn’t suit you,” Spencer bluntly said. Bigla na lamang niya akong tinalikuran at pumunta kung nasaan si Parker.

Parker was organizing the gas tanks and butanes. He was getting it ready for Spencer’s plan. Hindi ko rin maitatanggi na matalino at konkreto ang plano n’ya. May isang bagay lamang ang concern ako.

Anong mangyayari sa mall na ito once na mapatay namin si Pigmalone?

“Bitch!” I heard Parker called.

Nang pumunta ako sa kanilang pwesto ay hindi ko maiwasan ang hindi mapalunok. They are ready, and I should be, too.

“Are you ready?” Parker asked.

I wryly smiled as I nodded. Inabot n’ya sa akin ang isang night vision goggles saka ko iyon kinuha at sinukbit sa akin leeg. Sinigurado rin ni Parker na mayroon ang weapon sa dalawang gilid ko. A katana on my left, a rifle on my right.

“As if I have a choice,” I mumbled.

“Don’t worry. You can do this,”

I rolled my eyes at him and went to the escalator as I ready myself. I took a deep breath.

I can see Pigmalone right in front of my eyes. As I looked at him, ngayon ko lamang unti-unting narerealized kung ano ang nangyari sa bayan na aking minamahal. Naging sakam kami sa pagbabago na nauwi sa isang mapait na kinabukasan.

I bitterly smiled.

The lights suddenly shut down, and I carefully put on the night vision goggles. I unconsciously smirk when the speaker started to play Scars by I Prevail. I marched towards the escalator while gripping at the rifle.

At kasabay ng pagbaba ko ay ang pagbaba ng mga manikin sa kisame.

Game on, Amira.

As I reached the first floor, I can see Pigmalone extending his arms to the manikins. He can’t see clearly because he was missing some spots and was recklessly pushing the other manikins.

I frustratingly bit my lower lip and runs towards Spencer’s facade. He was hanging the hose so I can pull it to the first floor. And while Pigmalone is busy destroying and eating the manikins, I carefully jumped and pulled the hose.

Nang tumakbo si Spencer sa kasunod na hose ay tumakbo rin ako ngunit napansin kong may nakaharang doon na isang counter na butas. I shook my head and threw the excess baggage, which is the rifle para makalusot do’n.

“WHAT THE FUCK, BITCH?!” I heard Parker shouted.

Hindi ko pinansin si Parker at muling hinila pababa ang hose. From the side of my eye, I noticed something. Some Bozos are looking inside the mall as if they are waiting for a miracle to happen.

“Shit! Amira, papunta sa’yo yung kamay ni Pigmalone!” Spencer shouted.

I frustratingly bit my lower lip and used the hose to avoid his hand. Para akong si Tarzan sa ginagawa kong katangahan.

I swayed the hose mightly, and I can hear Parker and Spencer’s rapid footsteps on the second floor. Halos lahat at ng dasal ay ginawa ko na upang maging successful ang panibagong katangahan sa isip ko.

“SPENCER, MEDYO ILAPIT MO ‘YUNG ISANG HOSE!” I shouted.

Narinig ko ang sunod-sunod na mura ni Parker sa itaas maging maiingat na yabag ng paa niya. At kahit na ayaw kong lingunin ang likod ko ay nagawa ko pa rin— Pigmalone’s hands were extending towards my direction.

Once again, I swayed the hose using my body to create a force. At bago pa man makalapit ang kamay ni Pigmalone ay tumalon na ako papunta sa kabilang hose.

Fucking successful.

I heard faint gunshots and saw Parker at the back. Hindi pa dapat siya bababa, what is he doing?!

“Amira, quick!” Spencer shouted.

I immediately went down and run towards the next station. Hindi ko maiwasan maisip kung bakit bumaba si Parker kahit hindi pa dapat. Wala pa sa kalahati ang hose na naibaba ko.

My mind was in its absent state when I stumbled into something.

Horror filled my eyes as I slowly and carefully tilted my head.

It was fucking Pigmalone’s leg.

#