Chapter 7

He's not letting go of me. He's pulling me somewhere I don't know. Alam ko naman ang area na 'to, hindi ko lang gaanong kabisado dahil hindi ako madalas nagpupunta rito. If Zane's going to bring me to a bunch of corpses who are all hungry for flesh, this could be the end of my journey. Ni hindi pa nga ako nagkakaroon ng magandang buhay with someone I really love tapos babawiin kaagad sa ganitong senaryo?

This apocalypse is a bitch. It has taken away all our happiness. Our source of happiness is gone and our salvation getting thinner and thinner everyday. Siguro nga dapat no'ng mga nakaraang araw, sinulit ko na ang buhay ko. Dito rin lang din pala hahantong ang buhay ko.

I would also be like them. Living deads.

 But on the other hand, I know Zane wouldn't bring me to danger. Nag-alalala pa nga sa akin. He even puts the dead out of his house and far from me. Alam kong wala siya no'ng hundred percent na katinuan but when he's acting right now, mas mukha pa siyang tao kaysa sa mga taong nasa bunker. Oh, how hypocrite does everyone is.

Zane could be good. Zane could be bad. I won't trust my life on a living dead just because he saved my life a few times. That doesn't count. Never.

Good thing, it wasn't dark yet, and if the sun sets, it could be bad. Situations like this don't go very well so I must prepare myself for something abrupt to happen.

I just wanted to go back to the bunker but Zane has something to do for me, and I'm not quite sure what's going on in his filthy brain right now.

And maybe, I could still have the chance to escape from him. I might try. Pero paano 'yong mga kagamitan kong naiwan sa loob ng bahay niya? Those are essential stuff at magagamit lahat iyon ng mga tao sa bunker at kapag bumalik ako sa bunker na hindi ko iyon dala, sisisihin nila ako. Na wala akong ambag! See how they think of people risking their lives for them? Mga inutil.

"Zane... where are we going?" I asked, my voice is shaking. Obviously, sinong hindi kakabahan sa ganitong sitwasyon? Mamaya ay ilagay pa niya ang buhay ko sa alanganin.

But his usual response, his groaning made it obvious, wala akong mapapalang sagot sa kanya.

A moment later when we're bound to meet a corpse halfway, natigil sa paglalakad si Zane at hinila niya ako sa ibang daraanan para lang makaiwas kami sa corpse na iyon. Good thing, hindi rin kami sinundan nito. Hindi rin ako gumagawa ng ingay dahil isa iyon sa nagiging dahilan para ma-attract ang living deads.

Hindi katagalan, narating na namin ang lugar na kanyang pinupuntong dalhin ako. It was our school back in highschool. Lubos-lubos ang pagtataka ko kung bakit dito niya ako idinala. Nakakaalala ba siya? Kilala niya ba ako personally? Anong binabalak ni Zane ngayon? Ang daming tanong sa isip ko, wala naman akong mahagilap na sagot.

We were just standing in front of the main entrance of the school. Nakahawak pa rin siya sa akin at mukhang wala siyang balak na pakawalan ako.

I could sense that Zane's still a human. He can act like a human, respond like a human, at ibang bagay na hindi naaayon sa isang living dead. He must be special. Could he also have the antidote in his blood so everyone would be restrained from having this situation? I have no idea on that part. Hindi ako expert sa science.

"Okay... you bring me back to our high school campus, what about now?" I wondered but he's not making any responses now. Nakatingin lang siya sa school.

And looking at him, nalungkot ako dahil hindi na siya isang normal na tao. He could still be living like me. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari sa kanya but I hope Zane would find peace in his new life. Life pa ba ang tawag kung nabuhay lang sila ulit just because of a nuclear reaction reacting to their brain? And again, hindi ako expert sa science kaya wala akong idea.

"Ito na lang..." aniko. "I still remember the days na baliw na baliw pa ako sa 'yo. Not what you are right now but who you were before. Maraming may crush sa 'yo. Baliw na baliw ang karamihan. They—we all want for you to date us on the prom. Sabik na sabik kami no'n pero nalungkot kami kasi pinili mo si Hannah. But we're all still happy na nakikita at naaamoy ka namin no'ng prom night. Sobrang gwapo mo no'n..." Nilingon ko naman siya. "Gwapo ka pa rin naman ngayon, weird nga lang dahil patay ka na... if you haven't had those scars and burns, you could still flaunt that image of yours. Sayang Zane... umaasa pa naman akong magiging jowa kita."

At bigla naman siyang lumingon sa akin at agad kong inilayo ang tingin ko. That was weird to say though. Hindi ko na lang sana sinabi ko.

"But I also remember when the first time I saw you, at that moment, masasabi ko ng love at the first sight talaga dahil lahat ng social media mo, pinagfa-follow ko na. I'm searching, looking any information about you. Patay na patay nga ako sa 'yo no'n e. Pero ikaw ang unang namatay. That's sad pero no'ng nababalita na marami kang girls na kinakama, I was really hoping na sana ako rin pero alam ko naman na you wouldn't even notice me. At okay lang 'yon. Naka-move on na naman ako... ewan ko na lang ngayon."

Huminga na lamang ako ng malalim. Masarap balikan ang nakaraan at siguro mas magandang manatili sa nakaraan kaysa sa kinakaharap namin ngayon. We're looking forward for the future pero kailan ba darating 'yon? It's good to relive the past than wait for the future.

Mayamaya lang ay biglang tumalikod si Zane at bumaktot din ang kamay niya, and he didn't mind about it.

"H-Home..." he groaned.

Pero bahagya akong pumiglas sa kanya. He looked at me intently. He's not even saying any word. Mas creepy ito tingnan.

"Can we just stay for a minute or two? Gusto ko lang magpahangin..." aniko at hindi ko alam kung hahayaan niya ako sa gusto ko.

But then he still does what he wants. Hindi ko alam kung saan na kami ngayon pupunta pero may naalala ako bigla na magandang puntahan.

"Zane, I know you will go to this place, tara do'n sa lake," suhestyon ko, and luckily he finally understood me.

And after this, what am I gonna do now? Oh crap. Think Kate. It's never too late!