I automatically face palmed when I slowly realized who was in front of us. “Spencer…” I whispered. He suddenly looked in our direction with his eyes full of curiosity while still eating popcorn.

“Oh, it’s Amira,” He mumbled. At bumalik sa panonood na para bang wala s’yang nakita.

Parker looked at me first before he suddenly switches off the television that made Spencer groaned. “What the hell?” Spencer asked. Pinagkrus ni Parker ang dalawa niyang kamay habang masama ang tingin na pinupukol kay Spencer.

“What are you doing here?” Parker asked.

Kumakain habang nakahiga. Char.

Spencer suddenly slammed her body on the bed. Nagtatakha akong tumingin sa mga paketeng nasa gilid ng kama n’ya dahilan upang mapangiwi ako, “Hey… Stupid kid, did you eat chocolate?”

“So, what, bitchy Amira?” He asked. Oh, fuck. Gets ko na kung bakit out of the character ang batang ‘to. Whenever he starts devouring chocolate ay nag-iiba ang ugali n’ya along the process— yep, nagiging hyper.

Parker and I know who Spencer is. He is the only son of the Principal of Laodicea High and a thirteen years old boy who is usually the genius, calm type. At sobrang iniiwas s’ya chocolate dahil puro katangahan ang nagagawa n’ya everytime na kumakain siya nito kahit maunti lamang.

“Why the hell aren’t answering my question?” Parker exclaimed.

Umiwas na lamang ako nang tingin dahil ayokong matawa sa itsura nila. Feeling ko ang magtatalo ang dalawang bata.

“You’re not worthy of my time,” Spencer beamed.

Nang silipin ko si Parker ay tila parang gusto n’ya manapak dahil sa sinagot sa kanya nito. I saw how Spencer’s mouth curved into a smirk and mockingly looked at Parker, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that talking to your girlfriend could make you jealous,” Spencer teased.

I wryly smiled, “Spencer, do you want to die?” I asked calmly.

“Yeah, sure. Now na ba?” Spencer asked.

Ayoko talaga siyang kausap pag ganito ang ugali n’ya. The last time I talked to him when he ate chocolate was during my solo practice at the gym— he fucking dresses up as a ghost just to scare the shit out of me.

I was about to shout at him when Parker covered my mouth, “Ipapahamak mo na naman tayo,” He said while pointing his face kung saan naglanding ang paa ko.

Napansin ko ang dahan-dahan na pagbabago ng mukha ni Spencer, “You can shout all you want, this place is the safest place to hide. Well, for now,” he mumbled.

“What do you mean? I noticed that this place… Hindi siya pinupuntahan ng mga Bozos,” I said. Spencer bitterly smiled and looked at me.

“Pinupuntahan siya, and Bozos?”

“Zombies,” I answered.

“And just like I’ve said, pinupuntahan nila ang mall, but the thing is hindi sila tumatagal sa loob,” Spencer said. Bigla na lamang kaming nagpalitan ni Parker nang tingin saka muling bumaling kay Spencer, “Because at the center of the mall’s first floor— Pigmalone is located,” Spencer added.

“Is naming zombies a new trend?” Parker asked.

Parehas namin siyang hindi pinansin ni Spencer, “Who is Pigmalone?” I asked.

Spencer gulped after cleared his throat, “The giant Bozo reigning this place,” he said. Parker grimaced when he heard Spencer adapting to the Bozo thingy. “Ah! I just remembered na kayo ‘yung dalawang bobo na nag-alis ng escape route ko,” Spencer pointed out.

“How did you know?” I asked.

“May iba ka pa bang nakikita na gagawa n’yon?” Parker asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at him saka tumabi kay Spencer saka ko sinalampak ang katawan sa higaan. “And now, I have two stupid kids to babysit,” Parker whispered.

“Oh! How do you babysit Amira?” Spencer asked.

“What the fuck are you saying?” I exclaimed to Spencer.

He just smirked at me and slowly get up as he switches on the television, “Walang signal, so, I presume that the cellular base station is down,” Spencer said.

“Right, it was the one who save our asses earlier,” Parker said. Ngayon ko lang narealize na ang tumumba at ang malakas na ingay na naglakigtas sa amin sa bus ay ang nag-iisang makakatulong sa amin upang makacontact ng ibang tao. Damn.

The television began to project four different mall locations, but what caught my attention was the giant person at the center of the screen.

“What the fuck is that?” I exclaimed.

“That is Pigmalone— my mom’s driver,” Spencer answered.

I get it now. The other Bozos are afraid of a huge Bozo who was living inside the mall. So, all of them decided to stay out of his ‘palace’ and lived in harmony outside.

“You said earlier; this is the safest place for now. What do you mean by that?” Parker asked. Maging ako ay naging curious sa magiging tugon n’ya.

Before answering Parker’s question, he suddenly lifts the cushion, making me fall. Bobo ampota. Akala ko naman ay tutulungan ako ni Parker kaso tiningnan lang ako ni gago. Bwisit kayo!

Under the cushion were tons of guns— the guns we are looking for at the hunting shop. Nagsimulang magsukbit si Spencer ng mga baril sa kanyang katawan, maging si Parker ay kumukuha na rin ng baril. M16A1, M16A2, AR-15— name it, any guns that can fucking attract the Bozos are here.

“Do you have a suppressor here?” Parker asked.

Spencer nodded, and handed him what he was looking for. Napangiwi na lamang ako nang napansin kong nagkakasundo na sila samantalang kanina ay nagkakaroon ng asaran at hindi pansinan.

Nang matapos sila ay bumaling sa akin si Parker, “Get something,” he said.

“I don’t want a gun,” I mumbled. Nilagpasan ko si Parker at kinuha ang baseball bat n’ya. I feel so attached to his baseball bat.

“That won’t save you. Here,” He was handing me katana pero tiningnan ko lamang iyon sa kamay n’ya dahilan upang sumimangot siya.

“Stupid Parker, hindi nagbubuhat ng mabibigat ang mga prinsesa,” Spencer mockingly said.

“Fine, ipagdadala ko ang mahal na prinsesa,” Parker teased.

Parang tanga. I was about to get it nang nilayo niya sa akin iyon at sinukbit sa gilid n’ya.

Nagsimula kaming maglakad sa pangunguna ni Spencer, I was being cautious to our surrounding samantalang ang dalawang kasama ko ay kumakain ng m&m’s na para bang wala kami sa apocalypse.

Bakit parang ako ang nagbebabysit sa dalawang isip bata?

When we arrived at our destination, Spencer commanded us to lower our body. The mall has its center, left open and empty from the second floor until to the highest. So, others can see what is happening on the first floor. And through the transparent glass panels, we were able to witness a sickening scene.

“What the—” Parker and Spencer covered my mouth and glared at me.

There are a lot of Bozos entering the mall, but they couldn’t last long because of the huge Bozo at the center or what Spencer calls Pigmalone.

Pigmalone’s appearance was way different from the others; his face and body were not destroyed nor wrecked; in fact, patong-patong ang bilbili niya maging ang pisnge niya ay puno na ng taba. His appearance isn’t that scary. It was he was doing. He was devouring the Bozos who were entering the mall. His hands were extending like a rubber; after that, his mouth will open ten times bigger than the mouth’s usual size.

He was munching the Bozos as if they are some delicious meal.

“He is going to explode,” Parker stated.

“That is the reason why I told you that this is the safest place for now. Because once he explodes, the Bozos will lurk in this mall,” Spencer whispered.

I bit my lower lip frustratingly as a stupid idea began to emerge in my mind, “Kailangan natin makaalis bago mangyari iyon,” I whispered.

“Wala na ang takasan ko,” Spencer glared at us.

I looked down and silently cursed inside my head. The only way out is the first floor. Masyadong mataas ang mall para tumalon kami from second to first floor.

If we wanted to live, we might as well use our weapons to fight.

#