With nobody else to lose, the 26-year old presidential daughter Margot Villaroel had a brilliant plan of taking her father down at the expense of her life - a perfectly polished plan to be executed on her father's day of presidential oath-taking. As...
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"Talagang pahahawakin mo ng baril ang kapatid ko?" Pinigilan ako ni Joaquin na humakbang palabas ng kubo. He held my arm gently, but I knew his grip would go tighter once I try to walk away while we weren't done talking.
I glanced at Tony who had just returned from doing the morning check. His hands were all bloody, he said he encountered a few infected. I bet he decided to not use his gun right now. He wouldn't be as bloody as he was now if he used a long-range weapon instead of a melee.
I should've come with him.
Squinting my eyes, I examined every movement of him as he sauntered towards the bathroom. The blood stains he had were more saturated than usual. Pulang-pula pa ito.
"Joaquin, times are getting dangerous... don't expect your sister to be innocent until death," bumaling ako kay Joaquin nang umubo siya.
"Hindi pa siya handa para diyan," ani Joaquin at marahang hinawakan ang pistol na hawak ko upang ibaba ito.
Binawi ko 'yon mula sa kanya at inipit sa aking baywang. I lifted both of my hands to touch his cheeks, making him look into my eyes. "No one is ever prepared for all of this. If you want to live more, learn to adapt. This is how we survive."
"You're teaching her how to kill," giit ni Joaquin.
My eyes fled to his. "I'm teaching her how to protect herself."
I leaned over the hut's door frame, crossing my arms across my chest. He glanced at me, still adamant on allowing his sister to hold a gun. I knew I swore my life to protecting EJ but I could only live one life. In this situation, one mistake was already sufficient in ending our own lives.
Tiningnan ko si George na seryosong nakapangalumbaba sa mesa at tila ba lumilipad sa kabilang kalawakan ang kanyang isip. If there was anyone who had the best parental instincts here, it was probably him considering that Tony had grown into a strong, wise man.
"Hindi niya responsibilidad na protektahan ang sarili niya," ani Joaquin na umagaw ng aking atensyon mula kay George. I looked at him before looking outside the hut to see EJ playing tag with Claire.
I sighed as I watched her be a child. Her smiles and giggles were priceless, but at the same time, it was also better than gold. Her laughter rolling out the deteriorating field was probably the only music I would ever hear in this time and I wouldn't even complain. She lifted her arms to Claire for a hug but the latter carried her instead.
Sa puntong ito, napapaisip na rin ako kung tama ba ang aking binabalak, ngunit hindi ko rin masisi ang aking sarili sa dami ng bantang nakapaligid sa amin.
