Chapter 23: Bloody Week
Zein's Point of View...
It feels different. I'm used to seeing everything quiet, but it's different now; I can feel their fear and worry. It's visible on their faces that they are not calm at all.
They can't not go to school because Supremo might bring death upon them.
"I'm getting goosebumps," said Mia, hugging herself while looking at the people passing by.
"Shh. What's important now is that we are together. No one should separate from us." Matt reminded us.
We are here in the wide space, sitting on the benches. The sky is gloomy, and the clouds seem to cover the sun, which adds to our fear.
"Those defensive items I gave you. Don't take them out unless you really need them." Dave reminded us again.
I remembered again the box Supremo gave me. Its content was a different kind of bladed weapon. I didn't bring it; I left it in my drawer. I won't hold a bladed weapon, even if Supremo gave it.
"Ahhh!"
We stood up from where we were sitting when we heard a scream from a classroom. We immediately found that classroom because of the students who also ran there.
I squeezed myself into the crowd of watching students.
I covered my mouth because of what I was seeing.
"W-Why are you doing this?" Asked a girl to the girl standing who was holding a knife.
The girl sitting on the floor was covered in her own blood from her arm, which I think the girl holding the knife did.
"Why?! You're a snatch-stealer!"
"I'm not stealing anything from you!"
I tightly closed my eyes when the girl holding the knife suddenly kicked the stomach of the girl sitting down, causing her to almost curl up in pain.
I can't just stand here! I need to do something! She might kill that girl.
I tightly closed my eyes before walking towards the two, but after only two steps, Matt pulled me back.
"You can't do anything to save her, Zein. She might vent her anger on you too."
"But Matt. If I don't do anything, she will kill that girl." I pointed to the girl who was coughing up blood because the girl kicked her stomach again.
"What is the purpose of this bloody week if no one will die? Zein, we can't do anything. Killing is legal now!"
I just returned my gaze to the scene. She was right, killing is legal now, I have nothing, we have nothing to do but to watch them kill each other.
UGH! This is insane!
"Sorry. You should die now."
I turned away and walked away when the girl sitting on the floor was stabbed. She was likely killed already.
"Zein!"
I ignored Mia and the others who were calling my name. It's frustrating! I can't do anything!
I stopped walking when Vanessa blocked my path, looking at me angrily.
"It's just starting, Zein. You haven't really witnessed anything worse than this yet you're already giving up," she said to me. Dave, Mia, Matt, and Jerome also approached and looked at me.
"I can't do this..." I said honestly. "I can't bear to watch someone die." I just ran my hands through my hair. "We can't stop or avoid that. Be strong, Zein, the real fight hasn't even begun yet," Jerome said.
I just bowed my head to the fact that everything was just starting. It's only starting but I'm already giving up. Even if I try to be strong, I still can't stop the anxiety.
"Zein." I raised my head again and forced a smile. Our eyes fell on the corpse being dragged by the guards. My chest tightened when I saw that the two women who were fighting earlier were now lifeless. Noticeable was the knife still stuck in the heart of the woman who was holding the knife earlier—the knife she used. Is it possible that she also killed herself? Shit! The bell rang, signaling the next subject. I excused myself to go to the comfort room and told them to go ahead.
Walking distractedly to the comfort room, I was blocked by the woman who became a human tester. She was thinner and her skin was wrinkled. Is this really the effect of an imperfect formula?
"Follow me," she said, then walked away. I don't know why, but I followed her. We went again to the place where she dragged me before. She looked around us, as if terrified that someone might hear whatever she was going to tell me. Her eyes settled on me when she finished scanning the surroundings
.
"Their laboratory," she began. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Even my palms sweated after hearing the word she said.
"Tell me please," I pleaded. She looked straight into my eyes.
"The laboratory you're looking for is—" She suddenly collapsed onto the floor and blood flowed from her back with a nail stuck in it. I almost screamed, but luckily I covered my mouth with both my hands immediately. My knees were trembling in shock as well as my heart.
"Noisy." My eyes automatically landed on Nicky, who was leaning against a tree playing with another nail. She looked at me with a smirk.
"She will also die anytime, so I just shortened her suffering, and one more thing, she knew too much, so it's only right that she keeps quiet now." I clenched my fist in anger. She killed this girl! She didn't do anything to her. I still don't know about the hidden laboratory. Damn you Nicky.
"Why are you doing this?! You crazy bitch!" I gritted my teeth in anger and this bitch just smirked.
"I am just saving you, us."
I tightly closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. She wants us to save? But she just killed the key for us to find the hidden laboratory! I glanced again at the lifeless woman in front of me. I immediately turned my gaze away because I couldn't stomach the nail stuck in her back.
"Save us? Well, congrats! You saved us!" Note the sarcasm. I turned my back and started walking away. She was always a hindrance! Why the hell was she blocking my way! That was my chance to find out about their hidden laboratory and inform Sir Alvarez about it so that the formula they were so excited about couldn't be completed!
Annoyed, I just passed the comfort room, which was where I was supposed to go. I just went straight to our classroom and found that the class had already started. They paused for a moment when they saw me and my angry face. I sat next to Vanessa, who was frowning while looking at me. I threw my bag down and crossed my arms.
"What's wrong?" Mia asked, peeking at Vanessa's side. Even the boys were frowning now while looking at me. I just shrugged before focusing my attention on our teacher who was teaching. It's just really regrettable that I was about to get the information I needed but it was thwarted because of Nicky. Why does she not want me to know? Is she also involved with the people making the formula? Is she an accomplice? That bitch!
"That's just a simple question, Ms. Romualdez!" "I-I am sorry." Teacher Riza and Kris Romualdez immediately caught my attention.
"Sorry?! You're so stupid!" Kris just bowed her head in shame because of what Teacher Riza said. That was below the belt. Even if Kris couldn't answer, she shouldn't embarrass her in front of the class, in front of us.
"That's just a piece of cake! Idiot! You don't listen, that's why you don't know anything! You're ugly, and you're stupid too!" I was about to stand up to stop Teacher Riza, but I was frozen in my seat when Kris suddenly slapped the Teacher.
"How dare you!" Teacher Riza shouted in surprise.
"Go on! Come closer!" My eyes widened at the same time I swallowed when I saw what Kris pulled out of her pocket. A knife.
"I'm so tired! You always pick on me! You always embarrass me! I have no dignity left!" Tears streamed down Kris's eyes as she looked at Teacher Riza, who was trembling while backing away from Kris, who was now smiling grimly.
"P-Put that down. That's not a funny joke," Teacher Riza nervously warned, but Kris, who was now smirking, didn't budge as if deaf.
"Yes, I'm stupid! You? Are you smart? Let's see! Answer my simple question..." The smirk on her lips widened. "Guess when you're going to die." In that moment. Kris plunged the knife she was holding into Teacher Riza's chest.
I almost closed my eyes at what I witnessed. She fell to the floor with the knife still stuck in her chest. Her thick blood flowed onto the floor. Kris's eyes widened as if she had come to her senses. She stared at her bloody hands before looking at our lifeless teacher.
"N-No," she said to herself before sitting on the floor and hugging herself. She sobbed and screamed as if she had lost her mind. No one dared to approach us or them or even stand up. It was as if we had all bitten our tongues. The surprise was still visible in our eyes. This bloody week is worse than I expected because we are just killing each other ourselves. I looked at my friends. Is it possible that it will be us too? I tightly shook my head. Yes, it's just them themselves killing each other.
Grudge to grudge but my friends and I are an exception. We have no hard feelings towards each other. We wouldn't do what others did. We wouldn't kill each other and if we were, I'd rather stab myself. I wouldn't be able to bear seeing one of us holding a knife pointed at another one of us. I'd rather die than to witness that.