Chapter 25: The Incident (III)

07:29 A.M.

Kelly's Diner.

June 6th, the year 2018. Wednesday.

16 minutes before Xian Santos's accident.

Xian looked at his fingers and saw the blood-like color in it. He glared through the letters that formed into sentences that he didn't understand.

Alioquin interficiemus te, et omnem

*Translated from Latin: I will kill you all...*

Xian seemed confused by the sentence, and he knew it wasn't the English language. It came from Western countries, and he didn't know how to read it. He observed the whole parking lot, peeking in every corner while staying in his place. Someone caught his eye, someone who was riding a motorcycle and wearing a black hoodie.

Xian scrutinized the person while he was climbing out of his motorcycle. He walked towards a boysenberry compact car. The man crouched down and got out a spray of paint from the back pocket of his jeans. Xian knuckled his fists when he realized the person was the one responsible.

When he was about to press the button that spilled out the paint from the can bottle, Xian yelled. "Hey! Hey!"

The man heard him, stood up hastily, and rode his motorcycle in a rush of capturing him. Xian rode his car quickly and started it.

He stepped onto the gas pedal. The car sped up so fast out of the Kelly's Diner parking lot and onto Bella's Main Highway. He spotted the person on his motorcycle. He's overtaking and swiveling towards one vehicle to another to get away from Xian.

Xian's breath quickened as he glanced towards his speedometer. He reached about 120km/hour now that he felt like he was flying inside his car while driving. He needed to capture that person wearing the black hoodie. Xian wanted to know what was the meaning of the letters painted in his car.

Xian also drove past the other vehicles, the car's engine revving so louder. He doesn't care about the one he dodge upon and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He furrowed his eyebrows, screeching his car onto the national road. He heard the loud honks of other drivers. He didn't care about it, and he didn't want the person wearing the black hoodie out of his sight.

"You punk," Xian gritted his teeth. He glanced worriedly at his speedometer. He widened his eyes when he reached the maximum limit. He pursed his lips while driving the car and looked straight towards that person.

When Xian was about a foot away from the person, he retrieved a pistol from the pockets of his black hoodie. He shot the front window of Xian's car.

Xian ducked his head towards the steering wheel and looked at the window. He saw a small spot where the bullet came through and he panted. Another shot of the bullet reached the window and fortunately, it didn't hit Xian's head.

How could this guy maintain riding a motorcycle while shooting bullets simultaneously?

The person wearing the black hoodie gave up and tucked the pistol again back at the pockets. He gripped the throttle tightly and stepped onto the lever. He turned the motorcycle towards the corner street.

The gears shifted until the motorcycle maintained its fast pace again. Xian got lost by the track of his car that he tumbled on while rotating the steering wheel to make the wheels turn.

He exhaled a breath while still maintaining the maximum limit of the speed. A foot away from the reach of the person.

The motorcycle pivoted on the right corner of the street. Xian realized he was being led to a road with no cars driving around.

He swallowed, his lips quivering while slowing down his car a little. He maintained the speed of 140km/hour and looked outside. Xian followed the person wearing the black hoodie. They were going away from the center capital of Manila. It looks like he was on a road with the forest on both sides.

When he shifted his eyes again towards the person, he was holding the gun again. He shot three bullets in a row and Xian bowed his head again inside the car, touching his lap. He averted his eyes and saw another three holes in the front window.

Xian stepped on the break, but unfortunately, it didn't work. He widened his eyes as he ducked his head safely while panting. The break was not working, and he was on his speed limit. He might crash anytime now.

He peeked slightly in the window. Xian saw that the motorcycle with the person responsible for this accident vanished. He felt the anxiety surging through as he stepped on the break repeatedly. Xian's car was unclasping, out of his control. It zigzagged on the road as it finds its resolution on the nearby treetops.

It crashed into the immense tree.

The steam from the engine came out and Xian felt his head collide with the rigid wheel. He felt the fiery blood oozing out of his forehead as his vision became blurry in a matter of seconds. He closed his eyes as he thought about Margo, Carmela, and his family.

...

04:39 A.M.

San Miguel's Hospital.

June 10th, the year 2018. Sunday.

4 days after Xian Santos's accident.

Xian gasped an extensive amount of air as he opened his eyes so wide and saw the white ceiling with a bright light in it. He felt the tears brimming as he licked his lips and thought that he was in his bedroom back at his house.

When he looked towards the side of the room, he saw a woman leaning her head on the wall. Her arms crossed over her chest. She was sleeping soundly.

Xian realized it was Margo, who was sleeping while sitting down on the long couch. He swallowed and looked at the foot of his bed. Xian tried to sit up from the hospital bed, but he exclaimed in pain.

"Ah!" He grunted, making Margo jump from the couch and stood up hurriedly. She approached Xian in a haste and asked if he was alright.

"Are you okay? Lay down again. Your stitches might open up," Margo scolded him. Xian touched his forehead and grimaced. He felt the gauze surround his head as he shifted his eyes towards Margo and saw that she was so worried.

"I'm fine," Xian whispered in a hoarse voice. He felt the need for water as he swallowed down a bit of saliva that needs to rinse with water.

"Do you need some water?" Margo asked him. Xian nodded as he observed the cast on his right arm and leg. It felt like the two of them became woods. It wouldn't move. He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Margo was beside him and gave him a full glass of clear water.

He gulped it down, felt the beads of the water streaming down his parched mouth, and exhaled a sigh of relief. He gave back the glass and laid down slowly as Margo punched the pillows slightly to make it much fluffy. Xian gently patted his head down and looked at his girlfriend.

Margo held his left hand and kissed it. Xian beamed as she saw Margo was wearing a plain shirt now, without even any makeup on. Her pony-tailed hair similar to a country girl.

She looks so beautiful even with a bare face. Margo sighed before starting a conversation.

"You have been sleeping for four days, did you know that?" Margo asked Xian while staring into his eyes. He shook his head and didn't even remember what happened. Xian took a glimpse back when he realized it held the person who shot his car accountable for this.

"What happened? Why did you crash into a tree?" Margo asked the questions he would be dreadful to answer. Xian inhaled and exhaled it in a large huff.

Margo licked her lips and said, "I thought..."

Xian looked at her and saw the tears pouring down her eyes. He shushed him and held her face. Margo sobbed as she leaned her face towards Xian's soft hands.

"I got into an accident, alright? I am alive," Xian murmured, wiping the tears coming out of Margo's eyes. Margo inched her face closer towards Xian while he was still holding her face. When their lips were centimeters away, Xian closed the gap. They kissed passionately, missing each other after a while.

Xian felt the tears coming out of his eyes as he moulded his lips to Margo. He realized how much pain he would feel if it was Margo laying down on the bed. With those casts on the right arm and leg, he knew he loved Margo more than anything.

They broke the kiss when they felt they were out of breath. They both smiled as the door burst opened and Xian averted his eyes towards them.

It surprised him to see someone standing there. A handful of paper bags on his left hand, his right arm cast just like Xian's legs. He bowed his head down towards Margo.