The Descent - 2

*Whistleee*

"Everyone stay calm and don't run!!" 

Hearing the words of the police officer, the crowd immediately slowed down. As you can see, the problem in stressful situations like this is not because they are scares, well yes they are scared, but the true problem is the lack of leadership. Once a leadership figure is established, everyone becomes like sheep. They will follow this figure up until they are not scared of their life anymore. In this case, the police officer became the leader figure that they follow religiously. 

"Also, please open the other side of the train door, and walk outside one-by-one."

Following the orders of their leader, the people who is near the other door found the lever for the door and one-by-one walked outside. 

The last one who went out of the train was the police officer, making sure to get everyone out to the railway tracks. 

Afterwards, the police officer went on to check the other passenger cars. 

Seeing this, Felix opted to go back to his building first because he had a bad feeling. This bad feeling surfed after he went down the railway tracks. This feeling is crushing his heart, like there is someone grasping it hard and constricting it to prevent it from beating freely. This left a bad taste in his mouth and decided to go back and check his building. 

After walking for ten meters, Felix was stopped by the police officer who was rushing towards him.

"Stop! Stop! Where are you going?"

Felix stopped in his tracks and looked at the rushing officer.

"Where are you going? We should stay together and move towards the evacuation center."

"Sorry officer, I need to check something on my building. I really got a gut feeling that something bad happened. Please officer, please let me go sir, I promise to go towards the evacuation center later."

The officer, hearing Felix's reason on going, was first skeptical, but seeing Felix's expression of grief and sadness while clutching his chest, chose to let the person go.

"Alright, go, but you should head straight to the evacuation center after you finish alright."

"Yes, sir, I will. Thank you."

Before Felix rushes towards his condo, the police officer stopped him again, and thanked him for opening the door.

"Hey, before you go. I want to thank you for opening the door a while ago, though a lot more happened afterwards, but regardless, thank you."

"No, sir. It's you who deserved the most praise. You guided the people and made sure that everyone is safe."

Hearing this, the police officer was touched, and thanked Felix for his kind words.

"Thank you for such words, I don't know if I really deserved it but anyways, thank you. Also, may I know your name?"

"My name is Felix sir. Felix Gray."

"Felix Gray.. I see.. my name is Rodrigo Paul."

"I should be going now officer, thank you again."

Felix then went towards the station he originally cam from. He ran towards it with utmost focus and speed that it makes it look like that his life depends on it. After some time, Felix also hears another set of running footsteps behind him. Looking back, he saw the high school girl following him. He stopped for a minute to catch his breath and to inquire about why the girl was following him.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Why are you following me?!"

The girl also stopped to catch a breather. He didn't noticed it before but the girl looked like Japanese. The sailor uniform wore by the girl was misinterpreted by Felix as a high school uniform, but in fact, it might really be a cosplay. 

"*Huff* Huff* Why are you so fast! Slow down a bit alright?"

Felix was confused. He really was confused. Why the hell is she following him, plus what's with the big backpack behind her. Since his question was ignored, Felix opted to ask her again.

"So... Why are you following me?"

"Let me go with you!"

"No. Hell no. I ain't bringing a high school girl to my condo."

Felix said this and began readying to run again until he heard the soft sobs of the girl.

"Wait, wait! I just graduated from high school! I got nowhere to go... *sniff* *sniff* Plus, I am already 19 years old okay?! ... Please take me with you...."

"How does that even happened? additionally your family might be worried about you."

"I... I... was an exchange student from Japan... I... am also an... orphan."

"Oh."

Felix scratches his lips, thinking hard about it. What would he do with this girl.... Hmmm. Hmmm.... He decided to leave her in the evacuation center after reaching there.

"Alright, come with me... but we need to be fast, okay?"

"OKAY! *sniff* Thank you so much!"

Felix and the girl rapidly jogged, and ran across the railway tracks. Although their feet hurts due to the protruding rocks from below the railway tracks, they still kept on. By time, they arrived at Felix's original station, it was completely silent. It felt somewhat eerie since the station was always crowded and the noise was always deafening. Now, it is completely devoid of life. This was also noticed by the girl who was shaking due to cold.. no, it might not be cold but maybe because of the scary atmosphere.

"Brother, I can feel tingles in my spine..... *brrrr*"

"Let's go."

"Okay, brother!"

"Brother?"

"Yeah, you look just a little bit older than me, am I right?"

Felix, while scratching his nose, felt quite impressed by the girl. The girl knows how to read people, hehehe, that's good.

Both of them, quickly went down the station. By the time they reached Felix's condominium, they suddenly heard a commotion. In front of the parking lot of the building, a large crowd was gathered. He noticed that part of the parking lot's ceiling collapsed. He can see debris anywhere and multitude of people looking for someone they know. Some where concussed and was quickly being helped by the paramedics that arrived. Others have a tarp or a blanket covering their whole body, with their family beside the tarps, mourning those who left this Earth. Some, instead of mourning for other's misery, was focused instead on mourning their own cars. Looking around, he also saw some cars that were smashed to pieces by the fallen debris. He was a bit thankful that he does not own a car, or else, he might be one of the victims down h-- 

Wait.

Wait...

Wait......

No.

NO.

NO NO NO NO!

NO WAIT, NO, WAIT WAIT NO

PLEASE NO.,

PLEASE.

Felix quickly went around the parking lot, even going through and smashing some debris that were scattered. He was looking for a specific car. A gray Honda Civic with a plate number of NJK 8292. 

He went around looking for it, stumbling down on some rocks, he even was wounded for a bit because of he fell badly on his elbow, but he didn't care for any of that. The girl was also following him but looking at Felix's worried face, she knew how to be silent this time. Felix went around until he saw the side of the almost clean and perfectly safe Honda Civic. He was relieved thinking that her grandma Kath and Little Liz was safe and sound, however when he saw the other side....

....

..

.

He saw a crying little Liz hugging a badly wounded grandma Kath... He also saw a nearby paramedic who noticed him and his blank expression, The paramedic looked at him and shook his head indicating the worst. The paramedic then walked towards him and patted his shoulder.

"She suffered from a puncture wound due to a metal rod falling from above. It hit her kidney and liver. There are also bruises all around the site of puncture due to the fallen debris or concrete. I regret to tell you, she will be dead in a few minutes. Go talk to her, she is still conscious for a bit."

The paramedic then went on to another patient in order to help them or worse, declare them dead.

Felix just stood there blankly. He was thinking about many things, but he was mostly thinking of the times he spent together with grandma Kath and her grand daughter. Thinking about not being able to experience those memories again, gave him a heartbreak beyond anything. He know that standing here and doing nothing will be a great disservice towards grandma's final moments so he opted to come close and say his proper goodbyes. He knelt beside the crying little Liz. He also put Grandma Kath's head above his legs in order to give his grandma a little bit of comfort in her final moments. 

"Kiddo Felix,... is that... you?"

"Yes grandma, it is me..."

"Kiddo Felix, for the last six months of my life,... I was... happy. I was happy that.. I met you.... You were like a son to me.. A son.. that... I once lost... I gave you dinner almost.. everyday... since my.. son... loves my food. Thankfully,... you loved.. it too."

"Kiddo..., there's... a small... request..... that I... ask of... you..."

"Please tell me grandma, I will risk my life for your request. I will swam across the ocean, to honor it if you want me to be. I will even fly in an airplane and parachute towards the ground if you like it too. *Sniff* *Sniff*

Felix was trying to keep himself from full-on crying. However, his eyes becomes blurry over time. No matter how hard he try to stop, his tears still keeps on falling. 

"He... he... he... you.. are.... always funny my dear... son... My request, son,.. is for you... to take care... of my Liezel.... she is the most.... precious... thing for me... treat her as your daughter,,... or as your sister.... please... make sure... she eats properly... she drinks her milk... properly... brushes her teeth... at least 2.. times a day... help her pick... her lovely clothes... for the day..... Help her.... eat her vegetables... make sure... she eats her proteins... always have.. 8 glasses.... of water.. a day... help her... live a life... that is fun... and entertaining... Help her choose,... who she loves..."

Felix can clearly hear Liz's cries beside her. He can also hear a set of cries from behind him, probably from the recently graduated high school girl. 

"I promise to take care of her, for the rest of my life. I will take care of her. I will definitely treat her as my sister or my daughter so don't worry about it grandma. I will be her shield, her sword, and even her pen. I will protect her so be at peace grandma."

"That's good to hear.... Liezel,... my little Liezel.... always... listen to your... father or brother okay?... I... love you... so so much... I love... you.. to the universe...."

"*Sniff* I *Sniff* also love you *Sniff* to the universe."

"That's nice to hear..... I love... you... my Liezel..."

"My... husband,.. my son.., my daughter...-in-law.... I am coming..........-"

...

...

.

Grandma Kath died. 

She died...

Felix hears Little Liz's cries getting louder and louder, but that is not what is on his mind right now. He was thinking of his memories with his 'grandma'. She was the grandma that he always wanted to have. A grandma who loves his grandkids more than anyone else in the world. 

Felix stayed silent for a good 2 minutes in order to gather himself. He witnessed death in front of his eyes, a 2 minute break was definitely needed to gather himself. You might think that 2 minutes is too short of a person to cope, but most people here on Earth has different strategies in coping. Felix's strategy was to gather himself rapidly and honor the deceased final words, so he turned towards Liz, his new daughter or sister. 

"Liz.. I know you are sad., but everything will be find alright? I am here with you."

Liezel, looking at her father/brother with blankness in her eyes, asked Felix.

"Father.... is Liezel a bad person? Am... I... a bad person?"

"No... Definitely no... Liezel is the goodest of all goods, the bestest of all the bests, so you are a good person alright?"

It was not a good consolation. Felix knew it too. But he saw a little bit of sparkle that sparked in Liezel's eyes but it quickly turned into darkness again. 

"Then why did grandma died."

"You know Liezel, life is never fair. Some people starts their life with a high status, and some starts their life belonging to the lowest of the low. Some has multitude of problems, while some people have seemingly no problems at all. Some people lives until they are a hundred years old, but some people die as early as a second. Life is never fair Liezel, it will give you numerous setbacks, numerous problems, numerous losses, you name it. Life will give you the baddest of the bad. However afterwards, what we do with the negatives thrown by life is what will define who you are. I don't know if you understand even half of what I said but know that I am always here with you, okay? Grandma's death is one of the negatives that life gave you. So what should we say about life? FUCK LIFE! Repeat after me. FUCK LIFE!!!!!"

"FUCK LIFE!!!!!!!!!"

""FUCK LIFEEEEEEEEE!!!!""

""FUUUUUUUCK LIFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!""

The newly formed father and daughter duo looked at each other and suddenly laugh, however, while laughing tears started streaming down their faces. They laughed hard, so hard that they started to attract the attention of others. Eventually, both of them stopped laughing and just smiled at each other. The four-foot tall child and the five-foot and eight-inches tall person stared at each other, both smiling with a bit of relief on their faces. Liezel's eyes regained a bit of its previous sparkle, Felix on the other hand, was relieved that Liezel was a little bit fine now. 

"Hey, don't say the first word always okay? That word is only for adults, okay?"

"The first word? Fu-"

Felix immediately covered his daughter's mouth. 

"No saying alright? I will take away a bit of your candy later okay?"

"Hmph... Don't touch my candy, father."

Felix stroked her daughter's head softly. He was proud of her for still retaining her innocence even in the face of life's fuck ups. Even though their relationship is newly formed, their bond was now stronger than the strongest steel. Felix just keeps on stroking her head when suddenly.

"GET TO THE UPPER FLOORS!!! A FLASH FLOOD IS COMING!!"