Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 55 - THE BOMB

Trestan just entered the mall to buy an important book he needed because the bookstore where he buys the book is in the mall. Someone was calling him.

"Hello, Mrs. Santos?"

"Your sister's asthma is attacking her again. I can't find her inhaler." Mrs. Santos informed him. He always left her sister in the neighborhood especially when he needed to go somewhere.

"There's an extra inhaler in her school bag, Mrs. Santos. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'll be right back when I bought what I needed."

"No problem, Trestan. Besides, I like to take care of your sister. She's really a sweet girl."

"Thank you, Mrs. Santos." And the call ended.

He immediately went to the second floor where the bookstore was located then he searched for a particular book about Bombs.

Well, he wanted to learn more about bombs because he is somehow interested in it. He remembered when he was a ten-year-old boy, his mother taught her how to deactivate a bomb. What wires needed to cut and needed to avoid.

When he found the book, he was about to go to the cashier to pay for it when someone bumped into him.

"Sorry. I'm not---mute?" It's Blair! He ignored her and just proceeded to the cashier and handed the money to the cashier.

"Mute, can you come with me?" Blair asked who's behind him but she was ignored again. "Please..."

She annoys him until they get out of the bookstore.

"Trestan... Please. Please." Trestan stopped walking and looked at her with no interest to go with her but as he stared at her eyes, it pains him without a specific reason.

Her eyes seemed to say what she truly feels. She looked jolly outside but deep inside, she's still hurting.

He looked at his watch and sighed before saying, "Fine."

"You talked again!" She was so glad every time she heard his voice.

"Let's go!" Trestan was shocked because Blair grabbed his arm and pulled him.

He didn't whine and just followed her anywhere she went. They went to the third floor and Blair cheerfully showed him a place.

"Welcome to the World of Fun!" She even raised her hand and Trestan almost laughed at her but stopped himself. Some people around were laughing at her but she didn't care.

Most of the people around were teenagers or in their 20s.

Blair pulled him but he stayed where he was standing and just looked at the place. He imagined his parents holding his hands and walking to the 'World of Fun'.

Cally does not exist yet during that memory. "Hey mute! Let's go!"

They had not yet entered the 'World of Fun' when Trestan bumped into a little boy wearing round eyeglasses like Harry Potter's.

"Ouch." The boy said.

"Sorry." Trestan knelt and helped the boy. The boy widened his little eyes when he recognized Trestan.

"Y-You're... You're Cally's big brother, right?"

"Hm..." Trestan creased his forehead while trying to recall the boy. "You're my sister's seatmate, Dylan?" Trestan asked with a teasing look. He knows that this boy has a crush on his sister.

"Yes! Hm... I want to tell you somethin'." Dylan said then he slightly pulled Trestan's ears and he whispered something.

"There's a bomb there." He pointed out a black bag near the post.

"W-What?" Trestan was confused and he walked toward the bag Dylan was saying and he's not lying. "There's a bomb!" He mumbled.

"Mute, what are you---crap! Is that a bomb!?" Because of Blair's loud voice, they caught everyone's attention. Everyone was stunned and after a while, they panicked.

"Let's go, mute! We need to inform everyone about this." She pulled her but Trestan grabbed her hands.

"Listen, Blair." He said while looking at the countdown of the bomb. Eight minutes. "Assist the people and I will try to deactivate this---"

"Are you insane!? You are not a professional! What if you cut the wrong wire!?"

"If we let this ticking, it will be a great danger."

"Then let's take that out," Blair suggested and was about to lift the black bag cotaining the bomb.

"We have no time. Just... Just go! And help people." Trestan slightly pushed her and Blair stared at him for a second and clenched her fist before running toward the direction of the people.

"Everyone! Run to the exit! There's a bomb! There's a bomb!" Blair shouted.

The people in the third floor  turns into chaos after they heard about the bomb.

Ferran, on the other hand, was running toward the fountain.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

When he reached his destination he immediately searched for it. When he couldn't find it because of the people around, he stepped on the bench and shouted.

"Listen!" He caught some attention. They thought he was just preaching something so not everyone was listening. "I am SPO2 Simeon Ferran. Please... Immediately get out of the mall and go to a safe place! There are three bombs inside the mall." Most of them didn't believe him so he had no choice but to pull out his gun and pointed it at the ceiling then he pulled the trigger.

People moved away from the fountain and there he saw a strange black bag on the side of the fountain. When he opened it, two minutes left!

"Sh*t!" The people were in turmoil after they saw the bomb. He grabbed the bag and ran toward the exit. "Sanchez I found the bomb!"

"I can't find the other one. F*ck!" He heard Sanchez cursing.

They did not know that every floor has a bomb, and Trestan was taking care of one of the three bombs.

He's sweaty and nervous because, with one wrong cut, it might explode in no time. Last two minutes. He cut two out of five wires. There is another one that needs to be cut.

Sanchez still searching for another bomb when someone shouted.

"There's a bomb here! A bomb!"

Sanchez immediately ran toward the black bag and lasted two minutes!

"Sh*t!"

Two minutes to keep people away from the bomb. "This way! Please! Faster! Double time!"

Sanchez saw a crying child in the middle of turmoil. The child was five meters away from him. He immediately runs toward the child who's near where the bomb is.

10.

Trestan was still reading the book and remembering what his mother taught him.

9.

Ferran was nearly reaching the exit door while holding the bag where the bomb was placed.

8.

Sanchez reached the child and lifted him before running to the nearest post where they could hide.

7.

Blair came back to where she left Trestan.

6.

"Why did you come back?" Trestan said with anger in his voice.

5.

"I want to help you!"

4.

Ferran readied his arms to throw the bomb into the air.

3.

Sanchez and the child were close to the post.

2.

Trestan put the other wire between the scissors then they looked into each other's eyes.

1.

The bombs exploded.