The Monster In Me

Last-minute

Zean sobbed and grimaced in pain as he pressed against the wound that was rushing the red liquid. Many times the young man added cloth to stop the flow, but nil. He could feel that slowly his sister's breathing was getting weaker. Zean's gaze began to blur, both by tears and by the panic that drowned his entire consciousness.

“K-sister, it's okay. Eca ... all right, right?” ask Helsa stammering. Sometimes he coughed and groaned loudly. He felt an excruciating pain that he had never experienced before. He wanted to feel thrashed and asked Zean to stop pressing on his stomach, but he knew that he was trying to keep him conscious. Helsa knows all this from the many action movies starring Zean. “Awas, Brother. That evil brother may be still around here.”

Zean's head shook quickly. “No, Ca. Just calm. That guy seems really a coward. He escaped after being injured quite badly.” Zean rubbed his face with one of his hands that was not pressing Helsa's wounds. A faint smile formed on his face. “Sister didn't know you were capable of fighting. That was your throw really telling. The bad guy was in immediate pain and held his head that was hit by a stone.”

Helsa pursed her lips. An expression that usually looks adorable to Zean. Honey, this time all Zean saw was the look of a weak and helpless face from his sister. Both of Helsa's eyes were hanging. Clearly the younger brother was struggling to withstand the overwhelming sleepiness that was now attacking him.

“I'm afraid .. I'm afraid Brother is hurt again.”

Hearing Helsa's weak speech made Zean unable to hold back any longer. He cried roaring while embracing the sister tightly. Guilt, fear, anxiety, and regret gathered in his mind. However, Zean tried to keep thinking clearly. He cannot be selfish.

“Seconds are not injured. Brother actually hurt you just because you want to continue with Brother.” Zean rubbed Helsa's head. With all his strength, he tried to hold back his surprise when he found that it was not only Helsa's stomach that was badly injured. Apparently he really could no longer hold Helsa by his side. “Thank you for staying this far, Ca. Brother will not force you to be tormented in a place like this for longer.”

Zean took a deep breath before returning to speak. “Sorry, Brother can't protect you properly.”

Slowly, Zean returned to lay Helsa down. Now his sister's face looks much paler than before. However, there is something different. For some reason, Zean felt that Helsa looked much calmer, with a very thin smile on her lips.

The young man's chest felt narrowed. He had to do something he really didn't want, but was the best for his sister. “You can go, Ca. Brother promised to come home safely and look after Father and Mother for life Brother.”

Helsa stopped crying. Only one to two tears still seemed to flow through her cheeks. Zean felt that time was going so slowly, that he could see the drops coming down to wet the road which was now red with the blood of his sister. The young man watched everything with full attention. Not wanting to miss the last moment with Helsa.

Helsa's eyelids are almost no longer raised, but the girl's lips move slowly. “ ... as Big Brother looks after me.”

After that, the entire light in the world seemed to be extinguished. Along with Helsa's face that seemed to dim after his soul left his body.

Zean bit his lower lip as he rubbed gently on Helsa's face. Making his two eyes that still looked slightly open now closed tightly. The young man tried hard not to cry, but his trembling body showed clearly how deep the sadness he was feeling at the moment. For a lifetime, he never once imagined he would see his sister go first.

“I know that Brother sibuuuk once.” Zean could still hear Helsa's cheerful voice, as if her sister was indeed talking to him at this moment. “And I also know how Big Brother is always happy to pamper me. But I hope Big Brother also gets enough sleep, because I don't want to go anywhere with Big Brother who looks very pale.”

Both of Zean's eyes stared softly at the younger brother who had been peacefully asleep on his lap. Without any sign of waking up. “You now look much paler than Big Brother, Ca. Don't worry, you still look very beautiful.”

Zean stood up after laying Helsa down on the damp asphalt road. He looked around, where the zombies that were no longer moving, were laying down. Being the only proof of how he had tried so hard to protect his sister. However, fate cannot be fought.

A few minutes after Taka found their hiding place, Zean had to deal with many zombies that Taka had deliberately brought to finish off Zean and Helsa. Zean mustered all his strength and ability to dispel any approaching zombies. Until he missed Taka who turned out to be after his sister.

Zean realizes it just as Helsa throws a boulder at Taka. In a body that has been covered with blood.

“I wish .. if I were stronger and faster. Will everything be different?” muttered Zean while walking away from Helsa.

The young man approached the bushes and trees full of flowers that grew around the Cakrabuana Playground. He carefully picked out some beautiful looking flowers. He paid no attention to the thorns that were scratching his fingers. The wound was nothing with the injury in his heart.

For a moment he stared at the flowers in his hand without blinking. “I don't know what kind of flower this is, and what it means,” Zean muttered again. “But it is impossible for the Playground party to plant flowers means bad in its business premises, right?”

After feeling enough, Zean came back to Helsa. Placing some flowers that still have a little stem in the hand of the sister he has placed on the body. Meanwhile, the other flowers he arranged surrounded Helsa's body. Makes her figure as if immortalized with a colorful frame. The pink, yellow, purple, and green colors of the leaves attached to the flowers contrast with the surface of the road where Helsa was lying stiff.

Zean squatted down while creeping his own fingers tightly. Pray with closed eyes. In his heart he expressed his hopes for his sister and said goodbye one more time.

“Sister wants to take you away, but Sister knows you won't like that.” Zean rubbed his sister's hair before getting up.

The young man turned around. Taking one step away from her sister, for the last time.

***