The Tenants

"The humans had done it again"

The big man growled and gripped his palms in a chair as if he was about to pray. Silence had filled the dim lit space filled with a couple of tables and chairs. It was a bland picture only painted by the color other people's faces filled with anguish and despair. Some had shivered, some had covered themselves with their arms and some found comfort by the touch of others. It wasn't long before their opinions flooded into the small emergency room.

"Hahaha… they're coming"

"I really wished that humans would just leave us alone already…"

"Did they really think that they were helping?"

"Don't screw with us… we only wanted to live in peace"

"Right, leaves us, dead people, alone already…"

"They're threatening us to make a living, how is that even fair…"

"Is this that time again… too bad, I've taken a liking into this hospital too"

"We can't interact with them, we don't even bother them anymore… what's with them being a-"

"Enough" The man's deep voice had seized its control. "They had lit a candle and offered this place to the reapers. They'll be here sooner or later. Nothing would change if y'all continue to groan"

"How did this happen…"

"I mean… It's fine. we're just gonna run right? Like old times?"

"I mean yeah… we could always find a better place. I'm sure we will"

"That is also a problem." The man leaned forward to rest his elbows on the metal desk. He gave a long breath through his nose and followed, "Your brothers who volunteered to look around never came back. Might as well consider that we're already surrounded. Six of what they call four class spirits had gathered in a single place and of course, those bastards aren't' gonna let that pass."

A woman wailed in the background and triggered those around her to do the same. They had begun to whisper to each other as they kept hopeless expression. He lowered his head and stroked the top of his hair. He wanted to hit the table to suppress their fears but at the very least, he understood what they felt. He just dropped his palm and scratched his beard until a child's voice rang into his ear.

"But grandpa William would protect us, right mom?... just like before, he would just punch them and they would all disappear… he's like Superman!"

He sighed and slowly clenched his hands until his fingers cracked. He bit his lip and lifted his eyes until he met the gaze of the mother who pretended not to notice her child's voice with a broken smile.

"Right mom… right? Right? Heyyyy… mom, can you hear me? Why are you not answering me, mom?" The kid said as he tugged the collar of his mother's shirt.

He nodded and gave himself a silent groan. He stood from his seat, stretched his shoulders and walked towards the kid. Like a pro wrestler who was reaching out to his fan, he placed his humongous hand on the kid's head and brought back his smile that infected the ones that surrounded him.

"I will protect you." He mustered all of his strength to curl up his dried lips and said, "but I would need you to h-"

"What a terrible way to announce something good really…" A man in a cowboy hat hummed a tune as he strolled over to his side with a face brimming with confidence. "Folks, what he meant was that the enemy had surrounded us and saved us the trouble. Now's the time for revenge boys!"

"Hah!... I like that thought. The idea of waiting here like a sitting duck disgusts me." A short man stood from the group and revealed his natural squinted eyes as he walked in while rubbing his hands. "We'll get them… I think I could help"

The dark room was filled by the twinkling lights of hope from everyone's eyes. The old man soon found the energy to copy those around him. He let out a wide cheerful grin and flexed his dense muscles to everyone around the room. The room was then filled by hope until a slamming door forced them to take a pause.

A woman stepped forward as soon as she caught her breath. She faced the ceiling and rested her hands onto her hips. Her chest was moving up and down but she soon calmed down and announced, "We have taken everyone in the neighborhood that managed to run. Some are too weak to fight but some were more than eager to give those bastards a beating… we have contacted the Blues as well and they said that they would be coming."

"That leaves it…" The short man scratched the smirk off of his face.

"The best plan there is" The cowboy tipped his hat over the crowd. "We'll be fighting."

"Nice!"

"The Blues are coming for us, this battle is as good as won!"

"I'll round everyone and tell it to them!"

"Ohohoho, Now we're talking. We just need to hold them off till they arrive!"

"YEAH!!"

"But would we be able to do that?"

Like a scratched disk, everyone's mood had come into a screeching halt. They all looked at their general and waited for him to speak. He then shrugged off the pressure by ramming his fist on top of his chest and said,

"Yes, we will. Because I would do everything to protect my family."

***

"So you see, that's what happened before they asked us to go wherever we want to go and say our goodbyes." Said by the boy as he walked around the hospital halls with a girl around his age.

"Mother went away to meet up with Uncle James and the others. I hope everything would be alright."

"They said that they all had a plan and would tell us about it later"

"You mean…" The girl paused and cleared her throat as looked through the window beside her.

"Ahh... I wish that I had the same hat as uncle James then I'll be gunning everyone down…" The boy soon noticed that he was walking alone so he turned his back towards the girl. She saw the blue shade from the stars illuminate half of her face. It reflected over her butterfly hairclip and gave light to her sincere eyes, he couldn't help but avert his gaze. "I mean.. yeah…"

A sudden silence permeated the gap between them. There were a few people gathering outside the halls and professing their goodbyes. There were ones holding each other's hands with tears dripping down their cheeks and some even shared a passionate hug. A few were then left out to look through the window as they gripped a weapon in hand.

"Yeah… everything would be alright. I'll make sure that I'll be able to protect you and everyone as well." The boy flexed his thin biceps with a bright smile as he invited her to walk up the stairs.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't you go with us, we could still go and wait for them to win... I believe that Grandad William would save us you don't have to do anything." The girl lowered her head and clasped her hand on top of her chest. She swallowed and clenched her cheeks as he showed him her brave face. "Some even said that help is on its way…"

"No.. they need me. You see… I've always wanted to be a soldier when I grew up, but that didn't happen." He scratched the skin on his bald head and clenched his fist. "Mother said that I'm strong and I could help. I-I wanted to do something too!"

"..."

"Then.. then… then... after everything is done... let's go play again and sit by the campfire while we tell scary stories since we can't eat"

"There's no point in scaring ourselves since we're dead already." She replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah.. right?? It feels kinda weird. Let's do that with everybody when everything is done!" The girl then smiled and ran away, leaving him in his own silent space.

"Still… Pinky promise?"

He whispered with a sad tone as she dashed out of his sight. He got to the rooftop alone and bathed in the sea of blue stars above. He gripped his little finger as if he wanted to cry, he picked the best place but in the end, he wasn't able to say his goodbye.