The boys were terrified upon seeing their friend's foot jutting from the large bush. Instinctively, they rushed and pulled him out of the thicket. Tonton remained unconscious, making them even more worried.
"Tonton, wake up!" Jamie kept shaking him but to no avail.
Suddenly, Tonton shuddered and vehemently kicked his legs and threw his arms. He was yelling incomprehensible words. They tried to restrain him but he overpowered them. After swinging an arm, Bogart gave him a powerful slap.
Jamie and Kiko froze upon seeing Bogart's reckless action. Immediately, Tonton woke up from his dreams. He was panting and choking with his saliva.
"Holy cow, why did you do that?" Jamie asked, furious at what had been done to his bestfriend.
"He just needs a strong force to wake him up," Bogart reasoned out. "See? It worked."
Kiko laughed out loud. The two boys joined while Tonton was still catching his breath, shocked and scared.
"What happened to you?"
"I don't know," Tonton replied. "I can't explain either. It's just that after the mysterious light exploded and we got thrown away, I dreamed of random scary things."
"Me, as well," Bogart interrupted. "My dream was really weird. It is more like memories."
"It's as if all our lives were flashed in a short film." Kiko said excitedly.
"Back when we were babies up to the explosion." Jamie was all smiles after saying those words.
"And possibly including the future," Tonton finally said after a moment of silence passed.
The three looked at him with puzzlement. They tried remembering their dreams but they were just histories, nothing futuristic. They kept their silence.
"Come on," Jamie broke the silence. "We should get going. No one is hurt, right?"
The other boys shook their heads. Slowly, they took their own bikes and began riding home. They were still a long distance from the residential area and all the way, they remained quiet as they were individually absorbed in their own thoughts. While the explosion was unbelievable, their dreams were partly scary and partly nostalgic.
By and by, the lighs from the houses glowed from a distance. The boys pedalled harder, the urgency to return home got stronger as the lights became brighter. It was nearly half an hour since the spectacle happened but people were still out of their houses, their shadows hopping from one house to another as they chatted for updates.
Bogart was the first to arrive home. He was still a long distance when both his parents saw him. Like him, they were also round and chunky. Immediately, they ran up to them, their bodies bouncing with each step. Bogart jumped out of his bike and ran towards them. When they met, they gave each other hugs and kisses.
"I thought I was gonna die worrying about you," his mother commented.
"I thought it was the end for all of us," Bogart answered, and without intending to, he wept, his parents chorusing with him.
The sight saddened the other boys that tears began to well at the corners of their eyes. Indeed, they should be thankful that no greater harm had ever happened to them.
"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Pescador," Jamie finally declared while suppressing the tremors in his voice. The three boys waved goodbye to their friend. Silently, they continued their ride home.
"The end of the world is finally here," a plump woman was announcing to her circle of neighbors. "This is just the beginning."
"Heavens forbid that!" another exclaimed.
"Our place is cursed!" an old man spoke with authority. "We should change our hearts and lives."
"It's a shooting star but it's not."
"We should say our prayers tonight."
The people in the streets were saying different things. But no matter what they believed in, the boys could hear a crack of fear in their voices.
Soon, they reached Kiko's house. His mother ran towards him and hugged him tight. Without saying anything, Kiko burst into tears.
"Don't worry," his mother comforted him. "We are all safe here."
Jamie and Tonton also cried. No matter how strong they acted, fear and uneasiness got the better of them. Kiko waved them off and the duo departed.
"I'm sorry," Jamie finally said. "I could not protect you from the explosion."
"It's fine," Tonton answered. "You are not responsible for anything."
"I vowed to protect you. I should not let you get in harm's way again."
"But I'm perfectly okay. Don't be upset."
Jamie looked at his friend who he saw as a brother. He said he was fine but he looked troubled. He smiled, trying to reassure himself that Tonton was indeed fine.
They finally entered their street. They saw their mothers waiting for them at the gate. Like their friends, their hearts weakened as they quickened maneuvering their bikes. It was a night of whats and what ifs, and dread hang in the air.
Their mothers instantly grabbed them the moment they were within reach. Tears rolled as embraces tightened. They stayed that way for a long time.
Later, they went inside their houses and ate dinner. Like Bogart's and Kiko's families, they shared stories and speculations about what happened that night. The boys told them about how they were thrown away and momentarily lost consciousness. Except for Tonton, they shared details about their dreams. Tonton only talked about the memories in his dream. He intentionally kept the parts about the woman and the futuristic place. Just the thought of a large tree falling upon him gave him chills.
Much later that night, everyone retired to their beds and slept restlessly. Other people in Subangdaku chose to stay awake and guard their homes. It was an unusual night and something not ordinary might just come up again.
Truly, something peculiar and transformative would happen to the sleepy district soon. As the night opened its gate to the morning, the loud roar of screeching wheels were heard from a distance. Headlights were blinking as different scientists discussed the abnormal event. A tougher time was awaiting Subangdaku.