Regressing Through the Apocalypse with the Third Male Lead-Chapter 32: Volume 2. : Christmas Eve

December 25, 2024

12:00 am: Christmas Eve

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10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

"Merry Christmas everyone!"

Everyone gasped when the biggest Christmas that was settled in the middle of the basketball court was lit up.

Many came and greeted Freyah who was sitting in the corner with a huge plastic bag with her. As people came and greeted her, she handed gifts to them one by one.

"Ate Freyah!"She turned to her right, seeing her two youngest brother running towards her.

"Merry Christmas!" The two of them showed a bracelet made from the leaf of Anahaw. Freyah gasped seeing their gifts, "Oh my, such fine craftmanship. Is this for me?" on their palms, each of them has a one bracelet each.

"Yes! It’s our gift!" the two children nodded their head with enthusiasm. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"Thank you, Luke, John." Freyah extended her left wrist, "would you two kind gentlemen, may please help me wear it?"

Luke and John nodded their heads and carefully placed their self-made bracelets to Freyah. "Thank you," Freyah admired the bracelets in her wrist, warmth and guilt was interchanging between.

"I also have gift for you," Freyah grabbed the plastic bag behind her. "This is for you Luke," Freyah handed him a huge wrapped gift covered with blue gift wrapper. "And this is for you, John." Freyah handed another huge gift wrapped in red.

The two children received it with much enthusiasm. "Can we open it now?"

"Yes," Freyah smiled.

The two immediately opened it. "A remote control car!" John said with full of enthusiasm. "A Optimus Prime Lego!" Luke said.

"Thank you, Ate Freyah!" The two jumped to her and gave her a hug. But when she was going to return the hug to do so...

Her vision blurred as a memory ran through her mind. She saw her hand bloody, as she hugged back her two youngest brother.... Then the memory would immediately faded. When Freyah returned to her senses, her two brothers were now running in another corner, testing the toys they’d got.

"We are going to try this now!" The two of them said as they made a stop in the corner.

Freyah glanced at her hands that was cleared of any blood. Then stared at the self-made Anahaw bracelet given to her by her younger brothers. A faint smile crossed her face as she took a deep breath.

"Ate Freyah," Julie, her younger sister this time approached her following behind her was her eldest younger brother and next to her in birth, only younger to her by one year, Mark. "Ate," he simply waved his hand back to her.

The two of them had their own gifts carried with them. "Merry Christmas," the two of them handed their gifts to her.

"Mark, he didn’t made it. He turned into one after being bitten on his way back." Julie said as she sobbed her eyes out. "It’s only me, John and Luke. Ate Freyah! I never imagine that I will still see you!" Julie burst into crying as she hugged Freyah. "But I always believe that you will survive! Even dad and mom, they always believe that you will return!"

"Ate Freyah... I’m sorry. Please look after Luke and John."

Bang!

"Ate Julie!" Luke screamed out loud as he ran towards him from behind.

Freyah stood there frozen, as she watched Julie fell slowly in front of her.

The memories faded away as soon as she received the gifts of Julie and Mark. "Open it now!" Julie happily exclaimed. "Yes, open our gifts now," Mark seconded.

"This looks like something soft." Freyah squeezed Julie’s gift. "Is this a cloth?" Freyah decinded to open Julie’s gift first.

"Just open it and you will find it out."

"Alright, alright." She was careful not to destroy the gift wrappers for she still wanted to use again in the next Christmas.

With this thought, Freyah paused.

That was right. Unlike before... she could somehow looked forward to the next seasons like this and she would made sure that it would happen.

"Ate?" Julie’s voice returned her back to her temporary trance.

Freyah smiled back and resumed unwrapping the wrapper with christmas balls print on it. Then as soon as she did, Freyah gasped. "Is this?" She grabbed it out, it was a beautiful purple scarf, then she looked at Julie’s hands that had some bandage. "Did you kneaded this on your own?"

"Yes," Julie nodded her head feeling a bit embarrassed. Freyah wore it around her neck. "It’s beautiful and my favorite color. Thank you, Julie."

"Mine, open mine now, Ate!" Mark said with excitement.

"Alright, alright." Freyah unwrapped Mark’s gift. Then the moment she opened it. There was only another box that was wrapped. Then she opened it again, then another smaller box was wrapped. Then another wrapped box was inside. "You sure have a lot of boxes and paper wrapper." Freyah said as she chuckled.

"Of course! Mine should be the most unforgettable!" Mark said with a grin.

"Alright. Alright." Freyah chuckled at his words. Then finally after reaching the final sixth smaller box that was the size of palm. Freyah found a six pieces of paper.

1. 24 hours Massage coupon!

- can be use sparingly until all 24 hours is consumed!

2. 24 hours Servant

- you can ask me to do anything and I will do it without retort. You can also use this sparingly until all 24 hours is consumed.

There are three pieces of each of the same coupon. Freyah chuckled. "Right, you are like this."

"I have the most useful and witty gift from all of us, right?" Mark said proudly.

"It’s lame, Kuya." Julie looked at him. "I think you just forgot it and only create this in the last hour or so." She said while rolling her eyes.

"Hey! That’s not true."

Freyah raised her hand to stop the two from further quarreling.

"It’s alright, Julie." Freyah chuckled. "It’s a wonderful gift, I’ll use it well."

At Freyah’s words, Mark felt a shiver run down his spine. Then he extended both of his hands, "it’s our turn next right?" Mark asked.

"How shameless," Julie rolled her eyes.

"Of course," Freyah chuckled. Then from the plastic bag, she brought out two gifts. She handed a 12 inch wrapped in white wrapper with Christmas tree prints to Julie.

"Thank you, Ate Freyah!" Then she started unwrapping the wrapper.

Then Freyah handed a smaller gift to Mark. "What’s this!" Mark said as he received the gift.

"Open it and you’ll see," Freyah said with a smile.

"Ate Freyah! This is a make-up set! And even all the brushes are complete!" Julie jumped up and down. "Thank you! Thank you! How did you know that I even wanted this?"

"I just know." Freyah faintly smiles.

"Ate Freyah! This is a camera! A real dslr camera!" Mark jumped up and down. "I’m going to try

this now!" And in an instant he disappeared to set it up.

"Freyah, you are now playing the Santa Clause huh," Julie and Freyah turned towards Monica who was approaching them.

"I’m going to check this baby too, Ate, see you later!" Julie ran away too.

"Monica," Freyah smiled. "Here’s my gift to you." She said as she threw a box to Monica which she caught swiftly.

"Thank you, here’s mine." She handed her gift as soon as she took a seat beside Freyah. "Your siblings have been worried in the past days. Not only are you so busy but you didn’t really spend much time with them. Even when work is over, you always disappear in the middle of the night."

Freyah looked down. "I’m truly happy to see them. And be with them... but whenever, I got closer to them. The guilt and the nightmares are eating me up." Freyah looked at her hands. "Whenever I tried to touch them, my hands were filled with their own blood."

"You see them dying with your own hands."

"No," Freyah smiled faintly. "I’m the one who killed them with my own hands."

Monica’s eyes widened. "Sometimes, now that I’m with them. A monster like me who killed her own family... They deserve to live... but me, do I still deserve to be with them?"

Smack!

Monica hit Freyah’s head on the back of her head. Freyah looked at her like why did she do that?

"What a simple smack would not hurt you just like that now." Monica said without feeling guilty while rolling her eyes. "It’s a good thing that I’m the one who came here. If it’s Gwenette, she must simply pat your back and hug you. Good thing she is busy cooking and serving meals with the aunties."

"Hey, she always put sleeping pills in my drink." Freyah retorted.

"It’s not like that also has an effect on you. But I already told that fool to stop that." Monica sighed. "Look, Freyah. Look at your surroundings."

"The Christmas Tree that everyone designed together. Luke and Matthew, being there playing with the gifts you gave them. There," she pointed to another corner, where the food was being served left and right. "Gwenette, your mom and the aunties serving food, your dad, Tatay Timothy and the uncles drinking merrily on the side. While that prince of yours and those kids you saved from Manila seemed to be having an eating contest." Monica paused then continued, "what do you think everyone feels right now?"

Freyah looked around to everyone that Monica pointed out. Most of them were laughing and had smiles on their faces.

"They all look happy." Freyah muttered.

"And why do they look happy?

"Because they are enjoying what they are doing right now?"

"You’re right." Monica said. "In all the movies and books about the zombie apocalypse. People most of the time, didn’t get to even have an opportunity like this and events like this just become a thing of the past. You of all people should know that. But..." Monica stood up. "The reason we are able to enjoy things like this, and not just a simple memory... is because of you, Freyah." She grabbed Freyah’s right hand and pulled her to stand up.

"Let’s go and eat with everyone and not just you staying in the corner. I got the feeling that if I leave you, you’ll just disappear on some roof again." Monica said as they ran to where everyone was eating.

’I know. It won’t be easy to recover from what you experience in that past future you came from,’ Monica looked ahead. ’But little by little, I’ll keep pulling you ahead, because that is what a supporting character should be.’

Gwenette gave a small thumbs up seeing them approaching with Freyah being pulled with Monica. And Monica nodded back at her.

"Freyah, Merry Christmas!" Gwenette yelled.

"Freyah! Freyah! You finally come here!" Everyone greeted her as soon as they saw her approaching.

"I’m starving now," Freyah chuckled.

"Then let’s eat now!" the uncles raised a glass of beer to her. "Merry Christmas!"

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