It was a stormy night. There, a young man sought refuge in an abandoned and dilapidated shack. It was dark, dirty, musty and filled with cobwebs and various insects. His gaudy Louis Vuitton coat was soaking wet and nearly in tatters, but he didn't care. No, nothing else mattered. All he cared about was her safety.
The faint scent of Arabian jasmines filled his nostrils. There, in his arms, lay a frail young woman who could be easily mistaken for a young girl in her teens. With faint coughs snuck in between her weakened gasps, she was in very poor condition. As she weakly held onto his arms, she let out a faint chuckle.
"You're so stupid, hehe," she quietly muttered.
"I know," he curtly replied. "It's your fault. You made me this way."
"You're truly insane," she chuckled. "Throwing everything away for someone like me."
"That's where you're wrong."
"Hmm?"
"You say I've thrown everything away, but here I am holding onto that very thing right now-"
*Squeeze*
"Even now, you're saying stuff like that. You're so corny," she teased as she playfully pinched his cheek. "But I really do love that about you, hehe..."
Amidst the violently howling winds, rattling windows and occasional thunder strikes, only the barely flickering candlelight illuminated the room. There were faint stains of a red liquid on the floor - whether it was the result of his badly torn leg or the freshly formed wound on her abdomen was unknown. Perhaps it was a mixture of the two.
In spite of all this, it was a rather quiet and peaceful night. The shack, while in poor quality, was surprisingly quite durable. It could, at the very least, provide a decent shelter for the night. The problem, however…
"Antonio," she quietly whispered.
"Yes, Sam," he hastily replied. He unconsciously tightened his grip on her form, almost as if anticipating the words she would say next.
"...You already know what I'm gonna say, don't you?" She let out a faint laugh. "You're smart, after all, hehe."
"...Just one more night, Sam. I promise you that everything will be resolved," he shakily replied. His hold had become even tighter, almost begging, pleading, for her. "We'll hold a quiet ceremony, just like you wanted. Your favorite flowers, I'll make sure you see them. Just…"
His voice trembled. He knew the reality of the situation, but he refused to believe it was so.
"Just… please, stay with me," he practically begged. "Please… I truly need nothing else, just don't go…"
"...Hehehe."
She silently chuckled once again. Even in the current situation, she acted like nothing was wrong. She had always been this way - even after living a life with a fate worse than death, she alone shone brightly like the sun. He was even nearly convinced. That everything was going to be fine.
"Antonio, you've truly made me happy," she said, her lips weakly forming into a smile. "You've given my otherwise worthless life meaning. I truly…"
With the last of her strength, she slowly muttered the words.
"I truly love you. So please promise me…"
"Sam…!"
"Please forget about me… And live a happy life. That is my final wish."
"How could you say that…! No, I won't!! Not in this life, or the next!!" He was nearly shouting at this point. "Please, Sam! Preserve your strength! Please…"
Tears were freely flowing from his eyes. For a man normally as taciturn as him, it was quite the unexpected sight.
"...You're ugly when you cry," she playfully teased. "Hehehe…"
With those final words, Sam gently closed her eyes. The satisfied smile on her lips showed that she was truly at peace now.
Truthfully, he knew. She couldn't possibly survive the night with the gaping hole on her body. It was a miracle that she was even able to communicate with him at that point. Perhaps the adrenaline rush from the earlier events had dulled her senses.
For a while, her passing had barely even registered in his mind. He had hoped that she was just pulling her usual antics on him. That she would suddenly spring awake and make fun of him like she normally would.
Sam.
No.
My dear Sampaguita.
Did you know? The meaning of your name.
It means many things. Love, Fidelity, and…
"Sumpa kita." It means, "I promise you."
I'm sorry.
I can't keep the promise you wanted, after all.
So.
Instead, I promise.
If there is another life.
I will only live for you.
After all, sampaguitas also carry a different meaning.
Purity.
Devotion.
Dedication.
Therefore.
I promise.
…
It did not take long for the police to find their location. If not for the vicious weather the night before, the footprints formed on the muddy ground along with the bloodied trail would have been a dead giveaway.
One of the police officers readied his pistol as he violently kicked the door down.
"Antonio Laurel! You are under arrest…"
The surrounding cops had followed suit, but stopped in front of the scene before their eyes.
Instead of the two fugitives that they were expecting, they were greeted by a peculiar sight. Amidst the run-down shelter weathered by time and disasters, a lone Arabian jasmine stood, firmly planted on the ground.