Strange.
That's my first thought. When I woke up, everything around me was strange. Even the fact that I woke up here is strange.
I only remember going out with my friends. I remember I was happy as we finally got together after a long time. I saw the cars passing by as we walked down the street. I remember almost tripping, one of my friends helping me up, and us laughing. And how clear the sky was. I remember saying: "I wish time would stop at this moment."
The next second, I'm already here. As I try to take in my surroundings, I realize how barren this land is. And I also realized... just how silent it is. It's so silent that I couldn't even hear any insect or bird chirping. I could see cars... parked chaotically on the road. There were bags randomly thrown, its contents a mess on the floor, as if the owner was in a hurry to... escape? And... there are traces of red paint everywhere. I look down at myself and sure enough, similar red paint was also on me, making my clothes sticky. It looks like I'm in a set of an apocalyptic movie – except the actors and staff are missing.
Okay. This must be a prank. I'm pretty sure there are cameras everywhere. I just have to find them. And then it'll all be over.
God, I hope I find them soon, these clothes are uncomfortable.
I decided to just go wherever my feet would take me. It's not that I don't want to use those scattered cars, I just doubt I'd even be able to use them. Besides, I'd be able to observe everything easier this way.
I hope it doesn't get dark soon, or it would be harder to navigate this place.
As if aware of my thoughts, the sky started to slowly darken. I don't know if it's just me but it gave me an ominous feeling.
A thought occured to me, but stubborn as I am, I chose to ignore it. It's too ridiculous. Though even if I don't want to admit it, that thought evokes fear deep inside me. It's a terrifying idea that the mere thought of it caused my heart to beat faster than it ever did before.
But, it looks like I'd have to face the reality sooner than I thought.
Isa, dalawa, tatlo. Tatlong hugis taong anino ang naglalakad ngayon papunta sa'kin. Ang isa'y iika-ika. Ang pangalawa'y tila naglalakad sa kaniyang hardin at tuwang pinagmamasdan ang paligid. At ang pangatlo... hindi ko maipaliwanag gamit ang limitado kong bokabularyo. Ramdam ko ang pagtayo ng aking balahibo nang maaninag ang itsura niya habang papalapit sa'kin.
For a prank, the instigator seems to have too much of a budget. Napaka-realistic naman kasi ng mga zombie na ito. Or maybe... Nah, that only happens in fantasy. I'm sure it's not true.
Napatunayan ang hinala ko nang lubos na makalapit ang tatlo at lampasan lamang nila ako. See? They're not really zombies. If they were, they'd have started feasting on me the moment they approached me.
"Kuya, prank 'to, 'di ba? Nas'an na camera n'yo?" Ani ko bago hawakan sa balikat ang isa sa kanila. 'Yong kanina pa ika nang ika.
As if I was in a movie, the guy slowly turned his head around to look at me. Only, his eyes can't seem to focus on me. As if he's looking at me, but also looking past me. Am I a ghost or something?
Inamoy n'ya ko at saka muling tumalikod sa'kin, ignoring my questions. Okay, I'm really starting to get pissed. I let out a hard breath and decided to get this over with.
"Tama na nga 'yan! Akin na 'yang props nyo, stop pranking me already."
Hinawakan ko ang binti ng nagpapanggap na pilay, at hinatak ito. Ngunit laking gulat ko nang maputol ang parteng hinila ko. It's like pulling a piece from a rotten meat, its stench immediately attacking my nose as it loosened and... dropped on the floor.
Mukhang napalakas yata ang hatak ko. Pero paanong... naputol ang kanyang paa nang dahil lang doon? It all downed on me as I slowly stood up and looked closely at him.
He's real; totoong zombie. It wasn't a prank; there are no cameras around. Something snapped in my head, and I feel my limbs weaken. The thought that I've ignored earlier resurfaced in my mind: Zombie apocalypse.
This is a zombie apocalypse, and... I'm not a survivor, but also a zombie.
"Ha, haha, HAHAHA. No, no. It can't be, I can't be."
Napaupo ako sa sahig sa naisip ko. Kaya pala. Kaya pala may dugo sa katawan ko, pero wala 'kong nararamdang sakit. Kaya pala tila inabandona ng lahat 'tong lugar na 'to. Kaya pala nilampasan lang nila ko. That explains everything.
"Mikaila, what do you think of my creation?" My back froze as I hear his voice, and I feel a shiver down my spine as I understood the content of what he said.
It's him. He did this.
I looked behind me and sure enough, he was standing there. And he seemed to be enjoying my predicament. Just one look was enough to make me feel the emotions that I haven't felt in a long while.
I could still see it; hear it; as if I'm still stuck on that time – that time when I was still ignorant of a lot of things.
The voice of the past echoed in my ears as I recall that period of time. When he was still standing in front of me inside a cold conference room.
"Heh, just wait. One day, everyone will be dancing in the palm of my hands. Your so-called friends, they'll stab you with a knife that you, yourself, sharpened. And you'll be crumbling down in front of me, your eyes will be filled with fear. But I would enjoy it. I would enjoy every second of it."
At that time, the gentleness that I'd always been familiar with was gone. Instead, his eyes, cold and cynical, had a smile in them. Back then, I wondered: Had he always been like this?
I've known him for years, but he was always so gentle. He was a quiet and introverted person, but every once in a while, I would have a strange feeling whenever he talked about his love for zombies. How he found it fascinating that a single virus can uncover a person's heart and its desires. Hindi ko naintindihan noon ang tinutukoy nya. Tila isang palaisipan na sya lang ang nakakaalam ng sagot.
Ito rin ang naging dahilan kung bakit huminto akong makisama sa kanya noon. I slowly started distancing myself from him, and ended our friendship in that cold conference room. Why? Because he showed me something that made my blood turn cold. And thinking about it now, I was so dumb. I shouldn't have stopped being friends with him and ruined the "potion" instead.
Unti-unti akong tumayo at huminga nang malalim bago sya harapin. "What do you mean?" I cursed in my mind when I heard my own voice quiver.
"'Di ba sinabi ko naman sayo? Even if you join me or not, my plan would continue. It's really a shame that you chose to abandon your dear friend. I have wanted to make you their leader, just like me. I was really disappointed. But that's all in the past now."
His voice was still gentle, but all it did was cause me to shake. Muli kong tinanong ang sarili: s'ya ba talaga ang kaibigan ko? Siya ba talaga ang Nox Vociferans na kilala ko?
"Your plan was evil!" Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili kong sumigaw.
"Evil? I just want them to stop hiding their desires deep inside them. I want them to act based on their instincts, to do whatever their mind wants them to do. Those hypocrites, I want them to show everyone just how dirty their hearts are. And I didn't fail. As soon as the apocalypse started, they betrayed the people who trusted them the most; they showed their selfishness; they r*ped, k*lled, stole and did all crimes possible in the absence of law."
He paused, at humalakhak bago ako tumingin sa'king mga mata. May mapang-asar na ngisi sa kanyang labi habang sinasabi ang masakit na katotohanan.
"And your "best friends", they took advantage of you. While you were busy protecting them and making sure you got enough food for all of you, they robbed you and left you alone. To be eaten by the zombies... They didn't even spare you a glance."
It was like a bucket of cold water was poured on me. Naalala ko na ang lahat. How I was laughing with my friends when everyone around us suddenly started panicking.
Tama sya, the moment it started, those people immediately showed who they really were. Tanda ko pa kung paanong muntik na akong itinulak ng taong tinuring kong kaibigan, upang harangin ang pag-atake ng isang zombie.
Sa isang iglap, nagbago ang sistema ng mundo. The weak were no longer protected, but instead were taken advantaged of. Trust? What is that? The word became foreign and was thrown out the window as survival instincts took over. Humanity? There's no such thing, only human nature.
I tried my best to resist. I saved whoever I can save; I helped whoever I can help; I killed whichever zombie I can kill. Pero walang kwenta ang lahat. Tila isang patak lang ng tubig sa isang dagat ang ginawa ko, it didn't even create a wave. It didn't have an effect on the situation at all. People still did whatever they can do to prioritize their selves and jeopardize anyone else.
At ang may pakana ng lahat ng 'to, ay ang kaibigan ko. I felt weak as my world seemed to crumble at my feet. But he seemed to be enjoying all that has happened to me. It's hard to believe that just three months ago, I was still hanging out with this person. And now, he already had the blood of countless people in his hands, albeit indirectly.
He's still a human, just an inhumane one. And I'm a zombie, but still with humanity. Baliktad yata ang sitwasyon namin.
"It's a pity, but I can only control you now. Well, for you, it's a pity. But I'd be having the best time of my life controlling you. You still have your consciousness now due to the temporary antidote I gave you before. That's because I want to witness how you slowly lose yourself. I want you to hate what you'd become, but have no way of stopping it." He smiled and the next second, he was back to his usual gentle self. As if we're back to the time when we were still friends, and as if I haven't discovered the dark side of him yet.
I felt my eyes become hot and tears blurred my vision as hopelessness covered my heart. But even the blurriness was not enough to conceal his action of raising a hand. Baril. May hawak syang baril.
Bang!
For a moment, I thought I was about to die. But instead, namanhid ang buong katawan ko. I could feel my head start to become heavy as I struggle to hold on to my consciousness.
I don't know whatever was in that bullet, but I could only feel like my body was floating. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't think. There's nothing. Only a strong desire. A strong desire to obey him. As if he was the only one that is important. Before my vision darkened, I saw the last bit of light disappear from the horizon as the sun set.
"Now, follow me. And kill."
...
What was my name again? What am I doing here? Where am I? Who was with me?
I don't know. I don't know anything.
...
Oh, right. Kill. I have to kill. Kill them.
Kill them all.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.