"People walking in a zombie like state are attacking strangers on the street..." Emil flipped to another channel. "it is described as a rabies like virus that is extremely fatal, scientists are racing to discover the vaccine…" He changed it to another channel. "Breaking news, the government declares a state of emergency..." Emil turned off the television--- who would have thought that Emil would get tired of watching the news.
Two days ago, Emil was in a precinct, representing a suspect that attacked a stranger on the street.
One day ago, Emil admitted the suspect in a mental hospital to be treated.
Two places that he had been to, two places that were the suspected epicenter of the illness.
Had he not agreed to go to that prison two days ago and requested for the suspect to be freed from his cuffs, other officers would not have bitten--- they would have been saved.
Had he not admitted the suspect in the mental hospital, the patients and the doctors would not have been infected.
Emil became an accessory to the beginning of an apocalypse--- and he had no idea.
Two days ago, Emil would have agreed how ridiculous the news had become. And just like majority of people, he would not have believed the news--- stories like this can only be seen on movies.
People continued with their lives despite the government's warning--- the citizens did not want their freedom to be undermined. They continued to have parties at their home, attended underground raves, and walked freely on the streets.
Emil knew better--- the threat was real.
The mental illness, as what the news said, spread like wildfire in just a day. Scientist were speculating that it was not just a simple metal illness, it was the beginning of a plague.
In just a snap, everything that Emil believed in changed.
Everything that had a value before no longer mattered--- his pride no longer mattered.
There was only one reason why he was living in this small apartment--- he had cut ties with his family.
His parents, to put it simply, was against the profession he had chosen.
Emil's phone vibrated. He took the phone from the table--- the caller was his father.
Had this been an ordinary day, he would have ignored the call from his father. But at times like this, families are more important than winning a five-year long argument.
What Emil had been fighting all his life with his parents suddenly did not matter anymore. He was not so sure if he still has time for such petty arguments.
Emil hesitated to answer, he just stared at his phone, his phone suddenly stopped vibrating--- just as it had always been.
But his father might have thrown his pride too as he called again. In a normal day, his father would have given up immediately after one call.
Emil answered the second call right away. "Father,"
"Come home, son." His dad said his purpose straightforwardly.
"I'm fine in here. "Emil replied.
'I'm safe, you don't have to worry about me.' Is what Emil was trying to say.
"Listen to us just this once!" His father barked. "Come home!"
There was a clattering on the other end. "Please, Emil, come home." His mother said, she took the phone from the father. "Stop by the house for a day. No, even for just an hour. I promise, you can do whatever you want after this. We just want to make sure you're safe."
"Alright," Emil sighted. "I'll go home, but I don't have the means."
Operations for public transportation were suspended, he had no other way to go home.
"Don't worry," His mother said on the other line. "We've got everything prepared."
Emil was instructed to go down his apartment, he obliged.
A bullet proof car was waiting for him at the sidewalk.
The street was empty--- like a ghost town.
Emil went inside the car without hesitation.
The driver immediately accelerated his way on the abandoned road.
Emil jolted on his seat when someone banged at the window. "What the---"
"Don't mind them sir," The driver increased their speed." they won't be able to get in."
Emil looked at the window as they zoomed on the road, groups of people were walking towards them--- on all sides.
The driver raced on, hitting people on the way.
"Stop! What are you doing! This is illegal, we have to help them!" Emil's eyes widened as they left people, face first, on the ground. "They need to go to the hospital!" The people on the ground slowly stood up and limped as they continued their chase on their car, with no sight of any emotion on their faces.
"Sir, they are already dead."
"What do you mean?"
"Living," The driver corrected as he hit a young man. "but dead." There was a bump as he ran through the young man.
"This is wrong!" Emil shook his head, about to open the door. "I can't do this."
"I won't do that if I were you," The driver looked at him through the rear-view mirror. "we will get infected if you open that door. Everything will be explained, for now I'm instructed to drive you safe home."
Emil released his hold on the door, confused and uncertain.
Emil stayed put on his seat as the driver drove him to his home--- to his parent's home.
It took them an hour and a half when they reached his parent's home--- probably killing a dozen of people on the way.
"Your family's compound." The driver kept reassuring Emil that they are already dead. "We're safe now."
The wide gate opened automatically to welcome them, the private road was surrounded by trees, they drove another minute as they finally reached his parent's home--- or rather, mansion.
Emil opened the car door, revealing the white residence.
The peaceful compound, untouched by the mayhem outside--- or so what Emil had thought.
"They are waiting for you at the living room." The driver informed him.
Emil opened the door and marched his way towards the living room--- a room much bigger than his apartment.
Emil's parents were sitting on the sofa, talking to a woman Emil had never seen before.
Emil's mother noticed him first.
Emil's mother stood up and ran to greet him. "Emil!" She embraced him.
"What is happening?" Emil was confused, embracing his mother in return. "Is this undead thing real?"
"Hurry," Emil's mother held his hand and guided him to the sofa.
"We have the vaccine." Emil's father remained seated on the sofa, he nodded to acknowledge his son.
A woman with a white coat was sitting beside his father, she was clutching a silver briefcase on her lap.
Emil's father was a successful stock investor, making his family one of the wealthiest in the country. But in spite of Emil's rich upbringing, he left everything, not wanting to be his father's successor. He wanted to be more than that--- he wanted to help people change their lives and not just read the charts and count the numbers.
"Yes, yes…" His mother guided him to sit next to the woman. "hurry, you're the first one to get it."
"Hi," The woman offered her hand to Emil. "I'm Kathy." She smiled, her golden hair gleamed under the light.
"Emil." He shook her hand.
"Hurry, do it." His mother insisted.
"Is this the only reason why you called me?" Emil asked. "How about you guys?"
"Kathy says, we're too old, both of us are over sixty now…" There was disappointment in their eyes. "we cannot have the vaccine."
The woman opened the white briefcase on her lap. "We're indebted to your father. He was the biggest investor in our company."She took a syringe from her briefcase. "And finally, after so many years… the ultimate vaccine was created."
The syringe had a blue-ish liquid inside of it.
"What is happening outside? Others have to be vaccinated too." Emil eyed the needle.
"Yes. we know, we know." The mother sat beside her husband. "Nowar Corporation, Kathy's company that your father invested in…"
Emil's father nodded. "The best investment I've ever made."
"…will manufacture the vaccine." Emil's mother continued.
"Can you?" Kathy pointed on his sleeve.
"Nowar's stock will skyrocket." The father mumbled. "We just have to make sure this works."
Emil lifted his polo up to his elbow and let the woman hold his arm.
Kathy rubbed a cotton dampened with alcohol on Emil's arm. "This will not be possible without you father's support," She was tapping on Emil's arm, making his veins pop. "This will hurt a little." Kathy warned Emil.
"Promise me he will be fine." The mother pleaded.
"I assure you he will be fine." Kathy inserted the needle and emptied the liquid into Emil's vein. "I already tested it to myself. It is a success."
"As long as our son is safe." The father nodded.
"He will be more than safe," Kathy rummaged through her bag, revealing a gun. "I promise."
"What is happening?" Emil stood up, backing away from the woman. "What is the meaning of this?" He looked at his parents.
"It's okay son," Emil's father stood up from his seat. "you'll thank us later."
"It's for your own good. " Emil's mother, who was about to cry, clang into her husband's arm. "We want you to survive."
Emil was confused, frozen on his feet. Surely, his parents would not kill him.
"This will hurt a little more," Kathy aimed the gun at Emil. "for just a second." She triggered the gun.
Kathy had done this before. It took just one bullet--- one bullet straight to Emil's heart.
"What…" Emil's eyes widened from realization. "Mother…" He clutched onto his chest--- his hands red from his own blood. "Father…" He searched through his parent's eyes, looking for meaning of what they had done.
"Please remember..." The mother said in between tears. "We love you."
Emil did not feel the pain, but there was heaviness on his chest---not from the wound that made his heart beat slowly, but from the betrayal of his own parents.
Emil was dizzy, lightheaded.
He fell on the ground, his eyes closed, as the floor was gradually pooled by his own blood.
"Emil!" His mother ran to him.
"This better work out or I will kill you myself." Emil's father warned. "For killing my only child."
"That is," Kathy's heels clicked on the floor. "if you can kill me."
***
Emil's eyes were closed, but his pupils moved.
Emil's finger moved a little. The place where he was lying was stone cold.
"Emil," A woman called on a speaker. "I know you're awake."
Emil's eyes bolted open, recognizing the voice.
"Good morning." Kathy was in front of him, a glass wall in the middle of them. "You had a long sleep."
Emil slowly stood up. "Where am I?" He surveyed the area---he was inside a glass prison. It looked like he was in some sort of a laboratory. "What happened?" He touched his chest where he was shot.
"What did you do to me?!" Emil had no idea how long it has been since he was in his parent's place.
"Relax, keep it down," Kathy hushed. "you might wake my daughter." She turned her head to the side.
A crib was on the other side of the glass wall.
"Where are my parents?"
"Take a deep breath. We have all the time in the world for me to explain everything to you." Kathy snickered. "Wait, you don't even need to breathe anymore."
Emil stilled, observing his chest, not moving. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" He crawled towards the glass door.
"I told you to be quiet, look what you've done," Kathy walked towards the crib, looking inside. "she was startled." A small hand lifted from the crib, wanting to be touched.
"Get me out of here!" Emil pounded on the glass door.
"First things first," Kathy cradled an infant on her chest. "food."
The door opened as a young woman was shoved inside the glass room.
The young woman ran onto the corner, cowering in fear.
Before Emil could react, the door was immediately locked.
Emil was confused at first, he lost all his thoughts as instinct kicked in.
There was hunger under the pit of his stomach that he cannot explain, he had never been starved before.
In this moment, he was not Emil--- the objective lawyer gone.
Emil attacked the woman and ate her brains--- not hearing his victim's shrieks and cries.
Licking his hands and finally satisfied, Emil finally came into his senses. He saw the horror that was in front of him--- a woman with an open head.
"Did I just…what did I do!" Emil poked on his throat, forcing himself to hurl, but nothing came out. "What am I?!"
"You are cured," Kathy smiled. "cured from the plague called death." She placed the infant back into the crib.
Kathy opened the glass door and went inside.
Her heels clicked on the floor--- stained with the prey's blood. "You and I will build a Kingdom, …" She forced Emil to look at her. "…and we will rule the world."