Day 13, Tema and Mom no longer have any food to serve. Our food storage is now empty, preserved meat or canned vanished exept for the uncooked rice. I'm frustrated with how they liberately cook in every meal. Before they moved in here with us, to make our supply last I only eat a mouthful a day. But I can't show my dissapointment or any of negative emotion I have, at least not yet. Now Tema and my Mom dosn't know what to do so I have to step in and take action. I cooked the rice and added spices to it to make it flavorful. This is the least we can do for now until we go out and scavange.
1pm, after we ate our lunch Frodery and I started to make a plan. We will be scavenging the nearest Sari-sari store which stands at the other side of the street. We will take a straight path passing through the mini park. Good thing the grass is short even if it wasn't trimmed. Frodery told me to carry what ever food item that I can carry in my bag exept for the canned goods. That mean's I'll collect either of the following; biscuits, crackers, cookies, chips, candy, powdered drinks, etc. Frodery on the other hand will carry all the canned foods and other non-food items like; soap, shampoo, detergent, bleach, dishwashing liquid, matches, candles, wood coal, etc. No one is specifically tasked to fight or gather items, we agreed that we will watch each other's backs. Everything was fair and square. We will be going out by 3pm and should be back at 4pm.
After our discussion, we prepared our items. We prepared two large backpacks, one for either of us.
Frodery prepared his things; for weapon, his machete and one of his metal arnis; for his clothes, a thick well fit denim pants, leather jacket, and sneakers; for armor, he prepared old magazines to strap around his legs and forearms just like how I did when I rescued them.
I also prepared my items, the same ones I used when I picked them up. Only difference is that instead of the nailed chair leg, I'm going to use the other pair of my brother's metal arnis.
After we ready our stuff, it wasn't time to roll. We still have over an hour to kill. As we wait, both of us eliminated the undead on the streets. We didn't stepped out of the gate, we made noises by hitting our bladed weapons on the gates. The clanking noises called the attention of multiple zombies and they approached us. However, the zombies failed to harm us. The zombies only stood at the other side of the gate with their arms trying to reach us. One by one, Frodery and I stabbed these bastards' heads and one by one they dropped down. There were no more zombies roaming the streets but we don't know about the houses.
15 minutes before 3pm, my oldest brother and I prepare to go out. I was taping my makeshift armor while he zips his jacket. While we prepare we were casually chatting. As we chat, he brought up how he's such a badass out there. He counted his kills, a total of 7. He arrogantly told me how he killed them, sliced their heads open with the cleaver. I only listened to him. He acknowledge that I'm more of a listener and less of a story teller. He's not wrong about that but I tend to be quiet when he tells me stories because I don't want to crush his pride. I also count my kills and I have killed 9 zombies. But I have something that makes me stand out more than him, my over production of adrenaline.
3pm, Frodery and I stood in front of the gate. I unlocked the padlock and handed it to Vol alongside the key. Instead of Lolu, we tasked the boy to open the gate for us when we return. Honestly, what a shame for Lolu, we can trust a teenage boy over a middle aged man.
We catiously stepped out of the gate. Vol did not padlock the gate but closed it properly. My brother and I chose to walk our way to the store. There was no zombie around but there might be on houses that are hanging open. The sari-sari store is hanging open too and both Frod and I were alert, we held our weapons tight.
We moved slowly and silently until we reach the store. Frod was about to enter the door of the house but I stopped him. I picked up a pebble close to me and I threw it inside. Suddenly the old lady that lived in the house with a sari-sari store jumped towards the pebble out of nowhere. Frodery held his ground and readies his weapon. He might look like he's ready to bash heads open but I can sense his fear.
The zombie looks at our direction and charges at us. Frod held his breath as he tries to stop himself from making anymore sound that may attrack other zombies. The zombie charged at the nearest person to it, Frodery. It then pounces on him and he hits it with the arnis. The swing was not precise enough that it only agitated it. The power he puts in his swing was strong that he lost his balance and grip on his weapon. The zombie looked at my brother angrily and charges at him. Before it lands on top of my brother and maul him to death I moved quickly and swung my metal arnis. The swing was charged by adrenaline that I felt its skull crack and it sent the zombie back. The thing fell and laid on the ground. I did not take any chances and hit it one more time. With this second hit that is powered by adrenaline, the head was cracked open and alongside it the brain was mushed.
Now that I'm certain that the zombie will no longer rise up, I went to my brother and offered him a hand. He took my hand and he stood up. He picks up his weapon and we entered the house. We went in the store and we took what ever we can carry in our bags. After we finish our business, we left the house and return to our home. There was no conflict that stood in our way. We reached our house safe and sound.
4pm, after locking the padlock of the gate, it's time to connect and update to people. As soon as my phone had turned on, I received a call from Etil. This surprised me but I answered it anyway. I pressed the phone against my ear and I heard my best friends voice.
"Pheene, pick us up..."
Etil didn't sound like she's in trouble, her voice was devoid of life.
"Please, Pheene, pick us up..."
"Alright, I'll be there soon."
"Thanks."
Etil never sounded so flat before. It was a surprise for me and it's not the good kind. I took the car keys and told people I'll be going to my friends' house. Frodery dissaproves of this and tries to stop me by pulling me. But my response was swift, my hands were at a blur that he failed to get a good hold of me. My body then again switched into fighting mode and I swear I almost dislocated his elbows. Frodery looked at me in horror as he knew he has only taught me the basics of mix masrtial arts.
I got out of the front door and heads to the gate. I then unlocked the padlock. I stepped out of the gate and heard the jocking of the padlock being locked again.
"You need to return, Pheene, I can't protect them on my own," he looked at me dead in the eye.
"I will," I nodded.
I then went to the car, got in, starts the engine and drove away. Etil's family house is closer to us than Frod's, I arrived to their home in less than three minutes. When I arrived there, I found no damage on their gate nor their backyard, at least to my point of view.
I can't risk going of the car, it's still daylight where zombified humans rein. Besides, this ain't my territory, a zombie might pop out of nowhere.