/SIEGFRIED/
NAGISING ako sa tunog ng bell. I yawned as I squinted my eyes saka kinuha ang phone mula sa bulsa ko at tinignan ang oras.
3:00PM
Holy hour? Pinakinggan ko ulit ang bell pero hindi siya class bell.
Emergency bell.
Bumangon na ako at pinagpagan ang uniform ko saka sumandal sa inner railings ng rooftop. Nakatingin ako sa phone habang nags-scroll. There were entertainment news at the first few scrolls. However, something caught my attention when I scrolled again.
It was already global. Although, I don't know what kind of technologies they're talking about. It's been years, and technology is advancing year by year. Napabuntong-hininga ako at hindi na muli pinansin ang news at nags-scroll na lang ulit.
Biglang nahagip ng mata ko ang nagsisitakbuhan na mga estudyante, ang iba naka P.E uniform pa. Parang nakikipaghabulan but they seemed weird. To the point that I couldn't even distinguish if they're acting like children or their minds are of the children.
I kept on watching them from above when my eyes widened in shock from when those students catched up to those who are running away from them.
They pounced at them and feasted on their flesh.
I could see the blood gushing out from neck and ripping their chest out. Tinignan ko ulit ang phone ko at binalikan ang nakita kong news kanina. Binulsa ko ulit ang phone ko at nanatiling nakatitig.
Technologies. It has both pros and cons. You can either benefit from it or be destroyed by it. Advantages used for biohazard weaponry in wars. Disadvantages are the results of failed experiments.
Like what is happening from our own very eyes.
"NO! NO! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
"KYAH! STOP BITING ME!"
"FUCK OFF!"
From the rooftop where I usually go to relax and looking around below, I saw something that caused my adrenaline to rush to high level. What is happening? Why is it like that? What in the world has gotten into this?
My hands gripped tight on the rails, I can't think of anything. I'm stuck on what to do.
"Sieg!" My head quickly turned to the door that swung open and saw her catching her breath. I stood frozen, unable to think what to do next.
"Sieg!" I heard her calling my name once more but I'm still unable to grasp anything.
I suddenly felt a sting on my cheek and that snapped me out from daydreaming. She slapped me. I looked at her with widened eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself! This isn't a time for daydreaming!" she shouted before she slammed a metal rod and a bat at me. "Hold these two, use one and keep the other one for extra."
"W-What's happening?" I asked.
"I'll explain when we will be able to get out of this hell hole! Don't hold nor touch anyone! Save yourself and no one else!" she grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the rooftop. When we got out, it was awfully quiet. "They haven't gone here yet... Let's go."
She started walking slowly trying not to make a sound, I followed her and kept my pace. We're currently crossing on the bridge from the third floor, crossing our way to the ABM building.
The 3rd floor is awfully quiet and when I saw a faculty teacher.
"Hey, isn't that Sir Frank?" I tugged her sleeve and pointed at the teacher's direction, quite a distance from us. I tried to approach him but something's weird. "Sir Frank!"
When he turned around as I called out to him, I stumbled backwards.
Blood.
"Sieg!" I gripped tightly on the bat, still doubting of whether he's just injured or he's a cannibal on the loose.
I closed my eyes and sighed.
I'm sorry, Teacher.
I regained my composure and using a lot of my strength to swing my bat to his temple. When it fell down to the floor, I hit him again on the same spot before I took a step backwards.
"I-I killed him."
"He's already dead to begin with," she said as she stood beside me, looking down on our dead teacher.
She lets out a deep sigh before she starts walking ahead of me which I followed.
We used the ramp near the bridge and when we reached the ground floor. I almost made a sound from what I've seen.
She grabbed me by the arm and whispered.
"There's a bus outside the gate, they're waiting for us and we just have to swiftly go outside."
When I looked around there are ones walking at the distance, and the other is near the way to the gate.
"Follow me or you'll end up like them." I quickly nodded and prepared myself.
She lowers down her voice as she makes a cue for us to move.
"On the count of three. One... Two... Three!"
We started dashing off and took the ones that have probably spotted us. We also saw the other ones trying to catch up to us.
We ran towards the gate and saw the vehicle, the door opened and she went in first. I was about to follow when I heard someone called me.
"SIEG! Wait for me!" I tilted my head and saw one of my friends-Pedro.
I was about to go to him when she grabs the back of my sleeve.
"Hey, let me go! I have to help him!"
"You can't, dumbass! He's already being courted by death, let's go!"
"N-No-!!"
"W-Wait! WAIT!" I watched him running as the vehicle started to move. He stumbled down the road and they have catched up to him.
"NO! NO! GET OFF ME! AAAAHH!"
She threw me inside the bus and I hit my back on the side of the chair. I remained seated unable to move because of what I've witnessed.
They... They feasted on him.
"Who's this?"
"A schoolmate."
"What you've seen is true, this isn't a movie nor a game anymore," she started talking.
I raised my gaze at her.
"What do you mean, Althea?"
"Hell has already broken loose, and we're the first ones to see it."
Dahan-dahan kong tinulungan ang sarili kong makatayo at nagkatitigan kaming dalawa. How come she seemed fine, she seemed calm? How the hell could she do that?
"So we got caught by the storm when everything was calm before?" I asked, gripping tight on the baseball bat I got from her. It was already painted with disgusting blood. "That guy we just left behind, he could've been saved."
She crossed her arms and sighed at me.
"I told you, we can't take anymore risk when he's already being cou――"
"We could've cleared those guys who are almost catching him up!" I cut her off and she took me by collar. I just glared down at her.
"Calm down, Frost! It's gone, he's gone! You can't anymore change it so just face the goddamn hell!" Tinulak niya ako palayo at naglakad siya palapit sa driver's seat.
Hindi ko alam kung saan kami dinadala ng sasakyan basta sa kung saan ligtas kami at walang aatake sa amin.
Kung saan―
"Hurk!"
Napalingon kami sa pinakalikuran na upuan ng sasakyan. One of the uniformed students was vomitting and is having some sort of seizure. He's trembling.
"Edwin! Tulungan niyo siya, please!" sigaw niya sa amin habang nakahawak kay 'Edwin'.
Nakaramdam ako ng hangin at hindi ko namalayang nilagpasan na pala ako ni Althea Fritz at nasa puwesto na siya kung saan si Edwin at ang babaeng kasama niya.
"Did he got bitten?"
"I-In the arm?" I could see her confused face. Is it some kind of virus which is very dangerous?
"Then get off him and step aside." Tinabig niya ito para maihiwalay ang dalawa. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanila.
"A-Anong gagawin mo?"
"We'll throw him off, if he stays here and he'll turn to one of them, we're going to die here."
That's when I saw her eyes widen in surprise.
"W-What?! Hindi! Hindi ako papayag!"
"We don't have much time!" hirit niya at luhang napatingin ang babae kay Edwin.
"P-Please. Iwan... niyo... ako..."
"Edwin!"
"Ple...ase."
"Okay, sasamahan kita." Tumingala siya kay Althea. "Drop us off while the car is moving para hindi kayo madamay pa."
Saka ko sila nilapitan at tinanong. "Are you sure? We coul―"
"How can I leave him behind? I'd rather end up dead than go crazy and be a problem." Ngumiti siya saka dali-daling hinila ang kasama niya.
Nakadistansya kaming lahat sa dalawa habang dahan-dahang bumukas ang pinto ng sasakyan. Nilingon niya kami sa huling pagkakataon at tumalon palabas saka namin nakita kung paano siya kinagat sa leeg at nagsisilabasan ang dugo. Napapikit ako sa nakita ko nang maisarado ulit ang pintuan.
"Fools." Napatingin ako sa kaniya saka ako nilagpasan ulit.
Nilabas ko ang phone ko at tinignan ang oras.
4:00PM
Year 2086. Hell has walked around the surface of the Earth. They brought the storm and it was destroying everything in its way. May it be living or non-living.
"God, where are you?"