Kalison City, Philippines.
March 13, 2037. Friday.
7:50 am
00:39:59 left.
Jayce Santos
"Ano nang gagawin natin?" Carlo turned his gaze at me. I gave him a fleeting glance before closing my eyes.
There will be an assembly on KalSU Square. From three hundred plus students, how many of us will survive?
7:00 am classes are really a pain in the ass and a bane to humanity.
I massaged my forehead for a while. Wala pang isang oras ang nakalipas magmula ng mag-umpisa itong kahibangan na ito but I feel tired already like I used all my stored energy for the whole year.
I reopened my eyes and directly went to where the cleaning materials were kept. Kinuha ko ang isang walis tambo at dust pan na parehong gawa sa kahoy ang hawakan.
"Hold these." I gave him the cleaning materials and went in front of the whiteboard.
I drew a sketch of the map of Teresa Building, the lair of the College of Social Science. Starting from our room, Room 307, there's 3 paths to choose from. On our left is the Germana Hallway, on our right is the Hermosa Hallway and ahead is the Gabriela Hallway.
Which path to take?
"Pinakamabilis makarating sa KalSU Square kapag dumaan sa Germana Hallway. Sa dulo ng hallway, fire exit na kaagad. Makakalabas tayo ng Teresa building nang mabilis," pagbibigay ni Carlo ng suhestiyon.
It was already good that he wasn't slow-witted.
"We can't take Germana Hallway," I disagreed. "Iyong mga kaklase nating nagsipagtakbuhan kanina, sa direksyon sila ng Germana Hallway dumaan."
"Edi mas maganda iyon, mas mabilis silang nakatakas."
"Among all the classrooms on this floor, who has this shitty 7:00 am class other than us?"
I was several minutes late so I knew that aside from us, there's none.
"You mean... the zombies outside..."
Tinitigan ko lang siya. He can answer his question all by himself. Siguro may mga maswerteng nakarating pa sa labas ng Teresa Building pero hindi maipagkakailang ang mga kumakalampag sa labas ay mga kaklase rin namin.
"We'll take Gabriela Hallway."
"Pero maraming pasikot-sikot doon!" Carlo protested.
"And that's what we need. Hindi natin alam kung saan nakapwesto ang mga zombies. By taking Gabriela Hallway, we have a lot of options on where to retreat."
Natahimik siya sa sagot ko. He contemplated for a while but I saw his teeth clenched and stared at what he was holding.
Psych students really weren't what you think they were. There were still students whom the course failed to condition. Just like this guy I was left with.
Maybe he thought he had hidden it well enough. He must have forgotten how anxious and nerve-wrecking this situation is that even a psychologist won't be able to easily cope up.
"Prepare yourself. We have a horde of zombies to deal with."
Muli akong bumalik sa kinalalagyan ng bag ko. I emptied it out only leaving my bottled water and ipad. Three books worth two thousand pesos. Aanhin ko pa ang mga 'to kung hindi naman ako makakalabas ng buhay ng KalSU?
"Anong plano? Anong gagawin?" Carlo asked.
How I badly wanted to tell him, I wished for the both of us to part ways after I open the door but I can't. The only responsibility left on me, if he was the first to leave then so be it. But until he's following me, he's a responsibility.
"You'll open the door for me." Isinabit ko ang bag sa likod ko at itinali ang lace nito sa harapan. "And I'll shove the undeads blocking the doorway using this table."
I kicked the wooden table I used on Hazel earlier back in front. Sakto namang tumapat ito sa direksyon ng pintuan. Muli akong tumingin kay Hazel. Kanina ay nakatigil lang siya sa kinatatayuan ngunit nang marinig niya ingay na ginawa ng lamesa ay muli itong gumalaw at lumingon sa direksyon ko.
"I'm sorry," I muttered as I gave her a kick on her abdomen.
Natumba siya. I used this chance to trap her using the monobloc chairs.
"Paano kapag hindi tayo nakaligtas?" tanong ni Carlo. Nakatayo na siya sa gilid ng pintuan habang nakasukbit na rin ang kanyang bag at sa magkabilang kamay ay ang walis tambo at dustpan.
"That's to be blamed on us. We aren't strong enough to survive."
I held the edge of the table and bent to position myself. "At the count of three, open the door."
"One."
I wonder...
"Two."
If I survive this tournament...
"Three!"
Will it be worth it?
As the door swung open, I ran while pushing the table dragging the undeads that were blocking the door. There were only seven of them. Isa ang nakaharang sa Hermosa Hallway, dalawa rin sa Germana Hallway at apat sa Gabriela Hallway.
But the thing I wasn't able to realize earlier was: an undead weighs twice as heavy as when they were alive. Can a young man in his nineteen be able to push these four undeads?
No. Not unless I have that bastard's physique.
Na-stuck ako isang metro mula sa pintuan ng room 307. Apat silang humaharang sa lamesa habang iniiwasan ko ang paglapat ng mga kamay nilang pilit akong inaabot.
If I want to get passed them, I should deal with them one by one but-
I looked back and saw Carlo still at the door in cold feet. His hands and legs were trembling visibly. May dalawang undead ang nasa harapan niya. I scoffed internally. All he have to do is to swing those broom and dustpan and then run towards me but the coward was a fucking shitty coward.
I decided to save him one last time. Bahagya kong binuhat ang lamesa at binitiwan ito dahilan upang lumikha nang malakas na ingay. Natigil ang mga undead na humaharang kay Carlo. Lumingon sila sa direksyon ko at unti-unting naglakad palapit.
"Give me the broom. Hurry!" I shouted at him but Carlo stared at me looking hesitant.
This shithead...
As I expected. The shithead turned left. He decided to run towards Germana Hallway and left me to fend off with these undead I saved him from.
Ahh. Fuck responsibility. Fuck life. Fuck.
The last classmate of mine ran away already. I'm done being the class monitor here.
That's something to be thankful for.
'Yung pitong undead na nakaharang sa pintuan ay palapit na sa akin. Bukas na bukas ang daanan papunta sa dalawang Germana at Hermosa Hallway.
I remembered I said that Gabriela Hallway has a lot of route to retreat to if ever we got cornered but I think I forgot to tell him that Hermosa Hallway is one of those route. Kailangan ko lang gawin ay iwasan ang mga undead na nakaharang ngayon sa daanan ko.
[25 minutes. Remaining Participants: 192.]
Umalingawngaw ang boses ni Monitor 091 kasabay ng pagsulpot ng hologram sa harapan ko. Bumibilis ang pagbaba ng bilang ng mga buhay kaya hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip. I ran towards the opposite of where Carlo fled to while dodging the touches of these three zombies.
Hermosa Hallway. The coliseum-like hallway. It doesn't have any stairs but just a circular path leading to the exit of Gabriela Hallway. Mabilis lang din ang daanan dito ngunit madilim nga lang sa umaga at gabi at puno ng kwentong kababalaghan kaya madalas iwasan ng mga estudyante.
Walang katao-tao sa Hermosa Hallway. Madilim. Kulob na kulob ang kabuuan ng hallway ngunit maski isang bakas ng undead ay wala.
Dinere-diretso ko ang daan patungo sa circular path at nang makarating sa simula ay huminto. I stretched my legs, neck and arms. Pagkatapos ko rito sa pabilog na daan ay wala nang hintuang takbo papunta sa KalSU Square ang susunod.
I was about to take a step forward when I heard a footstep and a call behind me.
"Finally met someone who isn't a zombie." He rested his hands on his knees to grasp his breath.
The bloodstain on his white shirt made me blank for a second. Bakas pa ang pagkakasariwa nito at halos sakupin nito ang kalahati ng kanyang damit. Nakatupi hanggang tuhod ang official jogging pants ng KalSU na suot niya. Basa na rin ng pawis ang kulay itim niyang headband.
Ayokong may kasama pero hindi ko rin naman siya mapipigilang hindi sumunod. At the least hindi naman siya mukhang pabigat.
He's giving me a dangerous vibes which screams he wants to survive at all cost. Just the blood all over him already proved something.
Yet he's also one to watch out for. What if he suddenly makes you his shield?
"Astig mo ah. Naka-all white ka na pero ang linis mo pa ring tingnan. Wala kang nakasalubong na zombie?" Pansin niya sa'kin matapos ako tingnan mula ulo hanggang paa.
He's not familiar too. I know all my Psych seniors by their faces and he's not on the list. He's probably not in our department.
"I got bloodstains too but not as serious as yours." Kung titingnan nga naman ang damit ko, tanging lukot lang ang mayroon.
Umayos siya ng tayo at saglit na tinitigan ang kanyang damit. "Fourth floor was a riot. Everyone wanted to survive that they've forgotten that the goal is to stay alive and not kill each other."
"Are you sure you're not wounded anywhere?"
"You mean, if I ain't infected yet?" He shook his head. Naglakad siya sa papunta sa kabilang gilid at may kung anong pinulot. "My desire to survive and to see my family again is so strong I'd do everything to be alive.
"Here. Kaya mo naman sigurong humampas nang malakas kapag may lumapit sa'yong zombie?" tanong niya sabay abot ng tubo na gawa sa bakal.
Inabot ko ang bakal. Nilingon ko ang hologram na kanina pa nakasunod sa akin.
[Remaining Participants: 113. Remaining Time: 00:19:39.]
"Nineteen minutes para tumakbo papunta sa KalSU Square." Inayos niya ang itim na headband saka tumingin sa'kin. "Hingang malalim at huwag kang mahihilo-"
Hindi ko na siya pinatapos sa pagsasalita. Nag-umpisa na akong tumakbo at kaagad siyang nakasunod.
Wala kaming nakasalubong na undead sa kahabaan ng Hermosa Circle. Nang marating namin ang dulo ng Gabriela Hallway ay saglit kaming huminto para maghabol ng hininga at alisin ang kaunting hilong nararamdaman.
[Remaining Time: 00:14:59. Remaining Participants: 89.]
Wala na sa kalahati ang buhay.
"Not bad," komento ng kasama ko habang nakatingin sa labas.
The outside of Teresa Building has fewer undead than I thought.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"Hindi na feeling 'yun, par."
I looked at the direction he was staring. There was a horde of undead and their pace were quicker than the usual. Kamalas-malasan pang ang hinaharangan nilang daanan ay ang shortcut papunta sa KalSU Square.
This one hour preliminary already feels like ages.
Just how shitty this Havoc Organization can get?
"Wala tayong choice. Sa kabilang ruta tayo tatakbo."
Tumakbo siya palabas ng Teresa building. Sumunod din ako bitbit ang bakal na pang-self defense ko kung sakali.
If I have a lot of time, I would experiment to see how much noise a horde of undead can tolerate. But I only have thirteen minutes to save my life from this impending doom. So fuck everything and just run.
"Don't fall behind!" sigaw no'ng lalaki. Ilang metro na rin ang layo niya sa akin.
Sorry if I don't have that shitty long legs and strong physique as yours.
We ran and ran. Nilampasan ang ibang undead habang ang iba naman ay hinampas at sinipa.
The scene while we were running was gory. For the second time, I witnessed another scene of brutally killing themselves. For the first time, I saw how undeads eat their victims.
The screams for help, loud or silent, were ignored. Everyone was out to save themselves first and no one could blame them-us.
Five minutes until the preliminary ends, we finally saw the entrance to KalSU Square.
Honestly, I wasn't happy. Patunay lang ang KalSU Square na kaya kaming manipulahin ng virus na ito at ng organisasyong may gawa.
Unti-unting bumagal ang takbo namin hanggang sa makarating kami sa loob.
"We're finally here ah!" He slumped his whole body on the floor. Beads of sweat started dripping from his forehead. The fatigue he had suppressed finally showed up.
What's there to celebrate? Magsisimula pa lang ang totoong race.
I was about to cut his celebration but someone did it first.
"Don't celebrate yet. Number 45." He pointed at me. "Number 46."
I gave him a deadpan.
"Stop acting cold, Jayce."
Here comes the bastard.