“Since our people increased, we are now lacking resources,” Xander announced, the scientist who questioned Zeon earlier.
Sitting on the floor at the sala with these people who are strangers to me, aside from Zeon who's sitting beside me. Some of our people are already sleeping from tiredness from our exploration, and I wasn't that heartless to wake them for this small meeting.
It just happened that I couldn't sleep despite the tiredness I'm feeling, for that Joker we have encountered didn't leave my mind that I kept thinking of why it looks so sad that night we witnessed it.
At nakita ko silang nag-uusap sa sala kasama si Zeon na nakasandal sa sofa na napaayos ng upo nang makita akong lumabas.
I didn't hesitate to join in their conversation when I've learned that they're talking about resources, for I am well aware that our addition of presence here made their supplies lack for everyone.
We've brought our remaining foods, but we shouldn't depend on it, after all, the time will come that we will face a crisis where resources will deplete as days passed without searching for them.
That's the worst thing that might happen in an apocalypse.
Prevention is always better than cure.
“Let's go at night,” Dreyard suggested that made my forehead creased. I looked at him, bewildered at his words.
It has to be a joke!
“Zombies are dangerous at night,” I opposed.
After all, we would be having a hard time once we get those zombies' attention at night since we won't be able to see through things too, especially to our surroundings. Who knows when we're running away from a horde of undead creatures and the path we're running to is already a dead end?!
Dreyard just smirked as he leaned at the wall at his back, the way his hair moves, almost covering his eyes for it's a bit long, which is understandable since maybe they don't have time for cutting it.
“Only if they would see us. That's why only four of us will go, are you in?” he asked me that I got lost for words for a while.
Am I?
But for the sake of humanity, and in hope that we'll find someplace where we could call home, the first thing we should do right now is to explore and to look for more.
And if I won't go, how could I ever explore? I'm still unfamiliar with this place as right now, I don't know where to go when finding things or such.
And who knows if we will meet some survivors along the way?
“I'm in,” I probed with courage after a while of having deep thoughts, as I lifted my eyes and met his amused emerald ones.
“As expected.” He nodded his head and stood straight.
“If you ever heard something different, don't go and never look for it. Those sounds are warnings. Just leave them at where they are,” Dreyard repeated with such seriousness in his voice that made me stop from fixing my boots.
I heaved a sigh. “You've been telling me about it.”
“I just want to make you safe by avoiding danger.” Natigilan ako panandalian nang marinig ang kanyang sagot, bago bumuntong hininga at tumango.
“I know. Thank you very much.” But once is enough for me.
“Are we going there?” David asked with such an expression on his face. He's one of Dreyard's companions, and right now, looks as if he couldn't believe what he just heard.
Dreyard looked at him and nodded his head as if telling him something that we are oblivious about.
“It's the only place that we haven't checked yet after that incident,” he answered as if he doesn't have any choice but to go there.
I don't know what they are talking about, but based on the expressions they are showing, it's a serious one.
As if something dangerous is just about to happen.
And what incident? I am clueless, but I just couldn't bring myself to ask since they look as if inside a very heated conversation.
“It'll be dangerous for them,” Marcus speaks, that even Dreyard didn't mention the place, they are aware of what Dreyard is pertaining.
Now, I couldn't help but be curious. At the same time, my heart is beating so fast and loud from the nervousness I've suddenly felt, that when I looked in my hand, they are trembling a little that I hid by wiping them on my pants.
“It's the remaining place that has resources. We don't have any choice.” Dreyard's voice dominated the place and from the tone of voice he used, it was as if he's saying that the conversation ends there that his companions didn't bother questioning his decisions again.
As I observed his companions, I couldn't help but get more nervous at the expression they're showing. Dread and terror, that's how I could explain their expressions that keep my nervousness intensifies.
“Miss Harper, are you ready? You can still back out.”
I looked at the man who's acting as our leader right now, to Dreyard, as his gaze averted from Zeon and to me as if he's waiting for my answer.
Zeon also turned his attention to me as if this one will be based on my decision.
Pero kung hindi ako sasama ay hindi ba't mas nakakahiya?
It will show that we're only here to put more heaviness from what they're feeling when we are supposed to help them carry it.
Hindi kami dumating dito upang magpabigat at hayaan silang gawin ang mga gawain, kundi ang tumulong sakanila at sabay-sabay gawin ang aming dapat gawin.
“No, we'll be going.” That's my decision.
Tumango si Dreyard sa aking sagot bago humarap sa aming makakasama.
“Let's go. We won't use any vehicle since those zombies will only be attracted to the sound of it. It'll be a little far, please bear with it.”
I nodded my head. And he starts to lead the way.
Napag-alaman kong sa girna ng siyudad na ito kami pupunta, ang may napakalaking mall rito na syang napapalibutan ng napakaraming zombies, at iyon ang dahilan kung bakit gabi kami sasabak ay para makaiwas sa tingin ng mga ito.
The path is too dark. We rarely see anything yet the lights above the place are enough to keep us going.
There is still electricity in this city, which thankfully they haven't cut it. Yet there's only selected place where city lights are still alive and those are parts that didn't receive too much damage.
Some lights are blinking as if they'll go out any minutes from now. The place is nerve-wracking silent, but not so silent since there's still an announcement that could be heard through the place.
The same announcement that we've always heard inside the military.
“The quantity of confirmed deaths has exceeded thousands. The governor has called a state of emergency. There had been loads of bodies on the streets due to the virus that suddenly rose from nothingness. Panic spread worldwide after the leaked record from WHO showed that there's still no cure for this disease. The entire country of America was placed under martial law. All residents are required to report to their designed quarantine. You can still rise with us. . . take into account when you are lost in the darkness, search for the light.”
If I could just cover my ears to stop hearing that annoying words that for sure, gave hope to other people to be saved in this hell, yet little did they know that those very same words will be the end of their lives in this world.
“They are liars, those they have been rescued? They'll turn them into mindless monsters, the reason why you wouldn't see them inside the military.” Dreyard's right with this one.
I've always been wondering about those people whom they have rescued because they said that they are resting in their designated chambers.
But the longer ones, they should've been living in the place, socializing with other people, living the best thing they could but the problem is, I couldn't see them aside from being quarantined for three months.
As if they have completely vanished. . . or those people made them into some kind of beasts, in which Dreyard and his groups confirmed the dirt that that military has, the reason why it makes me want to vomit after hearing those words from that recording, those ugly words they've repeatedly spurting about.
I gently touched the police car that's on the side, making my gloves get some dirt from it. Some cars continued to alarm which group of zombies are crawling on that spot, which we took an opposite path to avoid them and to reach our destination fast.
I looked up when the sound of the helicopter engine echoed in my hearing. Above the grayish-blue sky, a helicopter keeps lighting up the place as if they're searching for some survivors.
There are people searching survivors. . . with that idea alone, I got frozen and is waiting for those people to see me standing amidst of this Time Square that was filled with undead warriors.
Just as when it's about to light me, a pair of hands pulled my waist, making me sit and hide behind the car— just like what they're doing, and it's what woke me. I came face to face with Dreyard who is so close that I could feel his hot breathing on my face.
“Don't show yourself to those people,” he reminded me a fact that the military is our enemy. . .
I nodded and quickly stepped back, only to be leaned in someone else's body that when I look back, Zeon's face welcomed my sight. He looks so rigid that intensified by the darkness of our surroundings, yet he pulled my jacket's hood to cover my face that I let him.
My heart's beating so fast that I only noticed. Maybe from nervousness. I wanted to say sorry, it's just that, in the back of my mind, the thought of them saving was still plastered that will take time to be replaced.
They are our enemies, I know. . . but since they're showing those actions as if they're looking for survivors to save. . . I just couldn't help but fall in their tricks.
Dreyard leads the way again but this time, I'm more focused. I'm following behind Zeon because he's making me.
I mean, the way his left hand gripped on mine, it seemed as if he won't let me get out of his sight nor get even a little bit far from him.
It was fine by me though, after all, what happen earlier made me a little bit nervous about what can I do.
I don't trust myself.
We entered a shopping mall through a secret door in which, I think Dreyard and his squad once came in this place since they know where we should go.
One thing I've noticed, they're avoiding coming through the exit which is the primary way that would enter my mind when it comes to going in a place like this.
Of course, we shouldn't enter from its front door, or else we'll face some hordes of zombies that require us to fight them and that would be a disaster.
As much as possible, we must refrain from getting their attention.
Dreyard stopped, he faced us and placed his forefinger on his lips, signaling that we should keep quiet.
I nodded my head before I watched him slowly and carefully opened the silver metal door that reminds me of a bunker's door.
It was nerve-wracking, especially when the door emitted light sounds when it was being moved that I thought we'll be able to get some of the zombies' attention.
Thankfully we didn't.
Dreyard first entered the mall, followed by David, and soon, Zeon and I followed. My heart is pounding. My hands are cold and trembling. Cold sweat ran down my skin and the slight sounds from the silence of this place made me a bit sensitive.
Only my heartbeat could be heard that's making me deaf from how loud it is.
As we entered, eerie silence welcomed us from the quiet, ominous surroundings as if any minute from now, someone would appear and make our hearts jump in surprise. It was jet-black, much darker from outside because we had lights from above earlier.
My eyes just wouldn't easily adjust, for which Dreyard and David opened their lights that they looked at us, signaling us to only illuminate our path and don't rundown lighting everything on this room.
Dreyard made sign language that we must only walk through the side, to which I nodded. We slowly spread, I was assigned closer, and thankfully, Zeon is beside me.
I quickly opened my bag and carefully put some canned foods in it.
My hands are shaking while getting some canned goods from nervousness as if someone would jump on me, I think, Zeon noticed it. He gently holds my hand, slowly, not making me surprised that made me look at him. The seriousness on his face was still visible.
“Calm down, we're safe,” he whispered so low as it almost doesn't have a voice and only air that escapes.
I nodded. I'm trying. I heaved a sigh to calm my head and body.
He's right, Harper. We're safe—
A sudden cry from a woman echoed in my hearing that made me halt, shivers ran down my spine that my hand, which Zeon is holding, trembled more. That cry was eerie, it was scary, yet I've put aside that information and thought that it's someone who needs help.
I quickly turned to the place where the sound is coming from, in my peripheral vision, I saw Zeon is already looking at the place too.
That place. . . is so dark as if no one would go on that spot.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered so low before I took a step forward, only to stop when Zeon held my wrist again that made me look at him.
“Don't,” he answered with the same quietness I did.
It was followed by a thunderstorm from the sky as if it's about to rain, yet her cries that are echoing to the whole place only intensifies, making me took a glimpse of that place again.
“But. . .” There's another alive.
We shouldn't just leave them be, right?
Or. . . is it alive?
In my sight, the panicking David and the calm Dreyard entered my vision and based on David's face, as if the only thing he could wish right now is to get out of this place.
However. . .
“Go,” Dreyard said to me, which made David look at him with such ridiculous expression as if what Dreyard is absurd.
I slowly looked at Dreyard and he's watching me carefully.
“Look at it by yourself. However, try not to get her attention or you'll die,” he said enough for us to hear.
David looks he's praying for his life with his eyes tightly closed, and it's making me nervous but my curiosity just won't let me sleep knowing that I won't learn about it.
I started to step forward towards the place where the cries coming from. I realized that it's at the back of the mall— the one that I assumed that we will enter, but we didn't.
As slowly, I'm having some rough ideas regarding why we didn't head to that place.
I put some distance in regards to what Dreyard has said. I wasn't that far from them yet is enough for me to take a peek towards where the cries are coming from.
I wanted to vomit from mixed emotions of terror and anxiety, and the fast beating of my heart is making me feel suffocating.
Pakiramdam ko'y may matinding thriller music na nangingibabaw sa paligid dulot ng sobrang tahimik, ang mabagal na pagtunog ng beat. . . o baka puso ko iyon.
The lightning strikes at the dark sky that illuminates the shopping mall, followed by thunder that I got frozen, looking at the thin, whitish woman crying while sitting in an Indian sit. She has bloody nails so long that could leave a hole in the skin once she thrusts them. Her long silver hair seems to leave a mark in my mind as her cries continue to echo in the dark, eerie surroundings as if that's her trap to lure prey on her place, that on Dreyard and his group, it's a warning.
I gasped and quickly stepped back, unable to believe what I am seeing.
I wasn't planning to move nor anything, and thankfully, Zeon pulled me away. . . I could say it's him by his scent despite the gross stench of dead bodies in our surroundings. I let him pull me by the wrist, holding my back on his other hand while I remained dumbfounded from what I experienced.
Dreyard's explanation echoed in my hearing as we get out of that place— almost running away while Zeon's pulling me with him.
“It was one of the products of their experiment. A fast zombie with long nails, which, we are still oblivious if those nails could turn you into a zombie, or kill you before you become one.”
. . . while on the back of my mind. . . those red eyes of that woman lingers and seemed to haunt me.
First, it was a Joker with the desire to die. And now, it was a woman with the hunger to kill in her red eyes.
If only Zeon didn't pull me, maybe we're already fighting with that creature. . . or maybe I've already lost my life in just a second that her eyes found me in that darkness.