The Last Quarantine

Season 1: Prologue

"Dad?" Lumunok ako ng laway. Of all the things that is currently happening right now, all I can do is to just swallow hard.

"Santhy . . ." My dad started. His voice is alarming. Sinasalamin ng kanyang boses ang masamang pahiwatig na ayokong nang isipin pa.

I heave a sigh. A secret sigh because I don't want him to know that I am on the verge of losing my shit. Ayoko siyang mag-alala.

Ngunit napapikit na lang ako nang maramdaman ko ang mahinang pag-alog mula sa kinauupuan ko.

Jesus.

Save me!

Right now, I am here. Inside a public bus. Watching all of the people from outside to kill themselves and suddenly turn into seemed to be zombies.

It was fucking creepy . . .

Their faces are pale. Puti lang ang makikita sa kanilang mga mata. Balot na balot ng dugo ang kanilang ulo at katawan. Punong-puno sila ng sugat na galing sa ginawa nila sa kanilang sarili.

They killed themselves!

Ang iba ay inuntog ang kanilang mga ulo sa pader hanggang sa mabasag ang kanilang mga bungo. Ang iba naman ay nagpapasagasa sa mga dumadaang sasakyan. At ang karamihan ay sinasaksak ang kanilang mga sarili gamit ang matutulis na bagay na makikita sa kalye.

"Nasa bus ka na ba? Are you okay?"

I blink then heave a deep sigh, "Yes, dad. I am safe." My words are as soft as jelly. Conviction seemed to leave my tongue.

Am I really safe right now?

That is more of a question right now.

Dahil sa nag-pa-panic na ang mga kasama ko dito sa bus, pati na rin iyong ibang tao na nagpupumilit pumasok dito sa loob dahil ina-atake na sila noong . . . mga zombies-- okay, God knows what they are called, I am not safe anymore. I am never close to that word!

Niyakap ko na lang ang black persian cat kong si Orion. The cat started to hug me as if also petrified by seeing all of the people to knock against the bus outside.

"Okay, don't panic. Anak, you need to stay calm." Malumanay ang boses ni Dad pero hindi ako naapektuhan noon.

Stay calm?!

Dad, are you shitting on me?

How could I even stay calm at this moment when all of these zombies are fucking scaring the shit out of me!

I am not ready for this god damn zombie apocalypse to the point that I might just faint at any moment!

But, I managed to control myself. I avoided doing an outburst. "Okay, Dad. I am calm."

"Now, give the phone to the bus driver." There's something hiding behind Dad's voice and it's alarming me. I never heard this tone before, nag-pa-panic na rin ba siya?

"I need to talk to him." Dad continued.

That's the point when I started to nod kahit hindi naman niya talaga ako nakikita. "Sige po."

I started to drag my feet towards the front of the bus. My feet are trembling everytime I feel a sudden push against the bus from the . . . err—zombies outside. It's weird, really. This sudden zombie thing is unbelievable.

"My Dad. He's a cop, he can help us." I told the driver habang ina-abot ko sa kanya iyong phone ko. Orion is still on my arms. He is suprisingly cooperative right now. Tila bang natatakot rin sa mga duguang mga tao na itinutulak ang bus.

Halata ang pagkabalisa sa driver noong kinuha na niya ang aking phone. "Hello," I saw him stood up.

"Listen, Sir. How many of you are there right now?"

Mabuti na lang talaga at ni-loud speaker ko iyong phone ko.

"Sampu ho . . . Sampu ho kami dito ngayon."

"Good," Dad is taking his time, it's as if we are on a war and he is the general who is making the wisest tactics to be used to win the crucial situation, "now, listen. Kailangan mo silang dalhin dito sa New Bilibid Prison. Ito lang ang pinakaligtas na lugar sa Pilipinas ngayon."

Lahat kami ay pigil-hininga habang pinapakinggan si Dad.

"This is the last quarantine, nandito lahat ng un-infected. Just go here . . . and we will figure it out kapag nandito na kayo."

Nagpatango-tango iyong driver. At one moment, feeling ko ay sa sobrang takot niya sa nangyayari, tumatango na lang siya kahit hindi naman niya talaga naiintindihan ang sinasabi ni Dad.

I heard Dad sigh, a sad one, "please, bring my only child here. I really can't go there right now because I also have a ton of people to protect here."

One more sigh from him, "please."

"Oho, Sir." The driver swallowed hard. "Makakaasa ho kayo."

Kasabay iyon ng paghapdi ng dibdib ko. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kirot mula sa puso ko. I don't really used to crying but I am afraid I might just do that at any moment. Nakakainis. Kasi baka hindi ko na makita pang muli si Dad. Baka at any moment, mamatay na lang talaga ako nang hindi manlang siya nayayakap uli. That idea is killing me.

Pero ganoon na lang talaga ang gulat ko noong unti-unti, naging mabilis ang pag-alog ng bus. Ang pwersa noong mga infected na nasa labas ay nadagdagan buhat ng pagdagdag ng kanilang mga bilang.

"Ano pang hinihintay mo, Manong?! Paandarin mo na ang bus!" Sigaw noong isang pasahero.

Na sinabayan naman noong isa pa. "Yes! Are you dumb?! Freaking drag this shitty bus away from these . . . these zombies!"

Dahil doon ay napakurap ang driver. Tila bang natauhan. Nagpatango-tango siya sa amin, halatang balisang balisa na siya bago pinihit ang manibela.