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It all happened so quick, like a flash of lightning from the sky. Everyone was in panic when the siren went off and not much could be done as well. The infection spread so quickly, and little to no people could find a shelter after the attack were over. The entire world government condemned our coast as a dead, hazardous area and not to be trespassed at any mean necessary, placing blockades and watcher ships around the shore line. That day, I saw my home ran over by the beast as the infection went out of hand, taking our parents away with those monsters and leaving me with my little sister alone until we’re found and evacuated. It still traumatized us. It still does and I felt powerless seeing it just happened.

I just wished I have the power and could change the course of time to undo it.

No, pondering of it won’t help either, so I kept on doing what I could do best at this moment: gather, survive and hide. Sometimes it’s hard, since I have to preserve shotgun shells for urgency only, and sadly most of the time clumsy ol’ me tends to get things messed up. I had to admit it was quiet a big waste and dangerous knowing it’d attract a big bunch of those monsters, but luckily the district we lived on were quieter than the rest at most, sort of. It still give me the creeps everytime I have to walk through these ruins that was once a giant, towering building and today’s no different than that. Carrying duffel bag filled with bunch of foods I scavenged from the remaining market, I gently make my way through the rubbles. Looking up, the sky’s as same as ever, painted green from the infectious remain that has been now floating up to our clouds. I then arrived to the only standing building amidst the ruins and rubbles, rubbish but we can’t bargain for another shelter. Heck, this was already considered luxury at this kind of time even.

The gate creaked from me prying it open, never failed to shook me all the time. I then quickly closed it behind me, gulping and huffing out in relief. Walking by the porch of the building, I gently pushed the door open, peeking inside to find the room engulfed in darkness.

Just like my own thoughts.

I then reached out for the switch, flicking the light on before stepping into the room and placed the  bag down on the worn out sofa. Again, I always wondered how can we be so lucky to even have these. As I slowly take out the foods and placed them on the counter one by one, footsteps began descending down towards me and…

“Made!” A little girl jumped up to my back and surprised me. Yeah, my name’s Made. This little girl is my little sister I mentioned earlier, Raisa.

“Hey, Raisa. How was your nap?” I remain unwavered on placing the foods, only giving Raisa a quick look with a smile.

“It was great! It felt like I just woke up from a comfy pile of clouds…” Her giggles never failed to make my day better after all this, it’s like hearing beautiful melodies from an opera singer.

“Oh right, have you seen Martha around?” I tried to sound less tired as possible so that she won’t be concerned, but I think eventually it’ll get through her someday.

“He’s at the backyard, doing the usual watching thingy.” It never passed my head of how much sheer stupidity Martha had to do that in these kind of hours. It’s dark and he’s somehow willing to just sat outside and for what? It’s not those thing that would crawl out, but instead the creatures that spread this infection in the first place. I know cause I’ve seen it, their claws and gnarly, sharp teethed jaws creeping as we hid under the rubbles when the night arised.

I immediately shook that vision off and quickly poked my head out of the window, finding the dumbass just sitting at a wooden stool while holding his binocular to look at the far distance. I only sighed and shook my head, before raising my voice and called him out. “Oi, Martha! Get back here, it’s late already!”

“In a minute!” Usually that’s a lie and he’d sit for another thirty minute, but this time he actually does pack his things up. Guess he had seen stuff too much.

Way, too much, I guess.

He then make his way through the backyard back to the living room, appearing all dusted like an old porcelain doll in display. We both can only held our laughter as he shook his head and sighed, patting off all the dust sticking to his shirt and pants.

“You forgot your boots.” I half chuckled while Raisa loose it, giggling in the floor leaving Martha grumbling, taking his boots off and threw it to the corner of the room.

“I’ll go take a shower. Cook the noodle while you’re at it, I’m hungry.” I keep forgetting that we actually have proper water pipe running through still if it wasn’t for Martha reminding me. My thought about ‘everything is cut off in an apocalyptic world’ stuff never ceased to confuse me. Where do I even get that in the first place anyway?

I then quickly walked up to the stove, heating a pot full of water before dipping in the noodles. I put in another one as I stirred them, making sure they’re boiled properly. Finished with it, I then filtered them just by the porch of the building. Just in the corner of my eye, I caught something just moving across the rubbles. It was a glimpse of shadow, but I’m not seeing things like it’s just the wind passing by.

Or have i?

Eitherway, I shook it off as just another tiring vision, something that I should treat with a little bit of sleep. The noodle’s done, and it’s time to call them over. “Martha, Raisa, dinner’s served.”

“Yay, noodles!” Raisa quickly hopped up into the chair, followed by Martha who just finished showering. Goodness, at least dry those hair first, will ya?

“Well, you still remembered how to cook. Good thing it didn’t get eaten up by your short terms of memory.” Now it all make sense, but I remembered someone else who would say about the same thing to me.

But who?

We enjoyed our noodle for the night as the weather get windy outside that our windows are constantly creaking from it. The sound scared Raisa all the time, so as we get to bed, I had to accompany her for awhile until she fell asleep, comfy and well. When everything’s settled, I head back to get that well deserved sleep. Yeah, if Martha don’t interrupted me along the way.

“Found something interesting out there.” That’s not a question, but not something surprising either coming from him.

“What is it now, some clunky old gears and all like weeks ago?” He actually brought that in just to see if he could tinker with it. He didn’t.

“No, something that would get us close enough to the northern district and get out. A van. Full tank, with some canister for refill on the back.” For once it rings like music to my ear.

“You’re joking.” His face looks like an unimpressed old librarian lady as he walked past me and gave me a good pat on the shoulder.

“Pack you and Raisa’s stuff in the morning. We’re leaving this godforsaken island.” And just like that, he left me in awe and confusion for a moment as I slowly make my way to my bed, taking my shirt off as the sweats from this unbearable night heat is sticking to my skin. Felt like they could tore my skin off anytime with it.

Laying on the bed, my thoughts spiraled down for a moment. How and where does he even get such? It’s like a miracle just came out of knowhere and struck us by the bum. But whatever it is, I’m happy that we’re finally getting off this place for good with Raisa and Martha and…

And…my friends.

Of course, them. For days, my thoughts clashed with either they’re dead or they perhaps had survived and settled as well, who knows. But if they really do, I want to take them with me. Continuing our dreams and life we’ve been hoping for years before the outbreak happened. One where this is all just a bad dreams and we simply woke up, forgetting as if this ever happened.

I have to find them.