A Dance of Survival (Part 2 - Zombie Apocalypse)

A Dance of Survival by PJ Tenten Lee

Life and leverage – dilemma – drown me to decide,

Iffy signals – darn – keep me in trouble.

Fighting got me locomotive not to hide,

Even the strong ones before now became feeble.

Death is a sentence that

Everybody may deserve.

A timeline of crisis spat,

Timorous humans swerve.

Hello, darkness, everyone’s friend.

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The dawn was full of ire of the sinful souls wishing to live more because their lives cling no more. What happened to the world? Sometimes, I think that there should be no question of what happens today nor what will happen tomorrow because time never stops. Someone dies for the other one to live. Someone lives for the other one to die.

I guess being too dramatic makes me scrawny or a coward. I have never imagined coming this far after the darkest malediction that trampled the Earth. I tried to save those who ran for their lives, yet they were too dumb to stay so scared as if they had no idea how to survive when life depends on it. I was not strong enough. I am just clever and my advantage is that I know some information which helped me go further. If it hadn’t for the PESTRON, I would not have dealt with those grumpy biters waiting for more flesh and brains. One thing I dislike the most is being alone, pretending that I can save myself from a thousand years of solitude, but I still hope that there is someone out there waiting for a rescue. The thing that survival taught me is to get rid of the dead weight, but not in my case. In order for me to extend my inner strength, I have to be with someone.

Before I left my apartment, I was able to put some supplies in my white sling bag which I think were necessary – cellphone with 89% battery energy, four sharp knives, a book (The Dead by Charlie Higson), chocolates, crackers, a bottle of water, a pen, a belt, and no more. Food and water are the most important needs that are now luxuries in price. The next thing to do is plan on how to get out of this fucking room on the second floor of a commercial building to get more supplies and to look for other survivors. The more I have with me, the greater chance of survival there is. The problem was I could not find an opening to get out and run; the area on the ground was surrounded by seven biters to be exact. Deciding to past right their asses would be a crazy idea since they were all men with big midriffs and muscles and even if they’re dead already, the virus that has eaten their consciousness bestowed them more power. It is a fact that the biters are slow, but according to I.F. Conner who uploaded the last data she acquired from the CIA, some biters are faster than the average human beings, but the signs to know one is inconspicuous.

I could not risk my only life by braving out without any sure hits. Rest was all that mattered to me and for that moment, I was safe. I slept for three hours and I felt even more relaxed and the tensions in my bones and veins ceased. I called fear for a truce. Trust me, fear would make you a crybaby. One good thing that fear brings to people is that there is no courage without being afraid. After I munched my remaining snacks, I took my pen to draw the points of the vicinity where I was and navigated my own directions. Fortuitously, I have known the paths where there may be few humans. I didn’t have any compass with me, but there would be a freeway and better speed for me to run and search if I would be taking the west of the tower. I brought out the belt from my sling bag and severed it in half. I laced one in my right leg and the other one at my back. I positioned the three knives to the belts where I could easily grab them in case of an emergency. I held and gripped the last knife. There was nothing helpful in the commercial building because the other rooms were locked, but at that juncture, I was even readier to play the game… that time, to maneuver the dance of survival.

Silence is golden.

I walked past through the three biters without committing any sound that may trigger their senses. My ears became more profound to listen to the vibrations of nature. My eyes were barely blinking. I walked slower. Never underestimate little mistakes because they create big ones. Luckily I am a teacher, I know how to be more patient at a time like that. Slower. Slower. Careful. Eight more steps and I would be able to reach the tower. Scattered in the wide road, the four biters were not disturbed by my sneaking plea. When I was able to clear my way, I sighed deeply. I made it just fine.

But I was wrong.

I was about to stand up from crawling sluggishly, but I noticed the sticky saliva that dropped to my foot. I gradually raised my head to find out what it was, then, what happened next was a living nightmare. A biter was famished to take me down, eyes glaring to my almost paralyzed body. My sigh transfigured into a series of inhaling and exhaling partnered with a gush of sweat. I swallowed the bile that crept on my throat while my eyes furtively snared to the monster.

It growled like a canine dog unsweeping and malevolent. Then, as it smiled devilishly, it attacked me. I rolled over to the right side and dodged its firstly launched violence, trying to keep myself stable and away from making any noise. There was no other near biter, but I was afraid it might get bigger attention.

*You little piece of shit.*

I ran around the tower to mislead it to the corner inside the open gate. I went there without hesitation. I kept my distance with both offense and defense. The situation was kidding me and I was dealing with a zombie buffoon. The biter got inside the façade of the tower surrounded by the shrubs and bushes of bougainvillea. I was quiet until it reached the corner, then I appeared right behind it and said, “I got you, bullshit.” It got angrier, but I grimaced and stab its head in a pronto. Bull’s eye! See? I always go for the head for a kill. Stabbing or attacking on a biter’s body only makes it slower.

I panted and continued moving. The place was quiet and that was kind of disturbing… confusing… surprising. I walked farther to reach my unknown destination, I guess where my feet could take me. God, I was hungry and thirsty. I spent half an hour walking until I saw a convenience store along the road. Delving inside might be a bad idea, but it looked like a winning lottery for me. One of my objectives was to get supplies, the establishment in front of me was the answer. No more hesitation. There should be windows that I could utilize to glance inside. I wasn’t sure if danger is imminent. If the doors weren’t locked, there may be no survivors or they must have left hastily.

I sneaked in, observing every lane if there was anything ominous. The fire exit was widely open, but I did not dare to go there. Time is essential. I need weapons, food, beverages, and medicines. Woah! Thank God, there was a big travel bag I filled with my supplies. I grabbed more knives and blades and was glad to see a baseball bat at the sports corner. Those were all I needed. Before I left, I ate canned goods and chocolates and took water. I could not carry all the things inside the store, but it didn’t mean that I cannot come back. I braved my way out again. That time, to look for some survivors who could come with me.

Was I walking in a deserted and isolated countryside? It seemed impossible for me to binge with an alive human, to cross paths with one another. I hate loneliness more than this apocalypse. I do not even know if my family, my relatives, my co-teachers, and my students are okay. I hope they made it, too. There were no protocols by the government where they could fetch some survivors to a safe place. I believe that everyone in the entire Philippines has been already fighting the battles that I have been encountering. The soldiers have families to protect, too. My butt tells me that there will be help; that my loved ones are out there, plunging for some safe places, too. As I walked further, I noticed corpses on the road. There were already double-dead biters having stabs on their foreheads, but who did this? Are there some survivors in the area? I could not shout. I could feel it, the good news at last. I roamed, looked around to seek for alive souls. The crossroads. Danger approaching. Six biters were on their way towards me and that was really, really bad. Run! My legs stretched for a maze that I needed to solve, turned right and turned left, whichever direction was safer. Then, I heard a voice that called my name.

“Behind you, sir!”

I turned and saw a zombie jumped to get me but before it reached me, its head blasted and its blood stained my clothes. Who the hell saved my life? I looked up and saw a man in his 30s, not sure about the age. With him was my student. I couldn’t believe what I saw. My student. One of my treasured gifts… is alive and kicking. He was the one who shouted. They went down to fetch me.

“Get inside, sir. Don’t worry, it is safe here for now,” said John Nojadera. “I want you to meet my friend, Kuya Isko. He saved me earlier. What happened to you, sir? I’m so happy to see that you are not dead.”

“Thank you for helping me out there. I was right. There are still survivors. I almost died, lucky I haven’t.” I asked him if there were others. A relief lifted all the obnoxiousness in my mind. I felt even stronger to go out there and save the others.

“We have seen it, too, sir. But I’m done crying. Some of my friends were bitten and they turned. I tried to save them, too, but I couldn’t do anything. These zombies were strong. Kuya Isko was there and he got me to this safe place,” assented John.

“I know you, sir. We have met before. Remember? In Mardi Gras? You bought three bottles of beer and some sizzling appetizers,” said Isko.

“Yeah, I remember now,” I responded. “Listen. I need to tell you something. The reason that I survived this far is because I learned information beforehand about this COVID outbreak that Wuhan tried to conceal. I have an account that works for CIA, but I never thought that this bubonic plague would turn out to be an apocalypse. I know that somewhere out there, a cure is waiting for us. I don’t know where and what cure it is, but I have my phone in me. The internet has not yet crashed down. There is still foreign media and I can still log in to my account. However, we need a safer place because we can’t stay here longer than what you think,” I explained.

“I have a van, but the gas will be our main problem,” Isko furthered.

“But sir, what if some of my classmates are still alive?” John asked.

“John, we’ll save your classmates no matter what happens. Kuya Isko, the gas is not anymore our problem. The gas station near the tower is a little safe,” I said. That moment, my palms touched my chest, pledging to be an agent to survive so that others may live, just how I value my own life. (To be continued)