Chapter 2

"Ughhh..." I groaned habang pilit kong minumulat ang mata ko

I can't move properly. What's happening?

Pinilit kong sarili ko na makagalaw until I was able to move my fingers. My body felt hot as if my veins are new and are functioning completely. Moments after I moved my finger, I can already move my limbs.

I was about to walk out but I stopped.

"No way..." sabi ko sa sarili habang nkatitig sa harapan ko.

The last thing I remembered was I was in the Science laboratory talking to Apollo. I looked around and yes, nandito pa rin ako pero bakit puno ng halaman ang science lab?? I looked down at nakita ko na may tubig na rin dito. What is going on?

Lumabas ako at bumungad sakin ang ibang studyante na nakatayo lang. I touched one of them and my eyes widen. 

Are they frozen? I don't see any ice crytals—it’s just, they are frozen. Frozen by what though?

The whole hallway is covered with plants, tree branches with insects which are new to me. The whole building is swallowed by nature. 

I continued walking at ang dami kong nalagpasan na studyante na nakatayo lang. Some are in walking position while facing the same direction which is from the window, ang iba nagbabasa ng libro, ang iba naghahalikan at ang iba naman... how can I explain what I am seeing?

Their bodies are broken just like pieces of ice. The most peculiar thing is that, the blood, veins, arteries... everything in them are frozen but not with ice. Even if the limbs are cut off, the bones, veins and muscles are intact. It's like I'm watching an abandoned doll.

Really? What happened here? What happened to us?

Lumabas ako ng Science building at bumungad sakin ang buong lugar na puno ng halaman. The main road of our school papunta sa food buildings, train station, and dormitories are broken showing the underground trails and abandoned trains. The train trails became a huge pool with sea creatures and the trains are full with corals.

How many years has passed by?

Napahawak ako sa suot ko, I'm still wearing my uniform. My uniform is still intact so I'm guessing that I was frozen the whole time as well.

I'll assume that pareho lang kami ng pinagdaraanan ng mga schoolmates ko. If I'm wrong, why did I wake up if years had already passed?

I continued walking hanggang sa may nakita akong konting daan papunta sa main building kung nasaan ang room namin. I have to be careful or baka mahulog ako sa ilalim ng trails, may shark pa namang nakatira dun dahil may tubig na sa ilalim. 

Dahan-dahan akong dumaan sa sira-sirang daanan habang nakabalanse ang katawan ko upang hindi ako mahulog at maging pagkain ng mga pating.

"You can do this," I whispered habang naka-stop sa gitna ng dinadaanan ko

I continued walking until I reached the solid ground. Agad akong tumakbo papunta sa room at binuksan ang pinto. When I slid the door, the door just broke into pieces and all I saw was our room na puno ng dahon pero walang tao. Nasaan ba sila bago nangyari ang lahat?

Dahan-dahan akong pumasok kahit wala ng floors na makikita at puro nalang damo. The

chairs are disarranged. The tables have been turned. What happened here?

Agad akong napatigil ng may naapakan ako. It was hard as a stone. Kinuha ko ang paa ko and I looked down.

It was Scarlet's head filled with frozen blood. Her face, she is struggling… but, from what? Now that I saw Scarlet, I was with Apollo at that time. Where is he then?

Agad akong napaatras at may naapakan ulit ako. And this time it was Seth's head with frozen blood habang walang eyeball ang kanang bahagi ng mukha niya. I immediately looked away. This breaks my heart.

Hindi ko alam kong anong nangyari but I'm sure, they're all dead before this happened. Paatras ako ng paatras hanggang sa napasandal ako sa locker namin.

Bigla akong may narinig na footsteps papunta sa room namin.

May ibang tao rin bang gising tulad ko?

Tatakbo na sana ako palabas kaso biglang may humila sakin at pinasok ako sa locker. Nakapikit ako habang pinipigilan siya at sinandal nya ako sa wall sa loob ng locker.

"It's me," he whispered at agad kong minulat ang mata ko

Apollo?  He's still wearing his uniform at halatang di pa siya ganon katagal na gising. Did he wake up a couple of minutes ahead?

"Shhh," he added and covered my mouth

Agad akong napatingin sa holes ng locker at nakit ko si Ms. Enriquez na nakatayo habang tinitiganan ang ulo ni Seth.

"May gumising na naman?" she said

What is she saying?

Biglang hinigpitan ni Apollo ang hawak niya sa bibig ko at agad kong binaling ang attention ko sa kanya.

"Tsk," he whispered

Agad ulit akong tumingin sa holes ng locker at nakita ko si Ms. Enriquez na nakangiti habang nakadikit ang mukha niya sa pinto ng locker na may holes. Her smile was wide.

A literal ear-to-ear smile.

"Gotcha," she said with a playful tone at napalunok ako. Oh please tell me I’m dreaming!

Apollo kicked the door of the locker at tumilapon palayo si Ms. Enriquez. I froze watching her struggle and contemplating what I saw.

"Come on!" Apollo shouted and he grabbed my wrist.

We ran away without minding the dead frozen bodies around. Nakarating kami sa ibaba at nagtago sa fire exit. We both looked up as we catch up our breath.

"Wha—what the… hell is…" I couldn't even finish my sentence

"I woke up a couple minutes ahead. I looked for Scarlet then I saw her eating one of the eyeball of your classmate."

Eyeball? Seth's eyeball? Disgusting!

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but one thing is for sure, we are their prey," he said and as soon as he finished that statement, the fire exit door just flew away.

Agad akong napasandal and I saw Ms. Enriquez watching me while her tongue is out. She attacked me pero napaupo ako sa takot. Kung hindi ako napaupo, sigurado akong wala na talga akong buhay ngayon. That little accident saved my life.

I looked up and her tongue was stuck inside the wall.

I crawled away and Apollo grabbed me palapit sa kaniya. I looked back and I saw her punch the wall that resulted to her escape.

Without even noticing it, we started running faster. Mahigpit na hinawakan ako ni Apollo para hindi ako niya ako maiwan o para hindi ako makuha. As we were running I noticed that the hallway is wet, some of this hallway are broken.

"Eh!” I gasped when I stepped into a broken tile.

I'm gonna fall.

I looked up when I realized that I wasn't falling. Good thing he was holding me the whole time.

"Tsk," I heard him whispered.

"There you are," rinig ko pero wala akong nakikita.

I can hear Apollo's irregular breathing as he held me. He then looked down at me.

"Run," he said and binitawan niya ako. I saw Ms. Enriquez attacked him bago ako tuluyang nahulog.

"APOLLO!" I shouted