[ ENTRY # 4 - 09/11/2022 (DAY 01) | ROADS TO TITAN HEIGHTS ] 

[Note:Written by Loren.] 

Seeing her again after ten years, it still feels so surreal. Especially when she's already just a little bit shorter than me, without the childish grin and left with the fierceness and stoic attitude I know had been fostered ever since she was a child… 

Riley had grown so much. 

Nakatitig lang ako sa kanya habang suot ko ang jacket niya (although she told me it wasn't hers but a guy friend's, and I wanted to burn it on the spot), at naglalakad kaming lahat papunta sa Titan Heights kung saan may bahay daw si Ate Kai doon that we can stay for the night. 

Cars are too noisy daw kasi, and the gates may not be open when we arrive there. 

I try to take my mind off of the disaster that is happening as I find myself gripping the axe a little too hard, and my hands turn a little too red because of it. 

The thought of killing those zombies that were once people.. it scares me because I know I'm having this urge that I could help them. 

"Ang lalim ng iniisip mo?" 

Riley wakes me up from my trance as she slides a finger across my hand, making it relax without me even wanting to, and she grabs the axe from me and slings it to her backpack—she replaces it with her hand, and even if it feels clammy and awkward against mine, I don't mind. 

"How did you… uh…" I trail off, unsure on what to say but she hums slightly, waiting for the question that lays unsure upon my mind. "How did you manage to do it…?" 

She raises her brow at that. "Do what?" 

"You know… kill them, or something." 

She lightly chuckles at that, then pointing at her hand that still had flecks of blood upon it and I grimace upon the sight. "I woke up and felt like it was what I had to do to survive." 

"Nagising kasi ako sa condo nitong friend ko," she says, starting to tell me about what happened earlier morning nung tinamaan na siya ng outbreak. "We were just partying last night and when I woke up sa living room ng condo niya, the two people who was in his bedroom had already turned into zombies." 

I widen my eyes, imagining the sight as a flash of fear and hurt slides through her eyes. 

"Curiosity kills the cat, kasi binuksan ko yung pinto—the man was tied up, thankfully, but the woman wasn't—she ran after me, straddled me and was about to bite me if not for my instincts kicking in and stabbing her with a ballpen." 

"Riley, that's…" 

"Morbid and unfortunate, of course. Kung hindi ko binuksan yung pinto, then I would have launched into the hallways of the condo na unprepared and would have died either way. That… I don't like it, yes, but I do it to still live a few minutes more." 

The words strike at my doubts, and the hand on mine squeezes tight for just a few more seconds before letting go and giving me back the axe I have to use as a weapon. My hands still shake, but it lessens as she smiles at me, assuring me that everything is alright. 

"Let's turn here," biglang sabi ni Ate Kai nang makita namin na may naoverturn sa gitna ng kalye, and I almost go with them but then I see something that made me rush towards it, much to everyone's shock. Tumakbo na sila Ate Reia at Riley sunod sa akin, wondering why I was rushing to the car. 

"Help me open this!" sigaw ko habang nakaturo sa pinto, some zombies already moving close pero pinatay sila nila Ate Kai, si Gray at yung Avah naman ay hawak si Jordan na nakatali. I try to pry open the door with the axe, but it does not budge open as I shout in frustration. 

"Give," biglang sabi ni Gray na kinuha yung axe from my hands and pried open the door with all his strength, succeeding in doing so as I moved out of the way and then try to get those people I saw from inside the overturned car. 

"A little faster sana ano?!" Sigaw ni Ate Kai habang medyo madami na ang dumidiretsong zombie sa amin, some of them faster while the others are still slower pero alam kong maooverwhelm na din sila anytime soon so I rush my actions.

Brushing away the shards dun sa pintong nabuksan ni Gray, hinila ko agad yung isang babaeng nakita kong parang humihinga pa at wala pang signs na nakagat or even infected. I lay her down upon the ground, and then set out to pull away the other—

“Oh my God, Frances!” malakas na sigaw ni Ate Reia habang tinulungan niyang hatakin yung babaeng hindi ko pa nailalabas from inside the car. Agad kong chineck kung may pulse pa sila and meron naman, then checking for any major wounds as a car overturned would mean na baka mayroon silang malalang injury.

There was none of that, so all that’s left is to wake them up. 

“Riley, you told me na may first aid kit sa bag mo, diba?” I ask, hoping na mayroong kahit anong ammonia that I can make them smell para magising silang dalawa especially as medyo pressed na kami sa oras. Riley gives me her bag and I sift through the multiple boxes of ammunition to find the first aid kit at yung hinahanap kong chemical, so I set to work.

Nilagyan ko ng maliit na amount yung cotton ball na nahanap ko and put it under their noses, the two of them waking up and trying to catch their breaths. Agad kong chineck ng maigi kung may problema ba sa reflexes nila when they woke up, but so far so good and Ate Reia was able to get the two of them to get up.

“Tara na, introductions later! We have to go!” malakas na sigaw ni Ate Kai habang mabilis kong niligpit yung mga gamit ni Riley at ibinigay iyon sa kanya, never minding the shards that suddenly pricked my skin na hindi ko nakita—the pain upon my knees only registe