[ ENTRY #2 - 09/11/2022 (DAY 01) | ROADS TO OLYMPUS MED ] 

[Notes: Written by Riley.] 

An hour before

"Shouldn't we get any weapons first?" tanong ni Avah habang hawak ko pa rin ang axe na ibinigay sa akin ni Kael kanina. Inadjust ko yung backpack na may lamang first aid kit at ilang pagkain na kinuha ni Avah mula sa secret stash ko sa studio. 

"Well…" Ate Reia trails off, probably thinking about where to find some weapons for the trip to the hospital since sinabi ko nga din sa kanya kanina na it might be overrun with the abomination. 

Baka nga dun pa dinala lahat ng infected. 

"I think I know someone." biglang sagot ni Ate Reia habang hinila na niya kaming dalawa ni Avah papasok ng isang maliit na eskinita, the three of us careful not to agitate any zombies since wala pa nga silang weapons. 

I took care of any zombie that came close to us, at ilang minuto pa ay narating na namin ang sinasabing place na alam daw ni Ate Reia na may weapons sa loob. 

Gray's Gun Store

"Guns? Hindi ba mas maingay yun?" tanong ko habang tinatry na ni Ate Reia na buksan yung pinto—she raises a small flap upon a box at the side of the door and enters a passcode. 

Nagbeep ito at bumukas ang pinto, the three of us entering the air-conditioned store na parang hindi pa nagagalaw even with the current disasters happening. 

"Paanong hindi pa naloloot ito…" I trailed off habang tinitignan ko ang mga baril at melee weapons sa loob, my eyes immediately staying at one melee weapon na nasa dulo nung shop. 

"The glass door is bulletproof at hindi madaling sirain. The store operates as a private service, kaya kailangan mag-inquire ka for services bago ka makapasok sa store." sagot ni Ate Reia habang binuksan niya yung ilang mga glass shelves at ininspect ang ilang mga baril doon. 

"And you know this because…?" 

"Ako naghanap ng private gun supplier for my father's company way back, and the owner is a friend of mine—" 

"Which is not a reason for you to loot me na parang wala lang." 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang biglang may lumabas na lalake sa likod nung shop, from a backdoor na hindi ko man lang napansin na bumukas. He held a shotgun and aimed it at us, pero parang wala man lang reaksyon si Ate Reia. 

"I am not looting you, Gray. If I did edi sana tinry kong sirain yung pinto diba?" pagrarason ni Ate Reia, and the guy just sighed as he withdrew his aim and slung the shotgun upon his shoulder. 

"Well, then… It's unlimited picks, I guess. Never thought Etereo would be the worst place to open a business." Inis na sabi nung lalakeng nagngangalang Gray habang may pinindot siyang button sa tabi nung pinto, opening all the shelves inside. 

"I never even thought na Etereo would be plunged in such a nightmare and yet here we are," Natatawang sabi ni Ate Reia habang tumango na siya sa akin para kumuha ng mga gamit na kailangan namin sa pagpunta ng hospital. 

I picked that up, of course. 

"May… may mga pako ka ba?" tanong ko dun sa lalake na tinignan ako at yung weapon na hawak ko, then letting out an amused chuckle as he grabbed three boxes ng mahahabang pako as well as well as some barbed wire he had at the back room. 

"Never thought I'd see someone going Negan style on a baseball bat," natatawa niyang sabi as he lays out his hand for me to shake. "My name is Grayson Ford Canlas, by the way." 

I shake it with a small smile, "Riley Havannah Jacinto." 

"Oh? You're that producer Adeline keeps talking about?" tanong ni Gray habang napatingin ako kay Ate Reia na namimili sa pistols section ng shop. 

"Kinukwento ako ni Ate Reia?" tanong ko habang binigyan niya ako ng isang hammer at tinulungan pa akong paluin ang mga pako dun sa baseball bat na napili ko as a weapon, taking care not to break it apart as I wrapped the wire on it. 

"More like rants. Masungit ka daw, although I don't see it—" 

Naputol ang usapan namin nang marinig ang pag pindot ng password dun sa keypad sa labas, Gray immediately leaping from behind the shelf and training a shotgun on the door. 

Kinuha ko ang isang baril sa counter kahit di ako marunong, taking aim sa pinto na unti-unting bumukas—

"Whoa, no need to be so hostile." Natatawang sabi ng lalake na pumasok, raising his hands up with a grin upon his lips as the door closed, at inalis na ni Gray ang pag-aim niya sa lalake. Lumayo naman agad si Ate Reia at si Avah sa lalake, but somehow he feels so familiar—

"Wait," I said, bringing the pistol down as I move closer towards him, finally finding a name in my mind that matches his face. "It's you, right?" 

"Kilala mo?" tanong ni Ate Reia na nagpatuloy magcheck ng mga baril sa mga shelf, habang si Avah naman ay napansin ko na kinuha ang pickaxe na nasa gilid ng shop. 

"Jordan Romero, right?" tanong ko habang tinaasan naman niya ako ng kilay, but then his eyes light up as he took a long look upon my face. "Riley? Ako yung baseball player na kateam niyo dati—" 

"O-Oh, Jacinto! Kaya pala namumukhaan kita." Natatawang sabi nito, somehow nervous around me, pero hinawakan ko na lang ang balikat niya at bumalik sa paggawa ko nung melee weapon ko, and I notice him staring at me while finding his own set of weapons. 

"Bakit ka nandito, Jordan? I thought you're—" 

"Napahiwalay lang ako sa friends ko, so I'm trying to find them and happened to remember na may shop ka pala dito. What's wrong, am I not welcome here, Gray?" tanong niya, at pansin ko pa na may tension silang dalawa bago napabuntong hininga si Gray at bumalik sa pagtulong sa akin. 

"Magkagalit kayo?" biglang tanong ni Ate Reia nang lumapit siya sa amin ni Gray at kumuha ng ilang box ng pistol ammo para sa baril na pinili niya. 

"He's a jerk," inis na sabi ni Gray habang umiling nalang siya, not wanting any of us to push further so I didn’t, and instead grabbed my bag to fill with enough ammo para mapatay ang isandaang zombies, at itinabi ko din ang axe na dinala ko just in case na kailangan pa rin yun mamaya.

“Eh? Nakasama ko siya sa baseball games dati, I think he’s nice.” tanong ko sa kanya, and he chuckles at that as he leans forward towards me, at ramdam ko ang sama ng tingin sa kanya ni Ate Reia at ni Avah.

“Riley, if you think he’s nice, I think you’re a bad judge of character. Pero it’s not up to me to change your mind, no?” Gray says, and I just sigh as I steal another glance at Jordan na nasa kabilang part ng maliit na store, currently inspecting some knives and machetes na parang tumitingin lang siya ng laruan.

“Teka, if I may ask. Where are you guys going for you to pack so many boxes of ammunition?” tanong ni Gray, at nagtaka naman ako dahil biglang napangiti si Ate Reia dun sa lalake, a smirk upon her face I can only interpret as her deviousness and possibly her being manipulative—judging from Gray’s face, it’s working.

“Pupunta kami sa ospital,” Ate Reia says, Gray raising her brow at that. “Why? To