"Ang tagal nila," Sienna muttered, pacing back and forth near the gate as they anxiously waited for the four volunteers to return.
Marianne checked her watch again, anxiety gnawing at her as well as the minutes dragged on. The sun was setting, and it was going to be dark soon. Charlotte and Mayumi stood beside her, their worried expressions mirroring her own.
"'Di ko pa rin gets kung anong uri ng sakit 'yung sinasabi nila," Mayumi said, recalling the fragmented news they had picked up from the weak signal earlier. "It sounds so impossible kasi, like medically speaking."
"I say zombies," Charlotte chimed in, glancing sideways at Mayumi, who shot her an incredulous look.
"I say you've been on the internet for too long, Cha," Mayumi retorted, raising an eyebrow.
The Computer Science student shrugged nonchalantly. "Kagat, agresibong pag-uugali, i-block ang mga pintuan, laganap sa buong bansa," she started listing. "Para sa akin, para na siyang simula ng zombie apocalypse."
"Stop calling it like that," Mayumi insisted, shaking her head. "You sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist."
"Na naunsa! Ga ingon raman gud ko nga mura'g zombie apocalypse. Ikaw man siguro na boang dira," Charlotte shot back, crossing her arms.
"Ano?" Mayumi glared at her, her usual friendly smile completely vanished. "Pinagmu-mura mo ba ako?"
"Ang sabi ko, these things can still be possibly true kasi," Charlotte explained, her voice tinged with worry at the thought of being on the nursing student's bad side. "Base kasi sa mga narinig natin, diba? Ikaw, narinig mo din naman. It really sounded like the usual intro ng apocalypse."
Sasagot pa sana si Mayumi ng biglang nagsalita si Jasmine, who was peering outside the gate.
"Girls," her voice was ominous, slicing through their banter. "I think baka tama si Ate Cha." She motioned for them to come closer, pointing at the approaching figures in the distance.
As they squinted to see better, they recognized Gia, Madison, and Savannah—Madison appeared to be supporting Savannah, who was limping heavily.
"Oh my god," Mayumi gasped, her heart racing. Marianne's eyes widened, and she immediately ran to meet the returning trio halfway. As the Student Council President approached the girls, the first thing she noticed—besides Savannah's obvious injury—was Madison's blood-stained hoodie and the bolo she held, streaked with crimson.
"W-What happened?" she stammered, taking in Madison's distant gaze as she searched for immediate answers.
"Let's talk inside," Madison replied, her voice serious and urgent. "Savie needs medical attention." She then glanced at Mayumi, who nodded and quickly moved to support the limping Savannah, ready to help her inside.
Mayumi immediately got to work, examining Savannah's swollen ankle, while Jasmine assisted her. The others waited anxiously in the sala for one of the returning trio to speak up.
Gia locked the gate behind them. Once inside the camp house, she and Madison pushed a heavy cabinet against the door. Gia then moved to the other side of the house, ensuring the kitchen access was blocked while Madison closed the windows and secured other potential entrances to prevent any freaks from sneaking in. Both girls followed every precaution Wilma—the woman they met in the forest—had taught them, trying to ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, the other girls exchanged confused glances, silently questioning their paranoia.
Noticing the puzzled expressions, Savannah spoke up, "We have to make sure lahat ng entrances natin ay naka-block."
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While We Were Away | BINI OT8 AU
FanfictionShort BINI OT8 AU -wherein eight girls attend a leadership camp in a remote mountainous area, cut off from the outside world with no signal or internet. What starts as a typical summer retreat quickly turns unsettling as supplies stop arriving and t...
