S.H.E.L.T.E.R.

(Author's notes: this chapter is not part of the main chapters, but an additional perspective from another character)

******** Three weeks from before*******

**7:37 A.M.**

"Dad, you're heading out again?"

"Yeah, son. Those fishes ain't organising themselves. HA HA HA~ "my father, with his oversized built which exemplified his muscles through the tucks of his tank top shirt, chuckled with all his might as he replied to my question.

My father is a business man from a large fish industry, albeit was moving around helping his workers personally; lifting categorised boxes filled with marine life. All sorts of exquisite sea creatures from the tiniest fishes to the enormous squids ready to be marinated. After all, we'd been living near in the harbour around Manila bay. Owning a large amount of profit, we are tasked to import our goods all throughout the world, being natives in the country. But not really, my lineage were all Americans. But my dad here fell in love with a woman who manages various resorts when he had a detour in Boracay, buying the same enterprise using his name. Basically right now, I'm half American and Filipino, but mostly got my traits from my dad who was yellowish and white. Even my hair has a lavish brown escaping from the rays of light, while my eyes are blue which we found it rare.

We were the business elites from the whole town, wealthy with our corporations. But my parents raised me right and perceive everyone as my equal. "Money will lead you to all sorts of things. Greed and Power; to save or destroy" is what my father always say. My mum, who had been no less a business woman as my dad found their common interest and ended up marrying each other.

Last night was ecstatic. I had beaten my one and only rival, Grey, in a game called 'The Red Flag'. We've been playing since the first release of the game, and talked plenty of times than the ones I made in my class. Turns out, we had been living in the same country, in the same island here in the Philippines; he said that his parents was in a business trip. I proposed an idea that meeting at our breaks would be a really cool proposition. He accepted and finally scheduled our gathering. More outstandingly, we were both college students in the same international school, just kilometres away from my area. I was so excited that I ended being late in my first day.

I arrived at our school and got my hopes up looking for my online friend, Grey; which I couldn't find anywhere here. I asked a student in another department, on the other side of my building, if they had known a guy named Grey. Bickered from my question, I began to head off early around seven pm, hoping to contact him later. May be he was in another department? However, I gave up on my thought and headed home defeated.

I did my daily routines and slacked off my bed and dozed off earliest as possible for tomorrow's school. But then

Dozens of screams had been racking up from the outside and soon reached my head. Annoyed, I picked myself up forcibly and checked the view from my upstairs window.

"Wha-"I gulped. I couldn't believe my eyes. Although it was grey outside with the remaining faint lights provided by the lamp, I couldn't witness clearly the scene; but a phantom of thoughts run through my mind.

'Did that guy leap from that man's body and is he…" yes, he was; as if answering my thought. He was eating the flesh of the poor man, struggling from his freedom. Sprinkles of shadows which came from his blood was put into light that shone from the dazzling lamps. The terror had spread, and the neighbours that I had known became ants stumbling from their own grave.

At the same time, someone came rushing towards my room and slammed my door.

"Lance, we need to go" my father said, covered in fresh blood. I can even smell the faint sour sensation engulfing my nose. It was unpleasant. He's wielding a shotgun, still cold and wet from the battle outside. He must've been aware from the situation we're faced in.

"You're mum is down stairs. We either leave or-"

*crash*

At the end of my dad's sentence, the entrance door, which I had known for its sturdy design, had been trampled by two people that looks similarly like a rabid animal, only they were standing upright. Human monsters.

Their greenish veins seems like popping out at any given second if left untreated. All of their hair was diminished from keratin and not a single strand stands above their head. Their muscles and skin slowly deteriorating, but was perfectly intact at the looks of it. Their gazes felt as if they were lions hunting for their next meal.My mum, who was pushed from the forced they established, was shaking from fear, unable to move.

"Mum" I shout, wanting to grab her attention. But the reality took me away as the two suspicious individuals came running towards her. My father, without moments to spare, raised his weapon and pulls the trigger. Two shots consecutively at their centre mass made them fall, paralyzed, just like my mum. "Thank goodness. Are you alright?" my dad came rushing towards her aid, I too also followed.

"Mum" like an infant, I cried senselessly from the thought of my mum perishing from their hands. Being reminded from her sanity, she hugged me back and kisses my forehead.

"I'm alright" still shivering, but answered our worries. But the endless gloom had yet to begun.

"ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. THE SOLDIERS WILL ARRIVE SHORTLY"

All microphones turned hectic, repeating the announcement frequently to no avail. Help will arrive but 'til then our lives will be at stake. My dad, with a saddened yet focused state gripped his shotgun tight.

"We'll be leaving here alive, son" he smiled at me, a fatherly smile, assuring everything will be alright.

"Right" I believe in him. He's my dad after all.

"Follow my lead" he said, guiding us outside. We venture through the dark hallways with a weapon on his hand. I, on the meantime, grabbed what I can; a wooden plank in my disposal. My dad grinned at my courage and paid it no mind. We hastily, but quietly passed through the multiple streets hearing countless of screams from the main roads. Various cars from left to right are passing by, some escaped momentarily while the others met their unfortunate deaths.

The rabid mob had been in spite for pursuing our tails, roaring from the outskirts. Being unable to know our opponent left us trembling, still we sprinted far away as possible, seeking refuge.

Every corner was a massacre dealt from the wrath of these infected, as I would always say. They look similar from the game I had played, but only gruesome when faced in real life. We passed by dozens of people, still screeching for help. But my dad kept looking forward, powerless to give a helping hand.

The helicopters came hovering down from a distance, possibly carrying all the healthy citizens they could find; while opposing the carnivorous beings. The sky was dark, the night had engulfed the light, but we can't just abandon our lives. As we draw near towards our goal, slow but steadily, we had encountered an obstacle in our hands. A terrible human being, whose limbs are all scratched, still intact but showing signs of rotting at an enormous speed. It was a single enemy, a unique from the ones we had faced. There were shrooms and vines all over its body, but the feeling of green and being a live took out the meaning from the image.

"Move" My father said politely, while studying the person's movements. It was a woman, a pregnant mother may be? Despite her rotting body, her abdomen was still enlarged, judging that she was probable had been infected moments from before.

There we stood, frozen in our place. Against from our morals, my dad was hesitant to aim from the poor mother.

"Tu...long..(He..lp…)" She said, wobbling her feet. Surprisingly, these creatures was still adapt from conversing. The sentence she spoke made everyone trembling in fear.

Observing clearly from our surroundings on the other side of the lane, a young girl, probably around six years old, could be seen lying on the side of the road, being trampled from the stamped of the chaos. She was likely the eldest daughter of the mother, while carrying a different child inside of her. 'Unfortunate'. That was the only word came right out of my mind. They were struggling, and the parent right before my eyes took a massive toll from her soul.

The infected mother came amble towards our direction, approaching us at a steady speed wobbling from her balance. My dad, who still refuses to pull the trigger had met his consequences, as the monster kept closing the distance. In arm's length, the infected grabbed my father's shoulder and tried biting the flesh, vulnerable from the assault.

My father then attempts to fend off the poor mother, an inch away parallel from their faces. Luckily the soldiers from the chopper came rushing from everyone's aid, as I could discern them from the far end of the hallway. But the problem lies in front of us, as my dad was still trying his best to push the monster off to ensure our safety.

The infected mother was tackled by my dad and recoiled from a distance. Startled, the mother regained her composure but decided to switch her targets towards my mum, who was slightly diagonal within the infected sight.

"Oh, no you won't!" my dad said, moving faster as anyone could possibly achieve to protect his beloved wife.

But then

A splash of blood sprinkled right below his feet and the anguish sounds of pain was relieved. The decaying canine pierces through my dad's flesh, as the bones and muscles were clearly visible from the scene. My father smash the stock of the shotgun towards the head of the zombie and finally pulled the trigger. Alas, the sound released from the barrel draw the attention of the horde. Audible screeches echoed on our way, and our fight-and-flight hormones sprang into action.

"TWO SURVIVORS. HURRY, COME HERE" five soldiers at the far end of the hallway called our attention, and at the back was the swarm of zombies whom which we heard advances through the night.

My father was left no choice but to protect his family, and decided to take responsibility. His eyes began gauging slightly and the bitten site turned black in colour and foul in terms of smell, like a spoiled meat left for decades. Was this the time left for incubation before transforming into a zombie? Does that mean that my dad…

I was astonish from this fact and froze from my post.

"Son, take care of your mother. I love you, the both of you" with a carefree smile whilst being consumed by the terrorist bacteria, he gives us a nod and assures our safety.

"I understand" I replied

I didn't.

I didn't want to accept it.

Who would want this?

Dad, please.

Please join us.

Maybe you can be cured? Maybe it isn't too late?

Deep inside, I knew for sure he was taken aback. I knew he's going to change. I knew he couldn't be saved. For the first time my body defied my mind, as I pulled my mum away from my dad while heading towards the soldiers. Numerous zombies came falling down the buildings, but I paid it no mind, as we rushed towards the helicopter. After that

My father's remains were left from gunshots in the heart of the city, marking the doom of this country.

"Where are we heading?" I asked the solider who approached us a while ago, but still shivering from the loss of someone I love.

"To the shelter we had built not far from the city"