Tick. Tock.
It’s Midnight. The clock is ticking, and anybody at this hour was already sleeping on their bed, dreaming of unusual things, but not Cyron. He found himself barricading each window. The sound of hammer and nails woke up some of his neighbours.
“Quit it, Kid! For damn sake, it’s already 1!” Angry yells from the street came.
But Cyron remains unbothered.
“They didn’t know…” He wipes the sweat trickling on his forehead.
With laboured breathing, he was satisfied when he roamed his eyes, but he knew better.
“This would do—”
This would hold up the flesh eater, but that doesn’t mean it could entirely stop them.
His jaw clenched.
It’s too early. He was running out of time.
“—as for the news update regarding the meteorite headed to earth, our scientists told us not to worry anymore, because they had been handling it. It will not hit the earth.” The woman from the television continued, but she seems anxious. “I repeat, it will not hit the earth.”
‘It will not hit the earth.’
How long can they fool the masses?
Tomorrow…tomorrow, that f*****g meteorite would seal humanity’s fate, and no matter how much he wanted to warn them, it wouldn’t do. The time is already cut short for no apparent reason. Whether it is because he had been transported back in time that affects the future, but it doesn’t mater. What matter is that he came prepared this time.
BLAG.
But his train of thought has been cut off. Something seems hard hit the back door.
“Damn it!” Followed by a furious yell.
Cyron’s nerves jolted awake.
He grab a weapon that was much closer to him. A shovel.
He moves at a silent, but quick pace. He ducked, lowering his body while trying to see who may have come to his house uninvited. His hold tightened.
Cyron immediately hide behind the sofa, when the door was pushed open.
“This brat place sucks.” A gruff voice spat.
“Certainly, but we are not here for that.” Another man murmured. “Boss told us to teach that brat a lesson.”
“Damn, I couldn’t wait no more.”
The way they sounded, Cyron could have sworn that they meant nothing good, but trouble.
“Geez, why is every window like this anyway.” The man’s name was Gerry.
He walked closer to the window and reach for the barricade only to get stopped.
“If I were you, I’ll keep my hands all to myself.” It is a warning.
Cyron’s face was darker.
Gerry laughs alongside with Ernest.
“As if you could scare us, kid.” Ernest chuckled.
“Let me guess who sent you here.” Cyron emitted a dark aura. “Is it my uncle Chan?”
“Exactly.” Gerry grins. “10 bucks just so we could teach you some lesson, brat.”
“I’ll be glad to see you try.”
“What—”
Before they could react, Cyron swiftly raised his shovel. But he had underestimated his opponent. Gerry avoided his attack with ease.
“Really think a brat like you could beat us?” Ernest spat.
Cyron was cut off guard when he delivered a strong punch to his guts.
“Argh.” He fell to the wooden floor, coughing.
“That’s for 10 bucks.” They chuckled.
Cyron gritted his teeth.
The two were in utter glee. Ernest kicks him. Cyron groans in pain. The old body he has in the past was more fragile. It was much weaker.
And he hated it. Cyron has always hated being weak.
“You really—”
But something seems to hit Gerry’s head.
“W—what in the world!” His forehead was bleeding, the blood trickled on his face earning a terrified expression from the latter.
Then there came a familiar voice.
“And who gave you rights to beat my friend, assholes?” It’s Ryota, who was holding a rock in his palms and was casually flipping it in the air.
“Ryota….”
“You jerk!” Gerry was enraged.
He quickly charge, his fist was in the air, but Ryota isn’t comparable to their strength. He was agile. He avoided his punch, and in a semi-circular motion kicked him on his side.
CRACK.
“O—oh god—!”
A c***k was overheard.
Gerry fell clutching his hurt side. He was gasping.
“What in the…” For an instant, Ernest was stricken with fear. “What did you do…”
“Why? You wanted to get hit, too?” Ryota raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t you know who I am?”
“I don’t f*****g care who the hell are you!” At that moment, emotions get the better out of Ernest. Same with Gerry, he was reckless, and that easily caught him off guard, when Ryota aimed with his rock.
“What—”
SHOT.
In a perfect direction, he was shot on his forehead. Same to Gerry’s fate, Ernest fell to the ground but was unconscious.
“These assholes.” Ryota’s jaw clenched.
His dark expression changes into worry when his eyes averted to Cyron.
“You okay?” He helped him up.
“What are you doing here?” Cyron let out a soft groan. “Fuck.”
“What you said just keeps bugging me,” Ryota admitted. “And I saw the news—”
“About the meteorite?”
“Yeah…” The latter trailed off.
A knock interfered with the two.
“Are you followed?”
“No.” Ryota shook his head. “But it’s probably Ace, I told him to come.”
And surely enough, when the door was pushed open, Ace's grinning figure showed up.
“Welcome me, fuckers!” He raises his fist, chuckling.
The two laugh in unison, before their lock gaze move to the unconscious pair on the ground, who ground.
“So, what are we gonna do with them?” Ryota asked.
“Tie them, then we’ll prepare.”
And in a matter of a second, they had already tied Gerry and Ernest, who woke up with muffled voices, because of the cloth placed on their mouth.
“So, what are we going to do?” Ryota looked at Cyron seriously. There is this anxious look that keeps flashing in his eyes. “You told me that I will die, how? It is just so hard to believe, everything doesn’t make sense. Flesh eaters? Damn, this is f**k up, Cy.”
“I know.” Cyron opened the TV in his living room. “But perhaps you’ll believe once you saw the whole thing yourself.” His face hardened.
“As of today, everyone was anticipating the meteorite that would pass our planet—” The same newscaster flashed a forced smile. “—it would be much closer, so some part of the world would experience a brief darkness, but it is nothing to worry according to our scientist in NASA.”
“They are lying.” Cyron gritted his teeth...
“What’s going on?” Ace butt in. “I felt like I am lost about what the two of you are talking about?”
“Just watch.” Cyron’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t know why it happened too early, but you’ll see.”
“See what?”
“The apocalypse.”
“This felt strange.” One man uttered, a vendor on the street who suddenly seems anxious upon hearing the news. “I just suddenly felt my guts telling me that something isn’t right…”
“You think so?”
“Yeah….”
The city of Manila as usual was buzzing. The streets are crowded, but today, they seem to have been captured by the enormous screen showing a meteorite’s direction that was enclosing to earth.
“I’ve never seen this phenomenon before.” One stated.
A few agreed. Some are totally mesmerized, but some are perplexed with fear.
And the count down out of nowhere begins.
5…
Flames erupted from its tail. The large meteor flashed and a few particles that gets separated flared up into hundreds of beautiful meteors in the sky.
“Aww, they are lovely!”
4…
“S—sir! Somethings happening!” Glen called on his seat.
“What it is?”
“Its velocity….we couldn’t tell, but its movement is getting a little too fast!”
“W—what? Do something!”
3…
“It’s happening.” Cyron gulps.
He felt fear creep onto his chest. They swarmed like bees filling his stomach. Anxious, he never tore his eyes off from the screen.
2…
“But I am still hoping that you were wrong,” Ryota added.
1…
And then it happens.
A sudden blackness took dominion over the earth. The ground shook, and there are screams when every device shut down. The mesmerising look has been replaced by terror.
And then silence.
The screen turned black, and then nothing.
“Is that it?” Ryota looked at Cyron.
“But there’s more.” Cyron pulled something from his bag. It’s a map. “We needed to go to its location.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
And that’s how they end up in a suburban part of Quezon.
“Great, now we’re here looking for some meteorite.” Ace groans.
“Quit it, Ace.” Ryota rolled his eyes. “And stop being a loudmouth—”
“Shh!” Cyron silent the two. “We’re near.”
But they weren’t the first to arrive.
Bulldozers surrounded the area. Men in a hazmat suit was there. The air is tense. The atmosphere suggested that the matter is more serious than they had expected it to. It is the NASA. And the area where the meteorite had fallen was like a big hole, an enormous burnt part that wipe out the trees and set ablaze a few more in the distance.
“s**t!” The three hide behind a tree as they watch.
Ace looks concerned, “What are we going to do now?”
“Let me think of something.”
“Listen up!” A voice was heard below. It is Glen alongside with a few more scientists from his team. “Gather everything and do not leave anything behind, understood?”
“Yes, Sir!”
The ground shook.
Glen’s face still remain stoic, but the cold sweat on his forehead suggested that he was petrified of what was yet to happen.
“Any news about the blackout?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Not yet, Sir, but the engineers are already working on it.” A woman said.
“That’s good.” He nodded his head. “Check on the labs, while I go check what we have gotten here.”
“Copy, Sir.”
With that said, Glen walked closer. All the men gave him a nod as he passed by. He trotted directly and made his way towards the fallen meteorite.
For some, it was a disaster, but it was different for Glen.
“Beautiful—Aww!” He winced when something pricked on his finger. “What the f**k is this?”
Upon closer look, Glen saw a slight wound caused by the shard that came from the meteorite itself.
“Oh good heavens.” He groans. “Seriously?”
He added with a huff before brushing the droplets of blood to his trouser. Unbeknownst to Glen that it is the beginning of a new nightmare. On his wound, a small tail flicks itself and digs, burying deeper into his flesh without a single glance.
“What are we going to do now?” Ace looks worried.
“We needed to go inside.”
“Are you f*****g serious?” Ryota frowns. “If I get caught, I’ll get in jail and probably lose everything—”
“But it is for humanity’s future, Ryo.” Cyron looked at him.
“It’s just—” Ryota hesitated. “I’m sorry, Cy, but I can’t… I just can’t…”
“What?”
“Me too.” Ace scratched his shoulder. “Mom’s probably looking for me.”
“No...” But his helpless calls seem to be in vain not until a scream stops the pair.
“AHHHHHHHH! H—HELP! MONSTER!!” It was coming from one of those men.
The trio hurried back to look.
“O—oh my god!” Their eyes widened.
The nightmare didn’t happen fast, but it is happening tonight than he least expected to. One of the workers wearing a hazmat suit amok, and he was biting and attacking, gnawing one of his colleagues as the blood spilt on the ground.
SHOOT.
Bullets rang through the cold air. Cyron’s face hardened.
“S—s**t!” Seize with panic when. The billets take no effect, a few run for their dear life, but slowly each suddenly felt their bones cracking, drops of blood pooling from their eyes as if they were possessed, and the thirst for flesh is undeniably strong.
“B—blood….m—meat….Argh..!”
Many more turned into a flesh-eater, groaning and seeking.
Ace couldn’t stomach the scene, and throw up everything on the side.
“G—god!”
Even Ryo was stunned by the astonishing sight. When he glanced at Cyron, he could see the seriousness in his eyes.
“Now you believe me?”
“I—” He was lost for words when the latter throw him a baseball bat. Ryota catch it easily, although he was still shocked.
“Focus on their head, that’s their weakness.” With that said, Cyron pulled a sword that he never noticed he was carrying.
And then he was gone in a flash.
“W—wait! What about me?”
“Stay here.” Ryota regains back his composure.
“W—what?!”
“Arggh!” Glen fell to his knees.
He had not yet reached his office. But he already felt something was wrong with him.
“O—oh my god, what’s happening with me?” Bullets of sweat trickled down his forehead.
With laboured breathing, he clutched his chest when adrenaline suddenly rush into his vein. That’s how Larisa, his personal secretary found him.
“Sir?” In a panic, she quickly helped her up. “Are you alright? Do you want me to call for a doctor?”
“N—no, just brought me to my office, please.”
Larisa nodded her head.
Aiding Glen, they easily made their way to his office. Only then, she never notices the hungry look that the doctor was throwing at her.
“We’re here—”
But explosions from outside cut her off.
BOOM.
“What could be that—Ah!” She let out a yelp when Glen pounced on top of her.
“D—doctor!” She gasp, when he began his advances on her neck.
Her face reddened. Her cheeks flared.
“I—I have a boyfriend—” The pleasure shoots through her body as his wet tongue suddenly changes its course. Panic seize through her when it was replaced by pain. A hot white pain, when Glen Acosta bites through her vein. Her eyes widened in shock. Paralyzed, Larisa was terrified.
“N—no!” Tears stung in her eyes.
That’s when Glen pulled his head off, right after he massacred her neck. On his blood-covered mouth, he was chewing something, and to her horror, it is part of her skin.
“AHHHHHHHH!” Totally repulse, she let out a blood-curdling scream only to get devoured over and over again, flesh by flesh until Larisa was bathing in her own blood as the doctor feasted.