295 Investigation, Asking Questions and Learning the Possible Cause (1/2)
Day 44 – 10:09 AM - San Jose, Antipolo, Rizal
”What… What do you mean?”
Jennivive forced out that question from her confusion. Looking at Mark's serious face, she started to have a bad feeling.
She thought that these people the children brought here were people that came from the nearest villages and managed to come here by chance. They were not the first people to have those circumstances after all. About two weeks ago, a family arrived here after their village was decimated by animals that turned into monsters. Of course, that family was not here anymore. Learning that the circumstances in this place were the same as where they came from, they decided to try their luck further and left.
As for them that remained here, it was not because they did not want to leave but rather, they could not. They tried to leave before their situation became this dire but the dangers they encountered in the way pushed them back here. Not only that they had to return to being trapped in this place but they also lost people, mostly, children. Out the almost a two hundred students of this school, only ten were left. And the more than fifty adults that managed to survive the initial attack of the monsters, only seven were left.
More than a week ago, five of their strongest men volunteered to go and find rescue. If it was just them, it was easier to escape from danger and fight since they had no need to protect anything else. That was the last they heard of those men. However, this place was too far from the city in the first place and they who were left here trapped could only pray that those men would reach the city and send help. Since animals became monsters, even if it also happened to other places, areas with a lot of people should be able to fend off those monstrosities.
Or that was how it was supposed to be in their minds.
”The world has ended already.”
Mark's words made the poor teacher stare at him with disbelief.
With Karlene's help, Mark told Jennivive gist of the events that happened this past month. The plane crashes, the infected, the mutation and the survivor settlements.
Jennivive did not say anything all the while and just listened while staring at Mark and Karlene in a daze.
At the end of the story, the teacher was totally silent while staring at the coffee table in front of them. Seeing her state, Mark spoke.
”You seem awfully calm.”
Finally, she lifted her head and looked at Mark but her eyes still blank. It seemed that she was in the middle of believing and disbelieving what Karlene and Mark had just said.
”I… I just don't know what how should I react to this.”
”It might be hard for these to sink into you mind but remember that it's all true. You all better give up on waiting for rescue since no one will come. If you had people that left to call for help, they should be dead already. Not only there are dangerous animals here in the forests, even if they managed to reach the city, the only things they could encounter are the infected. Either way, they will die.”
Jennivive became silent once more. It was very hard for her to accept the things she had just heard. Nevertheless, she could totally confirm that those were not lies. She could not think of any motives these people in front of her could have for them to spout such lies. Furthermore, they already saw animals turning into monsters, the zombie like infected and the end of the world was not very unlikely.
Seeing the dazed state of the teacher, Mark decided to leave her alone and went out dragging Karlene out of the room. The dazed teacher did not even react to their group going out.
”Will she be fine?”
Karlene asked as they went out of the room.
”She won't. It might not sink in immediately but it will be a hard blow for her. She was really hopeful that someone would come to rescue them but reality is just that harsh to everyone.”
Mark replied as he led the way back to the rooms where the sick were located.
”Reality is harsh to everyone…”
Edzel murmured. Those words hit him home since he was also a victim of it, a poor victim of harsh reality. Reality, it was a formidable foe for everyone who had high expectations about something but failed miserably.
Mark wanted to ask the teacher about things but he never expected that the people here were this ignorant about the happenings of the world outside. Now that the teacher still needed sometime alone, he could only do his investigation on his own.
On the way back, he noticed several figures below the schoolyard. Despite the danger outside, several children were there. The younger ones were on the lookout while the older ones…
They were digging new graves.
”Edzel, go and help them.”
”Yes boss.”
”I'll go too.”
Karlene volunteered.
”Alright, you two go. Also Karlene, you can distribute some of the dried jerky on that bag you are carrying.”
”Okay! Wait, what about you?”
”I just have some things to do. Just go if you want to help them.”
Making the two go away, Mark continued walking through the hall with Miracle on his arms. Soon, they arrived at the room where the sick were being kept.
”No one should enter here! Ah, you are…”
The middle-aged stout bodied woman inside immediately noticed Mark the moment he came into the room. After all, she was the only one that could notice him since she was the only concious person in the room. She was facing the other way and thought that a child came barging into the place they should not go but she was surprised when she turned around.
This woman was the same, she was not wary about strangers at all. If this was your typical survivor hideout in the city, the moment a stranger entered into their room, murderous eyes would surely be pointed at them. However, the people in this place had not experienced the hardships of the survivors in the city. Furthermore, they were too happy to see new faces, alive.
It was despite how Mark more or less looked like someone who could commit crime anytime.