What Was And What Will Be

Somewhere in Manila, at the same time Ronan was hiding in the bushes. A woman was chased by a group of small beings, quick and agile, the creatures captured the woman fast. They ripped off the woman's clothes as their saliva drips down their long tongue and wide mouth. The creatures' teeth were as sharp as a knife, covered in red as it had eaten another girl before chasing the woman. It's webbed hands grips the woman strongly and began on devouring the woman's body bit by bit and part by part.

Similar phenomenon also happened in different countries. Various creatures of unknown origins, flooded every city and massacred thousands upon descending. There is no knowing when will it end and people in every country thinks only of one thing. It was their survival, it was the only thing that mattered the most. "I need to stay alive!" , "I don't want to die!!" , "I will survive!!". Thoughts like these are what was going on in their minds.

As the sun falls, things began to quiet. Creatures that was throughout the entire area and the screams of the people they were killing can no longer be heard. It was as if it went down along with the sun and disappeared in the darkness. The night was quiet, yet the people weren't able to sleep. They sense danger everywhere and their bodies' shiver with the thought of what's out there in the dark. It was a cold and long night, the longest and the coldest everyone had experienced.

THE NEXT DAY

Ronan who was hiding between the gap of two houses made his decision to go out there and look for his family. "I need to go out now, though there's no telling whether that creature from yesterday is gone!" Ronan thought to himself as he looked left and right of the houses he was hiding in. He sees no one and no creatures nearby, Ronan comes out of the gap and began walking cautiously, carefully avoiding any obstacle that might make sound and may reveal his location. He was cautious and nervous with every turn he makes, thinking only of finding his family.

Ronan, closing in his destination, sees an elderly woman in a distance. The elderly woman is being attacked by a small creature, it was quick and agile and it's teeth are all sharp with a long tongue and a wide mouth. The creature then began eating the elderly woman with a look of dissatisfaction in its face. It stopped eating eventually, as if it tasted a bad food then left to looked for more.

Ronan quickly ran off the scene with a disgusted face while he covers his mouth as he gagged, thinking what the hell it was.

Upon reaching his destination, he desperately searched everywhere, there are almost dried up blood here and there and every rubble he uncovers revealed nothing. He was relieved of the thought that no one was there. He calms himself and thought that maybe his family was somewhere safe and that he should take care of himself first.

That day, he searched for foods to eat, every supermarket and sari-sari store, he ransacked, but he can't carry it all so he just left them there to comeback some other time. He spent the night in somewhat still standing shed, slept on the floor with nothing but a blanket. Arms as his pillow, sleeping sideways alone in the dark and small shed.

Sun was up and the road that used to be full of vehicles as soon as the morning hits, now has nothing but rubbles of the buildings and the houses that fell down. Partial loss of sensation in his arm got him feeling numb while he gets up with a growling stomach. Hungry, he went outside looking left and right again, then walks toward the direction of the sari-sari store where he left all the food. It was just a road across the shed he stayed the night at, so it was easy for him.

***

As he strolls the area near him, looking for his family, he muttered, "Ugh! It's been 2 days since those monsters came here, where the hell is the military?! Did they all die?!" Ronan said to himself as he wandered around the city and heard gunshots. It was far, but Ronan who hasn't seen anyone for two days decided to go to where the gunshots are coming from. He ran and ran and ran, eventually reaching a small base with barricades and a dead creature, killed by the countless bullets it had on its body. There were people inside, smiling and laughing. Ronan was overjoyed by it then starts walking, making his way inside, but was stopped by a short guy with an average looking face, and told him to leave, "Who are you?! We just don't let people in here that easy! Leave now!!" He said, as his judgeful dark eyes looks at Ronan

"What?!"

The man clicks his tongue, then repeats what he said with an angry face.

"Stop it, Bran!" Another man's voice was heard, it was the chief that runs the small base and the leader of the people there. The chief walks up to them, the gap between his teeth that spewed saliva as he shouts loudly at Bran without minding whether the monsters may hear it or not, is what Ronan noticed. He did not mind it though.

"Chief..." Bran muttered while looking down with a very sorry face.

"Chief?" Ronan thought to himself, confused.

The chief greeted Ronan a good afternoon, then ask what his name was while he smiles.

"Ronan."

"Ronan?...what?"

"Ronan Ramos, sir!"

The chief's eyes widened as he heard Ronan's last name, it was the same surname as the nurse that treated their wounds, but he did not assume things, as there was a lot of people with the same surname.

"It's true that we don't just let people in, but we also don't just let them leave. Remember that, Bran!"

"Yes...chief" He said with still the sorry face.

The conversation was cut off as a girl was heard shouting the name, "Ronan! Ronan!!"

"Anna?!" Ronan said with a happy and relieved face as tears began to flow down his cheeks. Ronan then hugs Anna.

"Do you know him, Anna?" Curious, the chief asked.

"He's my brother, Chief." She replied, sobbing.

The chief looks at Bran, disappointed. Telling him to apologize to Ronan.

"I...I'm sorry" Bran told Ronan, with apologetic face. Ronan then told him that it was alright.

"You're mother, Ellen, helped us all. When we were injured, she was the one who treated us. We're thankful for her and as for you, her child, we will do our best to protect you here in our base!" The chief told Ronan, with a grateful face.

Ronan thanked the chief, still hugging his sister.

"If you need anything, tell me!"

"I will, chief. Thanks!" Ronan said, with a tired face.

At this time, the chief told Bran to prepare a tent and food for Ronan to eat. He told them to go inside because there is no knowing when the monsters may come while he signalled the guards to open the gate.

Ronan thought to himself that if the chief was that mindful of monsters, he wouldn't have shouted that loudly earlier. Thinking the chief was weird. Ronan sees the inside of the base, looking left and right, he asks Anna where their mom was.

"She's here doing some things, I'll tell her later about you, so you rest first" Anna told her brother with a happy yet concerned look. Ronan who was tired went inside the tent that Bran prepared for him then quickly fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow. At the same time, Anna quickly went inside one of the tents to tell their mother about Ronan. Ellen, then cried out of relief then muttered, "Thank god, my son is alive!".

Time quickly passed, then Ronan wakes up at night. He looked outside the tent he was resting in and saw nothing but a few candles lit up. He sees the night sky full of stars, twinkling beautifully. A person suddenly spoke, "We don't have electricity here!" and left Ronan shocked. He asked why she suddenly said that, "You scared the shit out of me, why did you do that?!" With a scared and shocked face and almost ripping the tent cover as he quickly moved his body sideways.

The girl looked at Ronan with her gorgeous brown eyes that's as beautiful as the stars up in the night sky, asking why he was so scared. She then laughed at him for being scared.

"Anyone would be scared if you suddenly do that!" Ronan replied, as the girl continues to laugh.

Curious, he asks, "Anyways, who are you? What are you doing outside of someone's tent?"

"I'm Aleah, I heard someone has joined us earlier this morning, it was you?"

"I guess so? And what are you doing outside my tent?"

"I didn't know it was your tent, I just sat down since I can see more of the stars here than where my tent is located."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of grass and leaves being trampled on, the sound of someone walking towards them can be heard, Aleahs short hair swayed sideways with the breeze and left both of them scared.

"Yo!" A voice scared the both of them as a handsome and tall man suddenly appeared, left hand inside the pocket of his hoodie and right hand up in the air, barely exceeding his head, dark hair swaying with the wind.

"Glen!! You son of a bitch!! stop scaring us!!" Aleah shouted with a very scared face.

Glen started laughing at the both of them, stops after some time then said, "You must be the person who joined us earlier? You must've heard about me from Aleah, but let me introduce myself again. I am Glen, the most handsome person here!" Proud and not embarrassed, as he flings his hair with his finger.

"Thanks for the introduction, I haven't actually heard anything about you from Aleah yet."

"That's weird, I was so sure that Aleah told you everything about me and all of the heroic things that I did for this base." Glen said curiously as he pinched his chin while looking down, wondering.

Ronan thought to himself, "A weird one appeared." While he looks at Glen.

"Why would I talk about you? And what do you mean heroic things, you don't even do anything." Aleah told Glen with a raised eyebrow

"Aren't we friends since we we're elementary? You should talk about me everytime. How can you not do that? Ugh! FAKE FRIEND!" He said so sarcastically.

"Don't mind him." She whispered, face facing Ronan forward with eyes looking still at Glen.

"O...kay?... Ah! Right, I'm Ronan by the way. Nice to meet you!" Ronan said, while forcing his smile.

"Fear not, Ronan! For I, Sir Glen has come to save the world!" Ronan proudly said, closing his eyes while stretching both his arms sideways.

"Seriously, what is wrong with your friend right here?" As Ronan leans and puts his mouth near Aleah's ear with his hands on the side, thumb touching his cheek, then whispered.

"I told you to not mind him." Aleah whispered back.

Glen suddenly went inside Ronan's tent then told them, "Let's have a sleepover!"

"Huh?!!" Said the both of them in disbelief.

"Oh! Come on now, let's have a sleepover! Besides, when was the last time you've had a sleepover with your friends?" Glen asked.

Aleah did not respond. As for Ronan, "I haven't been in a sleepover..."

Both Glen and Aleah looks at Ronan with pitiful eyes, shocked and mouth slightly open.

"Yeah, let's have a sleepover." Aleah said with eyes full of pity while looking at Ronan, while she pats his shoulder.

Ronan, furrowed his eyebrows out of confusion and he thought to himself that these guys are weird. Ronan then asks Aleah if she wasn't scared of what might happen since she's the only girl in there. She told them to not worry as a reply, because if both of them makes a 'mistake', she will cut their snakes off starting with their heads. Making both Glen and Ronan gulp.

Glen rests his head on top of his arm, eyes covered by the arm, while sobbing. "Let's talk as we sleep." He said while he sniffs. He was sad to hear that Ronan haven't been in a sleepover with his friends, maybe he did not have anyone he can call friends, is what Glen thought.

Ronan told them that, He had friends and that he just doesn't want to have sleepover because all he does at night was to play games. They talked and talked and talked, eventually falling asleep inside the small tent, with Ronan in the middle, thinking why and how did this happen as he starts to close his eyes.

THE END OF THE CHAPTER