"Dinner is ready!" Sasha called, placing down the bowl of rice in the middle of the table where everyone started to gather.
"Mom, potatoes again?" Her youngest daughter Erin, retorted seeing the sa dish they had been eating for the past days.
"Erin, be grateful that we even have food to eat during this ti." Eric, the oldest son reprimanded the youngest.
"Not for today!" The three turned to their father who entered the dining room carrying sothing. "I have caught so fish and crabs today!" He happily exclaid, placing the fish and crabs on the table. The vibrant sll of its steam lingered through the air.
Erin’s eyes widened with delight. "Finally!"
Filled with excitent she eagerly reached for the food but before she could do so, her hand was snapped away by her oldest brother. "We are still going to pray first!"
"Oh right," Erin pouted as she rubbed her hand then clasped it together to pray.
"In the na of the Father..." The four of them made the sign of the cross and recited the prayer before als. After that, the family heartily ate with the rare blessings they had at the mont.
With zombies surrounding the area, it was very rare and hard to get any supplies these days, so they must bear with everything they have for the mont.
Then all of the sudden, Erin heard the sounds of motorcycles and vehicles outside.
"There are people outside!" She exclaid excitedly, standing up to go.
"Wait Erin! It’s dangerous!" His brother warned, going after her.
"Don’t worry, I’ll just take a sneak!" Erin excitedly claid. Then slowly and carefully she reached for the small opening of their underground house. It was covered by grasses that was why it was hard for anyone to see it.
There from the grasses, her eyes glistened with delight. "Finally, there are people now, mom, dad, Kuya Eric. We are going to be save."
She said as she turned around to them.
"Let’s just wait and see for the anti. They might not be good people." Eric said.
Their mom looked worried, the sa with their dad.
The four stayed alert as they observed these people outside.
***
February 26, 2025.
Carn, Bohol
"This is the Chocolate Hills?" Florence’s gaze stretched out to the hundreds of green hills across the lands. His eyes wide with amazent.
"They were not fully brown yet because it was not yet fully the sumr season." Freyah said, explaining. "But here... These are the self made chocolates inspired from that one." She extended the chocolate they grabbed a while ago in the souvenir store.
It is a mini chocolates shaped like a chocolate hill with peanuts inside. "Thank you, Milady." Florence happily exclaid, looking at the chocolate with curiosity.
Then he imdiately went and opened it. His eyes widened then picked up a piece of chocolate. "You really love sweets." Freyah giggled at his reaction as he ate like a child.
"I do. Who doesn’t love sweets, Milady?" Florence asked in confusion. "Oh you are one of those." He also chuckled.
"Freyah, we got this kid here." They looked behind when Uncle Thomas, Freyah’s uncle on mother’s side, approached them. He was holding a young girl, no older than twelve like he just caught a stray cat.
"Let go of !" The girl tried to flap her arms away. "Kuya Eric is right! You are bad people!" She angrily shouted.
Freyah sighed. "Let go of her Uncle," Freyah said.
"Alright." Uncle Thomas laughed out loud. Then the kid ran towards Freyah and hid behind her, peeking.
"I’m Ate Freyah. What’s your na?" She asked softly, holding Erin’s shoulders.
"Erin!"
"You ntioned that you have your Kuya with you? Where is he?" Freyah asked, examining the child. Erin then looked away. "Actually... I just snucked up here. They might get angry at once I return. Can I stay here with you?" She murmurs almost pleading.
Freyah smiled, ruffling Erin’s hair "Of course, we will make a camp here for the next couple of days. You can stay with us in the anti."
"Thank you, Ate Freyah!" Erin giggle looking up to Freyah with appreciation.
***
Later that night...
"How’s the kid?" Florence asked upon approaching the hut of where Freyah was staying for the night. "She fell asleep after eating." Freyah fixed the blanket covering her. Then she carefully stood up from the bamboo bed.
But then multiple screams outside caught their attention. Freyah and Florence looked at each other then proceeded to check what’s going on.
"Erin, where is my daughter!?" There was an elderly lady outside calling out for her daughter desperately while thrashing everything that her hands could get into. Uncle Thomas was able to hold her hands and push her to the ground before things got ssier. But she still kept screaming all over again and again.
"What’s happening again?" Freyah asked as she got to them.
"It seems she was the mother of that kid before?" Uncle Thomas said.
"Erin’s mother?"
"Erin! That’s right! Where’s Erin..." Freyah too annoyed with all the screaming, imdiately hit the back of the woman’s head. Then she imdiately went asleep.
"Pfft." Florence seeing this, tried to control his laughter. "It has been a long ti since I saw you doing that."
Freyah rolled her eyes then carried the elderly woman in her arms. "I’ll take care of this, Uncle. Go and rest now, we will have a long day tomorrow."
"Alright," Uncle Thomas and the others dispersed back on their own huts. While Freyah and Florence returned to their own huts where the kid was sleeping. Upon entering, Freyah gently put the elderly lady beside Erin. Then she also placed the blanket on her.
Freyah’s eyes squinted looking at the mother and daughter pair.
"What’s on your mind?" Florence asked as he also looked at the mother and daughter pair.
"It’s just that, Erin also ntioned before that he have an older brother. But the night ca, and only the mother showed up." Freyah said. "Look after them, I’ll look around for the anti."
"You also need to rest." Florence said.
"I’ll do that after a quick stroll." Without waiting for his response, Freyah imdiately went out the hut. Florence closed the door and locked it out. He sat on the sofa, while his gaze landed on the mother and daughter pair.
"Don’t take my son away from !"
He shook his head from the thoughts that ca running all of the sudden from his mind. Then he slowly closed his eyes while still sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed.
Minuted has passed. There was nothing but the sounds of cricket could be heard. Erin’s eyes slowly opened then she slowly stood up from the bed.
Her gaze went to Florence who seed sleeping in the sofa.
***
anwhile, Freyah was running at every corner around the area of Chocolate Hills. She has been going around for almost an hour now. But she never stopped.
That was when she finally stopped when she heard sothing screeching at one particular area near at the foot of a chocolate hill.
She looked at the spot then towards the distance, one could see the road from where she would be standing. Then sounds beca louder as she approached. She opened her flashlight and upon looking, covered by grasses, she saw a small door. She opened it and as soon as she did, a tangent sll lingered in the air.
There were downstairs. She walked down with her flashlight, then when she reached the bottom, she could hear growling sounds. She proceeded to walk with caution.
Creek.
Then she paused when she noticed that she stepped into sothing. Upon pointing the flashlight, it was bones. No. It was not just so bones, but it was human bones!
She imdiately pointed the flashlight ahead!
And there she saw two zombies chained on the wall which were five ters away from Freyah. They were trying to get to her as if they were starved for days. There were also multiple bones of humans beneath them. Freyah sighed at this scene. Then walked passed them. She headed to an open room. Upon entering, it was a bedroom.
From that, she saw photos on the wall. Then she let out another sigh. It was a photo of four family.
"This must been your father and older brother huh." Freyah picked up one fra of them together. Then as she walked passed the two zombies that were chained. She brought out her silent pistol. Then imdiately shot their heads killing them instantly.
Then Freyah walked out from the underground base. Then without wasting ti, she ran towards back at her base.
The mont that she was closer to the base, she could see that there were commotion happening. She gave an apologetic smile as soon as she reached the base.
While Florence was looking at her with glum expression...
"Freyah!" Uncle Thomas and the others called out to her as soon as she arrived.
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