Mutagen

Day 59 - 12:59 PM - Faculty Building, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta - Las Piñas Campus, Alabang-Zapote Road, Barangay Pamplona Tres, Las Piñas, Metro Manila

"Lynn, are you sure that they will come back for us? It's been hours already."

Mercel, one of the survivors in the university asked Analynn. It could be said that he was the third in command after Edward and Phillip in this group. That was why he was concerned about this since Edward and Analynn's decision and reasoning had given them a bit of hope to get out of this hellish trap. It would not be long and their supplies would all be gone. This made everyone agree that they should take this chance to leave this place.

If Mark's group did not return, however, all their hopes would be for naught.

"Don't worry! I know Karlene for a long time already. She won't leave us just like this!"

Analynn insisted as she strongly believed in her friend.

"Unless they died, of course. It's not like ghosts can go back and help us."

Another one spoke. He was Jerard and the person here know to be the most pessimistic in the group. Even everyone else here was wondering how a person like this was able to survive with a personality like that.

In any case, no one spoke after that and Analynn could only stare hatefully at Jerard. Even though she already witnessed the prowess of Mark's group and knew that it would not likely happen, it still felt bad when someone spoke ill of her friend.

'Just wait to be shocked.'

She thought. Aside from Edward and Phillip, Analynn and Terrence did not tell the whole story to the other members of the group. They never knew about the Sci-Fi vehicle, about Gifre and Logan and about how they overwhelmed the enemy last night. She could not wait to see their shocked faces.

Still, no one knew what was happening in the Medical Center. It had been hours since the last gunshot was heard from there. Nevertheless, they could only wait.

All of them were already prepared to leave. Their few belongings were already backed in bags beside them. While most of them were waiting here, Edward and Phillip were preparing their transport inside the gymnasium that they locked down. Even Emi was with Edward although she was just sitting nearby and staring blankly in front of her.

The gymnasium was filled with a lot of things. Tables and chairs covered with festive decorations, equipment for stage entertainment, sound system and other things they were preparing for the Christmas Party on the day of the outbreak. Now, however, all these things were nothing but artifacts of the past.

Aside from those things, there was something that stood out inside the gymnasium. It was the ambulance parked near the faculty building entrance.

Edward and Phillip started to examine the ambulance for its condition. In the best-case scenario, they could use this to escape. If the worse came to a shove, they could just abandon it and go on foot using the roofs of the university buildings.

The ambulance was not plain and its windows had been barred with the metal frames that came from the chairs used for the party. However, that was the best thing they could do as they did not have tools inside here to modify a vehicle. All they had was a makeshift hammer which they used to fix the metal frames onto the windows of the ambulance.

They were all prepared to leave this place. The only problem, however, was that that preparedness would end as long as they opened the doors of the gymnasium. An ambulance like this would not stand the prowess of several hundred infected in the school field.

"Good. It looks like there are no problems."

Edward said as he went out of the driver's seat after testing the ambulance for a bit.

"Then, all we need to do is wait for them."

Phillip spoke with a very lightened tone compared to his tone these past days. The anticipation in his voice could not be disguised. They were likely to leave this place at last. Yet, the exchange for this was for Edward and Annalynn joining the team. That was how it was arranged. Of course, Emi would be coming with Edward and Terrence was also considering it. Phillip was the same. He would likely follow their steps.

As for the other people in their group, who knows? They were all here gathered not because they were all close to each other but just to band up and survive. After they reached the Bay City Settlement, it would be likely that some of them would leave.

BOOM!!! BOOM!!!

While everyone was emersed in their thoughts, loud sounds were heard from the distance.

"What is that? Explosions?"

Phillip exclaimed as they were disturbed by the sounds. It did not take long and Analynn came barging in before they were able to go and check it out. Furthermore, the sounds continued as if the explosions were set off at different times.

"Sir Edward! Sir Phillip!"

"Lynn, what is happening?"

Edward asked as he walked together with Emi helping her by his side.

"The Medical Center is on fire! The explosions are coming from there too!"

"What? God... Are those people alright?"

Phillip murmured.

Then...

BAM!

A loud sound echoed from inside the University. It sounded like one of the gates were forced open. The sound was then followed by the faint sound of a vehicle.

"They're back!"

Analynn exclaimed in glee.

"Are you sure?"

Edward asked.

"Of course! You all know how strong my sense of hearing is!"

With that reasoning, Edward and Phillip nodded.

They owed a lot of things to Analynn and her keen sense of hearing. Managing to save Emi and killing the people that harmed her was among those things.

"Lynn, go and tell everyone to come down. We'll wait in the ambulance."

"Okay!"

Edward and Phillip nodded at each other and boarded the ambulance with Emi.

This morning, Analynn not only came back with the proposition but also with the plan to get them out of this place. Since their transport was ready, all that needed work was to make way for them.

And thus all they needed to do was hang a white curtain outside the window if they agreed with the proposition and wait inside the vehicle in the gymnasium. As for the other things, they had no idea.

Knowing that the time of escape had come, it did not take long for everyone to board the ambulance and wait.

GRROOWWWRRR!!!

Everyone was nervous. The sudden sounds in front of the doors of the gymnasium made it worse.

Then...

BAM!!!

The doors were slammed open by a massive force. Both doors were flung off the hinges and the bars they used to block it was broken easily.

To everyone's horror, they saw a huge creature outside the door which looked like a fusion of a frog and a snake. Nevertheless, it only took a look inside and turned back.

That was when Analynn shouted.

"Follow that monster!"

With a smirk on her face, she looked at the faces of everyone filled with horror. The only exceptions were Edward, Phillip, and Terrence that knew the plan and Emi who had no expressions on her face.

The other tried to say something to stop that ridiculous action but before they could do so, Edward kicked on the gas pedal and rushed the ambulance out of the large door.

Those not in the know could only close their eyes and wish for a miracle. They already expected that the ambulance would get swarmed almost immediately.

They waited for a few seconds and all they could hear was the engine of the ambulance roaring and loud thuds outside that did not even come from the ambulance.

Their horrified faces looked out of the window to see that a huge long snake tail was smashing every infected that would come close paving way into meat paste for them to drive through.

Hearts beating loudly, they started to cheer. That monster was not here to kill them but to help them. These infected trapped them in this place for almost two months. Watching all the infected around the ambulance get killed gave them unmeasurable satisfaction.

***

With Gifre leading the ambulance, they made it out of the school field safely and entered the parking area in front of the Medicine Faculty.

Cheers could be heard from inside the ambulance. Nevertheless, their cheers stopped with their gasps as they saw the vehicle waiting for them. Unfortunately, they could only watch as Analynn took Emi out and boarded into that vehicle and they were left in their shabby ambulance.

Mark and his group let the two aboard. It was within the proposal after Analynn told them about Emi's circumstance. Unlike the [Exceed: Personnel Carrier] the shabby ambulance outside could easily get into accidents with the infected on the streets. If a time like that happened, Emi would be a big weight for them and thus, Analynn requested for this which Edward agreed to readily.

In a way, this would also ensure that Edward would do his end of the bargain. It was like she was collateral for Edward.

Without waiting for anything else, they made their way out of the university.

Mark's vehicle led the way with the ambulance followed it behind. In the tail of the convoy was Gifre carrying Logan while taking care of the infected chasing behind.

***

Inside the vehicle, everyone observed Emi who was sitting beside Analynn.

She was just staring blankly in front of her. Luckily, the one sitting in front of her was Miracle or it would feel rather awkward for the others.

Mark closed his eyes and felt her consciousness.

'It's rather faint...'

He thought. It seemed that she had detached her consciousness from her body as a self-defense mechanism.

"Depersonalization."

Mark murmured.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

Analynn lamented.

Emi was not like this when the outbreak started. She was a fine lovely woman who was always optimistic despite the odds. She had a good appearance, a kind personality and many adored her as one of the school nurses.

It all changed when they trusted the wrong people.

Mark and his group were not the first survivors Analynn and her group encountered. There was another one. That other group was a group of students in this school but were holed up in a different building. Because of that, they trusted them.

Unexpectedly, they were wolves in sheep's clothing.

One day, Emi vanished without reason. They all panicked and searched for her. Fortunately, Analynn was here and she was able to find traces with her keen hearing.

Unfortunately, it was already too late when they found her being ravaged by a gang of wolves. Furthermore, the people of the other group did not only consist of students but also outsiders. They were fully armed.

It was fortunate that Edward was not just a normal person either. He was a combat medic that was forced to leave his post due to an injury that would affect his military duties. In turn, he found another job where he met Emi and became her boyfriend.

Out of rage, Edward snatched their weapons and killed them all. Even if they were armed, their experience and skills were no match of a person who was a member of the army before. The greatest factor that helped was that Analynn could point out the enemies' positions with their footsteps and they were fighting inside a building.

Unfortunately, what had happened already happened. There was no turning back. Emi ended up like this since then.

Aside from her, they found several bodies of female students stocked in one of the rooms of the building that group stayed in. They all had been dead for some time. That was surely the reason why their eyes fell on Emi.

Like now, Emi was always like this, staring blankly and needed medication to fall asleep. If left alone, she would stay awake the whole night.

While they were staring at Emi, however...

She made a movement that shocked everyone, especially Analynn.

Emi turned her head towards Mark. Her eyes were still open and blank but there was a smile on her lips.