LOCKDOWN

GABRIELLA'S POV "All uninfected citizens of Area 64, please proceed to the Sterilization Area in fifteen minutes. Again, all uninfected citizens of Area 64, please proceed to the Sterilization Area in fifteen minutes. Thank you!".   "Let's go, Gab?" Liah asked me. I nodded at her as a response. Andito kami sa secluded area ng Area 64 wherein lahat nang nandirito ay mga uninfected from a certain virus. Kaso, hindi namin alam kung anong klaseng virus ito. Fortunately, me and my bestfriend, Liah, escaped together from our school at dito kami dinala ng mga paa namin. She has been my bestfriend since we met dahil magkaklase na kami simula noong freshmen pa lamang. I never thought I would make her as my friend, because she's the typical bubbly and cheerful girl everyone wants to have as their friend. While me? I guess, I'm just a typical student. Just a mediocre.p I wonder how Area 64 looks like right now. The lovely and sparkling lights from the night city lights must have been dull now. The town must have lost its light, ever since this pandemic has started. Area 64 might only be a small town, pero masaya kaming lahat dito. Every fiesta day in here, we gather around the town plaza to celebrate another year in this town. Maybe it's for a bountiful year, or just for the sake of celebrating. But nonetheless, it was fun. Always. Hindi ako mapakali dahil hindi ko mahanap ang kapatid ko kanina pa. I have a younger brother named Gabriel, but I call him Riel. Wala na kaming mga magulang and our relatives from other places, just sends us money for us to survive. We are not in the same grade level, so when I and Liah evacuated here in this secluded area, away from the virus, hindi namin siya nakasama. He's a year younger than us, along with his friends. Hindi ko siya nakita kanina pa kaya kinakabahan ako at baka hindi sila nakasama ng mga kaibigan niya na mag-evacuate papunta rito. Nagliligpit na ako ng bag ko ngayon because that's the only thing I brought with me nung umalis kami ng eskuwelahan. Hindi naman siguro namin kailangan ng maraming gamit, dahil siguro baka provided na iyon ng gobyerno ng bayan na ito. Nagmamadali na rin kase kami kanina so we didn't have the chance to pack our things well. Tinabi namin ang mga bag namin sa may section assigned for it and we proceeded to the Sterilization Area. Malaki ito. The surroundings were dim-lit by white fluorescent lights, na medyo kupas na ang kulay. It gives a creepy vibe to the surroundings. Its interior are mostly made of metal bars at halatang madaliang ginawa dahil hindi inaasahan ng lahat na magkakaroon ng pandemya. The place was crowded at lalo pang sumikip dahil sa mga makina at mga kagamitan na nakalagay sa paligid. I wonder what these are for. Bago makapasok ang lahat, everyone must fall in line, almost naked. Magkahiwalay ang men sa women kaya medyo okay lang rin naman, we were left with our underwears, nothing more. Exposed na exposed ang mga balat namin at ang mga kaselanan lang talaga ang tago. Magkasunod kami ni Liah sa pila, siya nasa unahan ko, while me, nasa likuran niya siyempre. Marami ang mga babaeng nakapila, iba iba ang edad. May mga bata, matanda at pati na rin may mga kapansanan. Everyone is following atleast one meter social distancing, para if ever na may nakapasok dito na mayroong virus, hindi kami mahahawa. Matagal tagal pa kaming naghintay bago kami nakausad sa pila. Malapit-lapit na kami sa may Scanning Machine, mga nasa limang tao na lang yata ang nasa harapan namin, when suddenly the line stopped. "Anong nangyayari?" I asked Liah since she was closer to the machine at mas matangkad din siya so halos sangga niya 'yung view sa position ko. "There's a little commotion over there." My forehead creased. "Huh? Panong komosyon?" "It looks like the woman over there with a child with her, uhmm... let's say there's something wrong?" "What's wrong?" I can hear murmurs and whispers from the people around and they're also probably talking about the reason why the line stopped. She leaned closer near my ears and whispered. "I think she's infected." My eyes widen from the shock. Could it be that someone from us, here, is infected? Shit. I don't wanna be infected. Hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng virus ito, but being infected by a virus is really a different topic to be talked for. Medyo napaatras ako kaya nabunggo ko nang marahan ang babae na nasa likod ko. "I'm sorry," mahinang sabi ko but she doesn't seem to care. Her long black straight bangs almost hides her eyes. Her skin is so white. Her aura screams a lunatic vibe. Medyo weird din siyang kumilos, pati ang istilo ng buhok niya. Lumapit muli si Liah sa akin at bumulong. "That's Fierra, the weirdo." I nodded at Liah pero napatigil ako nang makita ko kung ano ang nasa leeg niya. There are little red rashes there. Bilog-bilog ito at nagpapantal, pero hindi mo ito mapapansin kung hindi mo lalapitan. May sumibol na kaba sa aking dibdib. Natakot ako nang kaunti. Ano iyon? Ayokong isipin na infected siya dahil lamang doon, but I can't help but to get anxious about little things like that. Why am I even considering that? Gahd Gab, she's your bestfriend. "W-what are those, Liah?" I stuttered while pointing at her neck. She quickly hid it with her waist-long hair. "A-ah, wala. My nails are too long at nung kinamot ko, nagkapantal." she defensively said, waving her hands no in front of me. I nodded at her at akmang magsasalita pa sana kaso umalingawngaw sa paligid ang sigaw ng isang babae at iyak ng bata. "NO! WHERE WILL YOU BRING ME? SANDRA, ANAK KO!" "MOMMY! HUHU, MOMMY!" Their screams and cries echoed the whole place. It made the atmosphere heavy. Base sa nakikita at naririnig ko, it looks like the officials are trying to bring the mother somewhere at maiiwan ang anak niya. Why? Anong mayroon? Bakit siya kukunin? Is it true that... she's infected? The screams from the mother are muffled seconds later. Hindi ko na alam kung saan siya dinala, basta ang nakita ko, padarag at sapilitan siyang nilayo doon. No one can be heard from the room except for the silent cries of the little girl. Tinignan ko ang kahabag-habag na sitwasyon ng bata. Naaawa ako sa kanya. I think she is just about 9-10 years old. Naglakad ako papalapit sa kanya and caressed her hair. "Shhhh, everything will be fine. I promise." She looked at me with melancholy seen in her eyes, but she smiled thereafter. Naweirdohan ako sa ginawa niya but maybe dahil bata pa siya, hindi niya pa maintindihan kung ano ba talaga ang nangyayari. She hugged me tight, like very very tight. "What's your name, little girl?" I asked her. "S-sandra po..." Tumango ako before we got into the Scanning Machine. Habang nandoon kami, my mind wandered elsewhere. I wonder, what's happening outside? Naalala ko tuloy 'yung kapatid kong si Riel. Nasaan na kaya siya? I hope he's fine.