University Apocalypse series

“Deped announced that all students in elementary, high school and college will have face-to-face classes again. They will go to their respective schools normally again, but still need to maintain the cleanliness and safety of the every student. That's why all students are reminded to wear a face mask, always carry alcohol or sanitizer and also bring their vaccine cards as proof that they have been vaccinated.” The reporter's said while I was sitting in front of the dining table while eating breakfast. “Rhey, don't forget to bring your vaccination card, or you might not be allowed into your school.” Mama reminds me while she puts the lunch box in my bag. “I'm leaving because I might be late for my first class.” I stood up and drank a glass of water before carrying my bag and leaving the house. I immediately got on Papa's taxi, and we immediately headed to the university. After I got there, I sighed as I looked up and observed the name of the university engraved. I must admit that I was nervous and did not know what would happen to me in my first class. This is my first experience of being a full-fledged college student and getting into a big university like this. However, I am excited to meet new friends and see my old friends. Since the mandatory quarantine was announced, we haven't been able to go out to see each other. We often talk through chats, video calls and text messages, but now that everything is slowly returning to normal, I will make sure I do all the things I missed doing before. I went inside and was amazed at the size of the campus as well as the fashion taste of every student there. I can almost feel that I am really a college student. “Hey!” From not far away, I noticed a woman calling and waving at me. I smiled when I realized that it was Roschelle Salcedo aka Che, while she was with our other best friends, Elysa David and Andrew Antonio. We have been friends since high school, and we also graduated together. I was also very surprised when I realized that we took the same course, Chemistry. So, we entered our class at the same time, we sit next to each other. “You know, Rhey there seems to be something different about you.” Andrew said to me, so we turned our eyes to him. “What do you mean? What is wrong with me?” I asked them as I looked at their faces. “You look even better now.” He replied with a smile on his face. I also smiled at what he said, and we all just laughed. “You're very silly, Andrew.” I jokingly told him, at the same time he scratched the back of his head and bowed in shame. While we were talking some things, our professor, Alec Lawrence Aquino aka Sir Alec, suddenly came inside. Therefore, everyone became silent and focused their attention on him. He first introduced himself to us, and he looked like a nice professor. He is tall, has a brown curly hair, tan and handsome. That's why some women around us stared at him and admired him immediately. Well, I can't blame them if they like him at the first sight because the first time I saw him I felt a tickle from my heart. “It can't be, Rhey. You need to focus on your studies.” I said that they turned to me, so I was shocked at myself and bowed my head in shame. After our class, we went out of the university together. While we were happily talking, I stopped for a moment when some students in the back of the car caught my attention. I slowly approached them to find out what was happening there when a female student suddenly pushed the woman with short hair into the trunk of the car so that her back hit hard. “Are you okay?” I asked her at the same time she looked up at me and I grabbed her arm to help her stand, but suddenly, she pushed me away from her. “Get out of here.” She whispered to me. I observed her whole body and I noticed several bruises from her arms, hands, face, and even to her neck. It seems that these students are not treating her well and as if they have been hurting her like this for a long time. “Don't you know that you can be sued for what you are doing to her?” I said to the group of students who were bullying her. The woman who pushed her earlier grinned as she approached me and stared at me from head to toe. “You're probably new here. Freshmen? I'm going to skip all of this because you seem to have no idea who we are yet, so as long as I'm still nice to you, just leave.” She said with one eyebrow still raised. I glanced at the woman next to me for a moment, and she nodded her head as if she also wanted to send me away. But knowing the feeling of being bullied and having no one to ask for help, I dared to face her and insisted on staying by her side. “You should be the one to leave.” I replied that it seemed to surprise them, and they laughed out loud at the same time. “What are you doing? Go away.” She whispered to me, but I didn't listen to her, instead I bravely faced this witch anyway. She turned to me again and drew a smile on the tip of her lips. We met each other's eyes, and suddenly, she slapped me hard. The force of her slap made my ears go deaf, and my cheeks went numb. I didn't expect her to do that, so I didn't immediately avoid her hand. “Maybe that's enough to make you realize who we are now. If you still don't leave now, I'll make sure that's not all you get from my merciless hand.” She said while her four companions in the back laughed. I slowly looked into her eyes again while clenching my two fists. But suddenly the woman next to me grabbed me by the hand, and it seemed like she was holding me back. I was about to raise my fist, but suddenly a man came and called her by her name. “Monique.” She turned to him at the same time. “I've been looking for you for a while, but you're just here.” He added. “Joko, what are you doing here and what do you need?” She asked. He looked at us before he answered her. “Router is looking for you. I don't understand why he's so angry and making trouble in the VIP room. You're the only one who can calm him down.” He said. Monique sighed, but after that, she turned to her friends to leave. “We're not done yet.” She told me more before they all left. The woman next to me let out a deep breath and sat down on the floor while crying. “Are you alright?” I asked her. “You shouldn't have intervened. You just made my situation worse.” She said, and I sat next to her. “What do you mean? Who are those people? And why are they doing this to you?” I asked, and she turned to me as her tears continued to fall. “You have no idea what kind of monsters they are. They are not humans, but the children of demons.” She stopped speaking for a moment and sobbing when I noticed that her hands were shaking with fear. So, I looked for water in my bag, and then I handed it to her. She immediately drank it and wiped the tears from her eyes. “VIP's, that's what they're called. They're the only ones who have great influence or connections in this university. The woman you met earlier and slapped you is Monique Quino. She's the daughter of a congressman and her father is giving a lot of help with this university. So, regardless of what she does to me and the other innocent students, they don't care about it. They all pretend to be blind because of money. The four behind her are her best friends. Their father's work under Monique's father. Jiena Parazo, Krizza Ladera, Stefanie Ramonal and Ruth Meijia. When you hear their names, run immediately otherwise you will end up at like me.” She said at the same time she bowed where I once again noticed the wounds and bruises she had on her body. “Why are they doing this to you? Why don't you report them to the police? They are abusing you and what they are doing is not right.” I said as she smiled at the same time, but her eyes said the opposite.   “Report to the police? Do you think I didn't do that? I went to them several times, but nothing happened. My situation just got worse, and they hurt me more and more.” She responded and once again tears fell from her eyes. “Because I'm Chinese and don't know much about your country's culture, they always tease me and make fun of me. They call me stupid and other hurtful words.” She added. I caressed her back gently to made her feel a little better. “This is the first time I just had someone I could tell my problems. But I want to apologize to you.” At the same time, she looked up at me and held both of my hands tightly. “I will never forget how you helped me. Thank you very much.” After she said that, she suddenly stood up and ran away. I was about to call her, but she immediately disappeared from my sight.   I turned to the alma mater and took a deep breath. Furthermore, it is unclear to me why I feel this way now, as if this school is hiding a big mystery. But whatever it is, I would rather not find out more and be involved in their dark secret. I want to live here as an ordinary student and finish my course.   The next day, as I was walking towards the university, I suddenly wondered why there were police cars and ambulances parked outside. I was almost at the entrance when two paramedics came out carrying a stretcher. I was hit by what they were carrying, so the covering cloth was also removed. Therefore, the face of the person they were bringing inside the ambulance was expose to my sight. I covered my mouth and was shocked to realize who the dead person was. She is the female student that I helped yesterday, but what happened to her, and why did she suddenly die? I was just stunned by the ambulance as it was leaving. My hands were shaking with fear, and it was as if I had lost my hearing. I looked around where I noticed five familiar faces of women as they looked at me smiling. If I'm not mistaken, they are also the ones who bullied her yesterday and the one she referred to me named, the VIP's group.