The Scourge System

CHAPTER VI

Chapter VI

"What happened to you two?" Jonixa asked Brenda Jeiger who are eating like lions who haven't eaten in a couple years.

"Don't ask." Brenda spat on Jonixa, literally.

"Wow, the decency in table manners. How quaint." He sarcastically uttered while wiping his face with a tissue after Brenda threw him crumbs of the food she's eating with her literal spit.

"I'm so glad you're back, Brenda." Jessa hugs her to her side, having a smile genuinely.

"Good thing you two survived, why were you left behind anyway?" Gavin asked them, sitting at the cold floor of the mall.

All eight if them formed a circle on the floor, waiting Brenda and Jeiger to finish their food. Taking their time while they still have 4 hours till it gets dark. Still hoping for a rescue mission to swipe across them and help them to get out of the city and take them somewhere safe. But still no luck.

"We wouldn't be experiencing hell if it weren't for that dumb-o who tried to block a glass door with a bench. Tall about not using her brain." Jeiger rudely pointed a finger on her, figuratively. Glaring at her as he took the last bite of his burger.

"Stop blaming me, well I didn't tell you to stop me and be stuck with me for about an hour." Brenda barked at him, for the second time they're like an couple having their endless quarrel.

"Guys, I don't think you need to argue about that--"

"You must be thankful to me, I just saved your ass back there." Clarissa was cut off by Jeiger who's definitely in the place to lose on her.

"Saved my ass? You're the one I helped to get you baby feet off of those things who are trying to pull you back down. I swear to the graves of my natives I'll feed you to them once we encounter those freaks again." Brenda swore and sip her coke aggressively.

"Guys, enough--" Amando tried to stop the two but of course, pride is pride, measure who has higher.

"Go ahead, do I look like I care? And basically, compare what I can do to yours, there's a higher possibility that you're the one to bring this whole team down. Not me." Jeiger threw the tissue he used to wipe his mouth somewhere.

Gavin scratches his head, Clarissa is massaging her forehead, Rohana rolls her eyes, Jessa has her mouth shut while listening to the rally of argument going on, Jonixa is watching the two having a staring contest and Amando... he just found a sim card to use.

Brenda scoffed loudly. "Comparing sizes, huh? Compare it to this, you f*cking assh*le. Bet your patience is just as short as your friend." She showed him her middle finger, making Jessa's eyes wide and shocked from her sudden action.

"Brenda! Don't do that!" Jessa's sweet voice chided her, pulling her hand down and gulped hard.

"I am so-- urgh! I can't be with that woman!" Jeiger stood up and yanks his hair hard as he put distance between him and the group.

"Enough, there's still service. I got the phone working. Stop with this nonsense bickering, there's no point there." Amando finally stood up to stop the two before walking close to Jeiger. "Got the phone work finally, want to make a call?" He asked him and Jeiger just gave him a scowl.

"Man, I'm having my ass red hot and burning right now. I respect you because you're like a brother to me but not right now." Jeiger heaved a sigh and leans both of his elbow on the railing, taking his time to calm himself down.

"I know, and you should slow down a bit, she's just a kid. You're old and matured now, Jeigs, just understand her." He explained, and leans to his side on the railing, taking a quick glance to the group. Gavin is silently waiting with the girls, while Clarissa is calming Brenda. "You might want to check on your family, Jeigs. Take the phone." He once again offered to him the phone.

"Amando, you do know that whatever happens, they wouldn't care about me. They're probably expecting me to be dead and one of those things right now." Jeiger scoffed and shook his head. Showing off how a rebel he is.

"They doesn't care or not, at least you're the one to check them and give a little kindness. I know how bad your relationship with them but they're still your family, Jeiger." Amando tried convincing him but got no answer, in which he gave up. "Fine, if ever you change your mind, the phone is just with me, okay."

"Why don't you just give that to the kids, sure their parents are far more worried than mine." Jeiger took another sigh and clasps his hands together while still taking his time to breath in the air he has.

Amando knows it when Jeiger is not in his mood, he hates arguments that he usually starts. He needs a bit of time and then after that, he's cool and fine to talk to again.

"Anybody want start the call?" Amando offered the phone to the group. "I'll try to listen to the radio."

"Hey, Clarissa, why don't you call Aunt Renai?" Rohana asked her while handing Brenda a bottle of water.

"Uhm-- maybe you guys should--" Clarissa was about to give up the offer but Rohana scared her with that glare of hers saying she should take the phone or they will leave her locked in one of the stores. "Fine." She took the phone from Amando and dialed her Mother's phone. But after so many tries, she still can't get through that cannot be reach tone.

"Any luck, baby?" Jonixa asked her, though seeing how her face looked so down. They already know what's the answer.

"I can't reach her." She replied to the eyes looking at her with questions. Clarissa displayed a small smile before passing the phone to Jessa.

Jessa took the phone and typed her father's number. After two rings, someone answered. "Dad? Yes, dad, I'm-- I'm fine... no, I'm not alone, I'm with my friends and three guy who helped us... no, dad, they're fine. No one's hurt... I'm-- I'm at a mall right now near Quiapo." A long silence followed and accord to Jessa's facial expression, it looks like a bad news. "Okay, dad. I'll be careful, there's eight of us here including me... we-- we list too many people from the bus." She started to tear up, so Clarissa joined her to comfort her, caress her back, letting her know that she's not alone.

"Hush, now, Jessa. It's okay." Clarissa whispered to her, giving her a small comforting smile.

"Yes, dad. I love you too." After that, she ended the call and passed it to Rohana who looks hesitant to accept it, in the end, she gave it to Jonixa who has to call her sister. His only family.

"What happened, Jessa? Is your family okay?" Rohana asked her, making sure that her voice is not as harsh as she usually talks.

Jessa licked her lower lip and sniffed. "Dad said that him and my brother Johnny made it to the quarantine area in Seoul. Mom... she's a doctor with a heart that's so kind. She tried helping at a hospital there... but a riot happened, she's gone. My mom's gone." She sobbed and hugs Clarissa as she cries.

They all shared a look including Gavin who heard it all, pitying what this world brought to a kind hearted person. Asking himself how come this imperfect world could be so unfair.

"Everything's going to be okay, Jessa. We're still here. Look..." Clarissa pulled her to see her face, wet from her tears. She wiped it with her palms and cups her face. "I will do everything to keep you safe, Rohana and I, Jonixa and Brenda, we will take you to the safe place and after all this mess, I'm sure that your dad will come and get you. I'm sure that he will do his best to get you back to him and your brother." She smiled at her, even though she doesn't know if her words would help her calm down.

Jessa has been this family loving person, the sweetest and the softest among them five. A mama's girl, accepting that her mom is gone would be the hardest thing to do. Especially in this situation, she's not with her parents, it would be a feeling lonely if she has none to hug with when in times like this.

"Clarissa is right, Jessa. I'm certain that your mom would want you to be strong right now. To be strong and facing all these challenges, she wouldn't want you to be like those things. We're going to need you strong and brave, Jessa." Rohana also joined them, not knowing of losing a mother for real. As for her, she already lost everything but she just don't want to accept it. In denial of being alone.

No one knows about her family, even Clarissa. Her father left her already, found another woman to marry and start a family and drown himself with alcohol. Her mother remarried another man and her brother is in jail from taking drugs. Rohana's staying with her grandmother, and so that's enough of her. Although her and her grandmother is not that close.

"Oh thank goodness, you b*tch! Where are you? Are you okay? Are you still alive? Tell me what's happening there!" Jonixa exclaimed while jumping like a kangaroo, facing his back on them. "What?! You're in Palawan?! How come you were there, I left the house with-- oh you really are a b*tch my slutty sister! I love you so much! Yes, I'm still alive, I'm with my lovely friends and three very hot guys... well, actually we're kinda stuck here in the mall for about a couple of hours but we manage to stay alive, my beauty is still alive yes... okay, look I have to go, my friends needs to call too. Yeah, I love you so much. Keep yourself alive until we see each other again, okay? Im'ma b*tch slap your ass, okay? I love you! Mwuah! End call!" He announced as soon as he ends the call. "Oh goodness, I'm so thankful that my only ugly sister is still alive. Hey Brenda call your hot daddy."

Brenda took the phone and gave her Dad a call, but just like Clarissa, there was no luck. Brenda's dad is a pilot, always out of their home, they barely see each other but whenever they both have a time, they spend it grandly. Her dad is quite cool, supporting her below average grade, proud that she's participating in some annual event at school even if she doesn't win any awards. All that he cares about is that Brenda is still known to him as her father.

"Hey Rohana, phone?" Brenda handed her the phone.

"Are you okay?" Clarissa asked her, seeing how hesitant she is by taking the phone.

"Yeah, I'll uhm-- going to make a call." Rohana stood up and distance herself a bit but as soon as she walked a little far from them. She saw an eerie looking person, twitching his neck, has his hands clawing from her sides and wheezing for air. He's wearing a uniform of a fast food, obviously he was working in the mall before this horrifying incident happened. "Oh sh*t." She silently cursed and walked back without making any sound.

"Hey, what is it?" Brenda asked her when she noticed how Rohana's taking steps very careful.

"Get your bags now and let's more quick and hushed." Rohana told them. Jessa was alarmed, took a break from crying on Clarissa's shoulder.

"Why, Rohana? Are those things close?" Jessa asked, gulping hard.

That question caught Gavin's attention, gripping on the bat he does. Rohana made an eye contact with him and he instantly knew what it means. Gavin stood up and told it to Amando who's listening to the radio and Jeiger who's walking back closer to them.

"Oh no, not again." Jeiger groans. "Come on hurry, I saw the sign that the parking is upstairs." He told the other in low voice.

Quietly they left the place where they lingered a little long. "Were there many, Rohana?" Clarissa asked her when they're approaching the escalator.

"No, there was only one I saw." She shuddered, thinking about how that thing twitched his head.

"My legs are hurting." Brenda moaned, feeling how her muscles on her legs are so worn out from running and crawling minutes ago.

Jonixa was about to comment when Gavin yelled in whisper. "Sh*t! Run!" Yet no one obeyed, instead they looked at where he's looking at. He's at the very far back so he sees those things gathered in a group, walking pass them.

"Wait, they're not looking at us." Clarissa has her eyebrows furrowed, looking at those things. It was a silent ascension when Jonixa... sneezed.

"Shut it!" Rohana scolded her in whisper, but it was too late.

One by one, they made a wheezing and growling sound... and then, they started to run towards them in a pace where most people won't outrun.