MIRAI

Chapter 4. From the Future??

An endless glowing white is flashed from within as Lui found himself drifting in nothing and everything all at once. His foot met something unseen that held him. It wasn't cold, it wasn't warm. It was just... there.

For how many years, he thought he was afraid of being engulfed with white, like he was imprisoned in a white cube with no nothing, just him inside. But in this void, he wasn't scared. And the pure sounding melody even gave him a strange peace, like the moment between inhaling and exhaling. Letting him think that being here, nothing would change. Maybe nothing ever had.

"Stop."

He heard a voice that echoed, as if the silence itself is speaking back.

"Stop, please"

As he looked around, he saw Tiana on her knees. Was she begging? To whom? To him? Why?

"Stop..."

He moved closer, each step an eternity suspended in a white hush. His eyes fixed on the kneeling form. "I, too, want to survive." He mumbled but his voice melted before it left his lips, devoured by the rising melody.

***

"Where is Tia?!" Chione asking everyone but no one knew the answer except for Kirk who's trying to stay silent and Lui who's still in Tiana's curse.

Tiana didn't leave the vicinity until late in the afternoon, so the group was sleeping for almost the whole day. A part of them woke up earlier than some of them, and with all the confusion no one dared to even eat, no one felt hungry.

"What happened? Why are we sleeping on the floor?" Cier asked as she rove her eyes, seeing a bunch of sleeping people on the floor.

Murmurs followed by everyone who just woke up bombarding a lot of questions.

Chione remembered that before she fell asleep, she saw how Tiana looked at the window endearingly. Wondering what she was looking at, Chione peeked at the window and looked outside only to see what she wished she didn't see.

There were people - or are they still people? - with vacant eyes and blood-sicked mouths with movements jerky but relentless. And these people were biting other people as if feeding from them. She slowly moved out of the window, shocked. Her fingers were trembling, but nobody noticed. Chione seems to struggle to make sense of what just happened. Her breath became shallow, as if the air around her has thickened. But that, too, was swallowed by the noise.

"Can everyone stay silent?" Kirk, who was thinking of a strategy to tell them what's happening, said politely, but nobody listens.

"Everyone, silent." Beru aided Kirk, as she also knew what will happen if the noise they are making reached outside.

Strangely, even with her not-so-loud and monotonous tone, everyone listened and fell into silence. Right then, Chione's gasps and tremors became visible.

"What happened to you?" Tafu asked as she watched Chione's heavy breathing.

Chione pointed outside with her shaking fingers, then suddenly dropped herself to sit on the floor, expecting someone to say it was not true. But unfortunately, the world doesn't shift back to normal. It just stays there - wrong.

Seeing Chione's reaction, everyone peered out through the narrow slit in the windows. They pressed in close as there wasn't much space. They saw something out there, something that didn't belong.

No one spoke. No one dared.

Kirk, Mei and Beru couldn't help but look at each other.

Then, suddenly, all at once, they began panicking, they began questioning, they began crying.

"Please everyone, stay silent, we don't want those creatures to know we are here!" Kirk started stressing out as Lui hasn't come back to his consciousness. But nobody was listening.

Yunsa's chest tightened, breaths turning shallow, as if suggesting that she has an asthma. She grabbed her inhaler from her pocket, shook it, and took a quick puff. Holding the breath in, she waited. Slowly, the wheezing eased. Not gone, but bearable.

Beru was about to say something when Ren stood up and said, loud and clear, "If you want to die already, go outside and cry your heart out there. There are people here who wanted to live, and we need your silence if you wanted to stay inside." Ren rolled her eyes at how weak these people seems.

Beru smiled at how Ren understood what needs to be done, "Please close all the curtains and stay away from the window." Beru said.

Mei, Beru and Kirk already closed the windows and curtains earlier after ensuring that Tiana's hums cannot be heard anymore. They also keep the lights to minimum to avoid catching the eyes of those outside, even those who were still alive.

Mei, feeling disheartened to the decision of the two, just chose to stay silent as she couldn't win in a 2-vs.-1 battle.

"Guys, guys... I'll let you know everything I know, just please for now, calm yourselves and let's wait for everyone who were still sleeping." Kirk managed to say without trembling.

"How can they even fall asleep in this situation?" - Tsuki

"You yourself is sleeping earlier" - Ren

"Are we trapped here?" - Hana

"I'm not getting myself trapped here!" - Ram

"I... I'm gonna go to the bathroom" - Tsuki

Kirk looked at Lui,who at that time, was still sleeping.

One by one, people woke up, until one last man stayed sleeping - Lui.

"Maybe sleeping beauty needs a kiss?" Hana blurted in a what-if tone.

"Will you kiss him?" Beru asked Kirk emotionless but with her phone up, readying to capture any moment she shouldn't miss.

Mei smiled at how ridiculous Beru and Hana's thoughts are even when in an apocalyptic neighborhood.

"Oh, Mei smiled." Beru noticed. "Are you not mad anymore?"

"I'm not mad, I'm just pissed."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"How long are we gonna wait?" Ren asked.

"We're waiting for everyone to wake up." Kirk answered indifferently.

"Everyone's awake, except him." Ren blurted.

"Then that's not everyone" Kirk answered back. "When I said everyone, I mean everyone. Not everyone but one; not everyone except one."

Ain fell down to her knees as if hyperventilating after seeing things outside the window. Whatever was happening out there didn't make sense. It didn't want to make sense. It was as if her eyes darted from one staggering figure to the next and to the human they were feasting.

"This isn't happening" she whispered, half to the room, half to herself, with sharp inhales and exhales. She keeps on breathing but somehow, the air began to come in fragments. Not enough. Her body wants more oxygen, so she reaches again and again, inhaling like she's drowning, but every inhale feels thinner than the last.

"Ain is hyperventilating, move aside people." Mei noticed and said.

Ain's panic breathing made everyone forget their own panic and gave way to Mei.

Mei held Ain's hand and said "You're okay. I'm here. Let's breathe together."

Although staggering, Ain tried to follow the rhythm of Mei's slow breathing.

When Ain can follow the breathing, Mei initiated, "Can you name five people you see right now?"

Ain started naming their teammates she first saw while slowly breathing.

"Good, keep it up, steady your breaths" Mei cautiously said and ordered someone to go grab a water, Tafu and Cier volunteered.

Tafu and Cier went to the kitchen to grab a cup of water for Ain.

The fridge is near the window and the window is linear to the backdoor, and the backdoor is three steps away the frosted glass door of the kitchen bathroom. Cier went straight to the fridge to look for the pitcher of water.

"You don't seem panicking." Cier said to Tafu.

"Well as long as we don't go outside, we're safe, right?" Tafu said nonchalantly as she peeked from the Venetian blinds of the kitchen's window. She saw one walking corpse dragging his right foot with no flesh, just broken bones. It's head sagged to one side like it wasn't sure how neck works anymore. "Are you panicking?"

"Sort of. I feel like I don't want to go outside forever. But having someone who's calm helps my mind at ease." Cier answered as she poured the water from the pitcher to the cup.

Tafu faced Cier, and leaned on the wall, wondering why she's being so serious suddenly.

Cier put the pitcher back to the fridge and look at Tafu to invite her back the living room, but what she saw is the door creaking open. The sound cut through like a warning, then a figure stepped into the room, dragging one foot behind the other. Both Tafu and Cier looked at it with eyes wide open.

At the same time, the frosted glass door of the bathroom slowly swung open. Tsuki came out of it, shocked to see what's happening. The figure charged at Tsuki and Tsuki fought it back. Tafu and Cier helped her, dropping the cup of water they just got. Tsuki accidentally pushed the corpse to Tafu, then she ran away back to the living room, screaming, leaving Tafu and Cier behind.

Due to the imbalance of strength, Tafu has no way but to step back while trying to avoid the corpse teeth. She accidentally slipped on the water they dropped not long ago and it made her loose her balance. She fell with the corpse above her, while Cier was panicking not knowing what to do. "Tafu!" she shouted.

Before she could do anything, the corpse bit Tafu's shoulder and Tafu shouted in agony. She couldn't make sense of what was happening. Suddenly, there was a sharp teeth pressed into her skin. Everything around seemed to slow down, but the bite stayed clear and real. She could see Cier panicking, running to her aid, but she couldn't hear a thing. Is this it for her? What will happen next?

Just then, a silver knife pierced down the corpse head. It stopped moving, and it laid down like the way it should be. It stopped moving but it made a damage that cannot be reverted.

"Tafu!" Cier was the one who came to her then one by one they went beside her.

"Don't come near her! Haven't you seen zombie movies, the bitten became the biter. She'll turn soon." Tsuki exclaimed.

"You were the one who throw the zombie to Tafu!" Cier blurted out.

"It was an accident!" Tsuki answered. "I didn't mean it!"

"We shouldn't have helped you!" Cier angrily said.

"How did Lui know zombie dies when stabbed in the head?" Arth asked.

Everyone looked at Lui who just pulled the knife off of the zombie's head. He just woke up and the first thing he did was to kill a zombie.

Lui looked at everyone.

"Haven't you watched zombie movies? They die when stabbed on the head." Lui answered nonchalantly.

"It was good Lui woke up at the right moment, who knows what could happen if no one has the guts to kill an already dead man." Ren said with her frank tone.

"The real question is why was the door open? We checked it earlier, it was closed" Kirk said.

* * *

Few minutes earlier.

"I... I'm gonna go to the bathroom" - Tsuki

Tsuki went to the kitchen frantically after witnessing what's outside. Should she remain inside? But what if the dead corpse breaks in? Should she just runaway from the backdoor?

She opened the backdoor readying herself to flee but she saw a shadow of a figure walking towards the pathway. The movements were that of the zombie so she immediately went back in and hid herself to the kitchen bathroom, forgetting to lock the door.

Nobody knew that the door can be opened just by a slight push when it is not locked so when the zombie heard Tafu and Cier's voices, it easily pushed its way in.

* * *

"Maybe you didn't check it enough!" Ren blurted.

Beru immediately run towards the backdoor and locked it again, this time double checking, nope, triple checking it.

"We're sure, we locked it." Mei answered.

"Anyway, what's our plan?" asked Arth who's currently checking in on the zombie which Lui killed.

"I think it's better to put that zombie outside, yes?" Kirk suggested.

"Let's do that!" Cier agreed as she couldn't help Tafu below the corpse.

But as expected, no one wanted to hold an unmoving zombie.

"Let me." Lui said nonchalantly and everyone moved aside.

"I'll help!" Mei seconded.

Lui and Mei dragged the corpse back outside as Beru held the door for them. The weight was solid, dense and unrelenting that it was hard for the both of them to toss it away. Arth saw their sufferings so he helped them to throw it outside.

"Gross..." Ren squirmed as she saw the bloodied shirts of Lui, Mei and Arth.

"Sorry, but this is the new life we had to face." Kirk said as he examined Tafu's bite-mark.

Kirk helped Tafu to sit across the wall while others watched them.

"Should we throw Tafu outside too." Tsuki suggested while hiding behind Von, peeking only her face.

"What? No!" Tafu blurted and looked at Tsuki, only to find that majority of the people looked away, implying that they were in on Tsuki's suggestion.

"Please, don't throw me out." Tafu begged. She looked at Cier who at that time was not speaking, just glaring at Tsuki for suggesting something she shouldn't.

She also saw Ain in the crowd that she shouted, "It's all Ain's fault! If she didn't had a panic attack, we won't need to get her water, I won't get bitten!" She started yelling hysterically that tears started forming from her eyes. "I'm gonna let you all get killed!" She shouted.

Cier came running to Tafu and hugged her. Mei also came to her side.

"I don't want to die..." Tafu cries.

"If she's gonna let us killed, shouldn't we not let her stay with us?" Tsuki suggested again.

"No, we won't throw her out. Let's take actions when the time comes!" Mei blurted, shielding Tafu from everyone's eyes.

"I vote Tafu out." Tsuki calmly said as she raised her hand. One by one, people followed her.

"No! We're never throwing her out!" Mei stood up, then she looked at Beru, signaling to help her.

Beru sighed and stood in front of those who raised their hands. "We'll tie Tafu's arms and feet and throw her when necessary, for now, she's staying."

"You only say that because you only value Mei's opinion, what about us?" Tsuki said in a calm way, but obviously rage-baiting.

"If you were in Tafu's situation, would you rather have yourselves get thrown out?" Beru replied, clear atop all the whispers, then everyone fell silent.

"She has a point, but still... having someone bitten among us... is scary." Tsuki whispered to herself.

"Don't worry, I will protect you." Ram heard it and replied.

"Aren't you scared?" She answered.

"I am, but for everyone, I'll toughen up." Ram said with a wink.

She smiled cheerfully, tapped her palms together and said "Let's tie her up in your room then!"

"W-wha--?"

Before Ram could even react, Tsuki announced the plan. "Ram will be the one to keep an eye on Tafu and we will tie her up in his room!" Tsuki clapped her hands as if devising the best plan.

"What? But I'm with Ram in the room! I don't want to be with someone with a bite!" Von refused.

"I suggest you change room then." Tsuki answered.

"It is settled then!" Von agreed easily, he is not against of having Tafu inside the house, just that, he doesn't want to get involved with her.

Everyone looked at Ram, and Ram looked at everyone as if he had the word 'no' ready. But then, he saw Tafu. Not pleading. Not desperate. Just hopeful that maybe the room will say 'okay' despite the situation she's in. Suddenly, Ram couldn't say no, as if the word 'no' crumbles right in his mouth. Instead, he said, "It's okay! I'll keep watch..."

Tafu sighed a relief.

"Don't worry, I'll join you" said Mei as she looked at Ram.

"No, you won't." Kirk and Lui chorused, refusing Mei's attempt to help. They looked at each other as if they both know neither of them want Mei near any danger.

"You rest, it was all too much for you." Kirk said looking away.

Then, Kirk stood up and looked at everybody.

"Now that we are all gathered here, I want everyone to listen."

Kirk didn't speak right away. He just looked at them one by one. The silence deepened until even the air hushed in anticipation. "I've been holding this for days. Telling myself it wasn't real, that I was just losing it. But it happened."

He looked back at how he was almost out of his mind trying to calm himself while staying away from Mei. Him having a lot of thoughts, trying to change things but still ended up at the same path.

"I've seen what's coming."

Everyone just listened, no one interrupted.

He looked down, then back up. His gaze had changed, it was scared. But despite the fear, something else burned - the will to survive.

"Not a dream, or a bad feeling. I saw it. Like a memory. Like I've already lived it but it hasn't happened yet." Kirk looked at Lui as if he rehearsed what he'll say to the group. "As if... I experienced the future"

Ren laughed. "What are you? A prophet?"

But nobody laughed with her.

"Okay dear prophet, tell us the prophecy." Ren said firmly, not clear if she's believing or just being sarcastic.

"I'm not a prophet. I'm a regressor. I came from the future." Kirk cleared. "And I know how some of you turned and died."

Kirk glanced at Lui, giving an affirming look that he will never reveal it was actually Lui who regressed and not him.

"And if you want to change your future and survive, you have to listen."