Anji run outside into a firefight. She took it all in in one sudden snapshot and she jumps into action. Her dad is dragging himself to one corner, the shotgun forgotten. Blood was flowing freely in one leg. Her sister is bent over the floor clutching someone. Lulu more likely and Nestor is covering them with his body as he fired away with the 9mm.

Anji pulled out her own revolver and directed her aim to four people inside their mobile car who are attempting to steal it. Two were leaning outside brandishing an assortment of pistols while the other two are simply pointing their gun outside without leaving their seats.

The gunfight was quick and brutal. Anji's training kick in and her aim was focus and steady. One shot for each man outside then another to the driver when he kept moving. In return, something whooshed past her right ear that her tiny hairs felt it. A sudden bite in her left knee stung her but she continued walking toward her enemies. Another hit her abdomen like a hammer but her vest took the brunt of it. The last one was serious though as another hit her left shoulder and the impact felt like her entire shoulder was torn off. The pain was excruciating but what concerned her more was the fact that she cannot feel her arms anymore and certainly can't move it.

Focus! She screamed to herself and she continued walking closer and finally emptying the last of her bullets in her revolver.

She blinked. The entire fight was mere seconds and it was all over. All four of the men - no, one was a woman, in her mobile was dead, two of them stared back at her with hate-filled dead eyes.

Anji approached them and wearily grabbed the driver's gun, a colt. She checked the magazine and saw that it was still half-full. Only when she was sure that all four were dead did she turn her back on them.

The scene that greeted her was her worst nightmare. Nestor is on the ground, still holding the 9mm, with 4 gunshot wound in the chest. She ran to him and sobbed when she saw another gunshot right in her brother in law's left eye. He was dead.

She turned to her older sister and screamed in terror as she saw 3 more bullets decorated her back. Anji turned her over and although she is still alive, she was dying, and there is nothing Anji can do. "No, no, no, no! Isabel! Don't do this! Don't die!" A wheezing noise escaped her lips, like a Balloon with escaping air. Her eyes were still open but Anji can tell that she cannot see anymore. Lulu was beneath her and as far as Anji can see, she is alright but crying, completely aware of her mom's sacrifice and new exactly that her parents are either or dying or already dead, leaving her all alone.

Not alone, Anji thought savagely. She grabbed her sister and there on the dirty floor, she cradled her and whispered in her ears while looking at the lost lulu. "I will take care of her... I will take care of her like she is my own... I promise you, I promise you, ... she will live!... I promised! I promised!" Anji said, again and again, willing her words to be heard by the dying and hope to any god in the universe that her sister will understand the meaning and her promised.

"She understands," a voice can be heard in the sudden silence. "My baby isn't stupid."

Anji turned and she saw her dad leaning in one corner, his stomach a pile of ruin. Weakly, Anji stood up and an animal guttural voice of pain left her lips as she stumbled toward her dad. She dropped to her knees and almost crawled over to her father. He was always so indestructible to her, always there for her, alive and immortal. But he was now on death's door.

"Stop," Her dad said, admonishing her. "You are not a damsel that needs to be protected. You are a fighter, just like me."

"Dad don't! I can't do this alone! Don't die don't die. Don't leave me alone!" Anji said, almost screaming. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. She wanted to hold her father but she doesn't know if it will just hurt him and make the inevitable even faster.

A huge bloody hand rose up to caress her tear jerk cheeks. She watched her father, drinking in everything about him, wanting to remember everything until the last moment.

"Stop," Alfonso said once more. "You... gave a promise...to your sister. So keep it... We Agayarris keep our promises. So survive and keep your niece alive!"

Right in front of her, she can see her dad losing his life by the second and she couldn't do anything about it. And she said the only thing that really matters at that moment. "I love you, Daddy."

A weak smile came out of her father's lips. "And I love you too sweetheart... Now go! You have less than 15 minutes to get out of here."

Of course, the nuclear attack. Anji remembered, but the problem seems so far away now. So insignificant, compared to the fact that she is now alone.

Alone.

"Go..." Her father's words were so weak now. Abruptly, Anji kisses her father one last time and turned, scooping the still crying lulu in her arms and walk briskly away, while Lulu screamed for her mother. Anji wanted to remember her father as the strong pillar of strength that he always was to her. She simply didn't want to see her father's lifeless body and so she turned her back at him and never ever look back at him again.

***************

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Anji took one look at the car clog roads, with honking vehicles and drivers out of their cars and fighting each in the streets, and she knew that she won't escape the city by car.

The message on the tv and radio turned the people of the city into a bunch of Panic-ridden animals and just like that, modern society crumbled.

Her niece is still crying in her arms, no doubt missing her parents and grandpa, but Anji didn't have time to comfort her since she is racking her mind furiously for a way out of the city.

Land voyage isn't good. Even if she finds a bike that weaves in and out of traffic, they simply do not have enough time to get away.

How about choppers? The local airport is too far away. Wait, maybe the huge corporation building will have a private charter. Maybe I can hijack it? With what? with your Pea-shooter?! Besides, if they can hire multi-million helicopters, then they surely can hire several well-armed bodyguards. Even then she cannot guarantee it, even if she goes to the wealthiest corporations, that they will find that their VIPs are important enough to save them with choppers.

The country's aging train system is too slow, and they will be jam packed with people nearby. The light rail transit only goes around the capital so no used getting that either. Boats? Again, too far.

Think Anji, damn you!

If there is no way to leave the city, maybe I should be thinking of just riding out the blast. But where? Then a thought came to her mind. A bunker.

An underground bunker.

Where can I find one? Manila doesn't have an underground train station but there should be a lot of underground car park or basement. She scanned the place without really thinking, then a man bumps into her. Automatically her gun was up and ready to blow the intruder away.

A man holding 4 gaming laptops is running away from her. Anji looks around and saw a nearby electronic store with its display windows smashed in by looters. Anji looked back at the retreating figure incredulously. What the hell will you do with a laptop with 10 minutes of your life left? She shook her head and focus back at the problem.

Her eyes zeroed in on an old couple walking slowly down the street. They are holding hands and the old man is holding a Glock in the other hand. The old woman is holding a kitchen knife in her other hand.

Anji recognized them as Uncle Occa and his wife Belinda. Uncle Occa is the neighborhood butcher selling everything from pork meat to assorted fishes. Everyone likes Uncle Occa because he always has a ready smile and lots of interesting stories to tell if you buy from his little shop. Half of the stories are probably bullshit but the guy was hardworking and honest. What is important is the fact that his butcher shop has an underground basement with a huge deep freezer that can hold several people.

She ran over the two and raised her hand to show them that she doesn't have any ill intention. They were just going inside the shop when Uncle Occa noticed her and raised his gun. His wife is looking elsewhere and far away, as if lost in thought.

"Uncle Occa ! It's me! Anjanette Agayarri! Big Al's daughter! Don't shoot!" She said, raising her hands to show them that she means them no harm.

"Anji? What are you doing here?" Asked the old man wearily. His wife didn't even bother to look at her and Lulu.

"You've probably heard about the bomb coming to the city," Anji said as a way of explanation and she saw Uncle Occa nodding noncommittally. "Well, there is no way to leave the city with all the traffic jam, at least not with the time we have left. So I would like to ask permission to stay in your walk-in freezer and hopefully survive the blast that way."

The old man stared at her for a long time before sighing and giving her a sad smile. "We are not going to lock ourselves anywhere lassie," He said gently.

"But-"

The old man opened the door toward his shop and showed the room inside. The butcher shop is still the same as Anji remembered it.The display glasses for the fresh meats and the tainted windows and the tired old fan slowly moving around and around in the ceiling.

But in the middle is a small table with two chairs and a single white rose resting in a glass in the middle. There is an 80's romantic song cooing in the background, completely in contrast to the chaos just outside.

The old man smiled gently and proudly to his small setup before speaking again to Anji, who is staring at him almost incomprehensively. "You see lass, We accept that this is our last few moments in this world and we, for one, would like to spend this moment together. Me and my wife are married for more than 52 years now you know. I know that it is not always blissful sailing all the time but we manage." He watched his wife enter the shop almost trance-like and noticed the small romantic gesture inside.

The old man looks at Anji. I understand your will to survive lassie, you have a lot to live for, but I would really appreciate it if you find your survival elsewhere and leave us alone."

Anji sighed and nodded. "I understand. I-"

"No."

Uncle Occa turned to his wife who is still looking at the table and slowly shaking her head. "What was that, dear?" He asked gently.

His wife Belinda who Anji remembered as this quiet old chubby woman who is always behind the cashier with a ready smile, turned toward her husband with an incredulous look on her face. "What I said dear," She said, as she pointed the knife she is holding in one hand and stabbed her husband right in the chest with no hesitation. "Is NO. NO. NO. Hell NO!" She emphasizes each NO with another stab in her husband's chest. Anji gasped and took a step back, unconsciously turning sideway as if she can protect Lulu better that way.

"I don't want to spend another second with you, dear," Her voice oozing with venom. "I already wasted my youth, my future with you. You don't think of anything but yourself. Well, I want you to know that I am sick of living with a mediocre man, with this mediocre life, raising four mediocre children! So NO, my dear husband of mine, I don't want to spend my last remaining minutes with you, and the shackles you built for me throughout the years. I want to spend the last few minutes of my life free and away from your filth!"

Uncle Occa silently slid down the floor as his life slowly ebbed away from him, his wife still stabbing him with that maniacal look in her face. Anji stared at them in horror, before turning around without another word and started walking away.