Isko navigated his motorcycle through the narrow slum-looking streets, finally arriving at his home on Macopa Street. Thoughts of his family filled his mind as he parked in front of their modest, unpainted concrete house with its weathered galvanized steel roof. Despite its unfinished appearance, it exuded a warmth that only a loving family could provide — the very essence that fueled Isko's spirit.

As he entered, he swiftly locked the door behind him. Inside, he found his wife Lydia and their young daughter immersed in a cheerful rendition of the alphabet song, with the nursery book spread out on the floor before them.

"Papa!" their daughter exclaimed with delight upon seeing him, oblivious to the crimson stain on his uniform.

Lydia stood up, her concern evident as she noticed the blood. "Isko, what happened? Are you hurt?" She hurriedly checked him for wounds, finding none.

"It's a long story, Lydia," Isko replied, moving to close the windows one by one.

"What's wrong, Isko? You're acting strangely," Lydia said, worry etching her features.

"Could you take Lucia to her room first? I don't want her to see me like this," Isko requested quietly.

Understanding his request, Lydia gently guided Lucia to her bedroom. Shielding their daughter from the sight of her father's stained clothes was a priority, lest it disturb her young mind.

Isko sank into a plastic chair while Lydia directed their daughter to her room, encouraging her to practice the alphabet quietly.

"Stay here for a minute, okay? Mom and Dad need to talk. Practice your alphabet like a good girl," Lydia instructed gently.

"Okay, Mom," Lucia replied with a smile.

Once Lucia was occupied, Lydia returned to Isko's side in the living room, her concern palpable as she helped him remove his blood-stained uniform.

"Tell me what happened," Lydia urged softly. "Where did this blood come from?"

"It's not mine, Lydia," Isko replied urgently, beginning to explain. "You wouldn't believe what went down at the mall. I was on duty, and a student informed me about a spreading disease. Then, a young woman reported an unconscious person in the restroom hallway."

Lydia comforted him, rubbing his back as he continued, "So I responded to the call with her, but when we got there, there was no one. I thought she was playing a prank, but she wasn't."

"Is that why you messaged, checking on us and the kids? Because of this disease?" Lydia asked, starting to piece together his story.

"Yeah, babe, but I messaged you before all that happened," Isko explained. "I didn't know about the disease then; I was just listening to the radio on my phone. There was no news about it, and management hadn't told us anything."

"Then my coworker, Irene, radioed that there was an attack at the mall," Isko continued. "This disease is causing people to become violent and aggressive, spreading quickly. Remember that unconscious person? He was the one attacking people. He bit Irene on the neck, and he bled profusely. I tried to help him."

Lydia gasped, covering her mouth. "Are you infected?" she asked anxiously.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"No, I'm not sick," Isko reassured her. "But Irene, who was bitten, became sick and attacked me. He almost bit me. In the struggle, I dropped my gun, and the student who was with me picked it up and shot Irene. This blood on me is from him. After that, chaos erupted in the mall, and many turned violent. I managed to escape with a few others."

"Oh my God, Isko," Lydia murmured, empathizing deeply.

"I... I should have acted sooner. If I had taken out that sick person when I first got the report, maybe I could have prevented all this," Isko lamented tearfully, blaming himself.

"It's okay, babe," Lydia comforted him, embracing his head tenderly as she stood by his side.

----------------------------------------

"For now, go take a bath, change your clothes, and get some rest," Lydia instructed Isko before heading to the kitchen. "I'll start cooking dinner so you can eat."

"Lydia, I can't rest — it's only a matter of time before it reaches us," Isko replied, his voice tinged with panic. "We need to prepare our things."

"I understand, babe. We will — but right now, what you need is to clean yourself and relax. Maybe the water will calm you a bit."

Suddenly, Isko jumped up from his chair, remembering their eldest child who wasn't at home. "Inggo! Where's Inggo?"

Lydia accidentally dropped the frying pan in her panic. "He's at school."

"Let's call him right now!" Isko grabbed his cell phone and dialed their son's number, both of them anxiously waiting for him to pick up.

After what felt like an eternity, a muffled voice came through the speaker. "Hello? Can you hear me?" It was Inggo, whispering.

"Inggo, are you okay?" Lydia asked, relief flooding her voice.

"The people here at the school... they've turned violent, biting and attacking others — it's chaos!" Inggo's voice trembled with fear.

"Son, where are you? Are you safe?" Isko's concern was palpable.

"I'm in the classroom, Dad. We're safe for now. We locked the door, barricaded it, and covered the windows," Inggo explained, his voice a mix of fear and relief. "One of our classmates acted quickly."

"He's safe," Isko reassured Lydia. "That's a relief, isn't it?"

"Yeah, thank goodness," Lydia replied, visibly relieved.

Lydia and Isko felt a wave of relief knowing their son was secure in a barricaded classroom away from the violent sick.

"Mom, Dad — stay safe, okay? Take care of Lucia. Don't let those sick people get to you," Inggo urged, his voice breaking into sobs. "It's terrifying here. There's screaming and crying, then silence. We don't know what to do, but we're trying to stay quiet so they won't find us."

"Whatever happens, stay in that classroom as long as it's safe. Help might come soon," Isko said with hope.

"No, Dad. There's no help coming. We can't even call 911," Inggo's voice conveyed his despair. "We're trapped here."

"I'm coming to get you, Inggo. If things get worse, run, hide, don't confront them," Isko said firmly. "Keep yourself safe."

"Got it, Dad," Inggo replied softly. "I need to save my phone battery. Call me again later. And Dad, listen to the news. Maybe the government's doing something."

"I will," Isko promised.

"I love you, Inggo," Lydia interjected.

"Be safe, son. I'll call you back," Isko reassured him.

"Love you too, Mom," Inggo said before ending the call. "Tell Lucia I'll be home soon. If she asks, just say I'm busy at school."

The call ended, leaving Isko and Lydia with heavy hearts, knowing their son was stranded in a school beset by chaos.

----------------------------------------

As Lydia busied herself in the kitchen, the sizzle of pork sisig filled the air. Isko, freshly bathed and changed into a clean polo shirt and jeans, sat before the table with the radio. He switched it on, the static crackling as he tuned through the frequencies, hoping for any news updates on the spreading disease.

Amidst his concentration, Lucia bounded over and wrapped her arms around Isko in a warm hug.

"Hug!" Lucia exclaimed happily, squeezing her father tightly.

Isko's tension eased at his daughter's affectionate gesture. Her presence brought him a sense of peace and hope, momentarily lifting the weight of worry from his shoulders. He gently stroked Lucia's hair and smiled warmly at her.

"Papa, when will big brother come home? I want to play with him!" Lucia asked innocently, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Big brother is busy at school right now, Lucia. He'll come home soon and play with you," Isko replied softly, careful not to reveal the troubling events unfolding outside. "Why don't you help Mommy make a delicious dinner in the kitchen while we wait for him? I'm sure he'll be hungry when he gets back, and he'll need lots of energy!"

"Okay!" Lucia giggled, darting off playfully towards her mother.

Lydia smiled warmly at Lucia as she approached, carrying a plate of sizzling pork sisig to the floor where they would share their dinner together.