At 6:30 PM, in the Cainta Annex convenience store along Sumulong Highway, Maxine, a store crew member, stood behind the counter. She leaned casually, her bangs styled with blue highlights, tucking them behind her ear as she scrolled through her phone. Tattoos adorned her arms, visible as she chewed gum and occasionally blew bubbles. Curious about the emerging disease everyone was discussing, she began watching videos on her phone.

The short videos were disturbing: people running away in panic as the sick chased them, a close-up of sick individuals brutally stomping someone on the ground, another sick person aggressively expelling saliva into someone else’s mouth, and a tearful woman displaying a bleeding bite mark, recounting how she got bitten.

The tearful woman managed to say, "It's becoming hard for me to speak as my throat keeps contracting every time I try to swallow and my mouth foaming with saliva. For the sake of everyone's awareness about the spreading disease, I am recording my condition. Please keep safe and avoid being bitten. To my family—I love each and every one of you. To my viewers—thank you for staying with me until the end," before convulsing, tears streaming down her face. She lost consciousness, and upon waking, she ran away from the camera's view, turning violent as saliva leaked from her mouth.

"Is this really an infection?" she muttered to herself, becoming more aware of the outbreak.

As she continued scrolling, she came across a past livestream by Elaine Carreon at the mall. Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed through the video, and panic broke out.

Maxine was startled, choking on her gum and spitting it out in shock. "Did she just shoot that man off-camera?" she gasped, then found it oddly cool.

She then turned her attention back to the radio, where an urgent announcement from the Department of Health was being broadcast. The authorities were ordering businesses to dispose of all fish products, as they were identified as the cause of the infection.

Maxine's mind raced. She recalled the customer who had bought fish products and medicines earlier that day but had forgotten his receipt. She couldn't shake the fear that this person might have caught the virus. Anxiety bubbled up as she glanced at the CCTV camera on the ceiling, contemplating whether she should discard the products. The thought of doing so without confirmation made her nervous. If the manager saw her doing it without proper authorization, she risked getting into serious trouble and possibly being fired.

"Shit," she whispered under her breath, torn between following the directive and safeguarding her job.

Maxine tried to contact the convenience store manager, but her calls went unanswered. Sighing in frustration, she decided to follow the Department of Health's directive. She moved from behind the store counter, taking two baskets with her as she walked to the aisles of product shelves. Methodically, she began retrieving canned fish, placing them in one basket. Next, she collected all the seafood-flavored instant noodles and snacks, filling the second basket to the brim.

Once both baskets were full, Maxine made her way to the store's front door, lifting the heavy baskets containing potentially tainted fish-based products and carrying them outside to the waste bin. She discarded the products one by one, ensuring they were properly disposed of.

An old woman, who appeared to be homeless, watched curiously from a distance. To her, the food Maxine was throwing away looked perfectly fine. She couldn't understand why it was being wasted. The woman, unaware of the spreading disease, thought it was a shame to discard food that could still be eaten, even if it was beyond its expiry date. All she knew was that things seemed increasingly chaotic outside lately.

"Young lady, why are you throwing away all this food?" the old woman approached Maxine, her curiosity and need driving her forward. "Are these expired? I could take them if that's okay," she added with a hopeful smile, trying to convince Maxine to let her have the discarded items.

Recognizing the old woman instantly from their daily encounters during her shift, Maxine often shared leftover food with her after work. Now, facing her with baskets of discarded goods, Maxine hesitated before starting to explain the situation.

Maxine paused, her heart aching at the sight of the old woman's need. "I'm sorry," she began gently, "but these products might be contaminated. The Department of Health has ordered us to dispose of all fish products because they're believed to be the cause of a dangerous infection. It's not safe for anyone to consume them."

The old woman scratched her head in confusion, unaware of the crisis unfolding. "Oh, I see," she murmured, trusting Maxine's words. "I'll just head back to my place then. See you later," she added with a smile, turning to leave slowly, oblivious to the gravity of the situation Maxine had described.

Watching her go, Maxine felt a pang of worry. She knew the danger the old woman faced by being out on the streets during an outbreak, especially after witnessing the unsettling videos online and the stringent measures imposed by health authorities. Trusting her instincts, she called out to the departing woman.

"Hey, gran," Maxine called after her.

The old woman turned back, curious at the summons. "Yes, dear?"

"Why don't you stay inside the store with me? It's not safe out here," Maxine suggested earnestly. "I'll even make you some stir-fried noodles."

"We both know I can't do that," the old woman replied softly. "I'll be alright out here."

Maxine hesitated, torn between her duty to the store and concern for the woman she considered a familiar face. She followed her instinct and gently insisted, "Please, just until things settle down. I'd feel better knowing you're safe."

Maxine followed her, gently guiding the old woman as she explained the situation.

"I'm serious, gran. This spreading disease is insane. It's making people violent," Maxine stressed, trying to convey the gravity of the situation. "They beat their victims, bite, and spit into people's mouths like it's fucking rabies."

"Oh my... I do remember earlier today there was a street fight. I saw a man bite another guy. The police came and arrested him, but the person who was bitten ran away, even though he was badly hurt. Poor man, no one came to help him. I think he was afraid of being caught by the cops."

"So that's what happened. I saw that too," Maxine replied. "The person they arrested was probably sick. See? That's why you should come inside with me, gran."

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"Alrighty, I'll come with you, but I need to get my things first," the granny said.

The old woman hesitated for a moment, weighing Maxine's words against her usual routine. "Alright, I'll come with you, but I need to gather my things first," she agreed finally.

"Alright, let's go get your things," Maxine said with a determined nod, reaching out to offer her arm to the old woman. Together, they walked towards the homeless settlement, located in a makeshift waiting shed next to the busy highway.

As they approached the settlement next to the highway's pedestrian crossing, housed in a waiting shed, Maxine couldn't help but notice the makeshift structures: tattered tents and worn-out blankets spread out on the ground. The old woman navigated through the familiar paths with ease, her steps steady despite the weight of uncertainty in the air.

"Cozy place you have here, gran," Maxine said, welcoming herself to the settlement.

The old woman nodded, a wistful smile touching her lips. "It's not much, but it's home."

They reached the spot where the old woman's belongings were scattered—a few worn clothes neatly folded, a well-used rattan bed mat, and a collection of odds and ends she had gathered over time. Maxine helped her gather everything, carefully placing them into a large recycling bag.

"Is this everything, gran?" Maxine asked, double-checking to ensure nothing was left behind.

"Yes, dear. Thank you for helping me," the old woman replied gratefully, her weathered hands patting Maxine's arm gently.

Together, they made their way back to the convenience store, the plastic bag filled with the old woman's belongings feeling heavier with each step. Maxine couldn't shake off the worry about what lay ahead, but she was glad the old woman had agreed to come with her. As they returned to the safety of the store, Maxine knew they had made the right decision in seeking refuge together.

As Maxine caught her breath, she listened intently to the alarming news on the radio about quarantine zones being set up across the Philippines with military assistance. The gravity of the situation sank in.

"You've got to be kidding me," Maxine muttered, her disbelief evident. "They're setting up quarantine zones? Things must be really bad out there."

The old woman looked at Maxine with growing concern. "What's a quarantine zone, dear?"

Maxine paused, trying to find the right words. "It's a place where they'll keep people who might be sick to stop the infection from spreading. But in this situation, they will keep the people away from the sick."

Her mind raced back to the people she had seen with bags, realizing they were likely evacuating to escape the chaos.

"So that's why people were leaving," Maxine murmured to herself, connecting the dots. "But where are they going? The quarantine zones haven't been announced yet, but everyone seems to want to head there already."

Deciding quickly, Maxine headed to the staff room, grabbing the key to the store shutter. She returned to the main area, determined to secure the store before potential trouble arrived.

"Gran, I'm closing down the store," Maxine informed the old woman firmly as she headed towards the front door. "Stay here where it's safe."

Outside, as she began pulling down the metal shutter, a figure darted towards her, slipping into the narrowing gap just in time.

"Wait, don't close it yet!" the man exclaimed breathlessly.

Startled, Maxine recoiled, "You scared the shit out of me," she snapped. "Are you sick?"

The man quickly shook his head, lifting his shirt to show he wasn't concealing anything. Maxine motioned for him to stop, her heart racing with adrenaline.

"Okay, okay, I get it," she said, trying to calm herself.

"No, miss, I'm not sick," the man insisted urgently. "I was just selling street food across the highway from my cart," he explained. "Suddenly, chaos broke out. People started running, so I did too. The sick people, they're chasing anyone they see on the street and attacking them. It's dangerous out there—we need to close this store before they come after us."

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Maxine nodded tersely. "Fine, just help me close the store."

Together, they hurried to lower the shutter completely, securing it against the growing chaos outside. As they stepped back into the now dimly lit store, Maxine couldn't shake the feeling that they had narrowly avoided a potentially dangerous encounter.

As Maxine and the man who had managed to get inside recoiled from the commotion outside, a loud banging on the store shutter startled them both. A man's voice, filled with anger and desperation, demanded to be let in.

"Open up!" the voice shouted, pounding on the metal shutter. "Let me in, damn it!"

The tension inside the store heightened. Maxine exchanged a tense glance with the man beside her, both unsure of what to do next. With a swift motion, Maxine began to open the shutter, driven by a mix of caution and concern. As the shutter rose, the man outside with a big stomach, carrying a game fowl transport box, lunged forward aggressively.

Before he could utter another word, Maxine intervened, halting his advance.

"I need to see proof that you're not sick," Maxine stated firmly, her tone resolute as she kept her distance.

"I'm not sick, you bitch!" the man protested vehemently. He hastily lifted his shirt to show no bite marks. "They were chasing me—now, close that damn shutter!"

With urgency, he hurried into the store, brushing past Maxine.

From a distance, they both spotted sickly figures with frenzied movements and foaming mouths running towards the convenience store.

"Hey, at least help us close the shutter!" Maxine shouted at the fleeing man, her adrenaline surging. She quickly joined forces with the man who had entered first. Together, they struggled to lower the shutter, cursing the man who had abandoned them. "Fuck!"

With the infected individuals almost at their heels, they managed to secure the shutter just in time. The muffled screams and hisses of the infected reverberated through the metal as they pounded futilely against it.

Maxine swiftly locked the shutter with the key, her hands trembling with fear and adrenaline. Inside the store, she collapsed to the floor, her heart racing from the close call. After a moment to catch her breath, Maxine stood up, wiping sweat from her brow with a shaky hand. Anger boiled within her as she clenched her fists.

"I swear, I'll beat him up for leaving us like that," Maxine muttered fiercely, her voice edged with fury as she prepared to confront the man who had endangered them.

The other man followed closely behind her, attempting to calm her down and prevent a potential altercation. Maxine stormed into the store, her fists clenched with anger, while the man who had helped close the shutter attempted to calm her, blocking her path.

"Let it go, miss, it's not worth it," he pleaded.

"What's your name again?" Maxine demanded, glaring at him.

"It's Agapito," Agapito 'Pitoy' Mercado replied nervously, introducing himself to a cool chic. "But you can call me Pitoy."

"Move the fuck out, Pitoy. I need to deal with this ungrateful shit," Maxine said sharply, pushing past him to search for the man who had abandoned them. "He brought them here, yet he didn't even bothered helping us close the fucking shutter. They almost got us because of him."

Pitoy glanced over and noticed a homeless old woman inside the store, suddenly understanding Maxine's frustration, thinking that her safety was compromised. Maxine scanned the store until she spotted the man in the beverage section, casually selecting alcoholic drinks from the refrigerator. With resolve in her eyes, Maxine marched purposefully toward him.

"Hey," she called out.

The man turned around, a smirk on his face, holding drinks in his arms. Without hesitation, Maxine delivered a swift blow to his face with her fist. It was payback for leaving them to close the shutter alone after bringing the infected, putting them all at risk, and then fleeing into the store.

"That's for leaving and endangering us, oh, and calling me a 'bitch,'" she sneered, then spat at the man. "Pussy."

The force of Maxine's punch caused the man to stagger backward, his grip on the alcoholic drinks slipping. With a crash, the bottles shattered on the floor, alcohol spilling everywhere in a messy puddle of glass and liquid. The man touched his bloody lip from the punch, noticed the spit on his clothes, clenched his fist, and looked ready to strike back at Maxine, escalating the situation into a fight.