The Apocalypse: Chapter 1 "The Normal Life"

Hi, my name is Joshua. I’m a Senior High School student living in Bohol, Philippines, though I spent most of my childhood in Cebu City. I’m just a simple guy who minds his own business, someone who loves music and enjoys the quiet parts of life. For a long time, everything felt normal.

But all of that changed ten years ago.

It was a Saturday morning, and I woke up earlier than usual. My friends Joseph and Jamester had forced me into meeting them at the mall. They wanted us to meet at 10 a.m. sharp, and since it was two against one, I didn’t really have a choice. Honestly, I’m not a morning person, especially on weekends, so I took longer than expected to get ready.

By the time I grabbed a cab and sped toward the mall, it was already 9:20. Somehow, I made it just in time—exactly 10:00 a.m. I rushed inside, and there they were, waiting at the restaurant, grinning at me.

“Late as always, aye,” Joseph teased, his usual sarcasm showing.

“Sorry guys, I tried my best,” I said, catching my breath.

We ate lunch at Chimon, a Japanese restaurant we all loved. Jamester loved Japanese food the most—he practically lived off sushi and ramen. After eating, we strolled around the mall, checking out stores and just hanging out like we always did.

Then Joseph excused himself.

“Hey bros, I’ll just head to the restroom. Wait for me here.”

“Alright,” I replied.

While waiting, Jamester and I started talking about the future.

“I’ll probably go to Manila to pursue acting,” he said, eyes full of determination.

“That’s awesome, bro. Go chase it—I believe in you,” I replied with a smile.

We talked for a while, maybe fifteen minutes, before we started to wonder why Joseph was taking so long. That’s when a man suddenly rushed out of the restroom, pale and terrified, as if he had seen the devil himself.

Jamester and I exchanged nervous looks. Without a word, we hurried to the restroom.

“Help!” a voice screamed from inside.

It was Joseph.

We froze. My stomach dropped. Slowly, we pushed the door open—and what we saw nearly stopped my heart.

Joseph was on the floor, struggling beneath something… something that looked human, but wasn’t. Its skin was pale and rotten, its eyes empty and lifeless. Its mouth was wide open, snapping hungrily at Joseph’s neck.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. My legs trembled, my chest tightened, and my brain screamed at me to run.

“Are you guys just gonna stand there, or are you going to help me?!” Joseph shouted, desperate.

Jamester snapped into action. He grabbed my water bottle and shoved it into the creature’s mouth, buying us a split second. Together, we pushed the thing off Joseph and bolted out of the restroom, slamming the door behind us.

The three of us stood there, gasping for breath, our faces pale. None of us had to say it out loud—we all knew it.

Our world has just changed forever.

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