Hey! I've thought about it and decided to upload one chapter on MWFS. I don't want to get burnt out or give you guys lousy content. I also want to avoid going on hiatus due to mental block or stress. And if I ever missed a day of uploading, I will make it up the next day. The beginning was a bit shaky and the focus deviated from the protagonist, but Volume 1 was meant to be Finn's "background story” in the first place so... Honestly, I could have done it in like 15 chapters. It's something I always beat myself up about because I know I could’ve done better. This could have been avoided had I spent more time editing it but anyways, I’ll do my best on Volume 2.
"Ha! I was such a fool not to have noticed this," muttered Augustus as he stared at the tick-like device in his hand. Without hesitation, he dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe, destroying it completely.Once satisfied, he turned around and locked eyes with Franklin."Shall we go?" Franklin asked, to which Augustus nodded."Yeah, let's go."With those words, Augustus climbed into the van as Jimmy revved the engine. They were leaving Wantuki for good, with no intention of returning. That person already knew about that place, and it would only be a matter of time before it became a dangerous situation. They were heading south. And once they get there, they will start planning their next move.Following closely behind in a solar-powered car were Sam, Adara, the unconscious Elena, and Dr. Martinez. Inside the van, they had the unconscious Bloat, Franklin, Augustus, Jimmy, and Finn, just in case the Bloat woke up and started to rampage. Though Franklin believed it to b
It all started three years ago, everything was normal. People went to work and students went to school, unaware of the disaster that was headed their way. At the root of it all was an illegal breeding center, known for producing rare and dangerous canines. Shielded by the mafias, they flourished undetected for years. Yet, in a humorous twist of faith, nature pulled its own practical joke. One of their dogs became infected with a peculiar strain of rabies, or so the people liked to believe. Regular rabies typically results in fever, difficulty in swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, seizures, and paralysis leading to death. However, this unique variety of rabies causes aggressive behavior, altered perception, and enhanced physical abilities. And just to clarify, when they refer to enhanced physical abilities, they don’t mean infected individuals will suddenly gain superhero-like strength to lift yachts while casually enjoying ice cream. Instead, it simply means that rabies wi
VOLUME 1: Decay August 5th, Saturday, 9:32 p.m., Eldorado City. Finn paced back and forth inside a tiny studio apartment, his stomach growling with hunger and his head pounding from the lack of sleep. He sneaked a peek through the window blinds, muttering irritably, “Can’t you guys just leave already?” Different types of zombies filled the streets. Fat, thin, tall, and short. They wandered about, attacking anyone they came across. Then he went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet but when nothing flowed out, he couldn’t resist the urge to kick it over and over again until it broke. “And no water too!” He curled himself in the bathtub and bit his nails until they bled. “I’m gonna die,” he muttered, his voice trembling. “I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die.” After some time, he pulled out his phone from his hoodie pocket. Only 3% battery left. He couldn’t charge it anymore either because the power went down three days ago. The last message he got was from his brother,
[A/N: This is still the same story. I swear. This chapter is not a mistake.] August 6th, Sunday, 7:21 a.m., Cedar Avenue. A van covered in solar panels stopped under the narra tree just beside the road where few zombies roamed. “Still, you’re really brave, huh, Franklin. I don’t think I’d ever eat meat for the rest of my life.” Said Adara to her oldest brother. They were inside the van, eating. She and Jimmy were having boiled sweet potatoes while Franklin had some rabbit jerky. The three of them had the same shade of auburn hair that they pulled into a low pony and the same hooded, brown eyes. There was definitely no denying they were siblings. “Why? It’s a good source of protein and last time I remember, you were such a bacon fiend.” “Well, eating meat has been fun till you’ve become one of the meat. Plus can’t you see those things outside? They’re all just a walking sack of decaying meat.” “Enough, Adara. Let other people eat.” It was Jimmy, an ex-military, and the middle si
August 6th, Sunday, 9:16 a.m., Eldorado City. Finn gathered all the courage he had, bit the neck of his hoodie to prevent himself from screaming, and with one quick motion, he pushed himself up the floor. He let out pain-filled moans as he did that. “Hnng! Uh… Haa…” Sweat trickled down his forehead and down to his cheeks. He felt like passing out. He desperately looked around him and saw there was still some stuff left on the second floor. Few impractical clothes—string bikinis and such. They wouldn’t protect against zombie attacks. Still, he collected them to use as bandages. Seeing himself in the broken dressing cubicle mirror across from him, he couldn’t quite decide which was worse: Duct tapes and cardboard cutouts or colorful string bikinis. ‘Rainbow turd…’ And… He was somehow hurt by what he thought. But then, he noticed something surprising: his wounds weren't bleeding. The blood pooling around him had come from elsewhere, leaving him bewildered yet oddly relieved. ‘Is
August 6th, Sunday, 11:30 a.m., Eldorado Hospital. Finn got out of the car and limped towards the hospital. ‘What the heck was that thing earlier?’ He wondered. ‘Though I’m grateful and all but that must be the mutation thing, huh.’ Then he paused to catch some breath. ‘Ha! Why must everything be painful? Why must that thing have to end so fast?’ Like he expected, the place was completely vacated. Having been abandoned for almost three years, it had started to slowly deteriorate, becoming an empty and decaying structure. The air hung heavy as he limped through the entrance, carrying the musty scent of neglect. The reception area, once a bustling hub of activity, was now a desolate space filled with overturned chairs and a faded, disheveled reception desk. He limped further into the hall. Rusty gurneys lie discarded in twisted angles, covered in tattered white sheets. His footsteps echoed but rather than wasting time scanning the area, he started searching for painkillers. But ala
The smell of peanut butter and coffee wafted into his nostrils which reminded him of his hunger.“Oh, you’re awake. You want some?” Offered Dr. Martinez. He was on the floor preparing the MRE (meal ready to eat). He only had three packs remaining.“I’d greatly appreciate it.”A single cracker smeared with peanut butter in one corner and half a cup of sugarless coffee was all Dr. Martinez gave him but he was grateful enough for these. He had been starving for who knows how long already.“If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you get locked in there?” Asked Finn.Dr. Martinez just laughed—a helpless one. “T’was my daughter. I got bitten by a dog and she locked me in there in case I turned into a zombie and… that’s it. She said she wouldn't want to fight me if it came down to it and the dog wasn’t even infected, I swear. Just a normal dog. I know because it was three days ago when that happened and I’m still human. What about you? Why are you here? You never separate from your brother.”Fin
Finn screamed in searing pain. He could almost feel his flesh boil as they slowly tore apart. He repeatedly slammed his head against the dirt from the raging headache as though somebody put a wedge in every crack of his skull. All that while his limbs shot in all directions—he was miserable. The opioid stood no match.Zombies started to gather around him but surprisingly enough, they—who normally didn’t hesitate to sink their teeth into somebody else’s flesh—didn’t attack him. They simply stood around him, seemingly confused. Finn was in the middle of transitioning into one of them. At this point, Finn wasn’t quite human. Not quite a zombie either.He shouldn’t be transitioning until the 48-hour mark but for some reason, it happened early.Then amidst it all, a gunshot reverberated. It came from a man at the side of the van—a beefy, tall man. Beside him was a petite woman who was a bit taller than average.“What do you think, Jimmy?” Said the woman. “And that—that person was supposed
"Ha! I was such a fool not to have noticed this," muttered Augustus as he stared at the tick-like device in his hand. Without hesitation, he dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe, destroying it completely.Once satisfied, he turned around and locked eyes with Franklin."Shall we go?" Franklin asked, to which Augustus nodded."Yeah, let's go."With those words, Augustus climbed into the van as Jimmy revved the engine. They were leaving Wantuki for good, with no intention of returning. That person already knew about that place, and it would only be a matter of time before it became a dangerous situation. They were heading south. And once they get there, they will start planning their next move.Following closely behind in a solar-powered car were Sam, Adara, the unconscious Elena, and Dr. Martinez. Inside the van, they had the unconscious Bloat, Franklin, Augustus, Jimmy, and Finn, just in case the Bloat woke up and started to rampage. Though Franklin believed it to b
A little earlier, just before midnight, a helicopter hovered above the Wantuki Forest Camp. It came to a stop near a clearing where a large, makeshift tent stood. Surrounding the tent were three vehicles. The radio crackled to life, and a voice broke through the static, commanding, "Drop the bomb." Without hesitation, the pilot pressed the red button, encased in thick glass. The bomb plummeted down, landing precisely on Augustus' red, solar-powered car. An explosion followed, scattering debris in all directions and creating a loud noise that startled everyone in the tent, rousing them awake. Jimmy was the first to react. He quickly grabbed his gun and cautiously looked outside. To his surprise, a helicopter was descending to the ground. Without wasting a moment, Sam quickly took a seat and headed towards his brother, who was sleeping outside the tent in the opposite direction of the helicopter. Once he was certain that Finn was safe, he made his way over to Franklin to ask for advice
Everything— the bones, tissues, muscles, flesh, and skin— had started fixing itself up. It was like this gooey, bubbling slime that melted together. And to make it even wilder, Finn's body started absorbing the flesh from the corpses Dr. Martinez stitched on him, making it his own."What the heck is going on?" It was Adara, and just like the others, her jaw dropped to the floor the moment she saw what was unfolding."It's... It's repairing itself. It's repairing itself." Sam thought he was losing his mind and had begun seeing things. However, contrary to his fear, Finn's body was actually repairing itself. If that wasn't a miracle, he didn't know what it was.Then Finn started to let out low, guttural moans, implying that he was trying to fight something inside him and was struggling.His limbs convulsed and jerked slightly, causing Sam to nearly jump up from the floor to check on his brother. However, Augustus intervened."Oi! Hold on there, young lad. Interrupting now could ruin the
“Augustus?” muttered Franklin. His eyes widened with shock. "W-Why are you here?" Franklin stammered. "Aren't you supposed to be up north?"Augustus, the man, had a grave expression on his face. "Uh, let's just say things got a bit messy up there. Look!" He raised his stub, "I even lost a few pounds!""N-No. That doesn't make sense. And George too. He's been missing since the leap. I don't even know where he is at this point. Is he even alive? We couldn't do another leap without him. After all the things we did, is this really the end?" Franklin was starting to get paranoid. The stress that had piled up over the last few years had finally reared its head."Franklin, just take a breath," Augustus said, trying to calm him down. "It's not all bad news, you know? I actually did it. I created the formula. T’was tough, and sadly, I only managed to make two. But hey, let's focus on the positives. We've got the formula now. That's something worth celebrating, right? We finally have a way to f
It was dark, and a large makeshift tent was set up next to the van, which was covered in solar panels. Inside, three bodies lay still. One was the Bloat, the other was Finn, and the third belonged to Elena. All three of them were unconscious. Franklin had just injected the blue formula into Elena. Dr. Martinez could only watch, hoping that everything would go as planned.Jimmy guarded the entrance with a gun slung over his shoulder, fatigue evident on his eyes. Inside, only Sam, Franklin, Adara, Dr. Martinez, and Brad were present. Franklin insisted that Brad had to stay, explaining he had something important to tell him.Sam had been silent since earlier, his eyes fixed on Finn, his mind buzzing with various thoughts.Just then, Franklin spoke.“Everyone. While we wait for this woman to wake up, listen up. Especially you, Brad. I’ve noticed that people tend to follow your lead around here, so I think it's only right for you to be the one to break the news.”All eyes turned to him.“T
Previously, Franklin said to Sam, “I lack evidence to support my claims right now. I also understand if you believe I’m going crazy and fabricating these wild stories in my head. That's only logical. It’s entirely up to you whether you choose to believe or not. Just watch me and see for yourself whether I am trustworthy.” Franklin spoke these words upon realizing that his words alone would not be enough to convince anyone. In fact, he had anticipated this outcome and had planned to substantiate his claims through his actions. “However, if you do happen to trust me, I would greatly appreciate your support in the future,” he added. Just then, a commotion caught their attention. Realizing that their conversation was going nowhere, they decided to investigate what was going on. They were greeted by the sight of Dr. Martinez brandishing his knife, protecting the convulsing woman behind him. A soon as Franklin saw this situation, he immediately understood what was going on. But if there
“Indeed, Adara. I truly appreciate your thorough recollection. It makes things faster,” commented Franklin, with a light glimmer of amusement in his eyes, or perhaps not. However, Sam didn’t share the same sentiment. His patience was waning, and he found himself contemplating a swift blow to Franklin’s jaw, he just wouldn’t get straight to the point. But despite this mounting frustration, Sam managed to restrain himself. “Okay. But before I tell you the truth, I want all three of you to swear that no matter what comes out of my mouth next, it will stay between us.” Franklin made himself clear. “That’s pretty obvious,” Adara retorted with impatience. “But surely, there’s no way you’re holding onto some top-secret intel that could possibly cause world destruction, right?” But to her astonishment, Franklin’s reply was not what she had anticipated. “I do,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I do in fact possess the knowledge that could potentially lead to world destruction, Adara.” “But… Bu
Franklin gestured to Jimmy, signaling him to shoot. In response, Jimmy promptly aimed and fired at Finn’s legs, causing Finn to collapse to the ground, unconscious.Witnessing the events unfold, Sam’s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively made a move to rush towards Finn. However, Franklin swiftly intervened, blocking Sam’s path.“Fiiiiiiiinn!” Sam screamed, his voice filled with desperation, as he vehemently attempted to break free from Franklin’s hold.“He’s alive! He’s not dead! If we hadn’t acted, the people here would’ve killed him. You get that, right?” Franklin said, maintaining eye contact with Sam. “If you do, then come with me. I’ve already instructed my siblings on what to do. Right now, we need to have a talk.”After a moment of hesitation, Sam chose to place his trust in the person standing before him. ‘He appears to know what he’s doing,’ Sam thought to himself. With a nod to Dr. Martinez, Sam followed Franklin into the van.Despite his concern for his brother, Sam
Like what occurred on that day, Finn’s vision started to flicker rapidly, and then a light appeared. It was a small, silver light that looked similar to an electrical spark, pulsating at the back of his head. He could see it. And similarly on that day, he felt a surge of power coursing through him, briefly making him feel unstoppable. Before he realized it, he was already hurtling towards the Bloat, launching into a relentless attack. The Bloat barreled forward, its robust physique rippling with raw might, its veins coursing with an ominous green hue. Its eyes blazed with an intensity that could strike fear into even the most fearless hearts. In an earth-shaking clash, the two met in the middle of the hall. The Bloat unleashed a mighty fist, determined to shatter Finn’s skull. The blow missed its mark as Finn swiftly dodged, seizing the opportunity to retaliate with a powerful roundhouse kick. His leg swept through the air, intent on delivering a fatal blow to his opponent but the