“sir, we’re lost. can you help us?” angelo told the first man who opened his barricaded door for them. angelo was with his best friend romina, and his sister jackie. the three of them had been looking for a refuge since the dead started rising from their grave.

“of course, son. of course.” the man ushered the three of them inside his house. bolting the door shut, as soon as the last of them was in. the man’s door was full of deadbolts.

“you have a lovely home, sir.” romina had always been the polite one. angelo wouldn’t have called the house lovely. quaint, maybe. with a touch of eerie.

jackie wasn’t as nice as romina. “what’s that smell? it’s like something died in here.”

angelo caught the man react to jackie’s statement. he nudged his sister. she could really be tactless some times.

“hey! i was just saying the truth. aren’t you and mom always nagging me to be honest?” jackie was defensive, which normally prompts angelo to nag on her some more. but they’ve long left the territory of normal.

“it’s okay, son.” the hospitable man said with a sad smile. “she’s right. someone did die here.” angelo watched as the man move towards a desk crammed full with photos of a young girl. the man’s daughter, from the looks of it.

“we’re sorry for your loss, sir.” angelo said. romina kept quiet throughout the exchange.

“i assume you kids are hungry?”

“are there any other people in the house, sir?” romina asked.

the man started. and then he smiled. “of course. i welcome everyone. i’m willing to help out whomever needs help.”

“ah.” romina smiled. “so someone came before us.”

“how can you tell?” angelo looked around the room. he wouldn’t have been able to tell if the man had been living alone for years, or have been entertaining guests for every day that he was alive.

“it’s the little things,” romina replied. and left it at that.

angelo was starting to get that ominous feel that something wasn’t right. the man had left them alone, having gone to where the kitchen was, angelo supposed. “guys, do you think we should stay here?”

”kuya,” jackie said in the whiny voice angelo have always hated. “where else can we go? we’re out on the streets! we don’t exactly have a lot of options.”

“but, there’s just—” angelo turned to where the man had disappeared off to. “i don’t have a good feeling about this house.”

“i don’t have a good feeling about what’s happening outside,” jackie retorted darkly.

“guys, don’t fight.” romina placed a finger on her lips, motioning for the siblings to keep quiet. “do you hear that?”

“no.”

angelo listed intently. it was as if someone upstairs was wimpering. and then, a muffled scream.

“what’s up there?” jackie asked, taking a step towards the stairs.

“i don’t think i want to find out,” romina turned to the front door. the one with all the deadbolts. “whatever is up there, we can’t leave the way we came in.”

the deadbolts were all in place—and all the keys were with the man.

and then they heard something moving from the stairs. a child, around 6 or 7 years old, was walking down the stairs slowly. as if afraid to fall.

a door slammed shut. the child’s movements picked up pace. soon, it reached the last step.

angelo wondered where their host was.

”kuya, it’s her.” jackie whispered, “the man’s daughter.”

that’s when angelo noticed the exact movements of the child. as if some of her bones were broken. it was unnatural. he turned to where their host had disappeared to. he knew they wouldn’t get help from there.

“it’s just one child. we can take her.” angelo grabbed the nearest wooden object he could find. a make-shift walking stick.

“i don’t think we can take all of them.” romina pointed towards the stairs. sure enough, a dozen of the dead were pouring down from the stairs. one of the dead looked very fresh.

angelo, jackie and romina were cornered. there was no getting out of this one.