I can't believe this is actually happening. This is the moment I've been waiting for… though not exactly like this.
Hi, I'm Natasha, from Sri Lanka. Two weeks ago, I was supposed to sit for my O/L exams. Now I'm hiding in someone else's house, trying to stay alive — from people who used to be normal but now just want to bite anything that moves.
I can't believe I'm actually sitting here, all alone, in our house. Mom and my little sister went to our grandparents' place — more than 200 km away — leaving me to… survive. Yay.
Break time at home = me mindlessly scrolling TikTok. Big mistake. I stumble upon some news clip: three Chinese men acting super weird at Bandaranaike International Airport. People are whispering about it being an "experiment gone wrong." My first thought? "Cool… as if my life wasn't stressful enough with O/Ls in two weeks." My second thought? "Do I even have enough snacks to last if the world ends?"
And then it hits me — the weirdness isn't on TikTok anymore. The power flickers. Dogs bark like they're auditioning for a horror movie. And suddenly, I feel like I should… maybe not stay on TikTok. Maybe I should actually look outside.
Okay… today has officially been the weirdest day of my life. And I don't say that lightly — last week my math teacher made me solve 20 equations in 10 minutes without a calculator, and this tops it.
I peeked outside — just a tiny peek, I swear — and saw some of the neighbors. Big mistake. They were outside… super, super drunk. Arms flailing, yelling at each other, and apparently arguing about a goat? A GOAT, Natasha, seriously. I almost laughed — but then remembered I'm trying to stay alive.
Naturally, I hid. Because when my neighbors start talking, they never stop. You could be hiding in a bunker, starving, and they'd still manage to explain their entire weekend plans in excruciating detail. The awkwardness alone could kill me faster than a zombie ever could.
After a few minutes of tip-toeing around the house like a ninja (I think my little brother would be proud), I grabbed my school bag. Don't ask why I even packed it — I barely use it for school. Inside? Just a napkin, some duct tape, and a half-empty water bottle. Perfect survival kit, right? Totally prepared for the end of the world.
Curiosity got the better of me. I crept outside. The air smelled… wrong. Like something metallic, mixed with smoke, and maybe… a hint of burnt popcorn? I don't even know. And then I saw him.
A man. Running. Like a cartoon character sprinting for the ice cream truck. Only… he wasn't chasing ice cream. He was screaming and flailing his arms like he just discovered fire for the first time. And his face — oh God, his face — it looked like he hadn't slept in months, and possibly hadn't brushed his teeth in even longer. I swear I nearly dropped my duct tape in shock.
I panicked. Instantly. My brain screamed, Hide! Hide! Hide! — and I did. Behind the HiJet van parked at their house (thankfully, nobody had taken it for a joyride yet). Heart pounding like a drumline in a parade, I held my breath. If he saw me now… I don't even want to imagine.