THE HABITAT

The world has become a place unfit to live in, Alex thought, observing episodes of exhibited human lifestyle. His right hand was on a metallic rod, keeping himself steady as the jeepney continues to move towards its destined routes. Wearing masks does not keep him away from the pollution that the environment has given not just him but its citizens. May it be noise and air, the gravity of human greed has made harmful impact to its own habitat. “change, huh?” Alex muttered. “what a joke.” He added. Looking outside the moving vehicle, he saw nothing but faces eliciting suffering and despair. The white ashes were brimming around the air covering the vision of everyone that uses eyes to see. Honking noises of parading vehicles pierces the ears like it was screaming with contempt about being born into this world. With the vehicle’s sudden turn, Alex knows that he’s near to his destination. Surely, school shouldn’t be his top priority when he wanted to change the world. But the world that he’s currently living in does not consider people with no education as credible of stepping to make an impact – change. He knows that in order to survive in this harsh world, taking steps according to what society has told them to do so is the best way to fight back.

The clinking of the coin signals the driver that the passenger has arrived to its destination. With a sudden stop, he grabbed his things and hurried towards the exit of the vehicle where he saw the university that he’s currently enrolled in.

A prestigious university everyone would say, but he saw nothing but a pile of stone garnering itself together to make itself bigger. Big enough to shape itself where they isolate potential people that has two designated ways – either to create/innovate or to destroy. Walking towards the entrance to the university, he saw a familiar face waving near the school’s entrance. “Alex!” Ivan shouted, waving his hand, trying to gain Alex’s attention. With a delight in his face, Alex immediately responded with a wave back and hurried towards his friend. “Hey.” He greeted. “Are you done with the assignment?” asked Ivan while scanning his ID at the entrance that permits them to enter. A new device that has been used by the university to secure student’s safety. “Yeah” he replied while doing the same. With the complete entrance to the university’s grounds, they walked towards their building where they found their classmates busy with their own things. A typical situation when entering the classroom when there’s no teacher around.

With the empty metallic seat in hand, he put his things on the table and he sat down to wait for the class to start. They chatted and laughed with his friends. For a moment, Alex knew that without his friends, school would be the place that he would not consider going to.

Few minutes have passed and the class finally started after one of his classmates had entered the classroom and said “Ma’am’s here!”. Thumping sounds of rushing footsteps were echoing inside the classroom. With their shoes made of hard plastic and other materials, makes it more soundly as they step onto the floor’s porcelain tiles. Their reflexes show that they are prepared in this type of circumstance. A sounding footstep of a familiar teacher has entered the classroom, she sat in front and grabbed a paper and a pen and checked the attendance. “presents” were heard during the checking and when it was done, she stood up and greeted everyone a happy morning. An entirety of different pitches and voices have been heard as they responded to the teacher’s greeting.

Alex has been close to his teacher for quite a long time, but he had never seen her emit such distressing aura. His teacher’s eyes were deep as if deprived with weeks of sleep. She’s not her usual self, a young, easy-going science teacher had been barren with life. Her acts were voided with happiness showing nothing but despair. “Ma’am, are you okay?” asked Darline who seem to notice what everyone observed. Surprisingly, the teacher suddenly sobbed. Her eyes flooded with tears in an instant. “I’m sorry, everyone. Vita in morte sumus” She said while continues to sob. The lights flickered. The doors and windows were covered with rolling shutters covering all the classroom’s entrances and views from the outside. In an instant, everything faded from white to black. A complete darkness. Screams resonated in the now lightless classroom. “What’s happening?!” everyone shouted.  A hissing sound came from almost everywhere. “Poison!” Cindy shouted, alarming everyone not to inhale the gas after her seatmate, Cherry, fell trying to check where the hissing sound came from and accidentally inhaled it. Loud banging of rattling footsteps was dominating inside the classroom. With no light to see, and Alex’s classmates rattling noises makes it harder for him to determine where the sound come from. “Use your cellphone’s flashlights! And try to cover your noses!” Alex shouted, trying to make calm towards the situation. One by one, his classmates opened their cellphone’s flashlights and flashed it onto almost every side of the classroom. “there!” Jessie shouted, pointing the ceiling that is in the middle. A large black tube was planted, releasing the toxic gas in a fleeting speed. “Also, here!” cried Kent. Pointing the back corner of the classroom. With the use of their flashlights, they determined that large black tubes were scattered among their room’s four corners and one at the ceiling. the back part might be where Cherry inhaled the toxin. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” one of Alex’s classmates screamed. There, they saw an unconscious body of their classmate, Lynne, lying on the classroom’s floor. “We’re going to die!” said Emily who is now in tears.

There’s no way out, Alex thought to himself. While trying to open the rolling shutters that are blocking their exits. The other students also tried to destroy one, especially the boys, but the action was trivial for the shutters were maid of aluminum and was locked extensively. Losing hope, and now almost out of breath, they waited for the gas to fill the classroom completely. Alex saw his classmates fall unconsciously one by one. Their eyes were brimming with sadness and guilt of maybe, dying in an unexpectedly cruel way. Alex thought one last time of his desire to change the world. But the desire of that was long gone until this scene happened. One last time, he looked at his friends who are now hugging each other. How hard could this be? Just hugging each other without talking because we’re afraid of inhaling the gas. But Alex inhaled, accepting the dreadful fate he is now facing. “Someday, I’m sure we’ll meet again.” With a tranquil voice, Alex said to his friends. Exposed of the toxic gas, his eyes turned red. I feel hot, he thought. The poison must have entered his body now, he’s having hard time to breathe. His lungs are deteriorating, denying the entrance of the poisonous gas inside his body. His friends, who are also losing the hope took painful sighs. They hugged each other and for a moment, realized how lucky they were of meeting each other. Slowly, Alex’s friends turned unconscious but didn’t fell onto the floor for they have positioned themselves to brace each other, preventing one another’s downfall. Alex tried to breathe again, but can’t. Dying this way, he could never accept. Someday, I’ll have my chance. He thought, and his precious breath has now left him.