Chapter 7: Chapter 7 – Keep moving

CAUTION IS ADVISED - this chapter has some depictions of GORE, which may be disturbing to some readers.

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I still can hear the zombie hitting the front door. I took a deep breath.

'There is no cure after turning, they're no longer humans... You saw how it ate the human he got and the pieces of meat hanging on his teeth. Don’t feel burdened. To be safe you have to eliminate nearby zombies, it is too risky to ignore. You saw the movies right? You know it's worse when there are many of them together… Just like ants can carry anything together. What more something that can tear your meat out with its mouth and hands.'

I made a mental construction, to get rid of any guilt I can feel. Breathed deeply again and looked back, seeing my mom talking with my grandma from one window.

'Yeah, they need to be in a safe place, for now I will have to make this one a safe haven in the middle of hell. We need to figure out a way to get out of the city, but not now, not without being sure everyone understands the peaceful world we grew up in is gone... Besides, I need antidotes to make sure no one will be contaminated on the way out.'

I climbed the ladder and looked down. There were two zombies in front of the door, on the right side of my position, the guy and the woman that was being eaten before. From time to time they stopped hitting the door with their hands, walked back, looked slightly up, as if smelling the air and ran hitting the front with their bodies, being pushed back a little by the impact. I swallowed hard.

The man was slightly preserved, just decomposed. He must have transformed with the virus mutation, but the woman is a tragic sight, her lips are bitten off, her chest is only a hole left, going down until the left side of the abdomen. I can see a piece of lung in the right side of her chest, the back of her ribs and her stomach moving inside out with every movement on her left side.

It wasn’t a pretty view, I still felt nauseated even as I thought I was strong against bodies after the anatomy classes, even more with the strong smell of putrid meat in the air.

I pulled a mask out of my storage, putting it in the hope of lessening the stench.

I took my bow, put an arrow in the string and, looking in the bow sight, aimed. It still feels unreal how much I know about its use, how I notice the wind and calculate mentally the right place to aim to hit my target, the zombie head, but somehow I just feel and know that's the right way. I tried the first arrow, but it hit the ground on the side of the zombie woman.

‘Again…’

I took a breath and waited for the right time. My arms feel a bit burdened, but I continued waiting… Waiting… Releasing the arrow, it cutted the air and curved, hitting in the middle of the zombie temple, lodging deep in its head, and the zombie fell aside with this impact.

‘I seems to understand better now…’

I soon took another arrow from my quiver on my back, I took aim at the other zombie and as it looked up, seeming to notice me, I released the arrow. It hit its temple too. Looking at the mission, the counting got up to 2.

‘Those two are safe hits, 20 points for me... How to find more zombies now…’

Remembering the screams in the house at our side, I got down and moved the ladder, but before climbing, I decided to get those two arrows back.

I opened the door and looked around cautiously, walked to both zombies and pulled the arrows. I was retching, this smell is awful this close and pulling the arrow out of its bones and meat is disgusting.

‘I kind of miss the corpses in anatomy classes, those only have a formaldehyde smell, not this rotten smell worse than the worst sewer I can imagine, and the best thing is: they can’t move.’

While I was distracted, walking back inside with two arrows in hand, I heard in my head a mechanical voice:

“Danger! Fallen less than a meter away.”

"Fuck!"

I ran in, pushing the door behind me, only to hear a heavy bang a second later and the door behind my back trembling. I have cold sweat falling on my back, my legs feel weak and I feel on the ground.

‘That was a close call.’

Each banging in the door seemed to hit my heart. I almost got caught because I wasn't serious enough. The feeling of death pairing above me, made me tear up.

"Arya, what happened?" Dad's voice woke me up.

After escaping the sword in my back, I didn't have any time to calm down, before the cross was put in front of me.

'Oh no, I got caught here too.'

Mother and father were at the house door, looking at me, sprawled on the floor, with dirty, bloody, arrows in hand.

‘What should I say…’

They are frowning and waiting for my answer, the bangs in the door at my back didn't leave me any room to think.

"I just... I..."

Before I could say any poor excuse, they pointed the ladder in the side.

"Sigh... I wanted to keep us safe... Those things aren't humans... you don’t have to worry, I have a bow..."

"Why are you on the floor, then?"

I didn't want to say, but I had too, with a voice as small as a mosquito, I continued:

"I was picking my arrows when another one came and I had to run inside... Just a small scare..."

"Arya, you can’t do everything alone, it's dangerous, come inside and sleep, tomorrow we will see what we will do."

"NO!" I refused, firm. How can I lose this chance to get points?!

"I won't go out, I promise, not today, but let me finish at least the danger hitting our door."

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Mom frowned and before she could say anything I continued:

"It’s not dangerous, I just need to stay inside."

Dad didn't say anything, just walking to the door, pulling the keys and leaving. Making sure I won't be able to go out.

Before going back inside, he said:

"I know you said they're not human, but why are you so sure? If it's based on what you studied until now about the human body, okay. I hope you know what you're doing and are not acting on emotion."

"I'm sure, dad, they are rotten corpses. There is no way a human could survive that..."

He nodded. My mom pulled his arm as if to protest, but he looked at her, reassuring, and held her hand, while she pursued her lips.

"I know killing them is the only way to keep us safe if those zombies, as your brother called, are not just on this street or city. Tomorrow we will decide what to do, sleep soon."

He walked in, pulling my mom, and with that, I was able to calm down. It was a bit unbelievable, it was such an easy talk.

I got back to my feet and pulled the ladder back to the front wall and climbed. There I saw three zombies hitting the door and two wandering around. I felt cold again, if I was a bit slower I would be bones by now and would implicate my family too, since the door was open while I picked the arrows. I must act more carefully from now.

'Thanks, system, your warning saved me.'

I aimed and hit the three nearby zombies first. One wandering ran to the door, attracted by the bodies falling.

I took a break, massaging my arms and hands. It was tiring work pulling and waiting for the right time to release the arrow.

‘If I ever knew the end of times would come, I would exercise every single day of my life.’

In a minute I continued, hitting the one in the door and the other two. They aren't too far, so it wasn't too difficult.

‘Now I can only get my arrows back tomorrow…’

As I put the bow back to go down, I heard a weird sound.

‘What's it?’

I focused, looking around in the direction of the sound. Finally understanding what it was, I covered my mouth with both hands, shocked. There was a zombie, even worse than the previous ones. It was crawling using one hand with a wet and cracking sound, leaving a bloody trail. No piece of skin was intact, its legs were almost only bones left. It was slowly getting closer.

Picking my bow, I pulled an arrow and got ready.

‘Not enough…’

I put more strength, pulling more, since it was still far. I felt the wind and released it, the arrow penetrated its eye, stopping forever its movements.

I glanced around one more time and got down, moving the ladder to the side wall. There I observed, there was no movement inside, I called:

"Sir Marcus? Are you there? We heard screams early? Aunty Priscila?"

I heard some hitting noises, following with my eyes I saw a zombie hitting a window on the second floor. And as predicted, it's my dad's friend. I have no hope for his wife's well being, since there is no answer after the scream earlier.

I took a moment to mourn for their souls. They're good people who moved here two years ago from the south.

“Hey, what’s it… This girl… I’m your mom’s friend, there is no need to be so formal… Just call me aunty!”

“Aunty Priscila!” I obediently called looking at that gentle smile.

“Hey, hey… That’s right…” She patted my head, “now come here, no need to be shy. There will still be some time before the barbecue is ready, do you want some cookies? I just did them this morning… What about juice?”

I teared up and looked up, remembering last summer vacation, when I visited.

‘Why did people have to die so suddenly... It’s unfair, God. Why let their body wander after death like that, hurting people, what more, people they loved dearly while alive…’

There is a big full moon today, but I'm unable to appreciate its beauty. There is only mourning for humans and for our world in my heart.

I wiped my tears.

‘Sigh… Who knows… Maybe the ones who left earlier without pain are the lucky ones…’

I smiled at myself deprecatingly. Then patted my cheeks.

‘There is no time to be depressed, I should keep moving.’

While alive, you should do what you can.

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