“Thank God…”

Seeing everyone inside, I could finally feel relieved.

Outside there were three small mounds formed, with the three new fresh bodies I had to shoot in the meantime.

'He still had the nerve to say I'm impulsive and not careful enough before…'

I thought, pouting, my hand over my overworked heart, who now I'm sure is not prone to heart arrest.

'Thank God I didn't fail… Thank God…'

☆☆☆

A few minutes prior…

'Things are too tranquil, in this way, there is no use going out, they won't feel any burden…'

John saw the bodies scattered in the ground, while almost picking all arrows.

'Let's prolong it…'

John put the arrows inside and walked out, pulling a few bodies and making mounds.

“Daddy”, John heard Arya's call, “come back, please, there is no need to do that.”

Her pleading voice made him feel bad, but he steeled his heart.

'They’re too young, it's okay to be afraid, but you can't hesitate in the middle of real danger...'

“We need to burn these soon, if we will stay here.”

He told the kids, while his finger grazed his gun on his belt under the shirt, only his wife knew he still had one at home after retiring.

'Yeah, at least here I can still control the danger with this, if needed.'

His nephews and son walked to his side soon, helping and guarding.

'Good, they can act without being directed.'

John glanced, always keeping everything in his sight, guard up, ready to act, even as he seemed relaxed.

“Later, dad, later we think about it, come back.”

Arya's whispered voice came again, her head looking around frantically.

John suppressed a sigh, choosing to not answer.

'The kid needs to learn to act more concealed, hide her emotions and especially to read people, to not give your back to the wrong person.'

At this point, John had a bitter taste in his mouth, remembering the unpleasantness of the previous day.

'None will show up?'

As he was almost giving up, putting a body in the third mound, while Max and Justin pulled the last ones a meter away, he saw one showing up in an alley, he counted the seconds.

'Forty-eight…'

Only then Arya released an arrow and hit the monster's head. John walked to the body, making sure it didn't move in the slightest before crouching to pull the body, pausing a moment, one hand going to his belt.

From the corner he saw:

'There is another…'

His nephews and son were at a safe distance.

'It's okay, let's use it as a test.'

He walked four steps back, pulling the body, without losing sight of the zombie who wandered closer.

Two more steps, before putting his hand on the belt again. It got to somewhere the others could see.

'One, two… thirteen…'

He heard some gaspings, before he heard the sound of something cutting through the air beside his ear, and hitting between its eyes.

'Good girl.'

He was proud of his daughter, even as he never knew when she learned archery.

Giving the body he was holding to Justin, John reached the new body, pulled it up and straightened just in time to see another one running out of the alley in their direction.

With one hand, he held the body up as a shield, the other hand reaching for the gun, the impact didn't come.

He let go of the gun with a smile blossoming in his face.

‘Those are my kids!’

Kevin hit the zombie strongly, who fell back like a potato bag and before it got up, an arrow struck it’s eyes, stopping it’s movement forever.

John hardly controlled his smile, before hearing Justin whisper:

“Uncle, that gun…?”

“Shhh… we will talk later.”

☆☆☆

Everyone had gone to clean up and I stayed in place looking at my arrows, unable to figure out where to begin.

‘Should I wash it like dishes?’

I clenched my lips together, worried. I’m not too keen on doing it.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

‘What later? Will I keep washing it? Or… Should I just keep it like this? But… Isn’t it dangerous? If you cut yourself, maybe the virus will enter your organism easier? That would explain how people got infected after being bitten and hurt, right? Or maybe there is a kind of venom in their teeth? But the system said it was caused by a mutated virus… but… why the name antidote then? Not serum? System?’

No answer. Shaking my head from one side to another, I have to give up for now.

‘I can use those for zombies and the clean ones will be kept to hunt food, if the opportunity arises… I just need to be somewhat careful.’

I checked the bag my dad put them on. It’s sturdy and won’t be cut by them, unless I purposefully force the tip until it passes through the fabric.

‘Just to be sure I will put more cloth inside to protect the bag…’

…

I arranged that, took a fast bath, wearing breathable clothes, besides my protective gear, still hidden.

Back in the live room I found everyone, food was on the table. A cheerful voice soon came:

"Oh, my savior is finally here! Thank you for yesterday," he got up, approaching me, he tried to pick my hand, "I know you had to do those things to save, no need to worry, I will help you explain…"

Something in that caused me repulsion, and it wasn't just his 'kind' words.

Before he touched me, I stepped back, struggling to maintain the disgust out of my expression.

"Huh? Pfft… I don't bite…"

He laughed it out and sat back, smiling harmless and talking to my uncle Fern.

"Well, everyone is here, the food is on the table, you can help yourselves."

Mom's voice sounded, while she put a bunch of plates on the table.

I, who was closer, was the first to pick my food, choosing a stool by the counter.

The middle generation (uncles, aunties, mom and dad) choose to let the younger and older eat first.

When Luna sat in my right side, whispering:

"Is it me, or that guy is greasy?"

"No need to think about it, he won't stay with us."

She glanced at me, seeing my firm eyes, she stayed silent, eating.

☆☆☆

Minutes later...

"What are you doing?" A monotone voice sounded.

I jumped in place, turning back, only to see Luna's deadpan face and Max with his arms crossed and raising an eyebrow.

"Don't even make excuses."

Max completed.

"Ughh… okay, but I need to. I already killed the zombies in there and just need to search for food and get my arrows in the way…"

"Alone? Didn't you promise daddy?"

"Aren't you here now? Besides, I only promised to not be impulsive, be careful and not let anything happen to us."

"And what will you say to daddy when he notices?"

"That's a problem for later, which I don't have anymore, now that you're here,"

I put my thumbs up, "okay, no kidding, you know dad wouldn’t let me. There are many people here, the food won't last. And if we don't get it now, the perishable food will go bad soon, we have a blackout for who knows how many blocks, maybe the whole city…"

"Okay, okay, we get it. Justin and Kevin are distracting everyone… We just need to be fast, that means you c…", said Max, but was interrupted.

"That means you need more help, right?"

Hearing another voice I couldn't help facepalming.

'It was supposed to be a solo operation, to slide some of my things inside.'

I hide my frustration, while seriously looking at each face, Luna's, Max's and Gael's.

"Still, there is no way you can go there, as I said…"

"Do not fear, dear sister!" Luna interrupted, smirking, "you don't know it, since it's only been a week ago, but daddy bought another ladder, it's still in a box."

The finger I just raised to argue, was put down.

"Sigh… okay, but we need to get it fast, before they notice all of us are gone. You two go, Max will keep guard and I will go up first to check the other side."

Everyone agreed and began moving.

I checked everything in view and made sounds, nothing showed up. Looking back Max was focused, so I climbed the wall, one leg on each side, clenching them and my abdominal muscles to strongly keep me in place.

"Hey…"

Before I could move the ladder, Max noticed me and held it.

"Help me push it up, I will put this one on the other side first, so we only need to put the other here to go to the other side and back…"

He didn't question any further, helping me.

"I will go first, remember to let someone keep guard~"

Down there, I pulled a tactical knife from my space and stood scanning everything and walking slowly around the backward.

Passing each body, I made sure there was no movement. Each body I passed, I frowned more.

‘Something is different… But what?’

There was something bugging me in my mind.

'Wait… This kid…'

Passing down a tree, where a child's body was under, I understood the incongruence while looking down at it.

'Wasn't he whole?'

I heard some intense rustling of leaves above my head. Drops of something cold and sticky fell on my arm.

"Thump, thump, thump…" I felt cold all over, my heart bumped against my rib cage with all its might, preparing to battle.

Before even thinking, I ran backwards, fastly, partially jumping back. Looking up I trembled.

There I saw a vulture with many guts hanging from its mouth. It looked at me with creepy dark eyes with bits of withish, as if leaking from the middle and expanding outward.

I glanced at my arm, some red blackish contaminated blood sticking to it.

'Fuck…'

I didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots.

I put the knife back and pulled an arrow.

'What will I do if I don't hit and this thing comes to me?'

In place I continued to stare at it for a minute.

Seeing I didn't move, the vulture moved its head back and forth, continuing to swallow its meal.

My arm was already tired, but I didn't dare to put it down. I backed away slowly, trying to not startle it, stopping a few meters away.

Not feeling threatened anymore, the vulture flew down to the body and pulled another piece, continuing to feast.

Feeling the urge to throw up and weakness, I couldn’t continue to wait.

'Ugh… I don't care anymore.'

The first arrow flew, but the animal didn't seem to put his guard down as I thought. He flew as soon as the arrow left me, seemingly to look angrily at me.

I ran behind a tree, trying to get cover, while trying another shot.

It dodged, flying in my direction.

I jumped behind the tree, only hearing a strong scratching against wood.

With another arrow ready, I gave up killing it and aimed at the big wings.

Hitting only feathers, when it flew back up.

‘I thought I knew a thing or two, but it seems against smart beings, I’m still too green.’

Looking at its body against the sun, my eyes sting a bit and I tried looking with half-closed eyes, not daring to lose sight of it. Nervous, I pressed my lips together, which turned almost white from the force used.

It flew up, more and more.

‘Is it going away? That's great…’

I did try to kill it, since it’s contaminated, but since I couldn’t I can only give up.

Before I could rejoice much, the vulture closed its wings, diving towards me again.

‘Why is it attacking me? Do I look like I’m dead? Why so revengeful?’

Forgetting I was the one who began this fight, I felt resentful and regretful that it didn't give up here.

'Shouldn’t it go away?'

Surely that bird could find food like that anywhere, but it seemed keen to add fresh meat to its menu.

The vulture opened its wings after gaining speed and I aimed at it from behind the tree.

‘It’s me or you then!’