‘The food we have at home plus what I brought, on the bright side, should be enough to last at least a week for everyone... I could try to get some from the neighbor's house too and bring out some from my farm while at that…’
I did some math and saw some light at the end of the tunnel.
‘We will have some time to adapt… But the question is... wait in place or move sooner... I would prefer to move sooner, but there is no way to go out with so many people without knowing the situation outside…'
Involuntarily, I started remembering everything from the first time the system appeared. It’s surreal, just like all the sudden apocalypse.
‘Why is this happening? I don’t know. Why me? Who knows, maybe God…? But I definitely got lucky in that… And I’m sorry world, but I’m not someone pious enough to put myself and my family at risk for humanity or something.’
Knowing the world I’m going to be in from now on, I can only solve possible hindrances from moral values from the pacific world now.
‘I’m sad because of what is happening? Yes, I would love to continue living the way we lived before… But I can only do what I can, before the point where I’m risking someone I love. I’m human, I’m selfish, I won’t martyr myself over it! I prefer to repent for what I failed to gain than what I failed to protect, what I lost for being too full of myself. I’m not a hero.’
I put my hands against the lights and kept looking, in silent promise.
The medicine side effects kicked in and I began to get sleepy again, until sleeping soundly.
…
But that night was bound to be a sleepless night for most people.
☆☆☆
In the master room.
“Are you really letting her act like that? We don’t know what’s happening… What if they are just sick? She will be arrested for murder! HER FUTURE WILL BE DESTROYED!”
“Shhhh… Calm down… Trust her more, don’t you trust in how we brought up our daughter, how she growed up? And even if it comes to that, I will bear all the charges…”
Resolution flashed in his eyes.
“I DON’T WANT THAT EITHER!”
Jack hugged the exalted Sarah, calming her and pulling to sit down.
“You know she won’t do something like that, unless she is sure there is no other way… So believe her.”
“I trust her, but… but… how is that possible?”
Sarah shook.
“Sigh… who knows… I only know what I saw…”
He looked outside the window, the stars are especially bright today, squeezing his wife’s hands to convey reassurance and at the same time gain confidence.
“Sarah, Arya is right, those things are not alive, you will understand when you see it… If for me, you never would, neither the kids, I would fight those things alone…”
“But if it’s like that, it’s dangerous…”
“Yeah, for everyone, but our food will end at some point. I would prefer to be the only one at risk, but maybe we will never be able to live like before, everything is messed up now… They have to learn, excessive protection now would kill them in the future…”
Sarah looked away sadly.
“At least we are together, dear… We will be alright…”
Jack patted her back slowly.
☆☆☆
In the live room.
“How is it? Any news?”
“No, some TV channels are off the air and others are showing old stuff, maybe it was already scheduled? Oh, wait, what is it…”
“Hi, here is Amy talking to you. I repeat: Breaking news! Most of the world is in chaos at the moment… no-nobody knows what caused it, but people suddenly passed out and when they woke up some started attacking others…”
On the television was the face of a young woman in a dimly lit room, nothing like the usual broadcast room. Her face was washed in tears, her hair a mess, her voice breaking from time to time, but she continued.
“I… We… I’m sorry, I don’t know either… please, keep safe and don’t get bitten…”
She tried to clean her face with her hands, not being able to, she used the sleeve of her white blouse.
“Bitten people turn into raging hungry hu-humans too… The-They died… but got up again… I saw it… If… If anyone is watching… Please tell the police… no, the army there is someone alive here… I’m in the warehouse on the first floor, please…”
She took a few deep breaths and began again.
“Hi, here is Amy talking to you…”
“BANG! BANG! BANG!”
There were some louds knocks and Amy shut her mouth, looking in another direction, her face showing her fear.
After the sound calmed down she began again, in a quieter voice.
“Hi… here is A-Amy talking to you… ”
Her breathing became heavier and she suppressed a sob.
“I repeat… Breaking news… Most of the world is in chaos at the moment…… Anyone, please help me… sob… sob…”
Gui changed channels, with a heavy heart, continuing to look for other news. He skipped some that showed blood as soon as it appeared, wanting to spare his mother and grandmother to see those things.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“You don’t need to wait here… go to sleep a bit, we will call you if I find anything…” said Gael.
“No, I… I have to see…”
☆☆☆
Heavy breath. There was a man sleeping in a dark room, agitated, sweat running down his face, mumbling words.
“No… I didn’t……. It’s… fault… run… I didn’t… I didn’t push… Don’t take… with you…”
He sat up suddenly, looking around, sighing in relief. Then, looking at his left hand, ring finger, there was a lighter line where used to be a ring.
“What a foolish dream, it’s all about surviving… Didn’t you love me? You must be happy I’m safe… Don’t worry, I will live well for us, my princess.”
There was a light smile on his face, whoever saw it couldn't understand the ruthlessness hidden in it.
☆☆☆
That night, there were screams, cries, muffled sounds, anxiety, uncertainty, fear, pain, despair, everywhere. Sleep was a luxury for few.
《☆》
“RING… RING… RING…”
With the alarm sound, I woke up, stretched and got up.
‘I should hurry up, I can’t be late for cl…’
In the middle of my thoughts, I saw where I was and remembered what is happening now.
‘Right… Apocalypse…’
As if a pause button was pressed, I stayed in place.
A minute later I sat in bed.
‘Seems like the medicine worked wonders… I almost can’t feel pain in my muscles… So should I continue to clean the zombies? Where is my bow and quiver, by the way?’
I looked around, not finding it.
Getting up again, I smelled something…
“Ugh… I think that can wait… I should bathe while I can…”
《☆》
Already clean, I walked out.
“HEY, did any…”
“Shhhhhh…”
Gui appeared in front of me with a finger over his mouth, pointing to the live room.
Seeing the scene I covered my mouth, guilty.
There I saw Sophia sleeping in a chair, her head back and mouth open, Kevin in the armchair. Luna, my sister, was sitting on the floor, elbow in the coffee table and her nodding head resting in her hands, eyes almost closed. Grandma Ada sleeping on the couch, with her head over aunt Lily's shoulder, who in turn was over her older son’s shoulder. Gael seemed a bit uncomfortable, his face solemn, the television control in his other hand.
Every one of them had dark circles under their eyes. It was early in the morning, less than seven a.m., so I could infer that they didn’t sleep much.
In the screen there was a dimly lit room, there was a woman with a blouse mix of old and new blood, it seemed its original color was white, walking around, when she turned to the screen you could see bits and pieces of her skin missing, showing whites of bones and teeth, her eyes whitish.
Gael looked away and changed channels.
After making sure I was quiet, Gui walked back to the TV side, focused on hearing any sound that could help.
Almost all channels were off the air, while others showed indescribable scenes, as if you’re watching some horror movie, almost inaudible sounds.
I didn’t want to disturb, so I looked around and, not finding my bow in plain view, I walked out.
‘As I thought, it’s not here either…’
Near my car I heard some sound.
“Huh?”
I walked closer and before seeing it, I smelled…
I looked up, wanting to cry, without tears.
I held my breath, cautiously opening the driver door, putting the key I pulled from my space and opening all the windows to the maximum, before running out to breathe again.
“How could I forget them… My car…”
I looked at my car as an enemy.
‘Okay… There is no way… The mess is already done… I can only clean it.’
My car smelled badly from poop and pee from chicks and piglets.
Luckily I left the windows a little open yesterday, otherwise what I would need to clean was their bodies.
‘But what to do with them… I don’t think anyone has seen them yet, otherwise they won’t let me have them locked up in a car for the night, right?!’
I called the system on my mind:
‘Can I unlock another place for the piglets?’
The mechanical voice talked with me.
“You can unlock the pigsty for 400 points, do you wish to continue?”
‘So expensive… But still… Ugh… Yes.’ I bit the bullet, since food is essential too. Then I moved the piglets in the car inside.
‘Buying the antidote will take more time, but it’s better this way for now.’
Then I moved the box where the piglets were before and the other with the chicks outside. After it, there was just a bit of cleaning to do, especially the car truck, where the calves stayed for a little while and the front carpet where the piglet box was before and let the car air out, as it was still impregnated with the smell.
Half an hour later, I sat in a rocking chair we had in the front yard, dazed, looking at the sky for a long time.
Only getting up when I began hearing some noise from inside.
‘System, show me the farm.’
I harvested, planted corn, collected my bread and cornflour, putting more to do. Looking at the hen house, there were two options to collect, while at the corral there was an option concluded and another with a countdown. I chose the ones below and collected milk and eggs.
‘System, can I open another hen house or get my hen house bigger? How much would it cost me?’
This time it showed me a pop-up in my farm, with two options.
Do you wish to upgrade the hen house?
Cost: 600 points
Yes / No
Do you wish to buy a second hen house?
Cost: 500 points
Yes / No
‘Eh? Why is buying a new one more expensive? Maybe the upgrade has more new space? System, how many spaces are there in the second hen house?’
The now familiar mechanical voice sounded in my mind:
“The upgraded hen house supports twenty hens or roosters.”
‘Why is it more expensive, then?’
“The upgraded animal husbandry allows breeding.”
“Huh?”
I was stupid immediately.
‘I thought when it let me get chicken meat it meant it had bred space too and I would have new chickens in place later… Luckily the beef at the corral wasn’t ready yet, what if I had killed one of the couple… Where would I cry later for meat…’
I sighed with relief.
"Why did you bring chicks when visiting?"
Said Luna, who just walked out of the house.
I couldn’t buy or upgrade the hens house, so I couldn’t hide the chicks and only walk in front of everyone with them. I looked up slowly, gaining time to think of an excuse.
"I saw someone selling and happened to buy on a whim, who knows this would happen, now I don't know what to do with them."
I got up, picked the chicks and walked inside the house, while looking at today's tasks.
The weekly task was still walking, while the daily task was to kill five zombies, 30 points each as reward.
Most of the family was already in the living room, they seemed sluggish and absent minded, not even looking up when I walked inside, but most had some food on hand.
‘That’s good, at least they can still eat in this situation.’
I put the chicks on one side and walked to the kitchen, silently, and got an apple in the kitchen, walked back.
I watched everyone while eating.
‘No one is asking, so maybe I should take the initiative?’
I finished the apple, picked the seeds and put it in my pocket, throwing in a bin it's core.
“So, what are we going to do now?”
My voice seems to shock their wandering mind, generating different reactions. Some shuddered before looking back at me, some just looked at me confused, some bit their lips, some just had a worried expression, hesitation, confusion, fear, blankness. I continued:
“Did any of you think about it?”