Day 16

  Emil remained unconscious for many hours. Judyta did what she could to save him, but he lost so much blood that he fell into a coma. In addition, blood was needed for transfusions to keep him alive. Since Judyta had been a nurse before the apocalypse, she had spare equipment taken from work at home. No one knew when he would wake up or if he would wake up at all. The whole family was terribly afraid of Emil's death, the loss of two family members within a month would have killed them mentally. Unfortunately for them, no one had the same blood type as Emil so they had two choices, either wait for a miracle or accept the inevitable. They all felt unimaginable anger toward Klara and Igor for what they had done. Since Emil was wounded, there was no sign of them. During this time, they reinforced the barricades and made sure that not even a mouse slipped inside. Nevertheless, they hoped that the two had left, but until they had confirmation, they remained vigilant. There was not a moment when Kaja was not at Emil's side. She sat patiently on the floor, keeping her head on the bed, and waited. She waited for her older brother to finally wake up. There were times when Kaja refused to eat, explaining her lack of appetite. Miko?aj and Anna often even forced her to eat which rarely had the desired effect. Hours passed, Emil's condition fluctuated between critical and stable, but without 0Rh-type blood, a happy ending could be forgotten. He did not wake up, nor did he look forward to it. Dawid often passed Emil's room, seeing Kaja inside made him sad. He decided that this was the time for action. If he can't help, he will at least take revenge on those who wronged a member of his family. However, he needed equipment to do so. Axes and knives were not enough to defeat firearms, he knew. Especially since, subtracting Emil, only he and Miko?aj can use these tools.

  The target was a plane wreck. The luggage of the dead passengers could hide many more or less useful things. It was much safer than two weeks ago when the corpses were literally a horde. They wouldn't have been able to count them all, but the number shot up to over 500 zombies. That's a lot. The horde then went on all night hooting and moaning until finally in the morning it was so quiet that the householders felt uncomfortable for some time. Dawid ran into Miko?aj in the hallway as he was getting ready to leave.

  "Are you going somewhere?" Emil's father asked, carrying more improvised bandages to his son's room.

  "To the wreck. I doubt it will be looted."

  "Should I go with you?" He was ready to help.

  "What about the girls?" He had concerns about leaving people alone.

  Isabella emerged from around the corner, listening to their conversation.

  "We'll manage, don't exaggerate. I'll watch over Emil, because of me he went there." She interjected, feeling a sense of guilt.

  "We couldn't have predicted that they would go crazy. We have learned a lesson. We shouldn't trust people." Miko?aj replied.

  Dawid was already ready to leave when Kaja finally emerged from Emil's room after many hours.

  "I want to go." Barely making contact she said to the three adults.

  "It could be dangerous." Dawid wanted to push Kaja away from the idea. "Your brother doesn't need anything? Ask Aunt Judyta."

  "Do not treat me like a child!" with a half-shout, she replied firmly. Everyone looked at her in silence with meaningful eyes. Red with embarrassment, she looked away. "I want to help..."

  "You'd better stay at home, Kaja-"

  "Will you promise not to walk away from me?" Dawid interrupted Miko?aj, staring at young Kaja.

  The girl determined without hesitation replied in the affirmative. The cousin immediately reassured the family, saying he would keep the young girl safe. Miko?aj reluctantly agreed to let Kaja go with him and he himself decided to stay at home in case something should happen. Leaving the house, Kaja was excited. She hadn't been outside since the first day of the epidemic, constantly sitting at home was killing her mentally. Of course she was afraid, who wouldn't be, but a little adrenaline spurred her to action. Dawid opened the gate, where sheets and other such items were put on to block the view of the street. There were only a few scattered zombies roaming the street, not a problem for Dawid. The problem arose when Kaja, who had never been in contact with fighting, well, unless you count MMA fights or boxing on TV, had to be protected additionally.

  "Do I get a gun?" She asked, watching the corpses wandering down the street. They were far enough away that they didn't notice them.

  "No way. We can't let you be hurt either." He saw Kaja's indignant gaze, but remained his own.

  The girl snorted, waiting for her cousin to move.

  "Don't get upset. I promise to teach you how to fight, but later." He began to walk ahead, towards the zombies. "Damn, why do they keep coming back? Did the gunshots lure them back?"

  "Seriously there were so many people in the village?" she wondered, keeping pace with him..

  "You know, the virus has wiped humanity. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a single living person left in the whole country except us."

  Dawid pulled out his hunting knife. He waved his hand to the girl to wait. Being already a few meters away from the corpse, Dawid lured it back with a quiet whisper. The zombie turned around, with its empty blinds it located Dawid. It threw itself in his direction. Dawid remained calm, he had to learn to control himself in their presence to survive. A new life required practice, otherwise it would be poor. The blade of the knife slipped between the zombie's eyes, the corpse fell to the ground. Two individuals remained in their field of vision, one lounging under Klara's parents' car and the other, without legs and one hand, crawled slowly towards the young girl. Dawid thought it was a good time for Kaja to get some exercise. He walked up to her and gave her a knife. Surprised, she asked why he changed his mind.

  "I won't let you approach the walking ones, but this invalid you can kill."

  The girl with a confident step approached the corpse, which she did not recognize at first glance. She looked at the corpse and only realized who she was seeing.

  "Mrs. Mysiewicz?" she grimaced, losing any desire to use the knife. Her hands trembled.

  In the living corpse she recognized the older woman she had visited with Emil years ago when she was younger. She gathered her vomit, the stench emanating from the rotting body was unbearable. The thought of what she must have gone through before she died made the girl unbearable and she vomited, moving a piece away.

  "I can't. I can't..." she wiped her face, turning to her cousin with a breaking voice.

  "Still too early?" He held out his hand, signaling for the girl to hand him the knife. "It's difficult, I know."

  He plunged the knife into the dead woman's skull, kneeling by her side for a moment. Kaja watched from a distance, unable to bear the stench. She didn't know how Dawid could kill zombies with such ease.

  "How do you deal with it?" she hoped for some magic trick.

  The man measured Kaja out of the corner of his eye, remaining on his knees.

  "I can't handle it. It's a terrible feeling to kill someone you knew, to kill anyone. And I know they are already dead, but... "he stood up, looking around at the corpses. Both the fresh ones and the older ones that surrounded him on all sides. "I knew everyone here, every single person. With some we grew up together, others took care of me when I was a child and now... now there is no one."

  "We still have each other." She interjected, listening to her cousin's thoughts.

  "Right." A sad smile dawned on his face. "At least that's it."

  They were already not far from the wreck. Kaja saw the first suitcase lying on the road. It must have fallen while the plane was still in the air because the wreckage is even further away. She ran over to it, looking it over. Dawid was a little behind, the girl overtook him with a run. A fall from a height and trees in her way caused the suitcase to shatter on impact. Searching through it, the girl found nothing useful. Some clothes, equipment not useful to anyone these days like headphones and other bullshit. Dawid passed her and went on, being on the alert if there was something lurking in hiding. There were more suitcases. Many more. Kaja was very happy to see the ocean of luggage. She checked each one in turn. Dawid, meanwhile, was checking the area. The last thing they needed was to be surrounded by zombies. He peered into the wreckage from the side, listening for sounds inside. He heard nothing. All the corpses must have left the wreck somehow. Being convinced of the safety of the area around the plane, he suddenly kicked a cup at random, lying on the ground, which flopped onto another cup. Right next to it was scorched earth and a tea set. The marks looked fresh, and it worried him. Everything pointed to the fact that someone had been here. But where?

  Kaja had a great time searching through the luggage, although she felt awkward having in the back of her mind the fact that she was rummaging through the belongings of the dead.... Among many things, she found a nice purple sweater, which she immediately liked. As she looked at it, she suddenly felt someone's breath on the back of her neck, which froze the blood in her veins.

  "Do you like it?"

  The girl jumped up nearly having a heart attack. She moved away immediately, her pulse quickened.

  "Who are you!?" she shouted frightened to a gray-bearded man dressed in a gray coat, under which he hid a black suit. On his eyes he wore glasses with yellow lenses.

  The man muttered something in a language unfamiliar to the girl. Her puzzled face made the man laugh.

  "Excuse me! Relax, kid. I guess I need to introduce myself, huh?" his coat blew in the wind, revealing the handle of a revolver, hidden under the garment. The sight alarmed Kaja and made her realize not to do anything stupid. "I am Tarhos Veredi."

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  "Taro... Tarhos?" she stammered. "It doesn't sound Polish."

  "Because it isn't. I'm a Hungarian."

  "You speak Polish well." Continuing the conversation she noticed Dawid behind the stranger's back.

  "My mother was Polish. But changing the subject... Where is your friend?" He asked seeming to know everything anyway. He reached for his revolver. "Never mind."

  He fired a shot, turning only half of his body. He moved with such speed that Kaja did not even have time to notice what happened. The bang resounded throughout the neighborhood. At first Dawid thought he was already in that world, but when he turned his head, he noticed a corpse lying on the ground a piece away. A bullet had pierced the center of his skull.

  "The damned things are getting closer. Are you deaf?" With his finger he began to poke his ear.

  "Fuck, don't aim at me, man!" upset he already wanted to fight with him.

  "I aimed at the colleague behind you." He stood up so that he had the two of them in view at the same time. "What are you looking for here?"

  "That's my question." Dawid undertook, tucking the knife behind his belt. "Were you on that plane when it... landed?"

  "That's right. You don't even know what carnage was going on there." he laughed ironically. "One turned and started biting others. Those bitten also got up as one of them and so it went."

  "Then how did you survive?" the girl cut in, curious and disgusted at the same time.

  "Who knows. I must have been very lucky!"

  Dawid no longer felt safe around strangers. He knew he could lose everything in a second if he lost his vigilance. If the situation called for it, he would be able to kill this man. These thoughts possessed his head, he didn't realize that he was still staring at the revolver. "If I just took the gun away from him, I would be able to protect everyone."

  "Hey, buddy, I don't like the way you look at me." He scratched his head feeling bored. He yawned protractedly. "Do you have something to eat?"

  Tarhos' carefree attitude surprised Dawid and Kaja. They could not fathom why the man was so calm when there was death all around. Joy in those days seemed to be something unusual, something that no longer existed, but apparently some people still possessed it. Only after a while did it occur to the man that firing a gun might not have been the best decision.

  "Oh, crap." he muttered. "I guess I didn't mess you guys up, did I?"

  "I hope not." took up the conversation with Kaja.

  Dawid shortened the distance, no longer wanting to be in a situation where the stranger has them like a fork in the road. He was impatient enough to try to approach him despite the risks. He really wanted to believe that the stranger could be helpful, but after the situation with Igor and Klara, he had developed problems with trusting strangers. However, when he was about to draw his weapon, he remembered one important fact. The cups were two.

  "Don't move." He heard the hiss of a knife being drawn moments before those words. He felt the razor brush against his throat. - What do you want to do to Mr. Veredi?

  Swallowing saliva, the grip on his larynx only increased. Cold sweat began to run down his forehead. He was nailed by a short, dark-haired girl, also dressed elegantly. Her top was covered by a shirt, over which lay a black vest. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail. Tarhos turned his head, hearing his charge.

  "What about you, did you watch too much Wednesday?" Dawid snorted with laughter, although he probably shouldn't in a situation like this.

  "Shut up." she brought the blade closer to his throat, gently moving it to slightly start bleeding.

  "Hola, hola, Aurora! Come on. They are not dangerous." He approached, separating the two.

  "He literally wanted to kill you." she began to argue with him.

  "That's what I was hoping for!" he spat, squawking. "Do you understand? We can't deal with cowards! Do you understand or is something not working in your brain?"

  "Are you not having too much fun?" interjected quietly Dawid standing next to Kaja. As if they were stunned, they listened to their banter.

  There was no end to their shouting, Dawid and Kaja looked after each other. They felt uncomfortable. It was as if they were watching a father berate his daughter for bad grades at school and she bit back at him. Dawid grabbed Kaja's arm, signaling to her that they had to go. They tried to slip away without drawing attention to themselves, but suddenly Tarhos remembered their existence. He began to follow them with his eyes and when he spotted them, he approached or rather ran up to them.

  "Wait! You have a base here, don't you? Can we come with you?" the man smiled awkwardly.

  "I don't know." Dawid noticed Aurora's gaze on him. She was staring at him with an expression that clearly conveyed the feeling of wanting to murder anyone who came near. - Is she always like that?

  Dawid asked confused, he certainly wouldn't want to sleep with such a person in the same house. Siwy sighed in pity, seeing Aurora's aggression. He put his hand on her head then spoke words in Hungarian. A brief exchange of words ensued between them, after which Aurora calmed down.

  "I'm sorry for her. She doesn't trust strangers. I don't think we can blame her."

  Kaja, completely unconcerned about the situation, approached the girl with a smile on her lips. She extended her hand to her, introducing herself.

  "I am Kaja. And you?" She wanted to establish a new relationship. She was suffering from loneliness due to the lack of peers and the girl seemed to be of the same or similar age to the young Kaczmarka.

  Aurora was puzzled by the outstretched hand, she was not eager to get acquainted with people and even less with some dolt whose style was completely different from hers, too 'candy' as she put it. However, Kaja didn't give up, the opportunity to make friends doesn't come along that often after the apocalypse. As Wednesday's double moved away from her, hiding behind Tarhos' back, Kaja kept following her, trying to talk. The girls interrupted Dawid and the gray-haired girl in their conversation. Unexpectedly, Aurora growled at Kaja which left the Duckmaid quite stunned. It was strange. Strange enough that Kaja took a slow step back to Dawid.

  "I don't know if we can take you. It's not up to me." he said. " Dawid replied, without the slightest idea what decision to make. He was afraid of the firearms with which the man was equipped, which is why he was wading into the subject. "Where did you get the gun?"

  Dawid was curious about whether Tarhos happened to have military experience or at least no connections with the police and other similar services. Nonetheless, he looked as if he was already of an age where if he was going to accomplish anything in life he had it coming. Siwy pulled a revolver from its holster, showing it to Dawid and Kaja carefully.

  "Colt King Cobra. A reliable weapon. It has served me for almost 30 years." The weapon had a long barrel typical of Colt, with traces of many memories. Stripped in many places, the weapon was even older than Dawid. Kaja looked at the weapon with curiosity, although she had never been interested in it. She knew that if Emil were here he would certainly inquire about many things related to the revolver. "Aurora has a similar weapon, a regular King Cobra."

  The man nodded to the emoress to pull out her small revolver. Unlike the King model, the ordinary Cobra had a very short barrel, it was a handy weapon that could be hidden literally anywhere. It didn't take a genius to understand the allusion behind the choice of these weapons - the King and its champion.

  "We'll do this way." He nodded, pointing his finger at the man's weapon. "If you give us your weapons, we will accept you."

  "Are you crazy?" Aurora was furious, who was immediately rebuked by Tarhos.

  "All right." He sounded more serious than during his previous words. "But as I understand it only for the purposes of a trust test, so to speak? I would hate to lose such a piece of history."

  "If you show that you are with us then the weapons will come back to you." He assured them, wanting to return already. "And you will have to help look for food. Two extra mouths to feed is a lot."

  Tarhos nodded at his words, signaling that he fully understood the situation. He was not an idiot, he was able to assess the situation and choose the option that would be best for him as well as Aurora. Hiding for two weeks inside the wreckage of a crashed plane while corpses raged all around was certainly not easy so Tarhos wanted to take his chance to rest at least for a while. He approached Dawid, handing him his secured weapon, and Aurora did the same reluctantly. They could finally move on home, and so they did, but before doing so they still grabbed the rest of the more useful items from their luggage. The two foreigners looked around the village because they hadn't actually moved too far from the wreck. Their personal supplies and the passengers' food were enough for them not to even have to look for something else. Tarhos had been to Poland many times before so he wasn't that lost, unlike the girl, who was in the country for the first time.

  "Why did you guys fly here? You look like you have some important meeting." Dawid ran his eyes over Aurora from the top to the house. - "Well, at least one of you."

  It was already boiling in the girl. She spat, trying to squeeze Dawid, but she became constipated and Tarhos had to calm her down. Aurora, as you can see, did not handle aggression very well, the hyperactivity that her guardian had to deal with was no longer anything special for him. Veredi coughed, answering Dawid.

  "I was about to start working for a new company. That's why we moved." He quickly changed the subject, wanting to move away from questions about them. "By the way, we heard gunshots from two, maybe three days ago. I don't remember. Were the police here?"

  "No. Something happened. Something terrible." Dawid replied, feeling an inner anger within himself.

  "What exactly?" inquired Veredi, having already noticed the shelter. He guessed by the fact that it was the only building that was protected by various barricades. They were a dozen meters away.

  "My brother... he is injured." Kaja stopped, saddened. She adjusted the bag on her back as it was a little too heavy for her.

  Tarhos glanced at the girl seeing her stop. In truth, she had wanted to ask about helping to save her brother earlier, but was afraid of Dawid's reaction to divulge such information without permission. Like him, she was beginning to believe that strangers could not be trusted. However, she was still trying to have a reservoir of faith that not all people are bad. Dawid didn't have enough strength to listen about the subject, he took it badly so he went ahead.

  "Was he bitten?" He wanted to be sure.

  "No." She denied without thinking. "Someone stabbed him with a knife."

  The man approached Kaja leading the topic further. He gave the impression that he really wanted to help.

  "If he lost a lot of blood he will need a transfusion or go into a coma. In the worst case, he will die." He said to her with certainty in his voice. He knew it for some reason.

  "He's already in it." She pulled her nose, holding back tears.

  "Shit." He sighed, whispering. It made him sad to see the girl in such a state, afraid for her brother. "The boy has little time. What blood type does he have?"

  "Mom said 0Rh-" She raised her head looking at Tarhos, as if a little surprised. "Are you a doctor?"

  "No, no!" He subtly threw a glance at Aurora, who only snickered and went to the shelter. "But we can save your little brother, princess. My daughter has the same blood type."

  ><

  On an old, creaky chair sat Klara, staring at Igor, who was standing with his back to her, looking at himself in the mirror. The girl was motionless, her body slightly shaking as if from fear. Igor pulled the bandage off his right eye, intending to put on a new one. There were traces of dried blood around the eye. His eye was unsalvageable. The retina had lost its color and become all white and around the eye was filled with blood red.

  "There is no one to watch the rules anymore, so we will break them all. The loss of his sister will hurt him the most."