Oysléwa carries the two boys on the wheelbarrow with the little supplies they have. She carries the boys on the large wheelbarrow as she drags Zip on the ground on her back with a rope. The wheelbarrow is big enough to carry both people and goods. She manages to get all of them through the rough terrain of the forest, and she takes them to the river where she had fetched water from. She settles down the boys and Zip as she sets up a tent. After she was done, she took a look at the boys one more time. They looked sad, like someone had taken the little joy from their hearts. She goes to hug the boys one more time to comfort them.
"It's okay." She tells them in a comforting voice. "I'm so sorry for leaving you boys alone. It's not your fault that they took everything we have, okay?"
The boys look at her with sad eyes as she gives them a comforting smile and hugs them. She sits them down as she tells them stories from her childhood like the tortoise and the pot of soup.
Far, far away from where they are is a secret location. The room is poorly lit by the light of a computer monitor that seems to be a new brand and has a new look, different from the least 2025 models back then. The individual sitting in front of the computer is playing old files during a period when cancel culture was in its youth, when the countries of the world's political systems started electing youthful people aged twenty-five to twenty-nine. The individual clicks on one of the files which starts playing. The video looks really old, but the clarity and the quality of the video say otherwise. The video shows the cameraman thumbs up and smiling in the video, on his wrist is the flag of Ukraine and Palestine. He turns the camera to a lady in front of him with another lady who is holding a notepad with writing materials in her left pocket while in her right pocket is a recording tape.
"Is the camera rolling, David?" Asked the first lady.
"Yeah. It is." David responds in a sassy, feminine voice.
"Okay, good. Err...hello everyone. I'm Abby and with me are David and KC. It is 12:30 in the afternoon and we are on our way to..." Says Abby taking a deep breath as she looks anxious. "A lab that creates very unpleasant things. So... let's go."
"Are we really going in there? Asked KC. She looks anxious as well.
"We have to. It's for our report for the semester." Said Abby.
Everyone heads to a van and they get to the location of the lab. It is located in a deserted area. The video ends there. Another video is played. This time, there is an army general and a lab scientist, but KC is not with them. Abby had taken the recorder. They are walking around the lab hallway. The hallway has large sliding doors with different labels on them.
"We heard that there is a new virus spreading around the developing and underdeveloped nations," Abby says. "They say it is the zombie virus and it is spreading fast. At some time they said it started with beverages..."
"I guess you want to know if our lab is responsible for their downfall." Said the scientist with a smirk on her face. "We are not the only ones who are creating viruses in the world. Some make the cure of viruses, they are the ones you get to see in public, not the ones who make them."
For a moment everyone went silent, then the General spoke.
"Dr. Kim. Should we really allow these people in here?"
"We got permission from our LORD, General Zach." Said Dr. Kim. "Anyway, let's go to where my reach is done."
They head to a lab that has a thick iron door. It opens up to reveal a clean, pearly white lab. Kim sits on her office chair as she projects a video of her research on the wall as the light goes off.
"During my research, my crew and I had discovered a way to create a perfect zombie virus," Kim tells them.
"What type of zombie virus?" Asked David curiously.
"There are a lot of them out there. Just know that we mutated 'this one'. As you can see, we breed the virus with the virus that causes rabies, while we created an independent cannibal virus."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Abby and David.
"Shocking, I know." General Zach says bluntly.
"The virus matured within four months." Kim continues. "There is only one problem..."
"What's that?" Abby asked uneasily.
There is a long pause before Kim can answer. "Let's just say...they have a strange way of making their vessels decay or making them shut down."
"And how is that?"
Their sweat and saliva become acidic where the skin burns and falls off. You can smell it and hear it. It's a faint sizzling sound."
Everywhere goes quiet, David tries to say something, but Kim tells everyone to leave just as the camera goes off and the video ends. The strange person clicks on another video. It shows the group in a van. They go back to the lab, this time KC is allowed to enter the lab. Kim takes them to the observation room. She shows them a screen which displays a room with a person strapped to a chair.
Everyone watches in silence. They see a nurse enter the room with a case. The nurse puts the case on a table to open it, and the lid opens to reveal a searing and a veil.
"Who is the person in the chair?" Asked KC as she bites her left fingers nervously.
"The person is a convict." Kim response. "The person is responsible for different murders so we are allowed to do whatever we want."
"So you test the virus on convicts?"
"Allegedly..."
"..." Kim takes a while to answer. "Well, let's just say... Five will make you run, or at least you can survive them if you can kill them, and we have a ten. Ten is... A little too good."
Silence fills the room. It's so silent you can cut the air with a knife. Kim then cuts the silence. "I think it's time to go."
Everyone leaves the room. They head out into the hallway. As they are being taken to another room, Abby and David notice some people moving some mechanical parts into an elevator on the right side with a group of unconscious people, and some of the people look dead. The elevator goes down just as the left elevator comes up. Some people move different surgical tools, and some strange, damaged tools, followed by an infectious person strapped to a carrier.
"We are not here for that, and I'd like it if you put your camera off, please," Kim demands.
The camera goes off for just a moment. It comes back on, the date that displays on the camera tells that it has been two days since the camera came on. The video shows that Kim has been shot in the head. Everywhere is in crisis, some of the labs close by are exploding, fire everywhere and people running, screaming and crying. KC and David are now zombies but they are attacking each other. Abby is hiding under a table behind a pillar. She is holding the camera, she is shaking in fear and sobbing uncontrollably. She's really trying to keep quiet with all her might.
"So much shit went down..." She says with a shaky tone and uncontrollably in tears. "The things we have seen are unbelievable. I don't know where to begin..." She takes a breath. "They have a lab full of... I can't say if they are human or some type of abomination...and I overheard they had managed to evolve their worst virus to be as t-t-through as...as...t-that microscopic mammal... I don't know but all I can say is the moment they get out ... It's better to die than to come across them..."
Just then a loud thud stops her. Loud steps come closer to where she hides.
"I know someone is in here." Says the strange voice, raspy and harsh. "You're a woman, and I can smell your fear." It says mockingly. "I was a free sex offender before I was kidnapped, they tested one hell of a virus in me. Now it's coursing through my veins and now I feel like I can do things I couldn't get away with...and I can smell you."
Just as it says, it pops out behind the pillar and throws the table across the room, exclaiming, 'found ya' to Abby, screaming at the top of her lungs. The camera goes off completely.
The person watching the video sits there sighing as they rub their face in disbelief. After a while of taking in all that they have just watched, they wonder who it was that would have retrieved the camera and the video. A knock on the door catches their attention. They permit the person behind the door to enter.
"Sir." Says the person entering the room.
"Yes?" Says the man in front of the computer.
"We got big news for you."
"Alright. I'll be right there."
###
Awéléwa is sitting with the boys as they eat a big fish that she had caught for them to eat earlier. She is just finishing up removing damaged parts as well as placing some parts together. She puts Zip aside as she joins the boys to eat. After a while, the boys fall asleep as Awéléwa keeps watch. She grabs a stick to draw on the ground. She draws a map with the constellations. She created a map by studying the stars. Once she is done she joins the boys in the tent.
The next morning she packs everything and sets up for their journey. She uses the map she had made last night for their journey. Zion and Atticus woke up during their journey as they walked side by side. They ask her where they are going, and Awéléwa tells them they are going to her hideout. They get to the mountain top and see the house, it's a mud house that's fenced with iron.
She gets them to the mud house safely without being seen by some zombies near by. She puts in the codand e in the fence, she goes in and puts the wheelbarrow in the garage. Everyone settles down in thehouse. The boys look around and starts playing. Awéléwa sits in the parlor. It's gives a calm energy , everything in the house is inspired by her tradition. Trade aesthetic.
She getsu p to get water ,from the kitchen that is across the parlor. She calls out to the boys.
"Boys!" She cries out.
The boys come running to her.
"Here have some water." She hands the both of them a cup of water. "Be careful... And watch your step."
"Thanks!" They say as they run back to their play.
Just then, an alarm on a small light bulb catches her attention. She grabs a remote to turn on the mini television. The television shows the garage opening to reveal the tour bus parks itself. It looks very dirty and a bit damaged. The door of the vehicle opens to reveal someone or something. It's APPLE!