Chapter 7 Jarak; Apartement

Alex brought small firecrackers and climbed the stairs to reach the second floor. He opened the window, then struck a match and lit a firecracker; he threw it right in the backyard of this house.

I saw the undead running towards the back, approaching the firecrackers that Alex was still throwing repeatedly. I helped open the blocked front door, then got into the car parked in front. Alex quickly followed, and we left without any of the undead knowing.

The road is difficult to pass, and several cars are scattered around. Dead bodies are like trash that is not thrown away properly. The pungent smell pierced my nose.

"After finding your two friends, where are we going?" I asked him to know where they were going. About those two people, I don't care anymore.

"Green zone," Alex answered.

I am quiet. Green zone, he says? Nonsense, as far as I know, it's all just public lies. Even though I don't know for sure, I still don't believe it.

"We wouldn't have gone there without our two friends." Helena looks very concerned.

Meanwhile, I feel a little guilty; I don't feel good if I continue to be with them.

Now that I think about it, I shouldn't be afraid; after all, those two people were at fault. However, what did I do right?

"WATCH OUT!"

My thoughts were interrupted after the scream; something hit the right side of the car strongly. When I looked at it, of course, one living corpse knew the existence of this car; blood stains stained the glass, while the corpse left behind seemed to get up, then ran after it again.

"I told you, taking a car is not a fucking good choice!" The bald man looked annoyed.

I was in the second seat on the left; next to me was Alex. Wawan was driving and was arguing with Bobianto, who was in the back seat.

"You guys can shut up, can't you!?" Helena, who was beside Alex, shouted. It also made us aware that a horde of undead was gathering up ahead.

Alex suddenly stepped on the brakes. Luckily, we were still quite far away, and it seemed like the horde was eating something, so we were safe.

One of the undead that was chasing us earlier crashed into this car. I don't know what to do, one thing we have to do.

"GET OUT OF HERE QUICKLY!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, then opened the door. I was already holding a crowbar; I walked quickly to the side of the corpse, which was still busy trying to get into the car, and then I smashed the blunt crowbar toward its head many times.

His head is still hard; I don't know how many times I hit him until someone stopped me, "Hey! You killed him!"

My breath was short. I rubbed my face with my left arm; the fishy smell made me slightly nauseous, and the thick black liquid wet my body again.

"Go!" Helena shouted. I saw they were in an alley between two buildings that weren't too tall.

Alex pulled my hand hard. "Fuck! Are you going to die, huh!?"

No, of course, I still want to live. The man with the sharp gaze let go of my hand; he immediately followed his friends towards the alley. Meanwhile, my breathing still hasn't returned to normal.

My hearing wasn't wrong when I looked behind me. The undead headed my way. I immediately ran towards the alley, but they were no longer visible, who knows where.

There is a ladder to my right. I climbed it to the second floor of this building, and when I got to the top, I threw away the ladder so they couldn't reach me.

One fact about the corpses: they can't climb. They're stupid, and then yeah, they're still down there, trying to get to me.

I controlled my breathing, which was still very heavy. I looked at this building, and right behind me, there was a door made of glass. I grabbed the door handle, pushed, and pulled, but it was useless.

Ignoring the groans of the corpses, I smashed the crowbar straight into the glass of the door; it was thick enough that it didn't take just one hit. When it broke, a glass the size of a palm was thrown down after I saw the sharp object was stuck in the eye of one of the corpses.

Of course, the corpse didn't react; it couldn't possibly be in pain. They are still corpses that will not die if their brains have not been destroyed. I know this fact from my own experience.

I saw the dark room, and I entered slowly after I felt it was safe. I put my feet on the dusty floor. While I was ready, holding a crowbar full of my blood.

I can't feel safe in the current situation, or my life will be at stake. I need to be alert, keep going and be ready if something comes suddenly.

My brain told me to go straight to the kitchen for some reason. When I got there, I opened the refrigerator, and some food was still available.

I wasn't that hungry yet, so I immediately took fresh fruit-water in a bottle, then food. As for vegetables, I don't need them, it's not that I don't want them, but I don't have time if I have to cook them first. I put everything in my new backpack.

Meow, meow, meow....

I almost hit the cat that suddenly appeared. He was white; when I looked again, his right eye was blue, while his left was bright yellow.

I let the cat. After finishing packing the food, I stood up again. I approached the window and looked out; it was still the same; it was quiet out there.

The cat hasn't left. Instead, it rubs its head and body against my leg. He bites the shoelaces; I think it's quite cute, too.

"You were left behind by--"

I fell forward. The back of my head felt so sore, it hurt; someone came and seemed to hit me with a wooden block, after which the wooden block fell to the floor.

I moved away a little by rubbing my head; it seemed bleeding. I prepared my hand with a crowbar, but when I looked, the one who hit me was just a small child holding the cat; now he was running down the stairs.

"Hey! Wait!" I tried to stand up, even though a small child hit it, it still hurt.

I went down the stairs as quickly as possible. The boy was seen entering one of the rooms; he closed it roughly until the door made a loud sound.

"Go! Don't bother me!"

This door is locked from the inside. He must be scared, okay? I'll try to calm him down, "I won't hurt you. You must be scared, right? I'm a good person."

Well, at least I'm a good person. As for the two people I killed, that's another matter. Please don't bring it up again.

"Liars! You took My Dad and My Mom! You are evil!"

What did he say? Did I hear correctly? Someone has taken both parents, and I believe it. What a child says, especially in the current conditions, further strengthens that he is not lying.

There were fine hairs on my legs, after which I heard a cat meow. His cat was left here.

"Don't kill Bilu!"

I smiled a little; he couldn't pronounce the letter R yet, "His name is Biru, right? Your cat is cute; I happen to like cats, too."

I'm lying; I wouldn't say I like cats at all. This is so that he will come out and not be afraid of me.

"Lie!"

Looks like I can't lie to him.

"Don't kill Bilu!"

"I won't kill him; you can still hear his voice, right?"

"Of course!"

"Well. When--"

"But then you will kill him!"

Good grief.

"Get out of this house!"

"There are bad people out there, and I'm not bad, understand?" I'm still trying; right now, it takes patience.

"Everyone is bad! They said you came to save me, but instead, I was left alone; see why Mom and Dad were crying first!"

I was silent; it seemed like there was a lot I didn't know. This child's problem is not just because he was left alone, but more than that.

I sat leaning against the door. The cat immediately climbed onto my lap and sat in a circle.

"My name is Jarak, you know; I also lost my mother and father and my younger sister, who is still in elementary school."

He was silent.

"You're still in elementary school, too, right? I think you're the same age as my little sister; if I may ask, what's your name?"

He was silent again.

"You must be scared. Of course, never feel safe, okay? You should stay like this so you can take care of yourself."

"Si Bilu isn't dead yet, right?"

I laughed; he was funny.

"Why are you laughing?"

"No, Bilu is cute, isn't he?" I imitated the way he spoke.

"He's the only one I have. His name is Bilu, like his eyes."

"His eyes aren't just blue, you know. The left one is yellow."

"Yes, for me, his name is Bilu."

"That's great, what's your name?" I think now is the right time to ask again.

"Deka, Deka Anggala." Surely he means Anggara.

"My name is Jarak."

He laughed. It makes me smile, too; I'm relieved he's starting to get used to me. At least for small humans, I can trust.

"Jalak. How come it sounds like the name of the bird."

"It sounds funny, huh?"

He was still laughing. A few moments later, I heard the doorknob being turned, and the door opened; I immediately stood up and carried Bilu while facing the direction in which Deka was about to come out.

"Hi." I smiled while waving my right hand.

He paused, then covered his nose, "You're so stinky."

I kissed my arm, "Yeah, it's stinky, right?"

Deka smiled. Of course, he is a boy; his hair covers his ears, and when he laughs, his eyes close, and there are dimples on both cheeks. I think he is of Caucasian descent; his hair is not black but blonde.

I handed the cat to Deka, "This is Bilu; it's not dead, right?" Of course, I said that with a smile.

Deka accepted it, carried it, and then kissed the adorable animal.

"From the start, you were here?"

He nodded. At first, his face looked like he was telling a story, but when he heard banging on the door, Deka looked traumatised.

I hugged him and took him upstairs. I told him to stay there, and then I went down again, bringing several tables, chairs, and cupboards to strengthen and support that door. He's like my little sister: his behaviour, how he talks, and his love of cats. Maybe he will cause me trouble, but it doesn't matter if he makes me trouble; I will look after him like my little sister.