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2022-11-24 04:35:14Iñaki dragged the father's body up the stairs His corpse was terrifyingly light for a man his age. Iñaki knows he can't leave it there, but there are other issues he has to attend to first.
Sofia now sleeps curled up next to Rambo on the couch. Iñaki tries to give her something to eat but nothing seems to be able to wake her up...which, considering the circumstances, seems best. The figure of the girl on the sofa grabs all his senses and does not dare to move for fear of waking her up. "Valentina...What would you think of Sofia?"
The little girl sneezes interrupting Iñaki's thoughts. A smile begins to form on Iñaki's face. Sofia settles down on the sofa while Rambo scratches an ear while Iñaki grabs a sponge from the bathroom to wipe Claudia's face.
Sponge in hand, Iñaki pulls a chair close to the sofa without making much noise and prepares to wipe her face. Once the task is completed, Iñaki proceeds to clean her arms and legs. Upon completion, Iñaki prepares to make a medical assessment of her condition.
Making use of semiology, Iñaki makes a physical evaluation of his little patient with the following verdict: the girl exhibits mild symptoms of starvation and dehydration.
After writing the diagnosis in a notebook, iñaki stands up and immediately goes to the kitchen and prepares a formula for Claudia that will improve her health considerably.
A few minutes later…
A sound zigzags down the stairwell, runs down the corridor and reaches Iñaki. Iñaki tilts his head in the direction of the sound..."There it is again!" Moans, numerous moans going up the stairs. "The door of the stairs is open!"
Iñaki runs to the door. The corridor lengthens under his feet. One hand, one arm, two rotten legs...A zombie enters and fixes its eyes on Iñaki.
Iñaki realizes that he left his knife in the house, so he has no weapon to face the zombie, so he proceeds to shout Rambo's name.
The zombie is about to bite him but Rambo appears at that instant, bites its arm and takes it to the ground with him.
The infected releases a bite to Rambo but he evades it and attacks his legs. His fangs sink into the rotten flesh and tear apart the revived legs. The creature turns in the eagerness to get free. Iñaki can already hear the rest of the infected approaching the door of the staircase.
Iñaki raises his foot and sets his sights on the infected man's skull. His foot descends almost to the floor and a creak echoes down the hall. A large pool of blood forms around the infected head and the creature freezes.
Iñaki runs to the door harangued by Rambo's barking and, before closing it, he watches the bloodied faces of his neighbors ascending the stairs.
An army of rotten hands knocks on the door, their fists are like hail. Iñaki takes a step back, then another, and runs to his house. The door slams.
Already in his apartment, he finds Rambo growling at the door. Sofia looks in the same direction. Her eyes travel through all areas of the house: the door, Rambo, the window...Then her eyes meet Iñaki's. She runs towards him and hugs his legs.
Iñaki raises her in his arms. The girl clings tightly to his shoulders and feels tears on his neck; The girl does not stop shaking.
Rambo barks furiously and Iñaki, with Sofia in his arms, swears he will find a way out of there.
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The rain of fists continues to hit the stairwell door. Iñaki feels the vibrations in the soles of his shoes. Sofia is a statue in his arms and Rambo barks furiously.Iñaki's eyes check every corner looking for an escape. Screams, barks, moans, vibrations..." think, think.""Going down the stairs is impossible." Iñaki discards in his mind "going out the window too...""Shit!" he exclaimed. "Go down, we have to go down!"The roars of the reanimated grow louder as Rambo barks, snapping at the air, his saliva flying into the air."Relax," he says to himself, "breathe, breathe. How many ways are there to get down? The stairs...and the elevator. The elevator! Will it work? " Iñaki wonders, squeezing Sofia into his arms. "It is the only option.""Rambo, get ready."Iñaki approaches the door of the apartment. Dying groans enter his ears and run through every nerve in his body. Another step. Iñaki opens the door.The noise is deafening but they have not yet managed to knock down the door to t
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The elevator descends and allows Iñaki to hear his heartbeat. The mirror on his right offers an image he is not willing to see. Iñaki closes his eyes and feels Sofia's trembling body against his ribs.A little startle reopens them. The door starts to open. Roars.Iñaki doesn't think twice. He shoots in the direction of the door that leads to the street. Behind him echoes the hymn of death. With Rambo at his heels, he grabs the door handle and, feeling a few fingers on his shoulder, pulls inside. Iñaki slams the door behind him and an infernal groan accompanied by a pair of hands crashing against the other side of the door.The air caresses Iñaki's sweaty face. The glass of the door begins to break, hit by their deceased neighbors. Every cracked glass is a stab wound.Iñaki runs to the street as every muscle in his body screams in agony. Sweat clouds his eyesight. Then the sunlight - the one he had eluded for so long - burns his skin and relaxes him. Sofia's nails stuck in his back and
The Age Of The Dead Chapter 13: Oasis
Iñaki opens his eyes without knowing how much time has passed. He looks around feeling the movement of the car on his body. Sofia is stiff again on his lap. Rambo, however, has half his head out the window; he enjoys the wind and barks at every infected he sees."Hello," says the man with a strong Yankee accent, "it's Mike. You alright?"Iñaki nods."Bitten?"Iñaki shakes his head."Let's go to my urbanization," he says, looking at the road and dodging a zombie, "we're safe there."Going at high speed and looking at the sun, Iñaki allows himself to forget his problems and imagine that nothing has happened. The sun's rays light the way and promise a better future. If only Mike kept driving to infinity there would be no problem.But after a long drive, the car stops in front of an urbanization and Iñaki finds himself again.The water droplets in the clouds become too heavy and fall heavily on Buenos Aires. The rain descends vertically as Iñaki closes the window. That scent of moist ea
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Mike walks to a reinforced steel door and pulls a key out of his pocket. "No garage?" Iñaki asks as he tries to cover Sofia from the rain. "Now you'll see," he replies. Then he sees it. Behind the door stands a landscape of cars, scrap, furniture, and rubble that merge into a kind of barricade. On his left, a gray apartment block forms one of the "legs" of the urbanization "U", on his right the other one and in front of him is the building that forms the base. The path leading to the pool is clear in a straight line. It continues until it comes to the door of the central block. On the sides, the passage is blocked by the "barricade". The only way in is through the pool. While Iñaki soaks up in the rain, still shaking from the cold that reaches his bones, Mike looks at him with a semi-smile. "Time for a swim." The raindrops hit the barricade around the pool composing a macabre symphony. Sofia's body is a cold rock in Iñaki's arms. Roco does not detach from his heels. Even with t
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Three people seated in a semicircle, one standing and a candle on a table receive Iñaki. The man standing is the one in the black jacket he saw by the pool. Rambo smells around him. Sofia's eyes rest on one of the two women, she seems not to understand her image. "So you finally found survivors." "Yes," Mike replies, "and they won't be the last." "An optimist...What is your name?" he asks Iñaki. "Iñaki." "Well, Iñaki, what did you do, what skills do you have that can serve us here?" "Victor!" exclaims the older man sitting to the left of Iñaki "Come, sit here, have some water and dry yourself." When he sits down, his legs send a signal of pleasure to Iñaki's brain like he had never experienced before. He grabs the bottle and towels offered by the man, then wraps them around Sofia and offers her water. "Always so hospitable, Eduardo," Victor says, breaking the silence."My answer?" "I was about to finish my medical degree." "A doctor?" Victor asks and all hostility disappears
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"It's time for me to show you your new home, " Mike says, standing up."Let's go."Eduardo approaches Iñaki and shakes his hand. It's a warm greeting. Iñaki takes a few seconds to recognize that feeling again; human kindness."My apartment is next to Maria's, if you need anything you can find me there.""Thank you."Mike walks out the door and Iñaki follows him with Rambo at his heels and Sofia in his arms."We're on the fourth floor," says Mike going up the stairs, "Eduardo and Maria are on the third, Martina and Victor on the fifth. The rest of the floors are empty.""Why aren't you all together?""I asked the same thing when I arrived...Eduardo and Víctor are in their "real" homes. When they started bringing people, they were assigned apartments on every floor. At one point all the houses were occupied. Today only the apartments of those who came this far are.""I still find it strange.""Me too...talk to Victor.""He's in charge?"Mike stops in front of the 4th D and pulls a key o
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"Did you have a good night? " Mike asked."I don't remember having a better one in a long time. " Iñaki replied."If at any time you need to talk, I'm here.""How did you end up here?""By accident. When I was escaping by car from the center of Buenos Aires, I crashed. Inside the other car were Victor and Eduardo. Mine was useless, but not theirs. Eduardo asked me if I was okay, and I said yes. Victor, looking at my car, wondered where I was going, I told him anywhere away from there. Then he yelled for me to get into his car since the infected were already meters away.""I wouldn't call it an "accident" in this case.""I guess not," Mike replies, shaking his head. "Anyway, I got in the car and they brought me here. I'm alive thanks to the generosity of a couple of strangers. That's why I intend to keep looking for survivors. Without realizing it, Eduardo and Victor taught me how to save this world.""Generosity?""Yes, generosity and trust. We are going to survive, Iñaki, have no dou
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Iñaki opens his eyes and everything turns white. He's in bed, Sofia at his side. Eduardo must have brought Rambo in the morning since he is now resting at the foot of the bed. Iñaki looks at him and Rambo raises his ears."Up!"Rambo jumps into bed and gives Iñaki a lick attack never seen before.Suddenly, Sofia opens her eyes and finds herself in the battle to the death between Iñaki and Rambo. Rambo notices the new opponent and attacks her ears as if they were made of honey. The girl looks at Iñaki, laughs, and exclaims "Dad!"During breakfast…."I heard you scream a name last night," says Mike, toast in hand, "Valentina?"Silence. Eduardo and María watch Iñaki curiously."She was my partner," Iñaki replies."I'm sorry," Maria says, placing her hand on Iñaki's.Eduardo studies Sofia with a look that seems to say "she lost his mother.""So today you're gonna go find more survivors? " Eduardo asks suddenly."That's right."Then keys are heard behind the door, they are inserted in the
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Iñaki puts first and turns in the direction of the infected. Second, the asphalt burns the tires. Third, Iñaki can already hear them. Fourth, they line up on the street with their arms outstretched. Fifth, dozens of bodies hit the hood and windshield of the car. Short, dry noises resound in Iñaki's ears. Iñaki stops and looks back."There, mission accomplished."He parks the car in front of the gate and looks at Mike."You got the map?""Yes.""Are you okay?""Yes," Mike replies as he looks at the bloody cracks in the glass. "Let's go back."Then Iñaki lets go of the wheel, turns off the engine, and relaxes his arms."Let's go back.""Let's go to Eduardo's apartment, I'm sure Sofia is there with Maria.""Ok."In Eduardo's apartment..."You all right? What were those noises? " asks Eduardo."What are they going to be?" Mike answers.Sofia is sitting next to Maria with her face smeared with puree. She looks at Iñaki and he thinks he sees joy in her eyes. Rambo runs to the girl and wipe
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"What about Rambo? " asks Mike.Iñaki looks at the dog, who looks at him with his head on one side and his ears pricked."We leave him here. It's very dangerous, sorry, Rambo.""As you think is best, Iñaki.""Yeah, it's gonna be safer that way. Let's go."When Iñaki goes out to the interior park of the urbanization, it is already night and the rain has stopped falling."We have to cross the pool," Mike says, "ready?"His words make every hair on Iñaki's body stand on end."No."Mike smiles and walks over to a small trunk by the pool that he hadn't seen before. He opens it and pulls out a black inflatable boat. Iñaki's eyes light up like the moon."The important thing is not to leave it outside as a red carpet for "guests".""I don't think the infected know how to use it...""I wasn't thinking about them, come on."Both get on the inflatable transport. Mike pierces the water with the oars in the quietest way. He can barely hear the movement of the boat.After a few seconds, they reach
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"Did you have a good night? " Mike asked."I don't remember having a better one in a long time. " Iñaki replied."If at any time you need to talk, I'm here.""How did you end up here?""By accident. When I was escaping by car from the center of Buenos Aires, I crashed. Inside the other car were Victor and Eduardo. Mine was useless, but not theirs. Eduardo asked me if I was okay, and I said yes. Victor, looking at my car, wondered where I was going, I told him anywhere away from there. Then he yelled for me to get into his car since the infected were already meters away.""I wouldn't call it an "accident" in this case.""I guess not," Mike replies, shaking his head. "Anyway, I got in the car and they brought me here. I'm alive thanks to the generosity of a couple of strangers. That's why I intend to keep looking for survivors. Without realizing it, Eduardo and Victor taught me how to save this world.""Generosity?""Yes, generosity and trust. We are going to survive, Iñaki, have no dou
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Chapter 17: Calm in the Oasis
"It's time for me to show you your new home, " Mike says, standing up."Let's go."Eduardo approaches Iñaki and shakes his hand. It's a warm greeting. Iñaki takes a few seconds to recognize that feeling again; human kindness."My apartment is next to Maria's, if you need anything you can find me there.""Thank you."Mike walks out the door and Iñaki follows him with Rambo at his heels and Sofia in his arms."We're on the fourth floor," says Mike going up the stairs, "Eduardo and Maria are on the third, Martina and Victor on the fifth. The rest of the floors are empty.""Why aren't you all together?""I asked the same thing when I arrived...Eduardo and Víctor are in their "real" homes. When they started bringing people, they were assigned apartments on every floor. At one point all the houses were occupied. Today only the apartments of those who came this far are.""I still find it strange.""Me too...talk to Victor.""He's in charge?"Mike stops in front of the 4th D and pulls a key o
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Three people seated in a semicircle, one standing and a candle on a table receive Iñaki. The man standing is the one in the black jacket he saw by the pool. Rambo smells around him. Sofia's eyes rest on one of the two women, she seems not to understand her image. "So you finally found survivors." "Yes," Mike replies, "and they won't be the last." "An optimist...What is your name?" he asks Iñaki. "Iñaki." "Well, Iñaki, what did you do, what skills do you have that can serve us here?" "Victor!" exclaims the older man sitting to the left of Iñaki "Come, sit here, have some water and dry yourself." When he sits down, his legs send a signal of pleasure to Iñaki's brain like he had never experienced before. He grabs the bottle and towels offered by the man, then wraps them around Sofia and offers her water. "Always so hospitable, Eduardo," Victor says, breaking the silence."My answer?" "I was about to finish my medical degree." "A doctor?" Victor asks and all hostility disappears
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Mike walks to a reinforced steel door and pulls a key out of his pocket. "No garage?" Iñaki asks as he tries to cover Sofia from the rain. "Now you'll see," he replies. Then he sees it. Behind the door stands a landscape of cars, scrap, furniture, and rubble that merge into a kind of barricade. On his left, a gray apartment block forms one of the "legs" of the urbanization "U", on his right the other one and in front of him is the building that forms the base. The path leading to the pool is clear in a straight line. It continues until it comes to the door of the central block. On the sides, the passage is blocked by the "barricade". The only way in is through the pool. While Iñaki soaks up in the rain, still shaking from the cold that reaches his bones, Mike looks at him with a semi-smile. "Time for a swim." The raindrops hit the barricade around the pool composing a macabre symphony. Sofia's body is a cold rock in Iñaki's arms. Roco does not detach from his heels. Even with t
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Chapter 13: Oasis
Iñaki opens his eyes without knowing how much time has passed. He looks around feeling the movement of the car on his body. Sofia is stiff again on his lap. Rambo, however, has half his head out the window; he enjoys the wind and barks at every infected he sees."Hello," says the man with a strong Yankee accent, "it's Mike. You alright?"Iñaki nods."Bitten?"Iñaki shakes his head."Let's go to my urbanization," he says, looking at the road and dodging a zombie, "we're safe there."Going at high speed and looking at the sun, Iñaki allows himself to forget his problems and imagine that nothing has happened. The sun's rays light the way and promise a better future. If only Mike kept driving to infinity there would be no problem.But after a long drive, the car stops in front of an urbanization and Iñaki finds himself again.The water droplets in the clouds become too heavy and fall heavily on Buenos Aires. The rain descends vertically as Iñaki closes the window. That scent of moist ea
