"This stupid damn thing... Come on!" Rodry screams, smacking the radio. We're on the road, driving in our car. Oh no. The radio is broken. This is costing me my nap. Please shut up. He hits it again. Why the hell do old boomers think hitting something harder will magically fix it? It's like choking a dead person, hoping they'll come back to life. It just doesn't make any sense. "You piece of—" "Hey! Hey! There's a child on board. Watch your mouth," Loira cuts him off. I smile a little. When was the last time I saw something funny? Right. Rodry sighs. "Sorry, kid! You know how I get when there's no music." He hits the radio again. This guy is nuts. "You stupid garbage," Rodry mutters. John finally speaks up. "That's enough!" He growls slightly but keeps his eyes on the road. John always gives off wife vibes. Honestly, he and Rodry might be the best couple I've met so far. I glance at Loira. And we'll be the best couple in the future. I just need to find a way to confess my feelings. I don't understand why men always have to do the confessing. Can't women do it for once? It sucks. If she rejects me, I'll be carrying that embarrassment for the rest of my life, and talking to other women will be terrifying.
Rodry groans. "Can someone just sing a song, please?" Oh, great. Out of nowhere, Gina shouts, "He can!" and points right at me. What? Why is she saying that? I blink at her. "What? I can't." I stare at Gina, wondering why she just threw me under the bus. I don't get it. "What?" I ask again. Rodry starts begging. "Please sing! I really, really, really need it. Please!" Damn it. I can't back out now. Then, Loira chimes in. "Come on, Arvi!" Oh. Even she wants to hear me sing. I can't disappoint her. There's this song Frank used to sing all the time—something about love, I guess. I remember every word of it. It's catchy, and Frank never shut up about it. He sang it every damn night. He was so annoying. "Fine," I sigh. And I start singing. "You know I want you to be mine,
But do you want me to be yours?
Can you answer me?
I've been waiting for you for a while.
Why are you so quiet?
Can't you hear me, my love?
Tell me what's going on in your head.
Why are you backing away?
Tell me, what's wrong?
Am I not enough for you?
Am I not the one for you?
Please, tell me.
I need you...
Don't you need me?
Wait—why are you looking at me with those red eyes?"
That's how the song goes. It's sad. The meaning behind it is even sadder, but I didn't think too much about it—I just sang. It's romantic, right? Rodry raises an eyebrow. "What? That's it?" John looks at me. "Where'd you hear that song?" Loira's eyes lock onto mine. "What's the meaning behind it?" Yeah, I just threw out some lyrics. It doesn't really make sense at first. That's always been the problem with Frank—nobody ever understood his songs. But if you really listen, you'll get it. That's what I've been doing for a while now. Can't believe he's gone. I'll never see him again. I didn't even get to give him a proper burial. He's probably still rotting in that camp... I finally answer their questions. "I heard it from my best friend. This song... it's about his last moments with the love of his life." Silence. Yeah, I just made everything worse. I have a real talent for that. Rodry sighs. "You know what? Don't ever sing again." Yeah, fair. I should just stay quiet. "Sorry," I mutter. Rodry keeps driving. John pulls out the map, unfolds it, and scans it. "We're close," he says.
We arrive at a dock and see a boat stopped there. It does look like it's in good condition. I glance at the map—the bunker is on an island. There's a marker on the map showing a boat at this location. John looks at the map, points at the boat, and says, "That's the boat." Rodry asks, "So we're on the right track?" Yeah, we're on the right track. We step onto the dock and move toward the boat to check if it's in good condition or not. This place looks so empty. From a mile or two away, we didn't see any RedEyes. seems like someone cleared it, but there were no bodies around here either. The way the RedEyes act is kinda weird—there are places where they're everywhere, some where there are only a few, and some where they're nowhere to be found. Whatever. This place is empty, so that's the only thing that matters for now. But I keep holding my gun, just in case.
John is inside the boat, checking if it's in good condition or not. He's the mechanic of our team—the guy who can do all sorts of crazy stuff. A genius, really. He's the one who built the UV car. It's kinda cool to call it that. He takes his sweet time looking over everything, running his hands across the old metal, muttering to himself like he's solving a puzzle only he understands. Finally, he steps outside, wiping his hands on his shirt, and delivers the verdict."It's busted," he says. Yay for us. And now he just stands there, arms crossed, waiting for the golden question. "Can you fix it?" I ask. "Of course I can fix it," he says, confidence all over his eyes like it's the easiest thing in the world. Then he adds, "The tank is empty, by the way." Great. Just great. When I got here, I saw a fuel station nearby. Guess that's my next stop. It's been ten days since I broke my leg. It got better over time, but the first few days were hell. The thing is, I could walk straight after six days, so they did a lot for me—took care of me, made sure I was okay. Now it's my turn to do something for them. "I saw a fuel station nearby," I say. Loira shoots me a look. We talk a little about whether I should even be walking around like this, but—fast forward to the good part—she agrees to come with me. We get ready and start heading to that place. I say goodbye to Gina. She knows I'll come back, so there's no biggies.
We're both walking side by side on the road, a few broken and rusty cars scattered around us. There's an awkward silence between us. We've spent some time together over the past few days, but never like this—just the two of us, no distractions. And now that we are, it's... weird. She doesn't seem like she wants to talk, and honestly, I have no idea what to do in a situation like this. It's been more than ten days with her, and somewhere along the way, my feelings for her built up—so much that I can't ignore them anymore. I really want to let her know. I love her. That's the only way I can describe it. Because every time I'm next to her, my heart just—Ah! I don't even know how to explain it. How hard is it to just say it? To tell her how I feel? And the bigger question—would she even like me back? She has to, right? She saved me back then. She's always been sweet to me. She's always willing to help, always willing to be by my side. That has to mean something. But my mind is running wild, and I don't know what to do with these feelings. Oh my god. I glance at her, my eyes desperate, my heart so heavy. All I want is you.
She suddenly notices that I'm staring at her while we walk. Her eyes snap to mine. I panic and look straight ahead, my heart skipping a beat. Damn it. "If you want something, just ask for it," she says. What? What does that even mean? I glance at her, stuttering, barely whispering, "What?" She tilts her head slightly. "Aren't you the 'go and get it' type?" Then she stops—right in front of me, just a step away. She looks straight into my eyes, unwavering, like she sees right through me. "Huh," she mutters. I take a small step back, still locking eyes with her, my mind scrambling to make sense of what's happening. And then—she moves closer. Too close. I can feel her breath hitting my lips. My heart pounds. She leans in, her lips barely inches away. Is this actually happening? Am I dreaming? What—She kisses me. I was right. She was into me. She likes me. Finally, it happened. The thing I wanted, the thing I imagined over and over—it's real. And yet, it still feels impossible. The kiss ends, and she pulls away, her eyes locked on mine. I'm frozen. Just standing there, staring at her. What are we now? A couple? I didn't even tell her how I feel—she just went for it. My mind is going a million miles per hour, and for the first time in my life, I don't know what to do. She smiles at me, completely unfazed, as if this is just normal. Meanwhile, I feel like I just got hit by a truck. If I'm right, she's the 'go and get it' type. And me? Right now, I'm just the 'stand there and freak out' type. I never thought a woman could do something like this to me. She smirks. "What's wrong?" I try to answer, but my mind is still scrambled. "Huh?" She chuckles. "Oh... the things your eyes are saying." Then she just turns around and keeps walking. I'm officially dead.
We arrive at the fuel station. She hasn't looked at me once the entire way here. She's playing with my feelings. Like, what is going on now? One minute she kisses me, the next she's acting like nothing happened? I don't know. I should stop whining and focus on the job. I don't even know how I'm going to get gas from this place, but we search around to find a way. That's when we see a tanker truck stop next to the station. Looks like it was just passing by when everything went down. Strange. Not even a skeleton around. Okay, it doesn't matter. Moving on. I climb onto the truck's tank to check if there's any fuel left. I open the hatch and peer inside. It's full. No clue if the gas is still usable—it's been sitting here for who knows how long—but it's worth a try. I look back at Loira, still standing on the ground. "It's full," I say.She grins, her eyes lighting up. "Yes!" she cheers. We start filling every can we can find at the station, stacking them up. Then, we spot an old cart lying around—perfect. We load it up with the fuel and start making our way back to the dock.
I'm walking behind pulling the cart it my hands, She just walking freely in front of me, She's not even care to lend a hand, I don't understand her, My mind is going to start running wild again with thoughts, I'm going to loose my mind if I start sinking with it. This is enough, so I ask her "So what are we now?" She turns around and looks at me, I stopped and says "A couple? Are we girlfriend and boyfriend now?" I know my questions sounds childlish, I just don't know what else to ask her. I'm lost. She walk a little toward me and says "Can we just not talk about it, I kinda feel like I made a mistake" what? I start saying, barely words just saying everything comes to my my mouth, I don't know what's happening or feeling but it's a arrow to the heart "Wha! What? A mistake?" She kinda sounds like, she's messing with me, But I say this to her "What? AH!!! My heart! You broke it in to millions of pieces" Yeah! kinda stupid and sarcastic, I don't know, My brain corrupted at this point. She smiles a little, She hides smiiling and walk toward me, She's so close to me again, what is she doing to me? She stare at my chest, She's a little shorter than me. She says "You smells like gas" I'm confused I just stared at her like a deer staring at head lights. She kisses my lips, I don't know.
I'm just going to let things play out the way they're playing out. at this point I don't know, I kisses her back harder, She backs off, I says "But you just said" She says that She made a mistake, It kinda bothers me, Before I continue the sentence, She says "stop talking" She kisses me again, Holding back tight, so I did the I kissed her back harder, Putting my arms around her holding her. Seems like we've both fell with each other, we were just been shy before, Finally I think we're a couple. She stops and turn around and start walking, I'm just there standing in the ground froze, She looks back at me and says "Let's go, Come on!" I ask, I need to confirm something "You didin't answered me? What are we?" She says angryliy "quiet" Yes mam, I'm scared, I don't wanna ruin this by saying something stupid. Let's just follower her lead in this relationship.
I'm walking behind, pulling the cart with my hands. She's just walking ahead, completely carefree. She doesn't even care to lend a hand. I don't understand her. My mind is about to start running wild again with thoughts. I can feel it, I'm going to lose my mind if I let myself sink into them. This is enough. "So, what are we now?" I ask. She turns around and looks at me, pausing in her steps. I stop, too. "A couple? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?" I know it sounds childish, but I don't know what else to ask. I'm completely lost. She takes a few steps toward me, and then says, "Can we just not talk about it? I kinda feel like I made a mistake." What? I barely get any words out, just blurting out everything that comes to my mind. I don't even know what I'm feeling, but it hits me like an arrow straight to the heart. "What? A mistake?" She sounds like she's messing with me, but I don't know. Then I blurt it out, sarcastic and stupid, but it just comes out: "What? AH!!! My heart! You broke it into millions of pieces!" I know, it's dumb. My brain is completely corrupted at this point. She smiles, just a little, and hides it before walking closer to me again. What is she doing to me? She looks up at me—she's a little shorter than me. "You smell like gas." she says. I'm confused, just staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. And then, she kisses me. I don't know.
I'm just going to let things play out the way they're playing out. At this point, I don't know. I kiss her back harder. She backs off. "I made a mistake," she had said, and it kinda bothers me now. "But you just said—" She interrupts me. Before I can finish my sentence, she says, "Stop talking." She kisses me again, holding me tight. I kiss her back harder, putting my arms around her, holding her. It seems like we've both fallen for each other. We were just shy before, but now... finally, I think we're a couple. She stops, turns around, and starts walking. I'm just standing there, frozen, watching her. She looks back at me and says, "Let's go, come on!" I ask, needing to confirm something. "You didn't answer me. What are we?" She says angrily, "Quiet." "Yes, ma'am," I mutter. I'm scared now. I don't want to ruin this by saying something stupid. I guess we'll just follow her lead in this relationship.
We're close to the dock when, out of nowhere, I hear gunshots. A shotgun. Wait! John has a shotgun. Why is he firing it now? Loira says, "Was that...?" but before she finishes, another shot goes off. We start running, as fast as possible. What's going on? When we arrive, I see a one RedEyes walking toward John. He's on the ground, bleeding, slowly crawling back, his shotgun still in his hand. Oh no. I pull out my gun as fast as I can. Before the thing reaches him, I start shooting. It stops, turning its gaze toward me. This one is different than the ones I've seen before. He's only wearing shorts, his long dark hair hanging wild. But his skin—it's not just dark. It looks like veins are covering his entire body. His red bulging eyes look like they're about to pop out of his face. And he's tall. Really tall. At least 6'8. But the worst part? He has no mouth. It's not like it's closed shut—it's gone. Like something ripped it right off. Then, he moves. He charges at me. Loira is a bit ahead of me, to my left, frozen in place. She's staring at something. I follow her gaze. Rodry. He's lying on the ground, a little farther away. His head is missing. He's dead.
How did that happen? I look ahead—it's coming right at me. I fire again and again. It dodges one. One hits its heart. Then I see it. Its jaw is missing. Like it was broken clean off. So it can't bite—it just kills. I fire again. It jumps at me. I point my gun at its head—I'm too late. Bang! A gunshot to its side. Loira fired. It crashes to my right. I keep shooting while it's on the ground, but then—it swings its arm. Hard. It hits my leg. I fall. Loira keeps shooting, her hands shaking, crying. It lunges at her, knocking the gun from her hands. It falls to the ground. She doesn't have time to react. It grabs her by the throat, lifting her like a ragdoll. It's going to break her neck. I have no time to think. I point my gun at its head and pull the trigger. Click. Fuck me. I'm out of bullets. It's almost over. She's choking, struggling. I need to save her. I grab my knife and push myself up— Then, a scream. A woman's voice, coming from the right. I turn my head. Gina. Her eyes—red. She raises her hand toward it. Like she's commanding it. And then—it lets go of Loira. It turns, sprinting toward Gina. No! I start running after it. It leaps at her. Gina stumbles back, falling to the ground, frozen in fear. No, leave her alone! My mind is screaming. Bang! A shotgun blast. John. He had a clear shot. The thing's head explodes. It drops to the ground, lifeless.
I run toward Gina to check if she's okay. She gets back up. I pull her into a hug. Oh my god. What just happened? It all happened too fast. I can't believe it. Loira suddenly bolts past me, running toward John, crying. She falls in front of him. He's lying just ahead, his chest bleeding. It's broken. He was gone the moment he took that shot. She's sobbing, clutching at him, pulling him, refusing to let go. I don't know what to do. Again, everything falls apart. I walk over to her and grab her shoulders. She won't let him go. She holds onto him, tight. I gently pull her away, wrapping my arms around her, holding her as tight as I can. I can't let her suffer like this. I cover her face against my neck, shielding her from the sight around us. She just lost her family. I know how that feels. And yet—there's nothing I can do. Nothing but hold her. Why is the world so cruel to us? Why does everything have to turn out this way? What did we do to deserve this... pain? They took us in when we were lost. And I couldn't save them. Damn it. From now on, Loira is in my hands. I'll take care of her. I look at John's lifeless body. Don't worry. She's breaking apart in my arms, sobbing everything out against my chest. I hold her, letting her know she's not alone. Gina kneels beside me, gripping my left hand. I have to take care of these two. I'll protect them. They'll be fine. I can't afford to break down. I have to be strong—for them. I hold Loira tight against me. I squeeze Gina's hand. I got you both.