Dream Tales

The Cursed & The Infected

It happened just some years ago, but it's difficult to believe that this world was once peaceful and people can roam free majority of the time, and the only thing you will worry are some wild animals and thieves.

Now, everyone have to hide, especially me and my adopted little brother.

“There they are!”

Mother kept ahold of my little brother and Father had me in his arms as they kept running.

“It's no use!” Mother yelled through her panting.

Father screamed, “What should we do?!”

I squeezed my eyes shut as I held my chest tighter, burning while my body's cold. I took deep breaths in my Father's chest despite having trouble breathing, because his warm scent gives out hope.

“We should get them safe, at least!”

“I have a rope!”

I held my father tightly.

I shrieked as I felt Father jumped.

“It's not working!” Mother yelled. “Get Philip!”

“Wha—”

“—There's no other way! Get them somewhere.”

“No, we must—”

“—The kids must come first! I need to do this!”

“No, Leena! You t—”

“—You must—” Mother gasped. “Just take them, dammit!”

I looked up. Mother's glaring. This is the first time they disagreed this way... Are they . . . fighting?

“Okay.” Father immediately took my little brother.

She kissed our foreheads as she touched our heads. “I love you all.” She held Father's shoulder and kissed him, then quickly ran away as he immediately ran on another direction.

“Where's—”

“—Quiet! They're coming!”

I squeezed my lips and Denis held my hands.

Father was running for quite a while until he stopped in a secluded spot and put us down. He grabbed some leaves and threw it on a hole of dirt beside us.

“Father, you can't fit there,” I said.

He re-arranged Denis's cover. He's breathing deeply.

“Diana, protect little brother and yourself.” He re-arranged my shawl. “Make sure to never let anyone else see his eyes. And never, ever, tell or show anyone your scar and where you get it. Got it?” He held my cheeks.

I slowly nodded. “Yes, Father.”

“A—Are you—”

Father held Denis. “Take care of each other. Protect each other. Got it?”

Denis started crying and he shook his head as he grabbed his arms, but he let him go roughly and then pushed us together in the hole. “Be quiet.” He held our cheeks and looked at me. “I'm leaving it all up to you.”

As I touched his hand, he immediately let go and arranged the roots of dirt to help cover us. And a familiar sound appeared. I immediately held Denis's mouth and held him tight. He wrapped his arms around me as we watched lights a bit far a way pass by, along with a few boots nearby.

We hugged each other tightly as people screamed.

“Monster! Run!”

“Run!”