A little owl

The only thing that illuminated the room was the moonlight through the window.

But it was enough.

Enough to see the blood and pieces of what a woman was.

Enough to finally realize the seriousness of the situation I am in, and what it represents.

I have to admit I saw this coming, but still living it is a completely different experience.

The smell of blood, the fear, the feeling of fragility, the beating of the heart, the need to express feelings that I don't know how to express.

That means watching someone die.

I wanted to scream, run, vomit, and even for a moment, I wanted to do something that I haven't done since I was 15 years old.

I wanted to cry.

But still, somehow, I kept silent, because I knew that any sound would lead me to the same fate.

In one corner of the room was a zombie covered with mushrooms on his torso and arms, staring at the window.

AB-.

I decided enough was enough, but before I left I noticed something next to the door.

A small stuffed animal shaped like an owl.

I don't know why I felt the need to take it to the girl, but I would say it's a kind of the woman's last will.

Or maybe, an attempt to calm my conscience for not being able to save her.

I put the flashlight in my pants and took the stuffed animal.

When I touched it I realized that it was a little wet, so I could tell that it is tears.

Apparently the owl is important.

After taking the owl I went back the way I came, even more silently than before.

As I came out, I could see that the girl was poking her head above the bush.

"Sir, where is my mommy?" Halley said confused.

At that question I was completely frozen.

I never liked lying, I could never even do it right.

But I can't just tell the truth.

So I took a deep breath, and said the best thing I could think of.

"Apparently your mother is not here, she probably went looking for you, so we may see her soon" I said in a soft tone and surprisingly without stuttering.

"O-oh I see" said Halley who seemed to be about to cry.

Before she burst into tears I showed the teddy to the girl and said.

"Look, I found this friend on the second floor, do you know whose he is?" I said feigning ignorance.

Seeing the owl, the girl reacted quickly.

"I-it's the m-mister owl my mom g-gave it to me on my last b-birthday" she said as she resisted the urge to cry and extended her arms towards the teddy owl.

As the girl took it, she closed her eyes, hugged him tightly and calmed down almost instantly.

'It must still have the smell of her mother' I thought with a touch of pity.

From what I saw in the photos of the house, the girl only has her mother and no one else.

Therefore, when this situation is resolved, the girl will end up in an orphanage.

But this is not the time to think about that.

After resting for a few minutes and calming my heart rate a bit, I told the girl.

"I'm going to a safe place, do you want to come with me?" I said quietly.

It's not like she has much of a choice, but I want to know the girl's opinion of me.

At my question, the girl opened her eyes and looked at me for a moment before asking.

"Where are you going to go sir?" Halley said with a hint of mistrust.

'Wow, she's smarter than I thought' I thought a little surprised.

Even after all this, she has not been affected by the suspension bridge syndrome, and she still shows distrust towards me.

She is quite impressive.

"I will go to a firing range where zombies cannot hear me, and also to learn how to use a weapon" I said with complete honesty.

These zombies are mostly guided by sound, except for A and B.

So a soundproof room is the safest place I can think of, plus it will help me learn how to use the weapon.

It is a win-win.

Hearing that the zombies would not approach she quickly agreed to go with me.

Seeing that the girl agrees, I sat down on the ground and started looking for the location with the GPS.

My eyes have gotten used to the darkness, so the light from the phone hurt a bit.

It's already 9:45 PM and the closest firing range is 6 blocks ahead and two blocks to the left.

It's a bit far, but getting there is going to increase my chances of survival, so it's worth it.

I put my phone in the blue backpack then got up and put both packs on my shoulders.

They are a bit heavy, but this is not the time to complain.

I took the bat with my right hand and said to the girl.

"Come, I know where to go" I said as I extended my hand towards her.

The girl took my hand and so we began to walk towards our destination.