Bab 14: Finding Out What Happened
"So you're telling me zombies are a thing now?" Malachi asked for confirmation. He stared at his daughter's reflection in the rearview mirror as he drove.
Although he had no idea of where he was at the moment nor any idea of where he was heading, Malachi still drove. He judged the previous location where he woke up, the filling station close to the forest, was not safe enough.
Even though they were the only ones at the filling station, when the whole family was reunited again, Malachi thought that spending the night in the car should be okay. However, this thought changed when he finally started asking Anna and Mia questions and found out that it was from the forest the monster dog came from.
When this revelation was revealed, Malachi wasn't even the first person to voice that they should move away from the forest. It was David.
Because they had just battled the monster dog, the memory was still fresh in their heads. Even though at that time, the two of them, Malachi and David, still had no idea of the events that happened after they fell unconscious, the revelation that the monster dog had emerged from the forest immediately made them mark the place as a dangerous location, and staying close to it was just as dangerous.
It was just now that Malachi and David finally learned about the events that happened during the time they were unconscious from Mia. Expectedly, the two were shocked.
Although what Mia told them sounded absurd, Malachi and David did not doubt her for a moment. They indeed felt the matter was surreal, but the monster dog and their changed bodies and abnormal powers that a human should not have made them believe that zombies were a possibility as well.
Silence reigned in the car for a while as Malachi drove through the lonely road, with various thoughts flashing through his mind.
Although the car was indeed quiet, save for the rhythmic breathing of Malachi, David, and Mia, Anna's light snores threatened to break the silence, though barely.
After the family reunited, and Anna saw her husband and son were safe, the day's exhaustion finally caught up with her. Seeing her husband's reassuring face and feeling her son's sense of protection for her made Anna feel the burdens and responsibilities on her shoulders had lifted.
She was seated in the front seat with Malachi, and before she fell asleep, she had a slight smile on her face.
Anna knew the world was messed up now, but for some reason, being with her son and husband again made the situation feel less grim. She felt a sense of security and safety that eluded her when they were unconscious, and the same went for Mia.
At that moment, Mia was doing something she would have never done before the cracks in the air appeared: she was laying vulnerable in the arms of her twin brother's embrace. Doing this gave her an extra sense of security.
David did not dare make fun of his younger sister. Instead, he tried to reassure her that everything was okay now that he and his father were there with her and their mother.
David ran his fingers through her hair to calm her down, and although he wasn't sure if this would help in any way, seeing as Mia was okay with it, he continued. It was when Mia's snores finally joined his mother's in the car that a smile finally made its way to David's face.
"They've tried," Malachi stated, his enhanced senses catching the rhythmic breathing of his wife and daughter. From the pace at which their hearts raced, Malachi knew the two were deeply asleep.
The faint breaths that escaped their lips also made him aware of their exhausted state. The fact that he could clearly hear their heartbeats amazed Malachi, but it also made him aware of his body's changes. He had changed into something else, perhaps something not entirely human anymore. And the same was true for his son.
Malachi's senses picked up David's breathing. His heart raced fast, and his entire breathing was in chaos. Although David tried to control it, it only made the way his heart pounded in his chest even louder to Malachi's ears.
"David," Malachi called out.
"Sir," David replied. His voice sounded strong, but the shake in it was impossible to hide.
"Do you trust me?"
"Trust you?" Confused by his father's sudden, unexpected question, David was momentarily distracted from his fears.
Malachi had no knowledge of what exactly was making David's heart race, but he had some ideas, as he also had his own fears.
"I trust you, Dad." Although David was confused by his father's choice of question, he answered without much hesitation. He spoke the truth.
Over the years, as he grew up, David and his father had their disagreements and fights. However, David was confident that not once had his father hated him as a son, nor had his love for him diminished, even when David behaved like a difficult child at times. He knew that Malachi really loved him as a father, and he, in turn, loved his father.
Although Malachi seemed to favour Mia more as they grew up, something David couldn't help feeling a bit jealous of, David knew deep in his heart that Malachi loved and cared for him dearly. Preferring his younger twin sibling didn't mean he loved him any less.
David knew that if there was anyone in the world he could trust, it was his parents. They were the only ones who would truly accept him as he was. His flaws were seen as traits in their eyes. The same could not be said for any friend or relationship partner.
Recalling some of his slightly forgotten childhood memories, David spoke again.
"I trust you, Dad." This time, his voice was more solid than the last.
Hearing his son's answer, Malachi felt a sense of relief and warmth. A big smile threatened to emerge on his face.
"If you trust me, then leave the rest to me and sleep. You look tired."
"I can still—"
"Sleep, son. I'll handle the rest until you wake up," Malachi stated with a firm tone, though not unkindly.
"Okay, Dad," David said softly and didn't speak again. A few seconds later, another snore echoed in the car, a bit louder than the rest. It brought a smile to Malachi's face.
A determined expression then formed on Malachi's face.
I swear I'll protect you with my life, even if I need to stop breathing.
Hadiah
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