Night fell over the forest like a thick blanket. The wind swept up dry leaves, and hurried footsteps echoed among the trees.
Two figures emerged from the shadows: Arika and Reize ran without looking back, panting, their breath coming in gasps.
—Keep going! —said Reize, glancing back briefly—. We're almost there…!
Both were covered in dirt and sweat. Branches tore at their clothes, but they didn't stop. Finally, exhausted, they leaned against a thick tree trunk.
—I don't hear anything anymore —Reize murmured, straining her ears—. Maybe… we lost them.
Arika, her heart still racing, shook her head.
—I don't know… —she replied in a low voice.
That was when something caught her attention. In the distance, a thin line of smoke rose into the night sky. Barely visible among the shadows.
—Reize… look —she whispered, pointing—. Over there. Do you see it?
Reize narrowed her eyes.
—Yes… it could be a fire. Do you think there are survivors?
—There's only one way to find out.
They walked cautiously toward the smoke, crouching low among the trees. Just as they were about to reach the clearing, a rustling in the bushes made them stop dead in their tracks.
— Halt! —shouted a male voice.
A man with a hardened face, a sparse beard, and a sharp gaze emerged from the undergrowth, brandishing a gun. The barrel was pointed directly at them.
—Who are you? What are you doing here?
Reize raised her hands, startled.
—Don't shoot! We're unarmed.
Arika stepped forward calmly.
—We're not infected. We're just… looking for shelter.
The man looked them up and down, his eyes assessing every gesture, every breath.
—That's what everyone says —he said, without lowering his gun.
—Check us if you want —Arika said firmly—. We don't have any bite marks. Or a fever. We're just exhausted.
There was a tense silence. Then the man lowered his gun, though he continued to eye them warily.
—I'm Sebastián —he said finally—. Follow me. But if you do anything suspicious, I won't hesitate to kick you out.
He led them along a hidden path through the trees until they reached a small clearing. There, camouflaged among bushes and branches, stood a makeshift camp. About ten people were taking shelter in tents made of cloth and wood. Children and adults with tired faces, suspicious glances.
—Ever since that damn virus spread —Sebastián remarked—, we've managed to stay hidden here. Far from the roads, far from the chaos.
Just then, a small figure came running toward him from inside the building.
—Daddy!
She was a little girl no older than six or seven, with dark, slightly tousled hair that fell over her eyes in unruly strands. Her clothes were worn, a little too big for her, but as clean as they could be. Her cheeks, slightly dirty, contrasted with the liveliness of her expression, and her eyes… shone with an innocence that seemed to refuse to fade, even in the midst of it all.
Sebastián smiled for the first time and lifted her into his arms
—Have you eaten yet?
The girl nodded, snuggling up against him.
—She's my daughter —he said, turning to the new arrivals—. Grisel.
Arika bowed slightly.
—Nice to meet you, Grisel. You have a very brave father.
The girl looked at her curiously but didn't answer.
Some people in the camp approached, eyeing the new arrivals warily.
—More mouths to feed? —whispered an older woman.
—How do we know they aren't carrying the virus?
—They could put us in danger…
Sebastián frowned.
—Enough. They're clean. No one else is going to talk about this.
The murmuring died down. One by one, the refugees returned to their tents, casting suspicious glances.
—Come on —said Sebastián—. I'll help you set up.
Grisel insisted on helping, and the three of them put up a simple tent. When everything was ready, Sebastián said his goodbyes.
—Get some rest. We'll talk more tomorrow.
Reize closed the entrance and immediately turned to Arika.
—Does it hurt? —she asked with concern.
Arika rolled up her sleeve. The bandage was still there. Reize hurried to remove it.
—No… it can't be…
The wound had disappeared. There was no trace left.
—This is… very strange —Arika whispered, lowering her gaze—. It hasn't even been a day since…
—Shhh —Reize interrupted her—. Don't think about that. The important thing is that you're okay. But don't say anything. If they find out…
—I know —Arika said—. I'll keep it hidden.
Several days passed. Arika, Reize, and Sebastian went out together to search for supplies. Sebastian trusted them. Or at least, he tried to.
Until one afternoon, while fleeing from an infected, Arika was wounded. Sebastian, worried, improvised a bandage.
—It's just a scratch — Arika murmured, gritting her teeth.
When they returned, Reize carefully cleaned the wound. The next day, Arika woke up without a single mark. As if it had never happened.
That same night, one of the refugees, Clara, sneaked into the tent. She rummaged through their belongings, looking for something to prove they couldn't be trusted.
Arika woke up at the sound, startled, still halfway between sleep and reality.
—Reize? —she murmured, sitting up with a groan.
Clara turned around, nervous. At that moment, the bandage fell from Arika's arm.
There was no wound.
Clara's eyes widened, filling with fear. She took a step back.
— You… —she stammered—. You were injured… I saw it… how is it that…?
Her voice trembled.
—Are you infected…?
Arika reacted immediately and stood up, taking a step toward her.
—I'm not infected! — she said, trying to stay calm—. Listen to me, please… it's not what you think—
But the woman ran off.
—Everyone! Wake up! That girl is infected!
Within seconds, the entire camp had gathered. Voices began to overlap, confused and tense. Reize arrived first, followed by Sebastián, who looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.
—That's a lie! —Reize shouted, stepping in front of Arika—. She's not infected!
—I saw her! —insisted Clara, pointing with a trembling hand—. She had a wound yesterday! And today there's nothing! That's not normal!
Sebastián frowned and looked directly at Arika.
—Arika… —he said seriously—. Is it true?
Silence fell for a moment.
Arika held his gaze. She didn't try to dodge the question.
—Yes… —she finally replied, in a low voice—. It's true.
A murmur rippled through the group like a wave.
—See? —someone exclaimed—. It's not normal!
—It's a mutation!
—She might be worse than the infected ones!
—She could kill us all in our sleep!
—Listen to me! —Sebastián raised his voice, trying to assert himself—. She's been with us all this time. She hasn't attacked anyone. She hasn't shown any symptoms.
—That doesn't matter! —another retorted—. That makes her even more dangerous!
Reize stepped forward, furious.
—You're talking without knowing! You have no idea what you're saying!
But no one was listening anymore. Fear had taken control.
Sebastián clenched his teeth, looking around, trying to find a way to calm the situation. But every voice, every glance… made it clear to him that there was no turning back.
He looked down for a second.
When he spoke again, his voice no longer had the same firmness.
—…You have to leave.
A heavy silence fell.
Reize looked at him, incredulous.
—What…?
—I can't put you all at risk —he said, clearly pained—. If you stay… things will only get worse.
Arika didn't say anything at first. She just looked down.
She understood.
It was inevitable.
—I understand —she finally replied, her voice muffled.
Sebastián shook his head gently, frustrated.
—I'm sorry… if it were up to me alone—
—It's not your fault —Arika interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder—. You did more than anyone else would have. Thank you… for everything.
Just then, Grisel came running up and clung to Arika's legs.
—Are you leaving? —she asked, her voice breaking.
Arika crouched down and gently stroked her hair.
—Yes, sweetie… but I'll be okay. You take good care of your dad, okay?
The little girl nodded, her eyes filled with tears.
Reize and Arika gathered their things in silence. No one else approached. No one said a word.
Sebastián accompanied them to the edge of the camp.
—Take care out there —he murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow—. I hope… we see each other again.
Arika turned around one last time.
—I hope so too.
She said nothing more.
She turned around and, alongside Reize, began to make her way deeper into the forest, leaving behind the only place that, for a moment, had felt like home.
The shadows of the trees quickly closed in around them, enveloping them in thick gloom. The crunch of leaves beneath their feet marked their steady, silent progress. The air, cold and heavy with moisture, carried a faint trail of smoke that still seemed to be following them.
Neither of them spoke.
Behind them lay the stares, the fear… and everything that never came to be.
—So now? — Reize asked after a while, breaking the silence—. Where are we going?
Arika didn't stop. She walked with a calm, almost serene stride, as if she already knew the way.
—We'll find something —she replied—. For now, the best thing would be to head toward the highway. Maybe we'll find a vehicle to get us away from here.
Reize nodded, but her brow remained furrowed. After walking a few more seconds, she let out a snort and spoke:
—It's not fair, you know? That they treat us like this… After everything we did.
Arika lowered her head slightly.
—I'm sorry —she said softly—. It was my fault they kicked us out.
Reize stopped, placed a hand on her shoulder, and forced her to look at her.
—Don't ever say that again. It wasn't your fault, Arika. They… were just scared. Stupidly scared.
—Even so…
—Look —she interrupted with a half-smile—. I was already sick of those ladies with their snide comments and those little glances. Deep down… I think I'm glad I don't have to put up with them anymore.
She paused and looked down. Her tone softened.
—But I will miss Sebastián… and Grisel. They really trusted us. They treated us well from the start.
—I'm going to miss them too —Arika murmured.
They walked a few more meters. Reize was about to say something when, suddenly, Arika grabbed her arm and gently pushed her toward some bushes. Reize was about to protest, but Arika covered her mouth with her hand and gave her a clear signal: silence.
A few seconds later, the sound of slow, shuffling footsteps drew closer. From behind the branches, they saw an infected one pass by. Its face was disfigured, its clothes torn, and a dark stain covered its chest. It walked clumsily, but its breathing was rough and heavy.
It walked right past them, without noticing their presence.
When it had moved far enough away, Arika lowered her hand. Reize let out a long sigh.
—Damn… —she whispered.
They peeked out cautiously. But there wasn't just one.
—Look —Arika murmured, pointing ahead.
At least a dozen infected were walking in the same direction. They were all moving forward, slowly, through the trees. But the direction was clear.
—They're heading toward the camp —Reize said, her voice tense.
They looked at each other, both realizing the same thing instantly. Reize jumped to her feet.
—We have to get to the highway. Now! If the infected made it this far, there could be more in the area.
But Arika didn't move. She stared in the direction they had come from, her face serious.
—And we're not going to do anything?
—What do you mean, 'nothing'? — Reize frowned—. They kicked us out! They treated us like we were a threat. And you want to go back and help them?
Arika looked her straight in the eye.
—What about Sebastian? What about Grisel? Do they deserve that too?
Reize opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She looked down, biting her lip.
—I'm sure they'll manage —she murmured.
—Didn't you say we should be empathetic toward others?
A heavy silence fell between them. The wind blew through the trees, as if reminding them that time was running out.
—You're right…—Reize finally whispered, with a resigned smile—. Sometimes it seems like you understand this better than I do, Arika.
Arika looked at her, blinking slowly, as if processing the idea.
—Do you think so? —she replied calmly—. I'm just doing what I think is right.
Reize let out a small sigh, nodding.
—That's already more than many can say.
There was a brief silence.
Arika looked away into the darkness of the path.
—Let's go save them, then.
—All right… — Reize took a deep breath—. I just hope we get there in time.
And without wasting any more time, they both ran back toward the shelter. The night stretched out before them, full of danger… but also of purpose.