The Monster In Me

Relying on each other

Zean blinked his eyes many times to make sure that he was really no longer closed. Because he was fooled by the black color that apparently covered his sense of sight. It was a miracle that he did not think that he had become blind, because the body of someone who hugged his head tightly really made him unable to see anything after he woke up from his stupor.

With all his might the young artist raised both his limp hands and grabbed his sister's shoulders where he had his forehead leaning against. Swiping Helsa who was busy slowly. At once Zean could feel Helsa's body freeze.

“Sister! Brother is conscious!” the girl shouted while trying to look at the sister's face. Zean growled as Helsa accidentally touched the wound on his body. “A-I'm so scared. I thought Brother left me alone!”

“Why is that? Brother once said that Brother will always be by your side,” Zean replied with a smile. Now he upholds his sitting position so that he can look at his sister better. Several times he blinked his eyes to adapt to the atmosphere of the night that looked dim with minimal lighting.

“Ha-terminated .. depleted.” Helsa's lips began to tremble. It looks like he's going to cry again. “Blood. Brother is bleeding a lot,” he said before actually whining and covering his mouth with a palm. Trying to suppress his own crying voice.

“Many how? Brother feels fine.” With confidence Zean touched the back of his head that Helsa pointed at. Instantly he felt a sticky and warm liquid fill his palm.

Both of Zean's eyes must have looked wide in fear, because the next second Helsa screamed and looked increasingly panicked. “I should how? Brother got hurt because of me!” Roughly he pulled a knit hat that covered part of his shoulder hair.

Zean hastily restrains Helsa's movements by grabbing both hands of her sister. “Ca, relax first. Look Brother! My sister didn't feel any pain at all. Wounds on the head do often look more sinister than they actually are.” Zean lied a little because he actually began to feel pain and pain all over his body.

But how else? He should be able to make Helsa stop screaming if he wants to save both of their lives.

He vaguely recalled why they could end up lying with bodies filled with sand and gravel. He was inviting Helsa who suddenly limp to rest for a while while enjoying fruit juice in one of the gazebos available in the corner of the Playground. However, suddenly came a group of people running around in panic, as well as attacking each other aggressively. Some of them hit one of the gazebo poles where Zean and Helsa took shelter.

In order to avoid the ruins from the shattered gazebo, Zean hugged his sister tightly and was forced to plop down to the side. And ended up banging his head on the hard asphalt.

Zean could still imagine what it was like when his body was hit by a pile of rubble that actually no longer hit him. Perhaps as long as he fainted, Helsa put everything away with all her might. Zean felt his heart ache at the thought of how his sister had to endure being alone for a while.

“Did you keep crying since? What about those horrible humans that attacked us?” zean asked carefully after making sure his sister was already much calmer.

Helsa shook her head with pursed lips. Sometimes he still sobbed and had to wipe his wet eyes. “I keep pretending to be dead behind Big Brother's body. Until finally, the zombies went to attack others.”

“So Brother said, they're not zombies.”

“Keep what?”

Zean was silent for a while before sighing heavily. “Kakak doesn't know either. But for sure, we should be wary of anyone at this time.” Zean smiled as he saw Helsa nodding her head. “Thank you for taking good care of Brother during Big Brother fainting. We can definitely get out of this place safely,” he said as he rubbed his sister's head.

Though he really hoped today he could make Helsa happy, but what happened instead he made them both trapped among the undead who attacked ferociously. Therefore, no matter how, Zean is ready to sacrifice to make sure his sister returns home intact and healthy.

“I am much more powerful than I thought,” chapped Helsa proudly. He then took off their grip and grabbed the backpack that was beside Zean. Take out the little P3K boxes they used to take with them everywhere.

Of course Zean refused when Helsa told him to bow. Because all the drugs he brought in just in case Helsa was hurt. He couldn't let his sister put medicine on him.

“Sister, right, will make sure I don't get hurt. So, I don't need all these drugs and bandages.” Confidently Helsa poured a bottle of alcohol onto one side of Zean's injured head. Zean tried hard to refrain from grimacing.

Indeed, Helsa himself does not know much about treating wounds. Every time Zena took care of him, he would just close his eyes to endure the attacking pain. So that at this time he only entrusted his own instinct to treat Zean's wounds. Ignoring his two real hands was still trembling in fear.

“Already,” said Helsa proudly while staring at the piece of bandage cloth that he had just attached to his brother's head using plaster. He kept the scissors he had used in his pants pocket.

Zean felt the work of Helsa. He smiled when he realized that his sister had put a bandage to his hair, so that the bandage was not tightly attached. “Good work,” praise. Then he saw the situation around. “If you are ready, we will try to leave here.”

“Why? Shouldn't we wait until help arrives?” ask Helsa worriedly.

Zean closed his lips before shaking his head. “At a time like this, we should not just be silent and resigned. The authorities definitely need a lot of time to save a lot of visitors to this Playground,” he said while looking into the eyes of the brother. “We also do not know when the terrible creatures will come back and attack us.”

Clearly, Helsa disagreed with Zean's words, as she seemed reluctant to return her brother's gaze for a while. The little girl continued to look the other way before her eyes widened and she smiled excitedly. “So don't you remember, did I just say that someone else was targeted by those zombies so we could survive?”

“Ya, of course Sister remember,” replied Zean gently.

“After some thought, it seemed like they had deliberately lured those zombies somewhere to then attack him. They all wore the same white ash uniform. And there's a grown woman with him.”

Slowly, Zean tried to understand his sister's words. “It looks like they're a troupe of schoolchildren, huh?” tanyanya.

“It seems so, Brother,” replied Helsa enthusiastically. “They carry sticks as weapons. Isn't that a good idea? Maybe we can find something to defend ourselves.”

Zean was stunned. It seemed that his admiration for the younger brother would never stop growing.

***