Dying Breath: It All Starts Here

Krovavyy Podval

Askova, Derek, and Michaela kept their distance between the hanging carcasses. The cannibals were frozen to the ground, eating the dead deer, squirrels, and snakes.

" Oh, God. Who did this?" whispered Willow.

" The person who lives here, that's who," replied Derek. Askova walked towards the cannibals and crouched down. The cannibals were now trying to get to Askova. Askova got up and looked at the blood dripping from the carcasses.

" This is one kravavyy podval," said Askova. Willow and Derek looked at her, confused. Askova looked at them.

" Bloody basement," Askova corrected. Willow and Derek nodded. Willow killed one of the cannibals by bashing the butt of her gun in its head. Derek stabbed a couple of cannibals in the head with his crowbar. Askova sliced a couple of them in the head by using her sword. Askova cut the ropes that were holding the carcasses with her sword. Derek walked over to the lab table, with beakers full of liquids.

" What do you think somebody here was trying to do?" asked Derek. Willow walked over and picked up a beaker that was labeled ' Brain Liquid- Sample 1'.

" Brain Liquid- Sample 1? What the hell does that mean?" blurted Willow. Derek shrugged. Askova walked over to a chain, hung from the ceiling. She looked at where it was coming from. She pulled it, and a machine turned on. Willow and Derek walked over to Askova and watched a garage door open.

" The cold is getting in. Close it!" demanded Derek. Askova agreed and pulled the chain again. The garage door started to close, and the machine turned off.

" We're in a garage?" asked Willow. Askova shrugged. The door the garage room opened, and Askova, Willow, and Derek pointed their weapons towards the door. Footsteps were approaching. Lindsay appeared.

" Guys, a car is coming!" warned Lindsay. Askova ran up the steps and warned the others. Willow and Derek followed.

" Everyone hide, now!" Askova ran next to the door and stayed still. Everyone else found a place where they could hide. They heard a door slam. Footsteps were approaching, and the door next to the garage door opened. The door opened right next to Askova like she was hidden in a corner. The door closed, and Askova quietly hid beside the table, which had a checkered tablecloth, full of papers, shattered beakers, and pencils and pens.

" Hmm... who.." mumbled the person. Askova couldn't make out the other words. Askova took one of the papers from the table and looked at it. It was full of math equations, science theories, and stuff about the infection on it. She put it back. The person walked towards the big table that was full of beakers. Askova, Derek, and Michaela followed. They walked down the steps, quietly, trying not to alarm the person. Askova shushed them and pointed Derek to the other side of the garage. He walked slowly, not making any creaks in the steps. Askova pointed Michaela to the back of the garage, near the steps. She went there. Askova finally walked to the middle of the garage and took out her sword.

" Who are you?" Askova demanded. The person turned around, startled, and dropped their beaker full of clear, yellow like liquid.

" Ah, shit," they whispered, as they bent down to pick up the pieces.

" Get up!" Askova demanded again, but in a more belligerent voice. They got up, holding a giant glass shard.

" Please, don't hurt me!" they pleaded, gripping harder on the glass shard.

" Who are you?" Askova asked, in a more calmer tone.

" Maggy," they answered. They sounded like a girl.

" Take your hood off," Askova asked. She took her hood off, hesitantly. She had long brown, wavy hair, with blonde streaks. She looked and sounded around the age of 20. She was wearing a pink winter coat, with blood on it. She had skinny jeans and white snow boots.

" What are you doing here?" Askova asked, waving her sword in Maggy's face.

" Well, this is my house, and..." stuttered Maggy. Askova cut off her words.

" No, in this garage. What are you doing in this garage?" she asked. Maggy looked pale.

" Um well, I uh...I was...making a cure for banshee bites," she replied and gulped. She still had her hands up, looking scared. Askova lowered her sword and put it back in her scabbard. Derek lowered his crowbar. Michaela lowered her pistol. Michaela looked flabbergasted, then laughed.

" Banshees? That's what you call them?" asked Michaela, looking like she couldn't believe Maggy. Maggy looked confused.

" Yeah. What do you call them?" asked Maggy, still having her hands up.

" We call them the name of the infection characteristics."

" What, Solanum?"

" Oh hell no, we call them cannibals, the characteristics name, not the virus," Michaela corrected.

" Oh," Maggy sighed, " Ok, look. You guys can stay here as long as you want, but just, please... don't kill me," hesitated Maggy, walking towards them. She is apparently scared of kids.

She hid her beaker shard in her hand and walked slowly towards Askova. Askova looked at her as she approached and crossed her arms. Maggy approached.

" You know, if you're going to stay here then..." she stopped, and thrust her arm towards Askova, with the shard in her hand. Askova put her arm on the inside of her arm and pushed it away. She punched her arm in Maggy's chin, doing an uppercut. Then, Askova twisted her wrist, and twisted her arm to her back, and kneeled her to the ground.

" You really think that you're going to try to kill me?" asked Askova. Maggy was still holding the shard. Askova nodded Derek towards her direction. Once he walked over to Askova, she nodded to Maggy's right hand. Derek opened her hand and took the shard.

" How did you know how to do that?" Derek asked.

" The internet," Askova replied. Askova picked Maggy up and held her arms together. Michaela walked over with a piece of cut rope and tied Maggy's hands together. Askova escorted Maggy up the stairs, and into the kitchen.

" Whos this?" asked Ray, eating a bag of pretzels.

" This is Maggy. She says that she's working on a cure to 'Banshee' bites," replied Askova, setting Maggy down on the floor. Ray laughed.

" What's her progress?" asked Lindsay.

" Well, she..." started Askova.

" Well, I made it to where it takes longer to turn," blurted Maggy. Everyone turned their heads towards Maggy.

" How long does it take?" asked Ray. Maggy looked at her.

" What does?" asked Maggy, looking down.

" How long does it take for someone to turn?" asked Ray, still eating on her pretzels.

" About half a week," replied Maggy, " It usually takes about a day. But now it takes half a week." Maggy was still sitting there, hands tied up. Askova wet a towel and sat next to Maggy. She took out her sword and started to wipe the blade with her towel.

" Why to clean it when it's just going to get more bloody?" asked Maggy, watching Askova clean her blade.

" Blood equals rust. Rust equals weak. Weak equals slow. Slow equals dead, especially in this state," replied Askova, paying no attention to Maggy. Maggy sighed and closed her eyes.