Sweet Dreams

Iñaki puts first and turns in the direction of the infected. Second, the asphalt burns the tires. Third, Iñaki can already hear them. Fourth, they line up on the street with their arms outstretched. Fifth, dozens of bodies hit the hood and windshield of the car. Short, dry noises resound in Iñaki's ears. Iñaki stops and looks back.

"There, mission accomplished."

He parks the car in front of the gate and looks at Mike.

"You got the map?"

"Yes."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mike replies as he looks at the bloody cracks in the glass. "Let's go back."

Then Iñaki lets go of the wheel, turns off the engine, and relaxes his arms.

"Let's go back."

"Let's go to Eduardo's apartment, I'm sure Sofia is there with Maria."

"Ok."

In Eduardo's apartment...

"You all right? What were those noises? " asks Eduardo.

"What are they going to be?" Mike answers.

Sofia is sitting next to Maria with her face smeared with puree. She looks at Iñaki and he thinks he sees joy in her eyes. Rambo runs to the girl and wipes her face with a lick.

The door opens at that moment. Victor and Martina come in.

"What was that? " Victor asks.

"A group of infected," Iñaki replies.

"That's what I assumed."

Silence.

"Are they all dead?"

"All."

"Good job, tomorrow come back up to the 5th floor I have an assignment for you. Come on, Martina... Martina?"

"Yes, let's go."

Both figures disappear behind the door.

"Here," says Eduardo, giving Iñaki a can of meatballs with tomato, "sit down and eat something."

Mike and Iñaki sit at the table and devour the meatballs like a pair of zombies. Rambo looks at them petrified.

"I'm going to rest for a few hours," Mike says once he finishes eating, "if you need anything, I'm upstairs."

"Ok."

Mike leaves the apartment and only Maria, Eduardo, Sofia, Rambo, and Iñaki remain.

"Your daughter behaved very well," says Maria, stroking her hair.

That word again. Iñaki looks for the girl's gaze, but she doesn't even flinch.

"Thank you."

Maria smiles.

"Eduardo, can we get two cups of tea? You're an angel."

"Thank you," adds Iñaki.

"Thanks to you and Mike for protecting us!"

" Well, Iñaki, now that you have some time available, what would you like to do?"

"I don't know, I think I'm gonna go get some rest."

Eduardo looks at Iñaki, his hand pulling a stocking caught between Rambo's teeth.

"I think Rambo wants to stay here."

"Good, you have more stockings than me."

María gives a dozing Sofia to Iñaki at the door and says goodbye.

Iñaki goes up the stairs and, upon entering the apartment, is greeted by Mike's snoring. Soon Iñaki becomes another member of the orchestra of Master Mike.

"Sir, the enemy is approaching!"

"Prepare the archers, boil the oil, there's no time to waste!" says Iñaki with his fist up.

"And the queen, my lord?"

"The Queen?"

"Her Majesty Valentina."

"Valentina..."

"My lord?"

"I'm going to warn her."

"Yes, my lord."

"Valentina?" asks Iñaki after opening the door.

"Here I am."

Sitting on the throne, she extends her hand and invites him to approach her. Those eyes are light, that voice an omnipresent beacon.

"Iñaki?"

"We're under attack, my queen. I have to get you somewhere safe."

The queen descends from the throne, scepter in hand, adjusts the crown, and stands in front of Iñaki.

"You, take care of me? If it's because of you they're attacking us!"

"Valentina..."

"How could I think you'd protect me?"

Soldiers loyal to the queen shout. The enemies have entered.

"My castle has fallen, thanks to you."

"Valentina..."

"But it won't fall alone."

In a fleeting motion, the queen extends her arm and stabs Iñaki with her scepter.

"I love you," says Iñaki, tasting blood.

"Not enough..."

Yelling. Smoke. Sweat. Darkness.

Iñaki wakes up in the middle of the night. Valentina's image burns in his brain and he wishes he could feed that fire...but it is becoming extinct and he loses another detail of her face with it. Like sand between his fingers, she's slipping away.

Iñaki gets out of bed without waking Sofia and walks to the painting.

He contemplates the castle and her voice rumbles in his mind "Not enough..." His knees bend under his weight. He falls to the ground and spends the rest of the night there.