Chapter 18 The Farm

Diary in the Apocalypse

After Sophie and Kenn met the boy named Jason, he told Sophie and Kenn that he had also found Liza, Dante, Marlon, and Zoe, and that he was with them.

Kenn: "Alright… what was that?"
Sophie: "Those creatures… what were they? That’s not a Sirus."
Jason: "I guess by Sirus you mean the mutants… those are creatures people call Crimson…"
Kenn: "More monsters?"
Sophie: "Really?"
Jason: "They aren’t real… they’re just beings you hallucinate."
Sophie: "Then why did you run away?"
Jason: "Simple… because the only way to calm you down was to pretend I saw it too… only people who enter that fog for the first time see them."
Sophie: "Hmm…"
Kenn: "Hmm."

Sophie looked around.

Sophie: "And where are you taking us?"
Kenn: "…Right… where are our friends?"
Jason: "At the farm. …so chill, you’ll see them there."

He pointed to several houses, a farm.

Kenn: "Oh…"
Sophie: "A farm… in this place… but… wait… what’s with those huge walls… around the whole farm?"
Jason: "For protection… hehe… it’s not really a farm… more like a village… about 144 people live here."
Sophie: "That many?"
Kenn: "That so many people are still alive…"

They went inside. As the door opened.

Jason: "Hey Terry."
Terry: "Hey… are those the friends of that Dante?"
Jason: "Seems so…"
Kenn: "Dante, Liza, Zoe… and the others… they’re really here."
Sophie: "Hahh… Liza… she’s safe…"
Jason: "Told you. Come in, I’m sure you were worried about them."

They went further, he led them to a house.

Jason: "Here they are."

He opened the door… there they were waiting.

Liza: "Sophie!"

She stood up and ran to her, Sophie also ran to her and they hugged.

Sophie: "Oh… thank goodness…"
Liza: "I thought it was over for you."
Sophie: "…I was so worried about you… I’m glad you’re alright."
Kenn: "How are the others, Dante?"

Zoe looked at them.

Dante: "…Marlon… is badly injured… when the tree fell he jumped to save Zoe… he managed that… but his leg hit a rock when they fell into the river… and it broke…"
Kenn: "Oh no."
Sophie: "…damn, how bad is it?"
Dante: "…Hmm…"
Jason: "We’re taking care of him… he was lucky… but… there could be an infection…"
Sophie: "Where’s Hänsel?"
Dante: "Over there."

She looked left. There he sat, looking at her. Sophie walked over to him.

Hänsel: "Oh… Sophie… um."
Sophie: "…are you alright?"
Hänsel: "…oh… yeah…"
Sophie: "Hmm."

She hugged him.

Hänsel: "Ugh…"
Sophie: "Good that you’re okay…"
Hänsel: "…mhm…"

She stroked his back.

Sophie: "Good… that you’re here…"
Hänsel: "Sophie… it… it’s my faul…"
Sophie: "Shhhh!"

She put her finger on his mouth.

Sophie: "Shhh… don’t say anything… you didn’t do anything wrong… you need to apologize to Zoe… not to me…"
Hänsel: "Sophie…"
Sophie: "Hehe… yeah?"

She walked away. The Poison was also there.

Sophie: "Oh… you’re alive…"
The Poison: "…Of course… you too."
Sophie: "Hehe… yeah… lucky…"
The Poison: "Fate… not luck…"
Sophie: "…hmm… you’re right…"

She walked away for a moment.

Sophie: "…hmm?"
Dante: "Mhm…"

Dante was talking with Jason. Looked like he was explaining something.
Sophie: "…hmm."
Zoe: "Well…"

Said Zoe suddenly.
Sophie: "…hmm?"
Zoe: "Seems like… you don’t trust him."
Sophie: "I don’t know… something worries me…"
Zoe: "Aren’t you worrying too much?"
Sophie: "Maybe you’re right… Zoe."
Zoe: "What about your injury…"
Sophie: "It’s fine."

Jason: "Hello…"

(Clap!) Clap!)

Jason: "…Welcomeeeee my dear friends!… My name is Jason Vander… 23 years old… I like older and younger women… and I like it when they are mean to me, by the way… but only if they’re a bit older than me… or a bit younger than me…"
Zoe: "(…sweat)"
Sophie: "…I think we should have just left…"
Zoe: "Mhm."
Jason: "Hahaha… this is our farm… over there… that’s my sister… Jessica…"
Jessica: "Hey…"
Jason: "…That one… is my uncle… Herold!"
Herold: "…very pleased."
Jason: "And… there’s mom… Patrica…"
Mama Patrica: "…Jason!… I want to talk to you for a moment."
Jason: "Hey… why now… introduction round."
Mama Patrica: "Right now!"
Jason: "Alright… Jessica… prepare food for our guests… they must be hungry…"
Jessica: "Sure…"

Herold: "Alright then… follow us… because there’s a room for those we find… a place so to say."
Dante: "There are several?"
Herold: "Mhm."
Sophie: "Where?"
Herold: "In that house over there, you’ll see… there’s enough space for you, it’s a big place, there are animals, plants and hey… there are also other houses… they’re smaller than the big house there… you’ll meet about… 10 survivors we found."
Dante: "Very kind of you to help people."
Sophie: "…too… kind…"
Herold: "Oh come on… in times like these we have to do such things… by the way… my wife Linda… you’ll like her… she’s shy… but you’ll see her often…"
Sophie: "Mhm…"
Dante: "Okay…"
Zoe: "…hmmm." 

(They brought them to the room… where the 10 others were.)
Jessica: "…hello… you have new people."

They went in.

Jessica: "…please be nice… otherwise Mother Patrica will get angry."

She closed the door.
Dante: "Uh…"
Sophie: "Hmm."

Liza looked at the others.

Liza: "Hmm."

One introduced herself. "Hello," she said. "My name is Melinda Grimsen."
Zoe: "Hey… Zoe."
Liza: "Liza Brodley."
Sophie: "Hello… Sophie Steinhausen…"
Dante: "Dante Henderson."
Kenn: "Kenn Kawashima."
Melinda: "Hello… over there is Jill Hendrikson."
Jill: "Hmhp…"

She had medium-long black hair.
Melinda: "And that one there is Steven… and there Ülmer, Rasmus, Eddie Edison, Tim Hans, Dylen Liam, William Arnold, Natalia, and there is Emilia… and… the dwarf there… is Peter…"
Zoe: "Oh… he’s small."
Sophie: "Mhm."
Melinda: "It’s an illness… looks disgusting, but it’s harmless…"
Peter: "Hmm?"
Melinda: "Where are you from?"
Dante: "We come from Mirica…kingdom
Melinda: "Oh… I see… I’m from Mirica too."
Dante: "Oh… very far… how did you end up here."
Melinda: "…hehehe… long story… and you… why are you at the border, in the middle of nowhere?"
Dante: "We were… snatched by someone… by Black Eye."
Melinda: "Ugh."

She looked at them with hope.
Melinda: "From that… wait… do you know… someone named Ashley… a child."
Sophie: "Ugh!"
Dante looked at Sophie.
Sophie: "Hmm… uh."
Zoe: "Hm."

Kenn held Sophie’s hand.
Kenn: "Shhhhh…"
Sophie: "But…"
Kenn: "It’s okay… you don’t have to… it wasn’t you…"
Sophie: "All the more… a reason to tell her."
Kenn: "Yes… but she won’t understand."
Liza: "He’s right… it’s too complicated."
Sophie: "Hmmm."

Sophie made a nervous face.
Liza: "…"
Dante: "No… unfortunately not…"
Melinda: "…I see…"
Dante: "Maybe she was taken to another camp…"
Melinda: "…hmm…"

(The door opened.)

Jessica: "Hello… my dears… dinner is ready… come to the table… of the Vander family…"

They went, followed her… Jessica was a beautiful woman… about mid-20s… long brown hair and brown eyes, about 175 cm tall.

Sophie: "Hmmm."
Kenn: "…(silent)"
Liza: "…Sophie… for the second time… it wasn’t you who killed Ashley."

She whispered.
Sophie: "……hmm."
Jason: "…aha… aha… hello… my dears… sit down… let’s eat this delicious meat… and soup… and even… whoa… beer!"
Sophie: "Uh…"
Liza: "…(silent)..."
Dante: "…ugh…"

He looked at Liza… Liza nodded as if to say… it’s okay… I’m fine…
Dante: "Hmmm…"
Jason: "…so… who wants to drink after dinner…"
Jessica: "Me… definitely!"
Dante: "…uh… I’d like to too…"
Zoe: "Me for sure…"
Melinda: "…I’ll join after dinner… would be good… after this apocalypse… and the constant fear…"
Jessica: "Right… haha… let’s eat now."

They began to eat.

Sophie: "Mm…"
Kenn: "…I haven’t eaten meat in a long time…"
Zoe: "Wow… it tastes… there’s something on it."
Jessica: "…Sauce… and a little spice too…"
Sophie: "…mmm…"
Dante: "…Is this one of your animals?"
Jason: "Yeah… our sheep taste damn good… right?…"
Peter: "…uh…"
Sophie: "Hmm?"

Sophie noticed Peter, the dwarf.
Sophie: "Hmm…"

The table was too big for him.
Sophie: "…uh…"
Kenn: "What is it?"
Sophie: "…nothing…"

She saw him start to eat by standing on the chair.

Sophie: "…hmmm…"

(After dinner they began… the party!)

Sophie: "Hmm… I’d rather go to sleep…"
Kenn: "Do that…"
Sophie: "…hmm."

She stood up and went away, she didn’t want to drink… suddenly she heard… a loud "Stop it!"

Sophie: "Huh?"

It was Peter. She hid behind the house.

It was villagers making fun of him.

Villager: "Well, what’s wrong with you, you disgusting… little thing…"
Villager: "Hehe… can’t drink beer?"

They pushed him down.
Sophie: "…hey!"

Shouted Sophie suddenly… from where she stood.

Sophie: "Leave him alone…"

They looked at her and came closer.

Villager: "Hey… hey… pretty one… what’s wrong with you…"
Villager: "Grey… I think she wants trouble."
Villager: "I know… Lary… I see it… what’s up… hmm… pretty one…"
Sophie: "Leave… him alone…"
Grey: "Or what."
Sophie: "…(silent)…"
Grey: "Do you want… to kill me?… hmmm?"
Sophie: "…uh…"
Lary: "…hmm… hey… Grey… let’s just go…"

They walked away.

Sophie: "…hahh…"

She wanted to leave.

Peter: "Thank you…"

He said suddenly. Sophie looked at him.
Sophie: "…(nods)"

She only nodded and went to the house where they could sleep.

Sophie: "Hahh…"

(Sophie!)
Sophie: "Ugh!"

Black liquid came from the roof… hands held her hands trembling, as Gretel’s hands held hers and her head appeared before her. Seeing that, she trembled.

Gretel: "…Sophie… Sophie… I didn’t want to die… why did you… do that…"
Sophie: "Ghhh…"
Gretel: "…Killing your student?… How cruel of you…"
Sophie: "Ghhh…"

(That’s how she is!)

Her family appeared.
Sophie: "Hahh…"
Her mother, Angelika.

Angelika: "Oh… little… little bad girl…"
Thomas: "When will you understand… you… it was your fault… all of it."
Sophie: "…hahh… leave me… alone!"

Suddenly she heard "Everything okay"… it was Hänsel.
Hänsel: "…Sophie…"
Sophie: "Ugh…"

They disappeared, she looked at Hänsel.
Sophie: "Hänsel… it’s you…"
Hänsel: "…hey… I… uh… wanted to apologize…"
Sophie: "For what?"
Hänsel: "…for… everything I did… I also apologized to Zoe…"
Sophie: "…hahh… it’s alright… I don’t want to talk about it… I just want to sleep…"

She went to her bag, took the painkillers, and lay down on the bed.

(One hour later)

Sophie: "…hahhh…"

She woke up… Sophie couldn’t sleep.

Sophie: "…hmm?"

The party was over.

Sophie: "Hmm."

She got up and went outside.

Sophie: "Hmm?"

She looked around. Suddenly someone said her name… it was Kenn.

Kenn: "…Sophie."
Sophie: "Ugh… Kenn?"
Kenn: "What’s wrong… couldn’t you sleep?"
Sophie: "…(shook her head)… no."
Kenn: "Does this have to do with Ashley…"

She nodded, holding her head, leaning against the wall.

Sophie: "…my head… hurts so damn much…"
Kenn: "…(silent)"
Sophie: "…you know… sometimes… I’m just… afraid… and… afraid of… what I’ll see in my sleep…"
Kenn: "…Do you feel that guilty…"
Sophie: "…I… have made many people… sad… I don’t know what to do… I guess I’ll always feel lonely because of it…"