Jack and Ben were silent for a while now, there was an interview on the radio with some weirdo who said something about monsters, zombies and the like: "... so it is extremely likely that the dead can rise again if their souls only have the right reason to do so ... ". "What nonsense," Jack muttered, turning the radio down. "Don't you believe in something like that?" Ben asked him. "No, why should that, as if there was such a thing." Jack had to grin. The Clio rattled down the street and in the distance you could see the roofs of a village. The interview was now over and the station played a song that both boys mumbled along (http: //www.myvideo. De / watch / 4556383 / AC_DC_Highway_to_Hell). They leaned back and enjoyed the song as they approached the village. Now a place-name sign was in sight, a modern wooden sign on which the letters could hardly be read. With a united effort of their eyes they could decipher the name 'Dirmist'. The road got a little steeper before you got to the village, this seemed to be on a small hill, the Clio rattled during the ascent. Once at the top, Jack wanted to switch gears but the engine failed and went out. He turned the ignition, once, the car stuttered, then it was quiet again. Twice, the car jerked slightly again, then quiet. Three times, no more reaction. "Great," Jack cursed and hit the steering wheel, Ben looked at him a bit confused. "Come on, let's push this thing into the parking lot and then we'll look for a workshop or something," he said. Jack nodded, there was nothing better for either of them.

Thess followed the description on the slip of paper, she walked along streets and alleys and almost had the feeling of being lost when she stood in front of the house that should now be hers. She had noticed the entire way that no one else was outside, no car, no pedestrians, not even birds or other animals, just her. As she passed, she sometimes noticed a movement of the curtains, but there was nothing more. Behind her she heard a rattling engine that suddenly died down. Thereupon an ignition attempt, followed by two more. A moment later, a muffled swearing and then two car doors, she decided to turn around and look, after all, these would be the first life forms that she would see here.

So they faced each other, the guys who went behind the Clio to push him into the square and the girl on the sidewalk who was watching them. "Maybe I can help you?" Thess asked "if you want you can push the car into my yard ..." she pointed to the small yard next to the house. ° Did I really just say that? I meet strangers in an unknown place and invite them first? Well, they don't seem to be from here, we share a fate. ° She grinned. The boys looked at each other and then nodded briefly.A little later, the Clio was in the courtyard and the three teenagers on the doorstep. Thess was already trying to apologize for a messy house "Um ... I'm not from here, I inherited the house and I'm just seeing it for the first time." Jack laughed, "And you're inviting us right away? What's your name actually "Thess blushed" my name is Theresa. Please call me Thess. And you two? "" Jack, "said Jack. "And I'm Ben."

Thess turned the key in the lock and carefully nudged the door open. The three met the typical smell of old people's homes. They went inside and their eyes and noses slowly got used to the smell and the dull light that came in through the smeared windows. They inspected the rooms, in front of the door of the last room they encountered a penetrating carrion odor. Jack opened this door and a flood of flies came towards him, next he discovered more flies, dead on the ground. Some maggots crawled on the floor, her gaze wandered to the bed "Aaahhhh ... Ihhhh" shouted Anna. "Gag," said Ben, while Jack just grimaced. A dead dog was lying on the bed, or at least they thought it was a dog, it was now made more of bones than meat, so the worms had done a great job. They closed the door again. "I think we're just ignoring the room," Jack said dryly.

They sat together in a small room that had probably served as a living room. "I don't like it here," said Thess, "can you take me to the next town? I won't take the house. The village is horrible, the house is horrible, everything is horrible." we'll get Jack's cart fit, "Ben growled. "Ohh ... we should survive one night here, I guess. What time is it actually? Here the sky is just gray and cold, you can't tell what time of day it is," asked Thess. Ben and Jack took out their cell phones. At the same time they said, “My battery is dead.” They looked at each other. Thess rummaged in her pocket, "I seem to have forgotten my cell phone on the bus and I haven't seen a single watch in the house." Repairing the car. I've got a little something to eat in the trunk, we could eat that now, "said Jack.

So they sat together at the little table and ate white bread with orange juice and each one a chocolate bar for dessert. Outside it got even darker than it already was and it got colder too. Ben turned an old-fashioned heater until it actually started radiating heat. Then one by one their eyes closed and they fell asleep sitting. Thess slid his forehead on Jack's shoulder and Ben fell to one side on a side table of the chair he was sitting on.There was a strange noise in the middle of the night. Ben woke up and crept towards him, he could identify it as scratching and opened the door behind which he heard the noise without thinking. A bony something jumped towards him, ramming his jaw into his shoulder and spreading maggots and dead beetles on Ben with every movement. He screamed and roared, waking Jack and Thess too. Ben felt around on the floor and got an umbrella with which he hit the zombie dog in the mouth and it rolled off him, but then immediately got ready to jump again.