in the air. With the other monsters there were no problems. Less than a minute, as all the ghouls, including those who tried to escape, were dead. I came down from the tree, and stumbled to my mother with a clumsy gait.

- Thank God, you are safe, my baby! She exclaimed happily.

“Not intact,” I said in a lifeless voice.

Noticing my wound, my mother turned pale and pressed her hands to her mouth. Ben swore dirty, got a walkie-talkie, and tried to contact someone, but no one answered the bearded man.

- Heck! This son of a bitch is already sleeping! - annoyedly said the bearded man, removing the radio.

- And what should I do now? I asked, confused.

- Previously, it was necessary to think about it, stupid brainless! - Ben snapped.

Feeling that I was about to faint, I moved to the tree. With my back pressed to it, I slowly sank to the ground.

- In the barn behind the bathroom lying ax. Quickly bring it, but for now I will look after your daughter, ”Ben said to his mother.

- What for? - I'm wary.

“I don’t have an antidote anyway, so the only way to save you from becoming a ghoul is to cut off your leg just above the bite point.”

After answering the bearded inside me everything turned cold. I equally strongly did not want to die or become crippled for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short it was.

“But before the transformation, she has another hour!” - mother objected, not hurrying to run for the ax.

- And what's the point? My friend may have an antidote, but I still won't have time to go and come back, even if I run without stopping. If only...

Not finishing the sentence to the end, the bearded man looked at me.

- Can you go? - he asked.

“I can,” I replied, and, sticking my hand over the tree, clumsily rose to my feet.

- Good. My friend lives about five kilometers away. If we hurry, we will have time to get to him before you jerk in convulsions, and try to cut my throat.

The option to go for an antidote to the devil knows where, and even at night, I didn’t particularly like it, but realizing that in case of refusal an amputation was waiting for me, I hurried to agree. After recharging the sawn-off rim, Ben ordered his mom to go back home, close the door, and carefully follow the street from the second floor. He ordered me to follow him, and not to fall behind. Mom went one way, and me and Ben the other. While we were going around the lake, I was afraid that ghouls might attack us again, but this did not happen. Apparently, I found a single flock, from which no one else left. Having freely left the forest, we climbed out on level ground. Ben walked very fast, almost ran. I could barely keep up with him, realizing that it was not in my interest to ask for a respite. Feeling weak, I first fell far behind, and then completely fell to the ground. Ben wouldn't even notice if I didn't call him.

- In the grave still lay down! Get up fast! Shouted an angry bearded man.

- I can not. My leg was completely numb, ”I replied, feeling pathetic and helpless.

- It was necessary to immediately cut off your leg, and better your head! - Ben grumbled, and a quick step went in my direction.

Putting his shoulder, the bearded man helped me to rise, and then squatted down.

- Get in before I change my mind! - He said irritably.

I did not have to beg twice. Climbing Ben on his back, I firmly grabbed his shoulders.

“Warn me beforehand if you want to grip my neck with your teeth,” Ben said before moving on.

For the first time, I wondered how old the bear really is, is it really an old man, or does it only seem to me.I heard Ben breathe, and I knew that he, too, was tired, but this did not affect the speed of his movement. My condition worsened every minute. I completely stopped feeling both legs, I was shaking chills, my thoughts were confused. It seemed that still quite a bit, and I will forget my name.

- Still far? - I asked solely in order to interrupt the prolonged pause, and get my fading brain to work.

- Not. See that hill ahead?

“Yes,” I replied, although I didn’t really see anything, because everything was floating before my eyes.

- After it, 500 meters will remain to pass, and we are there. Do not worry, we have plenty of time.

It was hard to believe in what was heard. For a moment it seemed to me that if Ben let me go, then after falling to the ground I would break into many pieces. When I said this out loud, the bearded man laughed.

- After the bite of a ghoul it always happens. Feeling weak, bones like become fragile. After some time you may even begin to hallucinate.

- How do you know? - I was surprised.

- I know, because he went through it himself. So be patient, and think about something pleasant.

The problem is that I could not tolerate, much less think. It was as if I was in a thick fog, it was impossible to get out of which. My eyes did not see anything, and my ears did not hear anything. In the end, the forces left me, and I lost consciousness. I woke up from the fact that something sharp was stuck into my neck. Sharply opening my eyes, I saw that I was in a room. Beside me stood a short bald man in a dirty white coat. In his hand he held a syringe. Ben stood behind the bald man. The bearded man looked not too joyful.

- I will die? - I asked without thinking.

- By itself. We all die someday, the type in the robe answered, and straightened up.

In his words, the danger to my life was over. When he offered to stay here for the night, I didn’t notice the trick in his question, and I wanted to agree, but Ben got ahead of me, saying that we should immediately return. I didn’t want to argue with a man whom I had recently hated, but who saved me. After Ben hastily bandaged my leg at the site of the bite, we said goodbye to the landlord and went outside. The place in which we found ourselves resembled not so much the city as a small fort. When we reached the gate, I saw two armed thugs with openly bandit mugs.

- Hello Ben. Lend the girl. “I’ve got a couple of sukhpaykov, beer, and a pack of 12-caliber cartridges,” one of the Mordorovs spoke to the bearded man.

I almost fell into a stupor from such a turn of events.

- Next time. She herself is useful today. Open the gates, - Ben did not bargain with his mouth.

- Come on, you greedy! “I’m not asking for good, but just for an hour,” the big man said more persistently.

- I will lend even for good, but not before you pay for the souvenir.

“What other souvenir?” - I thought.

Mordovorot friend asked the same question out loud. The bully visibly blurred, and stopped bargaining, apparently fearing that Ben would blurt out too much. At this emerging conflict was exhausted, and we were released from the fort. As soon as we moved away from the gate, I asked about a souvenir.

“On the cut off part of the body of the dead ghoul,” the bearded man replied with a smile.

- What else is a body part? Finger? - I asked.

- Something thicker and longer.

Having understood what part of the body is in question, I grimaced, regretting that I had raised this question. I wondered why such a mordovorot needed a cut off member of a ghoul, I did not, realizing that crazy people live in a mad world. We walked the rest of the way in silence, without saying a word to each other.

END OF THE FIRST PART