That night I had nightmares again... This time in my dream there were guys with whom I survived for the first time after the conquest of the world by mutants. We sat in a wooden house, drinking tea. They were talking about something. There were candles on the table that dimly lit the room, and the fire in the fireplace kept us warm from the icy wind that whistled furiously outside. I looked at the guys and thought about how lucky I was with them. Strong in spirit, courageous young people who were cheerful and confident, despite the rather deplorable situation in the world... And then I heard a noise that was growing with every second and soon turned into a roar that was coming from all sides. They began to break into the front doors opposite - they were mutants. They fought against the wooden walls and in a couple of seconds ugly, long arms appeared from the holes punched in them, which scrubbed disgustingly at the wood with their claws. The guys sat motionless and still smiled and talked peacefully. Everything was happening so fast that I was terrified. I tried to scream or move, but to no avail. It was as if I was nailed to one place. All I heard was the roar of monsters, blows to wood and gnashing of claws. At one point, the mutants were able to break through...

And then I woke up. Covered in cold sweat, I was breathing heavily and with each breath my lungs seemed to be squeezed in a vice... It was dark outside. I looked at my watch: it showed five minutes to one in the morning. Swearing and giving a mental slap in the face for allowing myself to relax, I tried to collect my thoughts.

Taking a sitting position, I took a deep breath and a slow exhale to calm myself first... But as soon as I did that, I heard a loud howl outside.

I was seriously scared. But I quickly pulled myself together and quietly walked to the only small wooden window in this room, which overlooked the street. The howl was repeated once more. I slowly stuck my head through the broken glass. And what I saw there drove me into a stupor. A flock of wolfhounds walked through the village...

Wolfhounds are huge, about one and a half to two meters tall, wolves, which, due to the virus, have turned from proud animals into frightening and truly aggressive creatures. The virus endowed them with incredible agility and dexterity, which allowed them to move very quickly across the prairie. In addition, the disease also endowed the wolfhounds with stronger paws with long, sharp fangs and claws, a very sensitive scent, excellent hearing and, to some extent, they even possessed an unusual, previously uncharacteristic intelligence, which experienced hunters talk about with horror, sitting by the campfire in the shelter... Wolfhounds, despite all the changes by the virus, like ordinary wolves, always went hunting in pairs or flocks and only at night. But if you meet even one wolfhound during the day, then you can run into serious problems... And now a flock of half a dozen of these "doggies" was heading in my direction, brightly sparkling with a greenish tint of eyes and gleaming in the moonlight with long skins affected by numerous ulcers... Moving away from the window, I began to think chaotically what to do. I need to hide somewhere, and as soon as possible!

I quickly put on my backpack, picked up a rifle, left the room and began quickly looking for cover, simultaneously turning on a night vision device and putting it on my head. Somewhere there is probably something like a basement or a cellar. In any damn Soviet hut there is! Walking down the small corridor and turning right into the next room, I began to fumble with my hands on the floor and under the furniture, looking for some kind of handle that would lead to the basement. Alas, I did not find anything like that. "Heck!" - I muttered nervously under my breath. Time is short. Back in the living room, I started looking for a basement there. Outside, there were short snorts and growls, as if the wolves were talking to each other. I quickly fumbled the floor under the sofa and the cupboard with my hands. Nothing. But, fortunately for me, looking under the chair in the far corner of the room, I still found a handle in the floor. There was no lock on it. Getting up from my knees and gently, without unnecessary noise, pushed the chair aside, I pulled the handle. It didn't open. The steady stomp of strong paws grew closer and closer. "Come on, goddamn it!" - I mentally swore at the tight hatch, pulling it jerkily towards me. After a couple of seconds, I was able to open it. But it came out very noisy. Praying to all the saints that these creatures would not hear me, I began to descend the vertical wooden stairs that led down. Climbing onto it and standing with my feet on the step, I closed the door behind me as quietly as possible. Going down below, I tried to make out the space around me. Through the green light of my night vision, I saw several stands with many boxes on them. It stank of dampness. Having touched the floor with my boots lined with rotten boards, I moved a little further from the stairs, took a position on one knee and directed the barrel of the rifle towards the hatch. I didn't know what to expect from wolfhounds. It was rumored that they could, with their own weight, knock out a wooden door with ease, and the one that was at the entrance of this house did not inspire confidence at all. If they heard a noise, then they probably already think that there is someone in the house and it will not be difficult for them to get there... The floor in the house was made of dense wood, but if someone heavy like a wolfhound walks over it, then I will understand this by the creaking boards. I held my breath and waited. The heart in my chest was beating like crazy, intending to pierce the ribcage...

Several minutes passed, but apart from my heartbeat and my breathing, I heard nothing. "It seems to have carried..." - I thought, lowering the barrel of the gun.

After catching my breath for a couple of minutes, I once again looked around. "I need to check what is there" - I thought. To my left was a small, wooden table with something lying on it. In order not to waste the charge in the battery of the device, I turned it off and took out a flashlight from the breast pocket of my jacket. Turning it on, I shone towards the table. Approaching it, I could see on its surface a pile of yellowed paper and diagrams for assembling some kind of engine. There were no bedside tables in the table. Moving away from it, I turned towards the stands with boxes, and headed towards them, hoping that at least they could find something useful... 10 minutes later, finding nothing but rubbish and rusty tools, I spat in frustration. "Well, I need to decide what to do next..." - I thought. I was in no hurry to leave the basement - it is not known whether the wolves left. Plus, it was still night in the yard and trying your luck at this time was, to put it mildly, a big and unjustified risk. It remains only to wait for the morning. Moving away from the stands, I took off my backpack, sat down on the floor, and leaning against the wall, stretched out my legs, putting the rifle on my hips. I looked at my watch. The dial is 1:42 am. "I need to take a nap, it is still a long time before the dawn" - I decided. Yes, and I need to gain strength, I still have a way to go to the shelter. Sighing, I turned off the flashlight and closed my eyes, thinking again that for some unknown reason, I somehow manage to get out of such a situation... But who knows what would have happened if I had not stopped here and continued walking? Considering the fact that I was practically exhausted by the lack of sleep, then having got into some worse situation, the chance to get out of it would have been minimal... "So, it should have been so" - I thought with a grin, and hoping that this time I would have a dream without nightmares, I gradually fell asleep.