____'_'
Jude placed his palms on Vivian's cheeks, trying to calm her trembling, his voice shaking with worry:
— "Vivian… everything will be fine."
She lifted her head with difficulty, her eyes wet with tears, and asked in confusion:
— "What's happening? And where… where is Laura?"
Silence filled the room like a heavy curtain, tongues tied. Everyone exchanged puzzled looks as if the answer was too heavy to say. Vivian's heart pounded wildly until Jason spoke hesitantly:
— "Vivian… Laura… Laura is dead. Don't you remember? Even you were about to die."
Vivian froze in place, her eyes widening in shock. She gasped sharply, her whole body trembling, pressing her palms tightly against her chest:
— "It's my fault… I'm the reason she died!"
Jude rushed to her quickly, wrapping his arms around her and whispering firmly:
— "Enough! You had nothing to do with her death, it's not your fault!"
Silence lasted for long moments until Vivian broke the stillness, whispering in a hoarse voice:
— "Why… why are you here? In this place?"
Lily answered, trying to steady the tremor in her voice:
— "The situation outside is hell… ghouls are everywhere. This house is our only refuge now."
— "But we must escape!" Vivian said sharply, as if searching for a glimmer of hope.
Jason shook his head sadly:
— "We have no idea about this place at all, and any wrong move could end our lives. We need to make a plan to survive."
Camellia intervened with a calm but firm voice:
— "Maybe if we work together we will find the solution. Our isolation is our weakness, but our unity is our strength."
Lily spoke again, trying to lift their spirits:
— "Each of us has special skills that set us apart… Jude is a skilled sniper, Camellia is good with a sword, Jason is accurate with throwing, and Ray is known for his speed. As for Karem and me, we're both great at planning. If we combine all that, maybe we can find a way out."
Jude smiled slightly despite his tension:
— "Maybe… maybe you're right."
But Dante cut them off with a mocking smile:
— "Heh, ridiculous. I don't need your plans or even to stay with you. Come on, Herman, we'll go out on our own."
Ray objected angrily:
— "Are you insane?! The ghouls will tear you apart."
Dante laughed coldly:
— "I'd rather be attacked by ghouls than stay with you."
Ray flared up:
— "Then go. You're not important to us, you arrogant jerk!"
Dante replied with contempt:
— "Hahaha, fools… cooperation is a lie. You only look out for your own interests. I'm used to people like you."
Jason moved toward him angrily, but Herman quickly grabbed him, their foreheads pressing together as he said firmly:
— "I won't let you hurt my friend in front of me!"
Jude stepped in fast, imposing his calm between them, trying to ease the tension. But before he could say another word, a terrifying sound thundered…
Heavy pounding, a violent crash against the door.
Everyone shuddered, exchanging terrified looks… those were the sounds of the ghouls.
At that moment, elsewhere inside the grand mansion, Linda and Elias were preparing to search again for any way out of the place. Each took their gear and weapons, and they set out together toward the nearby abandoned village. They entered each house cautiously, looking for a phone, any means of contact, any glimmer of hope.
In one house, Linda bent down under the bed and found a torn old newspaper. She quickly read part of it:
"Isolated peninsula… fully equipped for living… houses and supplies…"
She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but before she could process it, Elias's voice came from the second floor:
— "Linda! Come quickly!"
She ran to him and found him pointing from the balcony with a pale face:
— "Look… ghouls!"
She looked and saw six of those creatures heading toward a nearby house.
Elias said, "What's drawing them?"
Linda answered with determination, "There must be humans there… the smell of blood is what draws them to people… I think we have to help them."
Elias replied hesitantly:
— "But that's impossible… there are too many ghouls. This will put us in serious danger…!"
But Linda looked at him firmly:
— "I won't repeat the same mistake twice. This time we fight."
Elias cut in sharply:
— "We don't even know how to fight them… we have no plan."
But Linda had another view:
— "I have a plan."
Inside, the survivors crowded near the shaking door as the pounding and splintering grew louder, fear gnawing at their hearts. They had only two weapons and no other way out. It felt like the end was certain…
Suddenly… gunshots rang out outside!
They froze in place, eyes wide, staring at the door.
Outside, Linda ran fast, tying a thin but razor-sharp metal wire between two electric poles across the road while Elias watched from the balcony above, gripping the rifle with both hands, waiting.
Linda moved closer to the ghouls and fired a shot from behind, hitting one and dropping it to the ground.
She shouted defiantly, "Come to me," firing a random bullet into the sky as she sprinted wildly, the ghouls chasing her with terrifying speed.
They charged after her, claws scraping the ground, screams echoing, saliva flying everywhere.
As soon as she reached the wire, she rolled under it quickly and kept running toward the balcony where Elias stood.
The ghouls, unaware, rushed forward… and in a flash the wire sliced their bodies in half before Linda's eyes, blood and entrails splattering across the road in a disgusting spray.
Linda stopped, panting, a faint victorious smile forming on her face. She whispered coldly:
— "Now you taste the same cup as my friends."
Inside, silence fell. Gunshots, ghoul screams, then nothing. Each of them looked at the others, shock written on their faces…
But none dared approach the window. They remained frozen in place, hearts trembling, wondering:
"Who is fighting outside?
And who just saved us?"
____'_'
Hello, I am the writer. I hope you support me Tell me in the comments what you think of the story.