_____'_'
Joud held himself together after a long moment of silence, then decided to approach the window to take a peek outside. Before he could reach for the curtain, Camelia grabbed his wrist tightly, her eyes trembling with fear as she whispered:
— No, don't go… please.
Joud gave a faint smile as he tried to reassure her:
— It's okay… I feel that the ghouls have left. I'll be fine.
But Camelia didn't give in, she said:
— Just… wait a little.
Suddenly, loud knocks echoed through the place, making everyone freeze where they stood, looking at each other in fearful silence.
Mixed with the knocking was a calm female voice saying:
— Hello… is anyone here?
A murmur of worry rose among them, and Camelia whispered as she stepped back:
— What?… Are… are there other humans? I can't believe it…
She was about to head to the door, but Jason stopped her sharply:
— Stop! What if this is just a trap? The ghouls can imitate voices… don't open it.
Lily interrupted them seriously:
— But we heard gunshots a little while ago… maybe they really are humans.
From behind the door, the voice came again:
— Hello! I'm here to help… I'm not a monster. I came to save you.
Camelia moved toward the door, trembling, and asked softly:
— Who are you?… And what happened to the ghouls?
The girl outside replied:
— My name is Linda… I killed all the ghouls.
Silence fell, and shock showed on all their faces. Karem furrowed his brows and whispered:
— Don't open it… it's definitely a trick. A single girl can't defeat that many ghouls!
But Camelia asked again:
— Are you alone?
— No, I'm not alone… I have a friend, we came together to help you.
Camelia turned to her companions as they discussed nervously, then Joud said firmly:
— Camelia… open the door slowly, and we will all be ready… everyone hold your weapon.
She took a deep breath and reached her trembling hand toward the lock. As soon as the door opened a little, her eyes met those of a young woman with a warm gaze, short black hair, and black eyes, and beside her a composed young man holding a knife. Relief spread across Linda's face, and she said quickly:
— Are you okay?… Are you alone here?
Without hesitation Camelia pulled them inside and shut the door behind them. At that moment, the muzzles of weapons rose toward the guests. Linda raised her hands in surrender:
— Wait! We didn't come to kill you… we only came to help you.
Everyone slowly lowered their weapons, and Elias said in a calm tone:
— I didn't expect to find this many people here…
Linda quickly introduced herself:
— Hello… I'm Linda, and this is my friend Elias. We are also trapped in this place…
Karem stepped forward in astonishment and asked:
— But… how did you manage to take down all those ghouls outside?
Linda smiled confidently and replied:
— I lured them toward a sharp rope I found in one of the houses, tied it between two poles, and then drew the ghouls toward it to slice them in half. But I never imagined I would find this many survivors here.
Joud nodded, breathing deeply:
— Yes… we all survived by a miracle.
While she was speaking, Ray suddenly noticed her and remembered her face:
— Wait… I know you! Aren't you the famous gambling champion?
Linda looked at him in surprise, then smiled as she remembered:
— Ah… yes, you were always present at my matches! But… what are you doing here?
Then she spotted another familiar face among them and gasped in shock:
— Impossible! Black With? The famous singer? This is the first time I see you in real life! But… what is this? You're all celebrities! How… and why did they gather you here?
Ray shrugged in confusion and answered:
— No one knows…
At that moment Elias said firmly:
— I think it's time to leave. We must get back before nightfall.
Linda objected sharply:
— And what about them?
Elias replied in surprise:
— What about them? This is their place… we have to return.
Linda stood in front of him with determination:
— No! We must take them with us. The mansion is safer than here and it's big enough for everyone. Staying together will give us hope.
He looked at her in silence, as if her words stirred an echo from the past. After a moment he muttered:
— … All right.
Linda turned eagerly to the group and said:
— What do you think about coming with us to a safe place instead of staying here?
Whispers and discussion spread among them. Vivian was the first to speak:
— I agree… I will go with them.
Joud held her hand in worry:
— Vivian, we don't know them yet… we can't trust them so quickly.
But Vivian answered with teary eyes and a smile:
— She… she looks so much like Laura… she reminds me of her.
— That's not enough, Vivian!
— It's okay… I'll go with her alone if I have to.
At that moment Dante raised his hand and said coolly:
— Fine, I'll go with them. Herman and I will come along. They seem strong and could help us a lot.
Linda looked toward him and noticed writing on his forehead: "Nina." She froze in place and whispered:
— Nina…? Where have I heard that name before?
Dante smiled lightly as he touched the name on his forehead:
— Ah, that's the name of our older sister.
Suddenly, the heroine remembered that old scene in the mansion… when she was tying her shoe near the room and heard a girl's voice scream:
______♕_________
— Run, all of you! You will die! They are ghouls and will eat you! … My name is Nina, save your lives!
_______♕__________
She quickly shook her head as if to drive away an old memory:
— … Just a coincidence.
After a long discussion, everyone finally decided to join Linda and Elias. They left the house in a single line, fear trailing behind them, while Linda walked ahead with steady steps. When they reached the place where the ghouls lay sliced apart, Joud looked on in amazement and said:
— Truly a clever plan…
Linda stopped before the torn rope, picked up her knife, and cut him off seriously:
— We were about to be cut just like them…
Then she continued on her way. When they reached the mansion, they all stood in awe of its beauty and stunning architecture. They quickly entered and shut the doors behind them.
Karem tried to turn on the television, but Elias said coolly:
— No use… it won't work.
Linda smiled at everyone and pointed toward the long hallways:
— There are many rooms… choose whichever you like.
Everyone spread out toward the rooms, while Joud remained standing, watching Linda. He looked at her as she spoke with Elias, his eyes holding a silent question: how could a girl like her devise the deadly rope plan and act with such courage?… and how did she find this place in the first place? She really, truly was remarkable…
_____'_'