The Shield

Billie stirred from her sleep, groaning as she sat up. The previous night had been a grueling one, with her cramping inside the truck's front seats. She rubbed her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.

The snow was coming down heavy, and the world was eerily quiet. She knew she had to get moving if she wanted to make it through the day. She jumped out of the truck and immediately felt the soreness in her legs. She stretched them out, wincing as she did so. It took a few minutes, but eventually, her muscles began to loosen up.

She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, feeling the weight of it tug at her. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so she decided to save her minimal supply of food for later. It wouldn't last her very long, but she'd have to make do.

She trudged through the thick snow, riding her bike as she followed the forest line. The trees grew less dense as she rode, signing there was a way ahead.

Suddenly, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of two gruesome creatures she had seen before, fighting each other. They were vicious, snarling and clawing at each other. Billie quickly hid behind a badly damaged, tireless trailer, hoping to avoid being noticed.

Unfortunately enough, the creatures came dangerously close to her hiding spot, and she stood there frozen, unable to move her heavy legs and her bike.

As she watched the creatures battle it out, she noticed something odd. They bore a striking resemblance to humans, with scarce hairs on their heads and torn clothes.

She couldn't believe her eyes. 'What are these?'

Finally, Billie mustered the courage to move, but it didn't go unnoticed by the creatures. The one that had the upper hand in the fight stopped its action and turned to look toward her direction, its eyes trained on her.

The other creature took advantage of the distraction and ran for its life.

Billie gulped, her heart racing as the creature gritted its teeth and focused on her. She knew she had to do something fast. She unzipped her bag and took out a can of smoked fish. Carefully, she opened it and threw it toward the creature. To her relief, it dived into take it, distracted by the smell of the fish.

Billie took her chance and sprinted along the forest line, pedaling as fast as she could. She could hear the creature behind her, growling and snarling, but she didn't dare look back. She had to get away.

Pedaling furiously, Billie felt the burn in her muscles as she pushed herself forward. She had been riding forever, and exhaustion was starting to creep in. As hunger gnawed at her stomach, she decided to take a short break. She found a sheltered spot, hidden inside a car that had long lost its doors. It provided some respite from the biting wind and snow.

As she sat down, reaching for the remaining smoked fish in her backpack, a distant sound caught her attention. She paused, her ears straining to identify the source. Sure enough, it was the unmistakable rumble of an approaching vehicle.

Curiosity mingled with caution, and Billie peeped through the car's broken rear window. The view was obstructed, and she couldn't see clearly. Determined to satisfy her curiosity, she cautiously stepped outside and peeped again.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the massive truck that had become a familiar sight in town. It was said that it transported goods from the outside, beyond the town's boundaries. Billie watched with growing intrigue as the truck came to a halt in the desolate wasteland. A man emerged from the driver's seat, clad in the same attire as the surgical men she had encountered before.

Her heart quickened as the man opened the back of the truck. What she witnessed next sent a chill down her spine.

He pulled out two unconscious bodies, their features bearing a resemblance to the creatures that roamed the wasteland. But these beings appeared different as if an improved version of their twisted kind.

Instinctively, Billie reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly. With a quick motion, she snapped a photo, capturing the startling scene.

*CLICK*

The shutter sound seemed to echo in the silence.

"Shit", Billie cursed. She looked for the man, and seeing him nowhere near the truck she sighed in relief.

But To her horror, she saw him walking towards her hiding spot.

A surge of fear surged through her, but luck was on her side. Just as he was about to stumble upon her hiding spot, he abruptly changed direction, turning back toward the truck.

Billie's racing heart slowed slightly, relief washing over her. She silently thanked whatever forces had spared her life in that critical moment.

She watched as the man climbed back into the truck. The sound of the engine rumbled to life, and the massive vehicle began to move. Billie let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

With a sudden instinct, Billie turned her gaze back to the truck, realizing it wasn't headed back to town. Instead, it was tracing the forest line, venturing further away. Knowing she couldn't follow closely, she decided to bide her time and wait a few minutes before resuming her pursuit.

As she rode on, the slope of the hill where the town lay came into view. The journey took her nearly half an hour, but finally, she caught up to the truck. She stopped at the edge of the snow slope, watching the truck.

To her surprise, as the truck passed by a shield resembling the one at Kira's mansion, it dissolved with a mesmerizing blue glow, allowing the truck to pass through. Intrigued and desperate for answers, Billie rode toward the spot where the shield had stood and hopped off her bike.

A feeling of apprehension washed over her as she contemplated touching the shield. She remembered seeing the lady from Kira's mansion casually brush her finger against it, whereas Ivan had suffered a bad experience. Doubts filled her mind—' Maybe he did it wrong?', she wondered.

Carefully, she approached the invisible shield and began to investigate, weighing the possibilities. She gingerly reached out and touched it with her fingertips.

In an instant, a blue screen materialized, demanding a passcode—a combination of four letters and four numbers. Panic surged through her as she realized the enormity of the situation.

"Oh shit, I'm doomed," she muttered under her breath, frustration boiling within her.

She kicked her bike, momentarily releasing her pent-up emotions. Determined not to give up, she resolved to find a solution. Since the area offered little in terms of hiding places, she rode toward the wasteland—the only place that still felt like her sanctuary.