CHAPTER 31

In the street surrounded houses....

The man panted heavily, his breath coming out in ragged bursts as he tightened his grip on the tool in his hand—a hefty wrench with a long handle. It wasn't much, but it was the only thing he had to protect himself and his daughter.

The little girl clung to his side, her hands empty and trembling slightly as she looked around with wide, fearful eyes. She said nothing, her silence unnerving.

He glanced back the way they had come, scanning the eerily quiet street. The absence of undead was unnerving in itself, but he couldn't afford to think about that now. They had to move forward.

Ahead of them was a house, one of the few with a light still shining through the window. It was their only hope.

"Come on, sweetie," he whispered to his daughter, giving her a gentle tug forward. "We're almost there."

The girl followed without a word, her bare feet making soft taps on the concrete.

When they reached the gate, the man hesitated for a moment before pushing it open and stepping through. He pulled the gate shut behind them, the soft clang echoing in the still air.

As they approached the door, the girl finally broke her silence. "Daddy…where's Mommy?"

The man stiffened but forced a weak smile as he looked down at her. "Mommy will meet us later. She's just…on her way, okay? But right now, we need to get inside. Stay close to me."

She nodded, her expression unsure but trusting.

He reached the door and began pounding on it with his fist. "Please! Open up! We're not infected! I have my daughter with me! Please!"

A shadow moved behind the curtain. Someone was inside. He could feel it.

"Please!" he shouted again, his voice cracking. "I can't keep running! Let us in!"

A muffled voice came from inside. "Go away! We're already full! There's no room for anyone else!"

The man's face contorted in despair. He pounded the door again, harder this time. "I don't care what happens to me! Just save my daughter! She's just a kid!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Anger surged through him. He raised the wrench in his hand, his grip tightening. "If you don't open this door, I'll break it down! I swear I will!"

"Wait! Wait!" a panicked voice cried out from inside. The sound of locks being hastily undone echoed through the night. The door creaked open just a sliver, and a man's face appeared, pale and wary.

"You can come in," the man said, his voice trembling. "But don't cause any trouble."

The father exhaled a shaky breath, relief washing over him. He reached out to pull the door open wider, guiding his daughter forward.

But as he stepped toward the threshold, the glint of metal caught his eye. The man inside lunged, a knife aimed directly at his stomach.

Before he could react, a hand shot out from the shadows, gripping the attacker's wrist with an iron-like hold. The knife stopped mere inches from its target.

"Oi, what are you thinking you're doing?" came a cold, flat voice.

The attacker froze, his eyes widening as Niikaz stepped into view. Her presence was overwhelming, her gaze sharp and unrelenting. She twisted the man's wrist effortlessly, forcing him to drop the knife.

The attacker yelped in pain, He fell to the floor. "Father!" One of the members shout will try to grab before he fell but all of his family cowering as her piercing gaze swept over them.

"If you want to stay in this house, then stay," Niikaz said firmly. Her voice was calm, but it sent shivers down their spines. Without waiting for a reply, she slammed the door shut.

Standing outside with the father and his daughter, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. "Melt."

The doorknob turned red and started to glow. The metal softened and bent, dripping like wax until it was just a lump. The door was sealed.

Inside, the coward man staggered back to his feet, holding his wrist from where she'd grabbed him earlier. He rushed to the door, gripping the melted knob with his bare hand.

The moment he touched it, he screamed. The burning hot metal scorched his palm, leaving his skin red and blistered.

The little girl outside clung to her father, her voice trembling. "Papa, what's happening?"

The father pulled her close, his face pale with fear. "I don't know," he whispered, shaking his head as he tried to process what was happening.

Niikaz didn't answer. She glanced at the shadows around the house, her face calm but unreadable. What they didn't know was that she had been here long before them.

The barking puppy had done its job. Its noise had attracted a group of undead to the back of the house, where they now crowded against a glowing barrier she had created. None of the noise reached outside—the barrier kept everything silent.

Before the father and daughter arrived, Niikaz had destroyed the back door without making a sound. The undead were already waiting, their groans growing louder as they sensed the screams from inside.

The selfish man's cries from the melted doorknob made the undead more restless. They clawed harder at the walls, eager to get inside.

Niikaz stood still, her calmness making the father nervous. Then, without a word, she snapped her fingers.

The barrier disappeared.

The undead rushed forward, pouring through the broken back door like a wave.

Inside, the selfish man's screams grew louder. "No! No! Don't come near me!" he shouted, his voice shaking with fear.

His family's cries mixed with the sound of breaking furniture and footsteps as they tried to run.

The father outside froze in fear, holding his daughter tightly. "What's happening?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Niikaz didn't look at him. Her eyes stayed focused ahead. "Stay quiet," she said softly.

The little girl hid her face against her father's chest, trying not to listen. Inside the house, one of the family members screamed, "Arghh! The undead are here!" Then, after a while there was silence.

The father's legs shook as he stared at the house. He didn't know what to say or do.

Finally, Niikaz turned to him, her voice steady. "Follow me. I'll take you somewhere safe."

Without another look at the house, she walked away, calm as ever. The father hesitated, then quickly followed, holding his daughter close as they left the house and its horrors behind.