Noises in the morning

That night, while Sofie lay in bed all cuddled up, Kia lay on the cold floor lost in countless thoughts. He couldn't fall asleep; loud growls and scratches were coming from outside walls, and he even wondered how Sofie had managed to fall asleep. But no, this wasn't what was keeping him awake.

He was lost in thoughts about his new reality, the new information he had gotten from the system. It didn't seem that bad. After all, his plan from the start was to end his life; how was this any different?

Or... he could just do it himself, right here and now. At least that would make him seem less of a coward than being killed by a watch or being beaten by a zombie.

His gaze shifted to the gun he had placed on the shelf. If he could just... he thought, but then sighed. That would cause a lot of noise.

He didn't want that. There was a child in the room with him, doing that would only endanger her, and now that he thought of it, killing himself would also endanger and probably traumatize her before she's mauled upon.

He knew he could be cold, but not to this extent. Another frustrated sigh escaped his lips, and he kicked his legs in the air, silently fighting an invisible being.

"Fuck," he muttered. Killing himself now seemed so difficult.

"Papa… mama, I am scared."

He heard Sofie's whisper as he lay motionless on the cold floor. His hand formed a fist, and he closed his eyes, gulping down nothing.

"Just this once," he said.

---

Early the next morning, the sound of a loud crash reverberated across the entire house.

Kia gasped, and his eyes snapped open. With a sudden jolt, he jumped to his feet. His eyes darted to the bed Sofie had been sleeping, but she wasn't there.

His heart thundered in his chest. He picked up the gun from the shelf and dashed out of the room, heading in the direction he had heard the crash.

He didn't know if there had been a break-in. The sound came from the kitchen. As he got closer, his grip tightened around the gun, and he held his breath, hoping not to be sensed by whatever was in there.

But to his surprise, rather than confronting a zombie, he spotted Sofie on a chair searching through the cupboards with pots and pans scattered all around her.

He exhaled in relief and lowered his gun but was still watching Sofie cautiously. "What the fuck do you think you are doing? You shouldn't be making noises, and holy shit! It's just 5 am!"

Sofie turned around and lowered her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you. I was only hungry."

Kia sighed in frustration as he walked towards her. He lifted her off the chair and placed her gently on the ground. "There is nothing to eat here."

How could an old man be living on just a box of cereal? It just didn't make sense that he couldn't find anything edible except that box which unfortunately that little brat had eaten.

"You shouldn't be making this much noise, remember those monsters are still out there. Look at all the mess you have made." Kia continued to stare at the mess, his anger simmering.

"That was an accident!" she said quickly and rushed forward to pick up a pan. "I will clean it up, I promise."

"No… you don't have to…" Kia tried to protest, but she insisted.

As she tried to lift the pan and place it back on the shelf, her tiny hand struggled with the weight of the pan. Suddenly, the pan slipped from her grip, falling to the floor with a loud clatter.

Kia jumped at the noise, and Sofie froze, eyes wide.

"I told you not to do it! Why didn't you listen!"

Sofie flinched at Kia's harsh tone. "I-I'm sorry! I just wanted to help. I didn't mean to make more noise," she stammered, her lower lip quivering.

"You are not helping. You are only a child! You know nothing!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the house and his anger now raging.

Sofie stepped back, her face crumpling as tears streamed down her face.

Grrrraaaaaaahh!

The sound of a distant growl echoed through the house, sending chills down Kia's spine.

Ding!

[One infected spotted]

Kia froze as he noticed the shadow of a figure walking past the window. Its steps were slow, as if it was stalking them. The figure was wrapped in tattered clothing, its hands dragging against the wall like claws. The zombie was coming closer, drawn to the noise that Sofie had made.

Kia's heart pounded, his hand tightening on the gun. They both waited, holding their breath as the zombie stood in its track. After a few seconds, it continued walking again. Kia and Sofie remained frozen in place, not wanting to make a sound until they were sure it was no longer a threat. They stayed silent, listening to the shuffling footsteps of the zombie as it gradually grew fainter.

Kia fell to his knees, his hand trembling slightly. Sofie sniffed and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"I am sorry, mister," she begged knowing it was her fault.

"Aren't you scared?" Kia whispered. "You saw what they did to your father. Aren't you scared of those monsters doing the same to you?" he began panting, his veins were popping out of his skin, and blood dripped from his nose staining the floor. "For all you know, I could be a monster. What would you do then? Tell me?" his fist clenched, and his vision started to become blurry.

"But you said you weren't a monster. Remember?" She responded.

"Ah… that was right. How silly of me to be scaring a kid like this." Kia thought to himself. The room around him stopped spinning, and his vision was starting to clear up. He looked at the little girl and cleared his throat, the adrenaline draining out of him. "You're right. I'm not a monster," he said.

Sofie took a step closer to him, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you scared?"

"What?" Kia looked at her shocked.

She gently patted his shoulder. "It's okay to be scared," she said. "I am scared too. I wish my mama was here." She continued patting Kia's shoulder, trying to soothe the tension in his body. "My mama always said that when you're scared, it's okay to feel that way. But you shouldn't let it make you mean," she said.

Kia pondered her words for a moment as the silence between them stretched.

"Sofie," He paused. "What do you say we go find your mom?"