Dead Eyes Watching

Chapter 3; Missing Piece

The house felt like it was holding its breath. Even with the world falling apart outside, there was an almost eerie stillness in the room. Venus leaned against the window, arms crossed, scanning the street beyond the curtains. The cracked glass framed the chaos outside—overturned cars, scattered debris, and the occasional shadow darting between buildings. It was only a matter of time before the silence broke.

Jun sat on the couch, holding Izzy close to his chest. She had her head buried in his shirt, her little fists clinging to the fabric like he was her only lifeline. Her soft breaths were the only sound in the room, but even those felt like they could shatter at any moment.

Venus turned her back to the window, her eyes flicking over to Jun. He was jittery, his leg bouncing, fingers twitching as he held onto Izzy. It wasn't just nerves—Venus could feel the tension rolling off him like a bad smell. She had known Jun long enough to see when he was about to break.

"Alright," she said finally, her voice cutting through the quiet like a knife. "What's going on?"

Jun blinked, glancing up at her. "What do you mean?"

Venus rolled her eyes. "You're twitching like a drug addict going through withdrawal. Spit it out."

Jun swallowed, his grip tightening around Izzy. He didn't speak right away, but Venus could see it in his face—the tightness in his jaw, the way his eyes darted toward the door every few seconds. He was holding something back, and she wasn't in the mood for guessing games.

"It's... her," he said quietly.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Her?"

Jun hesitated, his voice barely a whisper. "She went to work this morning."

Venus blinked. "This morning? As in, while the world was actively falling apart?"

Jun nodded, his face pale. "She didn't know. None of us did. It all happened so fast."

Venus couldn't help the snort of disbelief that escaped her. "Of course. Because when the apocalypse starts, naturally, the first place anyone goes is the office."

Jun's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. "She works at the bank. She left early... before everything. I've been trying to call her, but there's no signal."

Venus let out a long, dramatic sigh. "So let me get this straight—you want us to risk our lives for the slim chance that your girlfriend is still sitting at her desk, counting money while the dead are strolling through downtown?"

Jun's eyes flashed with frustration, but he didn't back down. "She could be alive, Venus. She could be trapped, or hiding."

Venus crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "Or she could be dead. You know that, right?"

Jun flinched at her bluntness, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I know. But I can't just... leave her."

Venus let the silence stretch between them, watching Jun closely. He was desperate. She could see it in his eyes, the way his fingers clenched and unclenched like he was holding onto the last piece of his sanity. Venus wasn't the sentimental type, but even she couldn't ignore the look on his face.

"Alright," she said finally, her voice low. "We'll go check the bank. But if she's not there, we're out. No playing hero. No sticking around for a sob story."

Jun's relief was almost palpable. He nodded quickly, his shoulders slumping as the tension drained out of him. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all emotional on me," Venus muttered, pushing off the wall. "Just make sure you're ready to move when I say. The last thing we need is you freezing up when we're neck-deep in zombies."

Jun nodded again, standing up slowly with Izzy still in his arms. The little girl stirred, blinking sleepily as she looked up at her father.

"Daddy?" she murmured, her voice soft.

"Hey, baby," Jun whispered, smoothing her hair back. "It's okay. We're going to find Mommy."

Venus watched the exchange, her expression unreadable. She didn't have time for warm family moments, but she wasn't about to rip that comfort away from a three-year-old. Not when the world was doing a good enough job of that already.

She turned and started packing her bag—canned food, water, a couple of knives. They didn't have much, but they had enough to get by. Her fingers brushed against the handle of her knife as she zipped the bag up, her mind already running through the plan.

"We leave at first light," Venus said, glancing over her shoulder at Jun. "Pack light. Only the essentials. We're not staying long, got it?"

Jun shifted Izzy in his arms, nodding. "I understand."

Venus slung the bag over her shoulder and walked toward the door, her hand resting on the knob for a moment before she turned back to Jun. "And one more thing," she said, her voice cold. "If we get there and she's gone, you don't get to fall apart. We keep moving. No lingering, no looking back."

Jun swallowed hard but nodded, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "I won't fall apart."

Venus raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. She pulled open the door, peering through the crack in the curtains one last time. The streets were empty, but that didn't mean they were safe. The dead didn't make much noise until they were right on top of you.

"You ready for this?" Venus asked, her voice softer now.

Jun stood up, shifting Izzy on his hip as she clung to his shirt. "Yeah. I'm ready."

Venus smirked, pulling the door open a little wider. "Good. The dead aren't exactly known for their patience."