Dead Eyes Watching

Chapter 6;Shadows and Silence

The way back to the house was a different beast entirely.

Venus led the way, her knife clenched in one hand, her senses sharp. The streets had grown darker, the once distant groans of the undead now much closer, echoing through the city like a constant, low hum. Behind her, Jun carried Izzy, his eyes darting nervously around them. Nina was unusually quiet, her footsteps soft as she trailed behind.

Venus kept scanning the area, her pulse quickening. She hated the silence that fell over everything—it felt like the city was waiting for something to happen, waiting to strike.

"Keep moving," she muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for Jun to hear.

They passed an alley where a car lay flipped on its side, its windows shattered, and blood smeared across the pavement. Venus could see faint movement at the end of the alley but didn't stop to check. There was no point in wondering if it was a person or one of the undead.

"Are we going to make it back?" Jun's voice was tight with anxiety.

"We're not dead yet, are we?" Venus shot back without looking at him.

The group moved carefully, staying close to the sides of buildings, where the shadows stretched long and deep. Every now and then, Venus caught a glimpse of something moving in the distance—a figure stumbling through the wreckage, too slow and unsteady to be anything but one of the undead. But she didn't engage. Not yet.

As they neared a crossroads, the sound of groaning grew louder. Venus froze, holding up a hand to stop the others.

Ahead, at least half a dozen zombies were clustered together, slowly moving across the street. Their bodies jerked with every step, their eyes blank and hungry. Venus's grip tightened on her knife.

"We don't have time for this," she muttered, her eyes scanning the area for a way around.

Jun shifted Izzy in his arms, his face pale. "What do we do?"

Venus crouched down, motioning for them to follow her lead. "We move quietly. Stay low and keep close to the wall. If they hear us, run."

They crouched as low as they could, edging along the crumbling walls of the nearby buildings. Venus led the way, her movements smooth and deliberate. Every step felt like an eternity, the groaning of the zombies growing louder with each passing second.

Just as they were almost clear of the group, a loud crash rang out from behind them—glass shattering, metal clattering to the ground. Venus whipped around, her heart pounding. One of the zombies had knocked over a pile of debris, the noise drawing the attention of the entire horde.

"Move!" Venus shouted, grabbing Jun's arm and pulling him forward.

They broke into a run, their footsteps echoing through the street as the undead turned and began to follow. Venus could hear their guttural growls growing closer, but she didn't look back. There was no point in looking back.

The sound of their moaning filled the air as Venus led them around a corner, darting through another alleyway. Jun was struggling to keep up, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he held Izzy close.

"Come on!" Venus urged, her eyes scanning the alley for an escape route.

Up ahead, she spotted an old delivery truck parked at an angle, its door hanging open. Without hesitation, she rushed toward it, motioning for the others to follow. "Get in!"

Jun stumbled in behind her, pulling Izzy into the truck. Nina was the last to climb inside, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she collapsed against the wall. Venus slammed the door shut, muffling the sound of the undead outside.

For a moment, they were all silent, the only sound the ragged breathing of the group.

Venus leaned against the door, her knife still clenched in her hand. "You good?" she asked, her voice low.

Jun nodded, though his face was pale. "Yeah... yeah, we're good."

Izzy was silent, her little face buried in Jun's chest. Venus could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on them, the sound of the zombies outside fading slightly as they moved away.

"We can't stay here," Nina whispered, her voice shaking. "We have to keep moving."

Venus nodded, glancing at Jun. "We head back to the house. Rest up. Then we plan our next move."

They waited until the sound of the zombies had faded completely before slipping out of the truck and continuing their journey. The rest of the way was quieter, though the tension in the air was suffocating. Every sound, every shadow felt like a threat waiting to strike.

By the time they reached the house, the sun had already begun to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the broken city. Venus unlocked the door, ushering them inside quickly before locking it behind them.

The house was still and quiet, just as they had left it. But now, it felt even more fragile—like one wrong move could bring the walls crashing down.

Jun set Izzy down on the couch, his hands trembling. "I can't believe we made it back."

Venus didn't respond. She moved into the kitchen, rummaging through the supplies they had left. A couple of cans, some bottled water. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

"We'll eat, rest up, and leave the day after tomorrow," Venus said, her voice firm. "We head for the refugee group."

Jun looked up, his brow furrowed. "Do you really think they're still out there?"

Venus shrugged. "Maybe. But it's our best shot."

Nina sat down heavily on the couch, her face drawn and pale. She hadn't said much since they left the bank, and Venus couldn't help but feel like there was something she wasn't telling them.

But now wasn't the time for questions. They were barely holding it together as it was.

They ate in silence, the weight of everything pressing down on them. Outside, the wind howled through the empty streets, a constant reminder of how much had changed. Venus could feel the tension growing with every passing moment—between her and Jun, between her and Nina.

Once they finished eating, Venus stood, her eyes scanning the room. "Get some rest. We move soon."