Dead Eyes Watching

Chapter 7; The Lies We Tell

The morning light seeped through the cracks in the windows, casting a dim glow across the room. The house felt colder than usual, the kind of cold that settled into your bones and refused to let go. Venus sat by the window, her eyes scanning the quiet street outside. It had been too quiet for too long, and she didn't like it.

Behind her, Jun and Nina were talking quietly, their voices barely above a whisper. Venus wasn't listening, but she could feel the tension in the air like a knife pressed against her skin.

"I need to tell you something."

Nina's voice broke the silence, louder now, filled with something that made Venus's stomach tighten. She turned, watching as Nina stood up from the couch, her hands nervously twisting together.

Jun looked up, frowning. "What is it?"

Nina hesitated, her eyes flicking over to Venus before settling on Jun. "I didn't tell you before because... because I was scared. But I'm pregnant."

The words hit the room like a bomb.

Jun's face twisted in shock, his eyes wide as he stared at Nina. "What? How... when...?" His voice cracked, and he ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Nina looked down, her hands trembling. "I didn't want to worry you. I thought... I thought it would just make everything harder."

Venus leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "Girl, be for real," she muttered, her voice dripping with skepticism.

Nina glanced at her, eyes wide with fake innocence. "I didn't want to say anything because... I wasn't sure how you'd react."

Jun stood up, pacing in front of the couch. "Nina, you should have told me! How long have you known?"

"Since before everything happened," Nina whispered, her voice soft. "But I didn't know how to tell you."

Venus snorted, pushing off the wall. "Convenient."

Jun shot Venus a look, his face tight with frustration. "This isn't helping, Venus."

"I'm just saying," Venus said, her voice cold. "It's a little convenient, don't you think? You didn't know how to tell him? Right."

Nina's face softened, her eyes glistening with what looked like genuine emotion. "I'm sorry, Jun. I just... I didn't want to make things harder. I didn't want to be a burden."

Gaslight, Venus thought bitterly, watching the way Nina played her cards so carefully. She could see the manipulation unfolding right in front of her, but Jun was already sinking deeper into Nina's web.

Jun stopped pacing, his shoulders slumping. "You're not a burden, Nina. I just... I wish you had told me sooner."

Nina nodded, wiping away a tear that Venus knew wasn't real. "I know. I should have. But we're here now, and I need your support. I need to keep this baby safe."

Venus could almost hear the gears turning in Nina's head, the way she was setting up her next move. It was so obvious it almost made Venus laugh.

"We need to think about the baby," Nina continued, her voice soft but insistent. "And to do that... we need to make sure we're with people we can trust."

Jun frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nina glanced toward the door, as if she could sense what was coming. "We can't do this alone, Jun. We need help. We need... people. Someone who knows what they're doing."

Venus narrowed her eyes, watching as Nina's words dripped like poison into Jun's mind.

"People we can trust?" Venus said, raising an eyebrow. "And who exactly are these trustworthy people, Nina?"

Before Nina could respond, a loud noise echoed from outside—a distant crash followed by the unmistakable groaning of the undead.

Venus moved to the window, her body tensing. "Stay here," she muttered, her hand already on her knife.

Jun stepped closer to the window, peering out. "What is it?"

Venus didn't answer at first. She could see movement in the distance—three figures making their way down the street, heading straight for the house. She recognized the shuffle of the zombies, but these figures moved differently. Alive.

"People," Venus said quietly. "They're not dead."

Nina stood up, her eyes wide. "Maybe we should see if they can help us."

Venus shot her a look. "Or maybe they're looking for someone to rob."

Jun hesitated, glancing at Nina. "We should talk to them. If they're survivors like us, maybe they have information."

Venus gritted her teeth, but before she could protest, Jun had already unlocked the door.

The three figures came into view quickly—a man with scruffy dark hair, a tall woman with a serious expression, and another man, older, with a hard look in his eyes. They stopped a few feet from the door, their faces wary but calm.

"Who are you?" Venus demanded, stepping forward.

The scruffy-haired man raised his hands. "We're not here to fight. My name is Asher, this is Mira." he nodded toward the woman, "and Loid." The older man gave a slight nod, his eyes scanning the group.

Venus didn't trust them, not for a second. "What do you want?"

Loid stepped forward, his gaze settling on Nina. "We're heading for the refugee camp," he said slowly. "We heard it's the only place that's safe."

Venus crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "And I'm supposed to believe you're just passing through? Looking for company?"

Loid held up a small, crumpled map. "It's real. We've been tracking it for hours. We're all headed to the same place."

Venus was about to say something when Nina stepped forward, her face lighting up. "Loid?"

Loid's eyes widened in recognition. "Nina? You... you made it?"

Nina smiled softly, her eyes glistening with relief. "I can't believe it's you."

Jun looked between them, frowning. "You know each other?"

Nina nodded. "We worked together before all this. Loid was always the one who knew how to handle things."

Venus didn't like this at all. But she could already see how this was going to play out. Nina was going to push Jun to trust them, and with Loid here, it would be easier than ever for her to pull Jun into her web.

Loid stepped closer, his expression softening. "It's a small world, huh? I'm glad you're alright, Nina."

Venus clenched her jaw, watching as Nina leaned closer to Jun, whispering just loud enough for Venus to hear. "We should trust them. For the baby's sake."

Venus glared at her. She could see the manipulation clear as day, but Jun... Jun was falling for it.