Dead Eyes Watching

Chapter 9;Accepting Strangers

The dim light in the living room flickered as Venus stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The night had fallen thick and cold outside, and the air inside the house was heavy with uncertainty. Loid, Asher, and Mira were sitting on the far side of the room, their faces lit dimly by the soft glow from the lanterns they had scattered around. Jun sat next to them, with Izzy fast asleep on his lap, while Nina hovered close by, casting careful glances toward Loid.

Venus kept her distance, leaning against the wall. She wasn't the kind to welcome new faces into her world without a fight. But the way Jun had looked at her earlier—the way he'd seemed so desperate for something to hold onto—had made her bite her tongue. For now.

Loid cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So... I guess we're all in this together now?"

Venus didn't respond. She was too busy keeping her eyes on each of them, watching, calculating. Her gut told her to be careful, but her mind told her they didn't have the luxury of being picky anymore.

Jun glanced over at Venus, his expression strained. "It's the safest option. We stick together, we make it to the group. Right?"

Venus rolled her eyes, pushing off the wall and pacing toward them. "Yeah, because groups always work out. Everyone sticks together and sings songs, right? No one ever turns on each other."

Loid shifted uncomfortably, but it was Asher who spoke up next. "Well, I can't promise singing," he said with a grin, leaning back against the couch. "But I can at least keep the mood from being a total funeral march."

Venus shot him a sharp look, but Asher didn't flinch. He just smirked, like he found the whole thing mildly amusing. His scruffy hair fell over his eyes, and he had the casual, carefree attitude of someone who didn't seem to grasp the reality they were in—or maybe he just didn't care anymore.

Mira, sitting next to him, let out a soft sigh. "He's always like this," she said, her voice quiet. "Trying to make people laugh even when the world's on fire."

Asher shrugged, his grin widening. "Hey, somebody's gotta do it. If we all just stare at the ground, we're already dead."

"Cute," Venus muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure your jokes will keep the zombies at bay."

Jun shot Venus a warning look, but she ignored him, her attention turning to the rest of the group. "So, what's your story?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Mira.

Mira shifted in her seat, pulling her knees up to her chest. She looked younger than the rest, maybe still a teenager, with wide eyes that made her seem more vulnerable than she probably wanted to admit. "We're... we're still in high school," she said softly. "Asher and I."

Venus raised an eyebrow. "High school? You're telling me you two just walked out of class and decided to take a field trip through the apocalypse?"

Mira flinched slightly, but Asher jumped in. "More like we walked out of the wreckage. School was the first place to go down when everything started falling apart. Half the teachers bolted, and the rest... well, they weren't much help when people started turning."

Mira nodded, her voice shaky. "We ran. We didn't know what else to do. We... we lost a lot of people."

Venus studied them for a moment, her expression unreadable. She could see the fear in Mira's eyes, the way her hands trembled just slightly. She wasn't built for this world. Not yet.

Asher, on the other hand, seemed to be handling it better. He wasn't as naive, but there was something almost careless about him—like he didn't take any of it seriously. Or maybe he just didn't want to show how much it bothered him.

"Survival looks different on everyone, I guess," Venus muttered, glancing back at Jun. "But let's be clear. We're not here to babysit. If you can't pull your weight, you're out."

Jun sighed. "Venus—"

"I'm serious," Venus interrupted, her voice cold. "We don't have time for dead weight."

Loid cleared his throat again, his voice careful. "We can handle ourselves. We made it this far, didn't we?"

Venus didn't respond. She didn't trust them. Not yet. And she wasn't about to pretend she did just because Nina seemed so keen on keeping Loid around. But she didn't have much of a choice, either.

"We leave at first light," Venus said, her voice firm. "Pack light. And don't expect me to wait for you if you fall behind."

Asher gave her a mock salute. "Got it, boss. First light, no jokes."

Venus glared at him, but there was no malice in her eyes. She wasn't used to someone like Asher, someone who could crack jokes in the middle of a nightmare. It grated on her nerves, but at the same time... she wasn't entirely sure it was a bad thing.

Mira, on the other hand, seemed lost in her own thoughts. She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on Jun and Izzy before she spoke again. "Do you think... the group will actually be safe?"

Venus paused, her gaze hardening. "There's no such thing as safe. But it's better than waiting around to die."

Mira swallowed hard, nodding. "Right."

Venus turned back to the window, her mind already racing with what was ahead. The refugee group. A bunch of scared, desperate people all huddled together, hoping someone would save them. It was a recipe for disaster.

But she knew they didn't have a choice. Not anymore.