Knowing that there was no one who could save her, Althea stopped fighting. She surrendered to fear, to exhaustion... to fate. She closed her eyes tighter, waiting for the inevitable.
At that, a shot rang through the air.
The girl, her heart pounding in her chest, slowly opened her eyes. In front of her, the infected lay on the ground, motionless, with a hole in his head.
She was not alone. Someone had arrived just in time, finishing off her attacker... and saving her life.
Before she could react, a familiar voice broke the silence:
—Althea!
With tear-filled eyes, the little girl turned quickly. Her gaze met her father's, who was holding a gun tightly, still pointing it at the fallen infected.
—Dad! — she sobbed.
Without hesitation, she got up and ran to him. Her father greeted her with a tight, desperate hug, as if he feared he would lose her at any moment.
—My little girl… — he whispered, stroking her hair with a mixture of relief and fear.
He pulled away just slightly and looked into her eyes urgently.
—Are you all right? Where is your mother?
The girl looked down, her lower lip trembled and she could barely utter a few words:
—I'm sorry... mom... she...
He didn't need to say more. His father felt the world fall apart in an instant. His eyes filled with rage and pain, but there was no time for regrets.
Behind them, more infected were approaching, attracted by the noise.
Gritting his teeth, the man raised his gun and shot several in the head with precision. But there were too many of them.
—We have to go! — he said, carrying his daughter in his arms.
With his heart pounding, he ran without looking back home, clutching his little girl tightly, ready to do whatever it took to keep her safe.
They entered the house quickly and locked the door. The father made sure everything was in order before letting out a shaky sigh.
Althea plopped down on the living room couch. Her body was still trembling, she didn't fully understand what had just happened, and her heart was pounding, as if it wanted to burst out of her chest.
Her father sat down next to her and hugged her firmly, trying to calm her down.
—It's all right, honey...you're safe now —he whispered, though deep inside she knew that safety was short-lived.
Althea clutched at her shirt, her eyes swollen from crying. Her father noticed that her clothes were dirty and torn.
—Go take a bath and put on some clean clothes, okay? —he said gently.
The girl nodded and, without another word, headed for the bathroom.
The man stood alone in the room, breathing heavily. Then, his gaze fell on the family photograph on the cabinet. In it, his wife was smiling sweetly, with Althea in her arms and him at her side.
With trembling hands, he grabbed the frame and held it tightly.
The pain hit him full on.
He could no longer hold back the tears. His body shook with each sob, letting out all the suffering he had been repressing. His love, his life partner, was gone.
She put a hand to her face, trying to regain her composure. He couldn't break down now. His daughter still needed him.
He took a deep breath and dried his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Althea would be out of the bathroom before long, and he didn't want her to see him like this. He had to be strong for her.
Besides, he knew the worst was yet to come. And he would do everything he could to protect her.
The father pulled out his cell phone with trembling hands and dialed a number.
After a few seconds, a woman's voice answered on the other end of the line.
—Hello? Delma? — he said in a deep voice.
—Felix, why are you calling? — Delma asked in an indifferent tone.
Felix swallowed his breath.
—I want to ask you a favor...
Delma let out a dry laugh.
—A favor? I don't remember us being so trusting as that.
Felix closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.
—Don't do it as a favor to me... do it for Evelin.
The silence that followed was thick. On the other end of the line, Delma held her breath.
—What are you trying to say? —she asked in a strained voice—. Don't tell me that Evelin is…
—That's right —Felix interrupted regretfully.
A deep silence fell over the call. Delma pressed her lips together, holding back tears, unable to utter a word for several seconds. When she finally spoke, her voice had cracked, though she tried to keep it steady.
Finally, Delma spoke.
—Well, I'm listening. What do you need from me?
Felix closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath before answering.
—I want you to protect my daughter. They'll be coming for me soon… and I won't be able to do it.
Delma didn't answer right away, but when she did, her voice sounded more serious.
—I agree. Send me the location of the place, I'll catch up with her and take care of her.
Felix let out a sigh of relief.
—Thank you…
—I'm not doing it for you, Felix —she interrupted coldly—. I'm doing it for Evelin.
Felix's silence confirmed it.
Delma sighed and added in a softer tone:
—Don't forget to send the puppy with the little one. That little animal will become her only family.
Felix nodded, though he knew Delma couldn't see it.
—I will.
—Good.
With nothing more to say, the call ended with a simple "thank you" and a "goodbye."
After cutting the call short, Felix walked briskly up the stairs, heading for his daughter's room.
Upon entering, he found her sitting on the bed, finishing putting on her slippers. Her little fingers were carefully adjusting the straps when suddenly her trembling voice broke the silence.
—These slippers were given to me by mom for my birthday…
Her lower lip began to tremble and, unable to contain herself any longer, tears rolled down her cheeks.
—Dad… I want mommy to come back…
Felix felt a lump in his throat, but he forced himself to stay strong. He reached over and hugged her tenderly, stroking her hair.
—I miss her too, little one… but we can't bring her back.
The girl sobbed in her arms until she felt a slight tug on the hem of her dress. Althea looked down and saw Mian, her little puppy, sitting next to her. Mian had long, fluffy, tousled fur, with a mix of white, brown and dark gray colors. His face, covered mostly in white fur that partially hid his eyes, showed a rounded muzzle with a black nose and a small pink spot. His floppy, furry ears twitched slightly, and his mostly white front paws rested on the ground.
Despite her usual playful and happy expression, Mian now looked at her with eyes full of concern and tenderness. Without a sound, he gently rested a paw on her leg, as if trying to comfort her.
Althea blinked, surprised by the gesture, and sketched a weak smile. With a trembling hand, she stroked Mian's head, who immediately settled down next to her, resting her small body against his.
There was no need to say anything. Mian had understood her sadness and, with his mere presence, offered her silent and loving comfort.
Felix took the moment to speak earnestly.
—Althea, we can't stay here. We're going to a friend of mine. You will stay with her while I take care of some important matters.
The girl looked up suddenly.
—I don't want to be separated from you! — she protested, clinging to his arm —. I've already lost mom… I don't want to lose you too…
Felix felt his heart break, but he couldn't let it stay.
—I know, little one… but it's the best thing for you. She will protect you.
Althea looked down, reluctant, but in the end nodded regretfully.
—Can I take Mian?
Felix forced a smile and stroked the puppy's head.
— Of course. Mian will come with you, too.
The little girl seemed to calm down a bit with that answer. While she packed a few things in her small backpack, Felix went to get the car keys. When he came back, he saw her ready by the door.
—Do you have everything you need? — he asked.
—Yes… — answered the girl.
That's when he noticed the bracelet on her wrist.
—Where did you get that bracelet?
Althea smiled sweetly and looked at the small accessory.
—The lady at the coffee shop gave it to me for my birthday.
The simple answer brought Felix a momentary respite, and father and daughter shared a brief chat about the coffee shop and the kind stranger who had given her the gift.
But the calm was short-lived.
Just as Felix was about to open the door and tell her it was time to go, the unmistakable sound of gunshots echoed from outside.
He tensed instantly.
Althea noticed it too and wrapped her arms around Mian, who began to growl in the direction of the window.
Something... or someone... was approaching the house.