SARA:
I found myself standing in the middle of the street, the sky above cast in a dark hue with a brilliant moon hanging overhead. People bustled around me, moving with purpose through the shadows of the night.
Suddenly, a bright light approached, revealing a motorcycle with a rider urgently shouting something at me, though the words were lost in the ambient noise. Frantically waving his hand, he signaled for me to step aside. I complied, moving to the edge of the road.
Confused, I surveyed my surroundings. This place was unfamiliar, a town I had never seen before, appearing deceptively ordinary. Chitragupta had mentioned a punishment, instructing me to kill someone, but this scenario felt different. What was the purpose of my presence here?
The mystery of my situation hung heavy in the night air, leaving me with more questions than answers. Suddenly, the piercing screams of terrified people echoed through the air, drawing my attention to the chaotic scene unfolding nearby.
As I approached, I witnessed a horrifying sight—animated dead bodies were engaged in a violent struggle with the living. The situation became even more alarming when I realized that the animated corpses were not confined to a specific area; instead, they were advancing towards me, their numbers exceeding my initial estimation. A sense of dread gripped me as the undead relentlessly pursued their prey, tearing into the helpless victims.
Amidst the chaos, my eyes widened in horror as I spotted a little toddler girl, crying and lying defenseless on the road. Her vulnerability struck a chord, reminiscent of my own Padma. An animated corpse lurched menacingly towards the child. Driven by an instinct to protect, I summoned my energy and sprinted towards the distressed girl, determined to shield her from the impending danger.
As I reached the distressed toddler, the animated corpse had already seized her by the leg. Reacting swiftly, I lunged onto the assailant, and together we tumbled forcefully across the road. Wrestling to gain control, I managed to position myself on top, gripping the undead creature's neck to prevent its gnashing teeth from reaching me. The putrid stench overwhelmed me, but I focused on the task at hand.
Forcing the animated corpse to the side, I stood up, pressing my left foot on its neck. Grasping its hair with my right hand, I yanked its head away from its body and discarded it to the side. My attention swiftly shifted to the little girl who had resumed running, now being pursued by a horde of animated dead bodies. Rushing towards the pursuing corpses, I engaged them one by one.
Pulling one back, I kicked it away and continued sprinting towards the girl. Clearing my path, I pushed aside the animated dead bodies that obstructed my way. The girl halted, hesitating as the other bodies stood before her, threatening to close in.
"Hey, run to the left!" I shouted, attempting to guide the terrified girl to safety. A body obstructed my view, but I swiftly dispatched it by breaking its neck with a forceful twist. Another creature lunged at me, but I evaded by bending down and moving forward. My attention sharpened as I noticed a body closing in on the little girl, its hungry intentions evident.
Spotting a protruding iron rod from a broken wall nearby, I seized the opportunity. Breaking the rod off, I aimed it at the approaching threat and hurled it with precision. The impromptu weapon struck true, preventing the creature from reaching its intended prey.
Racing to the girl, I knelt before her. "Are you okay?" I asked, concern in my voice.
"Yes," she replied. With a protective instinct, I lifted her into my arms, glancing back at the defeated body impaled by the rod that protruded through its head.
Heading down a small street to the left, I sprinted as fast as possible. As I veered to the right, finding no immediate threats, I began to slow my pace. Surveying the surroundings for signs of danger, I observed an empty, silent space.
Setting the rescued girl on her feet, I inquired, "Are you okay? Did you get injured?"
"No," she replied, providing a much-needed relief.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, concerned about her well-being.
"Those people ate my parents," she responded matter-of-factly.
"What?" I exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, they died 2 days ago," she confirmed.
"Two days?" I furrowed my brow.
"These people are everywhere; I don't know why they act like this," she added.
Perplexed by the unfolding events, I asked, "How did you survive these two days?"
"I ran away, and people rescued me, but they also came here too," she explained.
"Are you hungry? Did you eat anything?" I inquired.
"I just had a bun in the morning," she admitted.
"You must be hungry. Let's find something to eat," I suggested, determined to offer her comfort in this unsettling situation. She nodded in agreement.
She was wearing pajamas stained with blood, a clear sign of the struggles she must have faced. Determined to provide her with sustenance, I scanned the surroundings. A locked home to my right caught my attention, indicating that it was likely empty.
Breaking the lock, I opened the door and ushered the girl inside. After securing the door, I turned on the lights, revealing a TV on the right and a sofa on the left.
"Come on," I urged the girl as we entered, making sure to lock the door behind us. Proceeding cautiously down the hallway, I checked each room for any potential threats. Opening a door on the left, I found it empty and decided to leave it undisturbed as we continued our exploration.
At the end of the hallway, we reached the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to the girl. "Here, drink this," I suggested.
Unfortunately, there was nothing readily available to eat. Spotting some eggs, I considered options for a makeshift meal. I grabbed a pan and ignited the stove, drizzling some oil before washing my hands. Swiftly, I cooked two eggs and plated them for her. She hurriedly washed her hands and eagerly accepted the plate.
"Careful, it's hot," I cautioned. Seating herself on the kitchen floor, she began eating voraciously, as though starved for several days.
"Eat it slowly; you might choke," I advised, watching her devour the meal. Her demeanor resembled that of a lonely puppy, relegated to eating on the floor instead of at a dining table like a human. It was evident that she had endured hardships at such a tender age.
Amidst these thoughts, a pang of longing for Padma struck me. I wondered what she was doing at that moment. Sighing deeply, I pondered my predicament. Was this truly hell? Everything around me seemed so real. The question remained: who was the target of my impending act?
"So, do you have any other people? Like an uncle, aunt?" I inquired of the girl. She shook her head.
"What is your name, sweetheart?" I asked her.
"Meera, what is your name?" she returned the question.
"I am Sara," I smiled. She just gazed at me, and I felt a sense of helplessness. How could I console her? The pain of losing her parents was palpable. Somehow, our stories seemed to resonate. She had lost her parents, and I had been separated from my daughter.
"I have my grandma. My dad said that we were going to grandma's house, and everything would be okay after. He said there would be no people like this, and we could be safe," Meera shared.
"Grandma? Where is she now?" I asked.
"I don't know the way to her house. But my dad said that safe places were mentioned in the news, and one of them was my grandma's living place," Meera explained.
"The news," I murmured and went to the hall. I turned on the TV, and fortunately, it worked.
Tuning in to the news channel, I saw that Meera was right. The news displayed a list of places to go to escape from these individuals, treating them like a disease similar to zombies in movies. However, I knew it wasn't a virus; it was a manifestation of dark energy, much like mine. When these beings bit people, they turned into one of them, but only after death, not like a virus affecting the brain. Meera came and stood beside me, touching the TV screen.
"This is the place," she said. "My father was taking us to this place."
I looked at the location she was pointing at—the new port of the city. Why the port, I wondered. "Where exactly does your grandma live?" I asked.
"France," she replied. That's when it hit me; these places were evacuation centers, transporting people from here to new safe locations. I didn't know where this ship was taking people, but Meera needed to go there, ensuring she would be in a safe place. We should go there safely.
I don't know what's lurking outside for us. I don't think this little girl would endure teleportation. It would be better if we had any vehicles, like two-wheelers or maybe even a car. So our prime target is to get to the new port and make sure this girl boards the ship.
"Hey, I will get you to the ship," I said.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah, trust me, I have superpowers, you know," I smiled at her. But she didn't smile. I sighed.
"Stay here; I will look for a bike or something for us to go there quickly," I said. She nodded.
"Only open the door when you hear my voice, okay?" I said.
"Okay," she nodded. I went to the door.
"Make sure to lock it," I said. She nodded. I opened the door, went outside, and closed it after me. I looked around. It was pure silence, with streetlights casting their glow. I took a few steps forward, heading to the middle of the street. A quick scan of the surroundings suggested that no one was present.
Spotting a car parked at the end of the street, I approached it, contemplating how to start the engine without the keys. On the opposite side, there was a bike, but I wasn't tall enough to ride it comfortably. It would be more practical to find a scooter or something similar. Taking a left turn, I continued my search for a more manageable vehicle.
Surprisingly, I didn't encounter any animated bodies, and I wondered where they had disappeared to. As I reached the end of this street, I spotted a black scooter. It seemed to be a Honda. Fortunately, I knew how to start it without the key. However, considering the potential noise, I decided to retrieve the girl first, wary of attracting unwanted attention from the animated bodies.
I teleported back to the home, reappearing in the hall where the girl stood, mouth agape, witnessing my supernatural ability. I grinned at her. "Didn't I mention I have superpowers?" I teased.
"Come on, let's go. I found a scooter. But don't make a noise, okay?" I instructed.
"Okay," she replied.
"Let's go, then," I said, extending my hand to her. After a moment of contemplation, she grabbed my hand. I opened the door, and we walked cautiously to the scooter, reaching it without encountering any problems.
"Do you have a key?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"What?" I whispered back.
"Keys? Do you have a key?" she reiterated.
"Actually, no. I'm going to start it without the key," I replied. I had already noticed two pins in the girl's hair.
"Can I take your hairpins?" I asked. She nodded, and I took the two pins from her head. I modified one to have a bent end, while the other was bent into a shape resembling the number 7. I inserted the pin shaped like 7 inside and held it in the opposite direction of the key movement to turn it on. I used the other pin to pick the lock, listening for the subtle sounds it made.
Every lock had small rods attached to springs, and the key had to be in perfect shape to lift those small rods—this was how locks were typically manipulated. I had easily unlocked cupboards and doors before, but I knew this would be more challenging and time-consuming.
"It's wrong," she whispered, catching my attention. I looked at her, awaiting further clarification.
"We are stealing someone's scooter," she said.
"Actually, we are not doing something bad. We are in an emergency, so it's okay to take someone's scooter. I don't usually do that," I whispered. She just looked at me.
"Really, I never stole something from someone," I explained. I continued to work on unlocking the scooter.
"Then how do you know how to do it?" she asked me in a hushed voice. I looked at her.
"I learned it myself just in case, to use it for emergencies," I replied, and it was the truth. I learned it in case I ever found myself locked inside and needed to open a lock to escape. I thought it would be useful, so I learned to pick locks.
After struggling for about 10 minutes, I finally unlocked it. I was sweating from the tension, and my hands started to hurt. I sat on the scooter.
"Get on," I said to the girl. She climbed on and sat behind me.
"Hold me tight; I'm going to drive fast," I instructed. She held onto my shirt. I sighed and took her hands, making them meet around my waist so that she could hold on securely.
"Hold tight," I said.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied. I started the scooter with the ignition button, and thankfully, it worked. I had doubted that it might not, but luck was on our side. The engine roared to life, and I started to drive. Surprisingly, there were no animated bodies in sight. We were finally on our way to the new port.