It was ten o'clock at night when Adam stepped out of the small café on the street corner. The air was cold, and the sky was overcast with clouds that obscured the moon, but he didn't mind. He put his headphones in and prepared for the walk home. This was his usual ritual; he loved walking at night while listening to his favorite music.
As he passed the neighborhood square, he noticed a crowd gathered around something in the middle of the road. His curiosity urged him closer, and he saw an overturned car with small flames dancing around it. A man was screaming in terror, and another was lying motionless on the ground. This was not just an accident; something was terribly wrong.
He removed his headphones and turned to an elderly man standing next to him, whose face was pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"What is happening, Uncle?" Adam asked, looking around.
The old man stammered in a shaky voice: "They're here..."
Adam didn't understand what he meant and didn't have a chance to ask. Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from the opposite street, and then chaos broke out.
Something enormous surged from the darkness. Adam wasn't sure what he saw, but it looked like a monster unlike anything natural. Its skin glowed, reflecting the streetlights, and its eyes shone with a strange color. It moved with incredible speed, lunged at one of the onlookers, and instantly brought him down. Blood splattered, and the creature savagely tore at the man's insides.
Adam froze, his mind refusing to process the sight. This couldn't be real... impossible. But another scream snapped him back, and he understood one thing: he had to run.
He turned and bolted with all his strength, his heart pounding wildly. Behind him, people were scattering in every direction, cars were colliding, some people running in the street were being run over by speeding vehicles, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Someone crashed into him, sending him sprawling on the pavement, but he ignored the pain, quickly got up, and kept running without looking back.
The café he had been sitting in just minutes ago had become a scene of mayhem. Its glass façade was shattered, and the interior was submerged in darkness. He saw a man struggling to pull his young son from under the café's rubble. He wanted to help them, but the terrifying shadow was faster; the monster pounced on the father, and the sound of crushing bones and the screams of the father and son made Adam feel nauseous.
He ran, and ran, and did not stop. He didn't know where he was going; all he wanted was to get away from those creatures. The city was collapsing around him, and the screaming was relentless.
After minutes of running, he found himself on a deserted side street. He hid behind a car, his breaths ragged, his chest heaving frantically.
"What is happening? What are those things?"
He tried to calm down, to think rationally, but it made no sense. This was not just an accident or a brawl... it was something bigger, something that might change everything.
He looked around cautiously but saw no one. The area was empty, save for the sound of wind brushing against broken windows. He took a deep breath, deciding he couldn't stay there for long.
He had to find a safe place... and he had to find out what was going on before it was too late.
At this point, Adam stopped speaking, a distant look gathering in his eyes, as if reliving the moment. He shook his head and resumed his story to Samer and Layla as they ate:
"I was running through the streets, gathered some food on my way, and ended up here. I'm so glad you're alive, my friend."
Samer replied, rubbing his hands free of food remnants: "I am happier than you, Adam."
He paused for a moment, then asked: "Did you pass by our house, Adam?"
Adam answered with a heavy sigh: "I did. I thought you would be there, but I found it shattered and on fire. I don't know if your parents are alive or not."
Samer replied with a look of distraction and sadness: "I'll consider them among the dead... I don't think they could survive in such a situation, at their age."
As soon as Samer finished his words, he began to cry, and Adam placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
Suddenly, Layla burst into tears, crying loudly like a child.
Samer looked at her in surprise, wiped his tears, and asked: "Why are you crying?"
Layla sobbed through her tears: "I felt sad for you..."
Adam and Samer laughed. Samer forgot his sadness because of Layla's unexpected action.
Samer said: "You are very sensitive, Layla."
As time passed, they sat by the stone wall, the fire casting a faint flicker on their faces. In the other corner, Layla was sound asleep, her breathing steady after the difficult day they had endured.
Adam nervously ran a hand through his hair, then muttered: "I just... I don't understand what's going on here, Samer. Something is happening, and we're caught in the middle of it without knowing anything."
Samer took a deep breath, mumbling: "I feel the same way. Days ago, we were living our normal lives, and now we're running from... from what exactly?"
Adam turned his head to look directly at him, his brows furrowed with worry: "Monsters, Samer. These aren't just mutated beings or a science experiment gone wrong... these are trained creatures, killing without hesitation, as if they have a goal."
Samer lowered his gaze to the stone floor: "And that's what scares me."
Adam let out a long exhale, then turned to look at the sleeping Layla: "And what about the girl? How did she survive alone? And how did she end up with us?"
Samer shrugged: "I don't know. I found her in the chaos... she was trying to escape, just like me. She was alone, and I didn't want to leave her."
Adam sighed, his voice not without awkwardness: "What you did was humane, Samer... but, I don't know. She's a girl, and she might be a burden on us in this situation."
Samer's eyes narrowed before he said: "Even if she's a girl, I won't leave her. Adam, you haven't changed... you still see girls as weak beings, as if they have no value. This world has changed, and we need each other, regardless of gender. There's no time for a fruitless argument with you now... she's with us, and we will survive together."
Adam nodded silently, then changed the subject, saying: "Alright... let's make a plan. We can't stay here forever."
Samer thought for a moment, then said: "We need a safer place... far from the cities, far from anything that might attract those monsters."
Adam nodded in agreement: "Then, we need to stock up on supplies before we move... food, water, and maybe weapons—anything we can use to defend ourselves."
They exchanged a look, both knowing that tomorrow would not be easy. Then, Adam leaned forward slightly and said in a serious tone:
"But the most important question is... where will we go?"
Silence reigned for a moment before Samer whispered:
"Anywhere... far away from the hell this world has turned into."