Matilda turned in her bed with a grunt.
"Why is this bed so hard?" she mumbled in her sleep, shifting uncomfortably.
Midnight struck somewhere in the distance. Her eyes fluttered open—and widened instantly.
The air was biting cold.
She wasn't in her room. She was in the middle of nowhere, lying on the hard, packed earth.
A strange woman in a long, navy blue robe stood over her. She looked too young to be a teacher, yet too ethereal to be a student. Her gray eyes held a distant, serene look, like a still lake.
"You're awake? Come with me." Matilda blinked, pushing herself up.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"I'll explain with everyone else," the woman said, already walking away.
Matilda scrambled to her feet, her brain still foggy.
Her body ached as if she had been dropped from the sky. She followed the woman, heart pounding—half because she wanted answers, half because she was terrified of being left alone in the dark. She tried to retrace her steps—her bed, the blanket, the thunder—then nothing.
Okay, Matilda, think, she told herself. Did you fall asleep on campus? Was this a prank? A field trip gone wrong? A very elaborate, drug-fueled dream?
She touched her forehead. No fever. No sign of a head injury. Her oversized hoodie and crumpled jeans were the same ones she'd worn earlier. Am I kidnapped? Did I join a cult? Is this that weird team bonding camp my mom mentioned?
They reached a massive, gnarled tree at the center of a small, eerie village. The place looked centuries old—mud-brick walls, thatched roofs, and crooked wooden fences that leaned like old men. Dim lanterns flickered along the path, casting long shadows. A crowd had already gathered, people muttering and glancing around. Confusion filled the air like a thick mist.
Sandro stood among them. He was a tall boy with yellow-blond hair and sharp blue eyes, looking around as if calculating every detail, measuring the distance to the exits. He looked up, briefly locking eyes with Matilda.
Flashback
Sandro stood in the principal's office at Evermore College earlier that day. The room reeked of paint and harsh disinfectant. A broken mop leaned against the desk. The principal himself had splatters of what looked like blueberry pie on his tie. "I'm terribly sorry for the mess," the principal said, running a hand over his oily forehead. "There was an... incident. Don't worry about your studies. We'll keep that girl under control." Sandro blinked. He hadn't asked. He didn't care. He wasn't planning to stay here long anyway. This whole place felt off.
End Flashback
Now, in the strange village, he recognized her face. It's her... the pie girl, he thought.
The strange woman raised her voice, calm yet commanding. "Quiet, everyone. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Luna. Welcome to Madini Village. I'll be your host." "Host? What is this, a game show?" someone muttered. Another man raised his voice, stepping forward. "Excuse me, how did we get here? I was watching a movie with my friend, and then... I fell asleep... and woke up here." "I cannot answer that," Luna replied simply.
The murmurs grew louder. Panic began to spread through the group like a virus. "Are we kidnapped?" "Human traffickers?" "Are we going to die?"
A huge man stepped forward—barrel-chested, bearded, wearing a cracked leather apron stained with what looked like dried blood. His nametag read Gorren. He lunged forward and grabbed Luna by the neck. "Woman, tell us where we are or I'll kill you!" he roared. "I don't know what kind of joke this is, but I've got a daughter waiting for me. I run a butcher shop—I just reopened it last week. I'm not staying here like some damn guinea pig."
Unflinching, Luna responded, her voice dangerously level. "You are in Madini Village. Please remove your hand." "How do we get out?" the man demanded, tightening his grip. "Sorry. I cannot answer that. Please remove your hand." "Say it or I'll kill you! Believe it or not, I have slaughtered—"
Suddenly, the man dropped. It happened in an instant. There was no gunshot, no knife. He simply collapsed, blood pooling rapidly from a clean slice across his throat. Gasps filled the air. No one saw a weapon. No one saw Luna move. Matilda's body froze. What is this? Am I going to die here today? I want to go home.
Luna smiled softly, stepping over the body. "The 14 of you remaining, please follow me to your accommodations." Shaken and silent, the group followed.
They arrived at a row of small huts. Luna handed out keys and room numbers. "Let me remind you: after 15 days, we don't serve guests. Do not go out after 8 p.m." She turned to leave. Matilda watched her go. She wanted to scream, to ask a million questions, but fear choked her words. Please don't leave.
Matilda arrived at Room 7, where she met her new roommates. "Hello, I'm Matilda." A short girl with a blue bob cut and a floral dress looked up. Her wide blue eyes were swimming with tears. "I'm Lily." She started sobbing. "I was just sleeping in my bed... now I'm going to die. I didn't even feed Poppy!" "Poppy...?" Matilda asked. "My pet goat," Lily whimpered.
The third girl had a tight black bun and dark brows furrowed in suspicion. Dressed in cargo pants and a tank top, her stance said she didn't take crap from anyone. She huffed. "Instead of crying about goats, we should be figuring out how to escape. I'm Ruby." Ruby eyed Matilda. "You're pretty calm." "So are you," Matilda replied. No I'm not, I just want to cry!
Lily wiped her eyes. "That woman... earlier... she split that man's throat. What did she use? A knife? A hairpin? I didn't even see!" "She said we're guests for 15 days," Ruby said, crossing her arms. "Does that mean she'll kill us after that?" "Don't panic," Matilda said, trying to steady her own voice. "We'll figure this out. Let's try to get some sleep." I can't believe I'm the one trying to keep others calm. What will happen after 15 days? Is she going to let us go?
They began making their beds. Matilda opened the wooden window and scanned outside. No guards. No fences. No Luna. Just darkness. Why doesn't she fear we'll escape? Matilda thought. She looks quite weak... and yet that butcher died instantly. How?
"What are you thinking?" Lily asked. "Nothing." Across the yard, Matilda noticed someone else staring out of their window—it was Sandro. Below them, on the village path, a man made a break for it, running fast and quiet toward the treeline.
CLANG. A bell suddenly rang out, echoing through the valley. An old man in tattered clothes walked down the road, shouting, "The 8th hour has come! Please remain indoors!" As he left, the sky darkened unnaturally. A full moon emerged from behind heavy clouds. Then—chaos.
What happened next was too fast to process. A low moan echoed from the shadows. Then, they appeared. Zombies. Dozens of them. Pale, sunken eyes, yellowed teeth, limbs dragging in the dirt. They moved with terrifying speed, swarming the escaping man. "Wait! What the—GET OFF ME!" he screamed. Then came the sound. A wet crunch. A gurgling cry. The sound of flesh ripping. Matilda's hands flew to her mouth. She gasped and slammed the window shut in horror, nearly vomiting.
Ruby caught her by the shoulders. "What happened?" "There are... z-z-zombies," Matilda stammered, her face pale. "They killed that man who tried to run. They... threw his head." Lily cried out in fear, curling into a ball on her bed. Then came a knock at their door. Thump. Thump. A shadow... shuffling outside. Ruby held Lily's mouth shut. "Shhh." The shadow lingered, then moved on. Matilda whispered, "They're not breaking in. Let's just... try to sleep." Lily trembled. "Can I sleep with you, Matilda?" Matilda nodded. Did I just witness two murders on the same day? I want to throw up.
They lay there, wide awake, huddled together while the zombies groaned and shrieked through the night. No one slept.
Morning finally came. Luna called them to the courtyard. Everything looked pristine. The blood was gone. The body was gone. It was like nothing had happened. "Congratulations to the 13 of you for making it to morning," Luna said sweetly. "Oh, I forgot to mention—we have a little zombie problem. You'll get used to it." Used to it?
"13? Weren't we 14?" people whispered. "He must've been eaten by the zombies," someone muttered back. "I will no longer serve you," Luna continued. "You are free to do anything you want during the day. Meals will be served in the cafeteria. I will get someone to give you directions. Enjoy your morning." She walked away, humming a tune.
Matilda, Lily, and Ruby stood together. Lily sniffled. "Isn't it breakfast time? I am hungry." Matilda nodded slowly.
In the cafeteria, after picking at their breakfast, Matilda leaned in.
"Let's find a way to leave this place."
"Huh?" Lily looked horrified. "You saw what happened to the others!" "The first guy tried to kill Luna. The second disobeyed the curfew,"
Matilda argued. "But she said we're free to do whatever we want during the day. Do you want to sit here and wait to get killed?"
"She's right," Ruby agreed, stabbing a fork into her eggs. "I really don't want to stay another day in this place."
"You can stay here, Lily," Matilda said gently. "If we find a way out, we'll come back for you."
"No!" Lily cried, grabbing Matilda's arm. "I'll go with you. It's too scary to stay alone." The three girls looked at each other and nodded. And so began their search—for a way out of Madini Village.