chapter 6 : The Hunt Begins

The leader stood in the center of the group, his figure imposing and his face lit by a vicious smile. That smile was cold, calculating, like that of a predator who knew that his prey had no escape and set to play with it in order to devour it. His words echoed in the air, sharp and full of a cruelty that chilled the blood.

"We can't let her go," he said, his voice calm but loaded with an underlying threat. "Quickly get your weapons ready. We will bring back the supplies that were stolen from us, no matter the cost. As for that bitch…" he paused deliberately, his gaze scanning the people present as if he were having fun. "Who wants her?"

He said it as if she were a toy that he had the right to discard at any moment. At that moment I wanted to leave immediately, the lascivious look on their faces began to run through me.

The slanted-eyed man, with a nasty smile that revealed yellowed, chipped teeth, licked his lips in lust. His breathing was heavy, and his hands trembled slightly, not in fear, but in anticipation.

"Leave her to me, leader," he replied, his voice rough and heavy with desire. His gaze obscene, as if he was already savoring the idea of ​​what he would do to Samantha. "I will make her regret stealing our food."

The leader ascended, his dark, violent smile only growing more, as if he would find the idea fascinating. "Do what you want with her, but make sure she suffers. I want you to learn what it means to betray us."

A chill ran down my spine, the flames on my hands sweating deeply. I felt sorry for Sam, but also afraid, afraid that I would be next. What if it was my turn to take her place? I couldn't bear the thought. Soon, a group of men and I left the village, armed with machetes, bats, and golf clubs. The hunt had begun.

Samantha's footprints were everywhere, marked in the mud and trampled grass. We walked slowly and then scattered. Some went in groups, others alone, like the leader, who wasted no time and bolted in one direction. I didn't want to imagine what would happen if he ran into Sam.

I didn't dare get into one of those groups, god knows what they would do to me, I walked alone to the red light district park, a relatively quiet place in this ghoul-infested world. As I walked, I noticed some light footprints on the ground. It seemed that Sam had passed through here. My heart was pounding, and the golf club I held in my sweaty hands seemed despite itself.

It was some time before I found her. Her silhouette stood out against the grey sky, and a complicated emotion began to form in my chest. I didn't want to hurt her, but I knew that if I let her escape, they would only take it out on me. I approached her from behind, trying not to make a sound, ready to strike her if necessary. But at that moment, a ghoul lunged at me from the underbrush.

It was fast, its glassy eyes shining with an insatiable hunger. Its sharp claws tore through the air, and its open mouth let out a guttural sound that chilled the blood.

The ghoul lunged at me, its twisted fingers covered in dried blood, extended like claws. Fortunately, I managed to dodge its first lunge, but I tripped on a root and fell to the ground. The beast lunged at me, its putrid breath filling my lungs. Its teeth, yellow and chipped, glistened in the dim sunlight as they closed in on my neck.

I closed my eyes, resigned. This was the end. Perhaps it was also my punishment for being such a coward. But before its fangs could sink into my flesh, a sharp, forceful thud echoed through the air. The ghoul collapsed to the side, its head deformed by the impact of a baseball bat.

"Rebecca!" I heard Samantha's voice, firm but full of urgency.

I opened my eyes and saw her there, her face stained with blood and sweat, her hands tightly gripping the bat.

Sam didn't hesitate. With a quick, precise movement, he touched the ghoul in the jaw, making its bones crack. The impact was so strong that its teeth flew, but the creature didn't stop. Sam continued to strike, this time on the temple, and the ghoul's skull caved in with a sickening sound. The beast fell to the ground, but it was still writhing, trying to get up.

"It's not enough to just hit them!" Sam screamed, her voice filled with fury and desperation. "We must destroy them!"

With swift movements, she positioned herself over the ghoul and began to pound its head with brutal force. Each blow echoed around, accompanied by the crunch of bones and the sound of flesh being crushed. Blood sprayed in all directions, staining the ground and Sam's legs. She didn't stop, continuing over and over, until the head was reduced to nothing more than a misshapen mass of flesh and broken bones.

Finally, he stopped, panting, his body shaking from the effort. He looked at me, his eyes indifferent but strangely holding a hint of concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice cracking.

I nodded, unable to speak. Tears began to well up in my eyes, mixing with the sweat and grime on my face. Sam came over and helped me up, his grip firm but gentle.

"Yes… thank you…" I replied weakly, shaking.

Sam looked at me for a moment and then offered me some water.

"What are you doing here, Rebecca?" he asked, his voice soft but firm.

I thought for a moment before answering but, I had already made up my mind.

"Sam…" I stammered, trying to find the words. "The leader… is a monster. And the men… are willing to do anything to capture you. You have to leave quickly."

She nodded, her face serious. "I know. That's why I left the village." "But you… you don't have to stay with them. Come with me, Rebecca. We can't stay in a place where they treat us like animals, like sex toys."

I looked into her eyes, doubting the sincerity in her words, but it was true, she didn't seem to want to take advantage of me. Her gaze was quite genuine, full of a warmth I hadn't seen in a long time. I thought about the village, the men who were chasing her, the leader and his cruelty. I had nothing tying me to that place. My family had died a long time ago, and the only thing that kept me from leaving was fear.

"Okay," I said casually, taking her hand. "I'll go with you."

Sam nodded and helped me stand up. Together we began to walk, along the way she had told me that she was looking for the truck that the leader had hidden. Her brother was breathing heavily but we had still managed to make a lot of progress.

At that moment a noise was heard behind us. I turned and saw the man with the slanted eyes, his nasty smile even more repulsive than before.

"Nice try, bitches, but you're not going anywhere," he said, brandishing a machete.

Sam stood in front of me, his bloody bat ready for combat.

"Rebecca, please take care of my brother," he said, his voice firm.

But I couldn't leave her alone. I grabbed the golf club and prepared to fight. The man lunged at us with a smile on his face, but Sam intercepted him with a precise blow to the arm. The machete fell to the ground, and the man screamed in pain. Sam didn't give him time to react; with a quick movement, she hit his head with the bat, making him fall to the ground.

But before we could celebrate, more men began to appear surrounding us. The leader stood among them, his twisted grin illuminated by the evening light.

"I'll make you pay, bitch," he said, brandishing a machete, a smirk of ecstasy on his face.