"Bang." The door closed tightly, and Craig casually stashed the powder in his pocket.
The reason Augustus wanted to kill Arnold was simply that he was afraid Arnold would come after him, jeopardizing his current position with the group. The other reason was that this fat old man had long set his sights on Arnold's sister, Marlene. It didn't matter; they were both looking out for their own interests.
In the pitch-black corridor, footsteps echoed. The various antics Augustus had been up to in the room had ignited a fire in Craig's heart.
Hmm? What was this soft thing he just stepped on? Weren't all the bodies thrown out of here? Craig instinctively lifted his foot to investigate, but his peripheral vision caught a glint on the room number plate.
Room 802. It was the room he had shared with Zoe before. Thinking about Zoe's resentful gaze before her death sent a shiver down his spine. What a damn curse! He quickened his pace, feeling as if someone was watching him. Anxious, he rushed downstairs.
"Plap." In the darkness, a deathly pale face slowly descended from the ceiling, landing amidst a pile of shredded flesh on the floor.
...
Late at night, on the second floor.
"Rustling." Craig quickly unlocked the chains and cautiously called out through the door crack, "Lynn, Uncle. I've brought you some food. Take it quickly."
His eyes were sincere as he handed in three bottles of water and a few pieces of bread. For three consecutive days, he had been providing them with small amounts of food to gain their trust.
Uncle's face lit up with joy, and he eagerly accepted the offerings, supporting himself against the wall. "Thank you so much. Arnold just mumbled and asked for water a moment ago. You've been a great help. These days have been tough on you."
Marlene followed behind, her nose red. "Thank you, big brother," she said with a soft and grateful voice.
"Marlene, here are some bread that you like. Go ahead and eat," Uncle said, giving most of the food and water to Lynn, then affectionately patting Marlene's head. The young girl had been reluctant to eat these past few days, saying she wanted to save it for her brother, Clark.
"Marlene won't eat. Marlene is full." Marlene discreetly swallowed her saliva and handed the bread back to Uncle.
Standing behind the door, Craig's eyes flickered as he didn't take them off. He gently persuaded Marlene, "Marlene, there are many delicious things hidden with your big brother. You can have this one for now."
After hesitating for a moment, Marlene eventually accepted the bread from Uncle and nodded obediently.
"Lynn, you should drink more water too. This bottle is unopened, it's new."
"Uncle, don't worry about food. Didn't my room have a small fridge? I looked around today, and there's still quite a bit of food in it."
Craig's smile was warm and sunny. He had practiced this speech several times before coming, and now he watched as Marlene began to eat the bread in small bites. The people in the room were filled with joy and gratitude. Only Lynn remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. She took the unopened bottle of water and glanced back at Clark, whose lips were cracked and whose complexion was grim. In the end, Lynn had to put down her guard.
Behind the door, Craig watched as everyone finished their food and closed the door again, his smile disappearing.
...
On the third floor corridor, a few middle-aged men were leaning against the wall, smoking. The flickering of the cigarettes illuminated the joy on their faces.
"Hehe, Craig. I contributed that bottle of water and syringe. You should let me go second, right?" one of them said, his face lecherous, rubbing his hands together.
"Why go one by one? That little girl still looks like a novice. Let's all go together and give her a good time," another suggested.
Craig chuckled lightly, seemingly unfazed as he took the offered cigarette. "I'll go first, the rest of you can do as you please. Once someone passes out, you can have your way with them. But the little girl inside is off-limits. You must hand her over to Augustus."
"Before we have our fun, make sure to kill the person first! Clark is for me, the rest is for you guys," Craig said firmly, his eyes flashing.
He remembered the equipment on Clark and Lynn, and that made him impatient to wait any longer.
The man smoking hesitated for a moment. "Do we really have to kill someone? What if we get caught in the safe zone later?"
Craig inwardly sneered. What a bunch of cowards, they didn't even dare to kill someone yet they still found excuses.
"Not kill? Do you think Arnold will spare you when he wakes up? I just heard them say that Arnold can speak now! Don't expect to enjoy yourselves the same way once Arnold wakes up. You can't even look at those women if it weren't for Arnold not waking up."
"If it weren't for Arnold not waking up, we wouldn't have control over the food. Do you think those few women would pay any attention to you?" Craig added, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The middle-aged men looked conflicted but eventually made up their minds.
Seeing their agreement, Craig nodded slightly, then walked to the window, his expression chilling. He looked at the burned-out buildings in the distance and the inexplicable loud noises that occasionally rang out. There was no fear or unease in his eyes.
Just twenty-nine more minutes. Women at his fingertips, the coveted power, the breakdown of order. He loved this apocalypse.
Room 808 was illuminated by scented candles. The bald, overweight man in the room had a look of infatuation in his eyes. On the bed lay an unconscious girl, her school skirt pulled up to her knees.
Her tight, snow-white legs were alluring under the candlelight, and the girl's innate innocence took on an unusual beauty in this scene, tormenting the hearts of those who beheld it.
"Heh-heh," saliva was swallowed audibly as Augustus's throat rumbled like a wild beast, his desire becoming unbearable.
"Squeak."
"Who?" He turned abruptly, his eyes filled with reluctance as he shifted his body. He hadn't had a chance to savor the "delicacy."
"Darn it, who's so clueless to disturb me at a time like this?" Augustus looked toward the door, but he couldn't see anything in the pitch-black hotel corridor. Was it the wind? Unable to help himself, he shivered, feeling goosebumps all over his body. In order to stay in the room, the door lock had been removed, and only an iron rod served as a makeshift bolt.