Sofie sat huddled in the corner where Kia had left her. Her eyes scanned the aisles, now in disarray. She was exhausted from the heat and so hungry that her legs felt shaky. As she sat there, her eyes caught sight of a chocolate bar lying on the floor three aisles away from her.
It must have slipped off while the store was being ransacked and had gone unnoticed. Well, lucky for her, it was just what she needed. The sweet, sugary sensation of chocolate could provide her with the energy boost she so desperately craved. She just had to get to it.
She was about to move forward when she recalled Kia instructing her not to leave her spot. She whimpered and started licking her lips. Her stomach growled in response to the sight of the chocolate bar.
That did it; she couldn't resist. She had to have a bite!
Slowly, ever so slowly, Sofie began to inch forward, crawling across the ground on all fours towards the chocolate bar. She had to be careful not to make any noise that would attract the attention of any zombies that might be nearby.
With each inch she moved, her heart beat faster, almost matching the volume of the voice in her head that kept repeating, "Don't make a sound. Don't make a sound. Don't make a sound."
The closer she got, the more her mouth watered at the thought of the taste. Even though it was only a few centimeters away, those centimeters felt like miles to Sofie. She was practically salivating now, her stomach growling louder.
At last, her fingers grazed the wrapper. She stopped, listening intently for any sounds of movement. But the store was still and silent, save for the beating of her own heart.
She wasted no time. In one swift movement, Sofie snatched the chocolate bar off the ground, bringing it to her mouth. With a loud crinkle, she tore open the wrapper. The scent of chocolate assaulted her senses.
Her fingers trembled with excitement and nerves, but just as she was about to take a bite, she heard a faint rustle coming from the next aisle.
She froze. Her mouth opened midway as she listened for the sound again. Her ears strained and her heart pounded in her chest. She was afraid to move or even breathe.
That's when she heard it; it sounded like a man. She was confused. It came out as a low, gravelly voice, whispering.
Assuming it to be Kia, Sofia excitedly crawled forward to get a better look. Her smile immediately disappeared when she saw the person standing just a few feet away from her wasn't Kia, but rather a huge man with his back turned against her.
Confused and scared, she began crawling backwards, trying to get away from the mysterious figure. Who was he? She thought, her eyes still fixed on the man as she crawled faster.
She was moving frantically, not realizing that another figure was standing behind her. Her back ended up colliding with a leather boot belonging to a second figure.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here!" The second man said with a wicked grin as he gently stroked his full, tattered beard.
Sofie gazed up in terror at the second figure, her eyes widening in horror. Panicked, she struggled to get up to her feet and tried to run in the direction she had come, but her path was blocked by the first man who was now looming over her.
Now Sofie could see his face clearly; he had a stern expression and a scarred face puffing out smoke from a cigarette he held in his left hand. Unlike the second man, he was even taller and more menacing.
Sofie's heart fluttered between the two men, her legs shaking too hard. Her hand instinctively went to cover her mouth, the chocolate bar still clutched in her fingers.
Both men exchanged a glance, their eyes seeming to communicate with each other. In an instant, Sofie felt a strong, cold grip around her small frame. She was immediately lifted off the ground by the second man who placed a cloth over her mouth as if to stop her from screaming. But Sofie was already too tired to even struggle. Being only a child in the presence of two men, she knew she didn't stand a chance, and everything went black.
Meanwhile, Kia sat bound to a chair in a dimly lit room. His head jerked up as the door creaked open. He was about to raise his voice in protest once again, but as his eyes fixed on the figure entering the room, his heart sank as he saw Sofie in the man's arms.
"What have you done to her!" Kia demanded, struggling to break free from the tight ropes around his wrists and ankles.
"Relax, kid," the bearded man said with a huff and placed Sofie on the floor next to Kia. "She's still alive, only knocked out. Only God knows how." Just as he said, Kia noticed Sofie's fingers wiggle, causing him to sigh in relief, while the bearded man, who had also caught on to her act, responded with a low chuckle. He paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Besides, you should be more concerned about yourself, boy."
Kia's heart was still pounding in his chest, and his eyes darted back to the man now standing in front of him.
"Now," the man continued, "Let's talk business, shall we? We found you snooping around our stash, taking things that don't belong to you. That's not a very smart move, boy. So, you tell us why we shouldn't just shoot you right here and now."
Kia's mind raced. He knew he had to think fast. He couldn't let these men hurt Sofie. He had to find a way to buy them some time.
"I...I was desperate," Kia stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. "I'm not from around here…."
"Were you bitten?" The man interrupted.
"What?" Kia's brow furrowed.
The man sighed and took a small step back. "You will stay here for the meantime until we figure out what to do with you both," the man finished, his gaze fixated on Kia. "We need to make sure you're not infected. And if you are..." He trailed off, his expression growing even colder, if that was possible.
"I'm not infected," Kia insisted, his eyes darting around the room, searching for any way to escape. "You have to believe me," he said.
The man snorted, and without a response, he walked towards the door.
"Wait!" Kia tried to protest, but it was too late as the door slammed behind them.
Kia exhaled sharply and slumped back on the chair. His eyes darted to Sofie's limp form, but to his surprise, he saw her now seated upright with her legs crossed, as if she hadn't just been unconscious.
"Mister," she whispered, still clutching the chocolate bar from earlier. "I think…we're in trouble."