Daniel passed through the kitchen without hurry, grabbed a handful of salty snacks from a communal tray, and tossed them into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he returned to the main hall with the same air of someone who was just wandering around.
He observed the environment calmly.
Kevin was still in the same corner as before, leaning near the side window. He seemed motionless. The kind of person who was physically present, but with his mind drifting somewhere else entirely.
[Congratulations. You just spent the last forty seconds monitoring a man who collects flowers for a monster. This is definitely the peak of your career.]
"Glad to disappoint you."
Even with the security measures Donna had implemented, Kevin's presence still bothered him.
Unconvinced, Daniel decided to make his own rounds. He went up the stairs to the second floor and checked the handle of the first bathroom at the front. Locked. He moved to the next door and tried it. Also locked.
"Hey, man," a voice called out in the hallway. Daniel turned and saw a middle-aged resident staring at him, looking confused. "It's off-limits. Donna locked it and took the key."
"Yeah, I forgot," Daniel nodded, already walking back toward the stairs. "Thanks."
At least they don't come in through the windows, he thought, relaxing a little.
On his way downstairs, he found Julie and Fatima on the steps. They were talking quietly, and he joined them without a word.
The atmosphere in the kitchen, however, had changed drastically. Dale was leaning against the counter, gesturing with a cup while talking to Stacey, the woman who had kissed Fatima earlier.
"So this place is like another dimension?" Stacey asked, tilting her head slightly.
"No, no," Dale explained. "A parallel universe. It's completely different."
Ellis, who was just a few meters away, let out a drawn-out groan and leaned against the wooden table, his body swaying slightly. "Oh my God."
"What is it?"
"Drop it," Ellis snapped. "It's not a parallel universe. It's not any of that bullshit you're talking about. Nobody gives a shit. So shut the fuck up, man."
Dale let out a nasal chuckle, raising his cup with irony as he noticed the young man's state. "Yeah, sure. Have another drink."
That was the trigger. Ellis's expression darkened, and he stepped forward, chest puffed out.
"Hey, take it easy," Dale raised his free hand in surrender.
With a sudden movement, Ellis slapped the glass out of his hand. It flew through the air and shattered on the floor, spraying drink and shards everywhere. The sharp crack cut through the party's murmur.
"What are you gonna do, huh? What are you gonna do?" Ellis snarled, his entire body trembling in anticipation of a fight.
Fatima, who had just entered the kitchen followed by Julie and Daniel, froze for a moment. Then she ran toward her boyfriend, grabbing his arm before he could throw a punch.
"Okay, that's enough!" Fatima pleaded, using her own weight to pull him back. "Come with me."
Dale adjusted the collar of his shirt, wearing a smug and irritating expression. "You'd better take him upstairs before Ellis starts shooting people."
The mention was like pouring gasoline on the fire. Ellis lost whatever shred of sanity he had left. He roared, wrenching himself free from Fatima's grip as he lunged for Dale's throat.
Seeing Ellis's unsteady state, Daniel tilted his head toward Julie, who was watching the scene in shock.
"This is exactly why I don't drink," he murmured, his dry tone cutting through the tension. "Alcohol ruins coordination. If he were sober, he would've landed that hit a long time ago."
Before things could escalate further, Donna stormed into the kitchen like an enraged hurricane.
"Stop this right now!" she shouted, pointing at the boy. "Ellis, step back. Now."
Donna's voice seemed to break Ellis out of his drunken trance. He blinked, breathing heavily, then turned to Fatima. Regret crossed his face.
"Sorry," he muttered to his girlfriend. "I'll... I'll go to the room and lie down for a bit."
"I'll go with you," Fatima offered, ready to follow him.
"No," he insisted, stepping back. "The party is for you. It's your night. I don't want to ruin it more than I already have. Stay."
Fatima agreed, though reluctantly. Aware that he wanted to be alone, she followed him to the kitchen exit, where he walked away with heavy steps and his head lowered.
As soon as Ellis disappeared down the hallway, Dale snorted, turning to Donna with a look of disdain. "That guy is an animal. Like mother, like son."
Donna didn't say a word. The stress, the fear for the house's safety, and the unforgivable insult about Abby fused into a single motion.
She clenched her right fist and threw a clean, heavy, devastating punch straight into the center of Dale's face. The sound of bone cracking was loud.
He was sent flying backward, landing on the floor with a dull thud. Dale fumbled at his bleeding nose, staring at Donna in complete shock.
"You..." Donna growled, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Stay out of my way."
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed an untouched plastic cup from the table, downed the alcohol in one go, and left the room with firm steps.
Daniel crossed his arms, maintaining a relaxed posture. "Nice punch. The hip rotation was perfect."
Julie nudged him with her elbow.
"What?"
He gestured with mock innocence. "He deserved it. Trust me."
He gently took her wrist and led her out of the kitchen. They navigated through the crowd until they found a small vacant couch in a dark, isolated corner, away from prying ears.
When they sat down, Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"You don't know Ellis's mother's story, do you?"
Julie shook her head.
"Her name was Abby," Daniel explained quietly, his tone completely devoid of sarcasm. "Not long after they got here, she snapped. She thought the town was a nightmare and that the only way to wake people up was by killing them all. She grabbed a gun and started shooting anyone she saw. When she aimed at Ellis, Boyd shot her."
Julie covered her mouth, only now understanding the weight of Dale's words.
"My God... that's horrible," she whispered, her expression filled with sadness.
Then the sorrow gave way to a sudden burst of anger. She clenched her fists. "Donna should've hit that idiot harder."
A lethal curve formed on Daniel's lips. "That's the spirit."
He leaned back against the couch, but his face turned serious. "Listen, Julie, we need to talk about your situation here. You should go back to living with your parents."
Julie frowned, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. "What? Why?"
"Because Colony House isn't safe," he said bluntly. "Kevin is lurking around. I don't trust that shutting down the bathrooms is going to stop him from doing something stupid."
Julie stiffened. The mention of Kevin brought back the memory of the video Daniel had shown her. The image of that creature climbing the porch with supernatural agility flooded her mind, sending a chill down her spine.
She hugged herself, hating the idea of going back to her parents, but knowing deep down that he was right.
Daniel read the panic in her body language and let out a heavy sigh, scratching the back of his neck.
"Look," he offered, his voice softening slightly. "If you don't want to go back to your parents, you can stay with me in the motorhome."
I'll have to give up using the vehicle's extended function, but it'll be worth it, Daniel thought.
Julie blinked, surprised. For a moment, the gesture affected her more than she expected. But soon her mind started racing, pulling up scenarios that didn't end well — her parents, their reaction, what it all really meant.
"My parents... they'd never allow it."
She lowered her head, staring at her lap. Deep down, the idea of disobeying them felt like the only logical option. It wouldn't be the first time.
"I can talk to them," Daniel simply said, watching the gears turn in her head.
Julie moistened her lips, hesitant. "But... Daniel... living with you... how am I supposed to explain that to my parents if we don't even know what we are?"
Daniel let out a low chuckle, realizing where that was going.
"I just asked you to move in with me, and your concern is labels?" he said, with a trace of irony. "Since I kissed you, we've been dating. Unless, of course, you don't want that."
Julie froze, stunned.
"Of course I do!" she replied too quickly.
Realizing her own desperation, her face flushed, and she muttered, looking away, "You... you should've said that sooner."
Daniel held back a sigh, lifting her chin to gently make her look at him. Without giving space for more pointless debate, he covered her lips with his.
The kiss started demanding, his tongue invading her mouth and taking control with a hungry intensity.
Julie gasped against his lips, her fingers instinctively clutching his leather jacket. Daniel pulled her closer, deepening the contact until she was completely out of breath.
When he finally pulled back, Julie stared at him, dazed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Daniel took a deep breath, drawing air through his nose.
Thanks to the Hunter's Mind, he would never lose control. Still, with his physical attributes at the peak of human capability, his body responded on its own—fast, intense, and hard to ignore.
The desire he felt for her was rapidly building, but he didn't see it as a problem. It was just a matter of time... to release that tension.
While the couple lost themselves in the intimacy of the room's dark corner, outside, the night took over the town with its usual cruelty.
Black birds with hard beaks and sharp talons circled above Colony House and, as if they had received an order, dove in low flights, pecking and destroying the lenses of the security cameras installed in the trees.
The sound of cracking glass and torn wiring was swallowed by the hum of the wind.
When all of them were shattered, Jasmine, who stood among the trees, slowly moved toward the back of the house.
Her nails extending into claws, she began climbing the structure, pulling her body upward with agile and silent movements until she reached the ledge of the second-floor bathroom window.
Retracting her claws, she held herself between the gaps of the wooden boards.
"Kevin," she called out, as if she already knew he was there.
Inside, Kevin, who had just finished washing his face at the sink, jumped in surprise.
"Jasmine?" he whispered, cautiously approaching the window. "How did you get up here?"
Her voice slipped through the cracks. "Why didn't you go to our usual spot?"
Kevin swallowed hard, his eyes flicking nervously toward the bathroom door, afraid someone might walk in. "The new guy... the one who lives in the motorhome. He saw you with the flower yesterday and told Donna. She questioned me, but I said I didn't know anything. Still, she locked the front bathrooms."
A brief pause. "He must've seen you climbing the porch."
"I came to say goodbye, Kevin," Jasmine said sadly.
Panic replaced the fear on his face. "What? Why?"
"Because you won't let me in..." she replied, mournfully.
"You know why I can't," Kevin defended himself. "Especially now. Look at these boards nailed shut."
"I can take them off," she whispered back. "I can pull the boards out without making any noise. Then you open the window. And when I leave, I'll put them back in place for you. No one will know."
Kevin fell silent. His palms were sweating. The madness of that proposal clashed with the loneliness crushing his chest every single day.
"You said you liked me..." Jasmine continued, her voice taking on a restrained, almost tearful tone.
"I do!" Kevin whispered quickly, pressing his palm against the glass, exactly where her hand rested on the other side.
"I can't come here anymore," she said, closing her eyes as if in pain. "Knowing I can only hear you, but not feel you. Knowing you're afraid of me. That you're disgusted by me."
"No! That's not true!" Kevin cut in, desperation taking over.
"You always say you feel lonely in there," Jasmine interrupted him. "But you have no idea how lonely I feel out here, Kevin. So... goodbye."
She made a move to pull away.
"Wait!" Kevin called out, reaching toward her. "There's a party downstairs. A bunch of people. But... you're the only person I want to be close to." He hesitated for a second. "Do you promise? Promise it'll just be you and no one else?"
"I promise. Just close the window right after I come in."
"Okay." Kevin took a deep breath.
Grabbing a hammer from a forgotten toolbox in the corner of the bathroom, he hooked it onto the nail securing the latch. His fingers trembled as he pulled, yanking it free with a faint creak. Then, with a quick motion, he unlocked it and lifted the window.
Jasmine, hanging in the narrow gap, grabbed the first board and used brute force, pulling it slowly to avoid making noise.
She passed the wood to Kevin, who took it and quietly set it against the corner of the bathtub.
After they repeated the process, the path was finally clear.
With a fluid movement, Jasmine slipped into the bathroom.
"Close the window. Quickly," she whispered.
Kevin obeyed instantly, lowering the glass and securing the latch. Turning to her, he let out a shaky sigh of relief. Despite what he had just done, seeing her there, illuminated by the dim yellow light, made everything feel like a dream.
"See?" Jasmine murmured, touching his face. "It's just the two of us."
"Your skin... it's so warm," Kevin said, mesmerized by her touch.
"You thought I'd be cold?" She looked at him sweetly. "Kiss me, Kevin."
There was no hesitation. He had imagined this moment too many times. Closing his eyes, he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. The kiss was clumsy on his part, filled with pent-up longing.
As he kissed her with his eyes closed, Jasmine's hands slid up, tracing along his back beneath his shirt.
Her eyes opened.
All the sweetness vanished, replaced by an empty indifference.
Her nails grew in a fraction of a second, tearing into his back.
Kevin's eyes snapped open, a muffled groan escaping as he tried to pull away. But the instant he moved, an indescribable agony exploded inside his own mouth.
Jasmine clamped her jaw shut. Her teeth tore Kevin's tongue out in a single motion.
Thick, hot blood gushed from his mouth. He staggered back, choking, tripped over the edge of the bathtub, and fell into it with a dull thud.
Paralyzed by horror, he stared at her.
She stood there, watching. A thin line of blood ran down her chin. And caught between her lips... was his tongue.
With a sound of disgust, she spat the piece of flesh onto the bathroom floor.
Kevin tried to scream, but only a wet, bubbling sound came from his throat.
Jasmine's face began to distort. The skin around her lips split, her teeth lengthening into sharp points. With a guttural growl, she lunged into the bathtub, landing on top of him.
The last thing Kevin saw before darkness consumed him was the face of the monster he had loved plunging into his throat.
When it was over, Jasmine rose and walked calmly to the sink. She picked up a small face towel, turned on the faucet, and dampened it. With delicate, almost vain movements, she wiped the blood from her face.
She cleaned her hands, tossed the stained towel into the sink, and turned toward the window.
Unlocking the latch, she pushed it open, feeling the night air rush in. Looking down, she saw the pale, smiling figures approaching. One by one, they began climbing the wooden wall of the house toward the open bathroom window.
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Author's note: not gonna lie… I'd let her in.
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