When The Sun Died

Chapter 9

Elera’s Pov

The supermarket doors were smashed inward, hanging crooked on their hinges, but it was still the closest thing to shelter I could find.

My breath fogged the air as I slipped through the gap and into the dim aisles.

Inside, it was dead silent.

No generators.

No humming freezers.

No humans.

Just… stillness.

And the sickly red glow leaking through the windows like the world was bleeding outside.

The air inside smelled like dust, old produce, and fear.

I tightened my grip around the wrench I had stolen from an abandoned mechanic shop. It felt too light compared to the screams I’d heard on my way here… too small to matter.

It was all I had left after running for my life for three straight miles.

But it was all I had.

I moved slowly past the checkout counters. One of the conveyor belts still hummed like someone had abandoned the power halfway through ringing up groceries.

A bag of chips sat open, crushed under a red footprint.

I swallowed.

Don’t think. Move.

I slid deeper into the aisles, keeping low. The silence was strange, thick, stretched, as if the supermarket itself was holding its breath.

Then…

Clatter.

A faint metallic rattle from the canned goods aisle.

My heart dropped straight to my stomach.

I raised the wrench. “Who’s there?”

No answer.

I stepped closer, pulse beating in my temple. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but if something dangerous was inside with me, I needed to know.

I pushed the aisle cart aside

And froze.

A small figure huddled behind a toppled shelf, knees tucked to her chest. Her hair was messy, tied with two pink ribbons. Dirt streaked her cheeks. Her hands were shaking violently.

A kid.

She couldn’t be more than ten years old.

Her wide brown eyes locked onto mine, terrified…but human.

“Hey…” I whispered, slowly lowering the wrench. “It’s okay. I’m not one of them.”

She didn’t move. She didn’t blink.

I crouched, keeping my voice soft. “What’s your name?”

She swallowed, voice barely a whisper. “Nia.”

My breath trembled. A child… here… alone?

I looked around. “Nia… where are your parents?”

The question hit her like a knife. Her mouth quivered. Tears welled instantly.

“They… they told me to hide,” she whispered, voice breaking. “Mom said she’d come back but… but she didn’t. And Dad…” Her breath hitched. “Something got him. He… he tried to close the door but… his eyes turned black.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, shoulders shaking.

My chest tightened painfully. “Nia… I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to leave them,” she cried softly. “I didn’t want to… but Daddy said run… so I did…”

I hesitated only a second before reaching toward her. “Hey. You did the right thing. You’re alive. That’s what they wanted.”

She wiped her face, still trembling. “Are… are you going to leave too?”

“No,” I said firmly. “I’m staying with you. But we need to be quiet. Very quiet.”

She nodded, sniffling.

A sound cut through the air

Scratch… scratch… scratch.

Something dragging its claws along tile.

Nia covered her mouth immediately, whimpering.

I grabbed her, pressing her gently into the shadows. I crouched low, gripping the wrench, muscles tight enough to snap.

The scratching got louder.

Something was inside the supermarket.

The aisle lights flickered, buzzing like angry insects. A shadow crossed the far wall long, distorted, jerky.

My pulse hammered.

Nia whispered against my sleeve, “Is it… one of them?”

“Shhh…”

A bottle toppled somewhere near the dairy section.

The creature snarled wet, hungry, inhuman.

Nia trembled harder. I leaned close. “Nia, look at me.”

Her terrified eyes lifted.

“You see that storage room behind us?” I whispered. “We’re going there. Slowly. No sounds. Okay?”

She nodded. She was brave, far braver than any child should have to be.

We moved together, inch by inch, hugging the shelves.

Thump… thump…

Heavy steps.

Something sniffed the air. A guttural hiss echoed across the aisles.

My blood iced.

We slipped behind the bakery counter, crawling toward the storage room door. Nia’s hand clutched mine so tightly my fingers went numb.

Almost there.

Almost

CRASH!

Something slammed into a shelf, sending jars exploding across the floor. Glass skittered everywhere. Nia gasped.

The creature twisted toward the sound, letting out a shrill, guttural cry.

I didn’t think.

I grabbed Nia, shoved open the storage room door, and yanked her inside. Then I slammed it shut and twisted the lock.

The monster hit the door an instant later.

BOOM!

The entire frame shook. Dust fell from the ceiling.

Nia screamed and clung to me.

“Back!” I hissed, dragging her behind a stack of crates.

BOOM! BOOM!

The thing clawed at the wood, shrieking, furious.

Nia sobbed silently against my shoulder.

I wrapped an arm around her head, pulling her close, whispering gently, “Don’t look. Don’t listen. Just breathe. I’ve got you. I’ve got you…”

The creature slammed the door again

Then stopped.

Silence.

Not comforting, not safe

The kind of silence predators make when they start thinking.

I held my breath.

Nia whispered, “Is it gone?”

“No,” I breathed. “It’s waiting.”

Waiting for movement.

Waiting for a mistake.

Waiting for us.

I tightened my grip on the wrench, jaw clenched.

“We’ll survive this,” I whispered to her.

“I promise.”

And outside, the creature dragged its claws slowly across the wood…

Scratch… scratch… scratch…

Waiting for us to open the door.

The scratching stopped.

A slow inhale wet, rattling came from the other side of the door.

Nia trembled against me, small fingers digging into my arm.

“Stay here,” I whispered, easing her behind a stack of crates. “Cover your ears, no matter what you hear.”

Her eyes widened. “Elara… don’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving.” I squeezed her hand once. “I’m making sure we see morning.”

I rose quietly, wrench in one hand, the other sliding along the wall until my fingers brushed a metal rod leaning against a shelf. A mop handle thin, but sturdy.

Perfect.

I took it too.

The door handle twitched.

I froze.

CLICK.

The creature began twisting the lock, not ripping, not slamming, it was twisting, as if mimicking what it had seen humans do.

My skin crawled.

The second the lock clicked open, I stepped back and raised the mop handle.

The door creaked

A black hand shot through the gap.

I slammed the handle down with every ounce of strength I had. Bones cracked. The thing shrieked high, sharp, furious.

It forced the door wider, half its face visible now, jaw split wider than any jaw should, teeth needle sharp, black veins webbing across its cheeks. Its eyes locked onto mine with pure hatred.

It lunged.

I sidestepped, grabbed the door, and slammed it into its skull.

Once.

Twice.

The creature roared and pushed harder, body forcing its way through the gap. I didn’t think, I drove the wrench straight into its eye.

It convulsed, screeching, thrashing wildly.

I yanked the wrench out and, with a desperate cry, swung again this time cracking the metal across its temple.

The thing collapsed to the floor, twitching violently.

Not dead.

Not yet.

It crawled toward Nia’s hiding place.

“No!”

I leapt forward, straddled its jerking body, and brought the wrench down again and again every blow splattering dark ichor across the tiles, every strike shaking my arms.

It snarled once more, weak and broken.

Then it stilled.

The silence afterward felt deafening.

My breath trembled as I pushed myself off the body. Black blood soaked my hands. My chest heaved. I wiped my face with the back of my wrist and looked at Nia.

She stared at me, eyes wide, small body frozen in shock.

“Is… is it dead?” she whispered.

I swallowed, forcing steadiness. “Yeah. It’s gone.”

She ran to me, throwing her arms around my waist, face pressed against my blood stained shirt. I hugged her back tightly, grounding myself on that tiny, trembling presence.

“We’re okay,” I murmured, stroking her hair.

“We’re okay now.”

She pulled back, sniffling. “What do we do now?”

I exhaled and glanced around the storage room. “We prepare.”