When Levi entered the house, the delicious smell of food assaulted him so badly that his stomach hurt from hunger. But he kept quiet about it. He slowly lowered his backpack next to the door.
"Wait, I'll be back." The curly-haired young woman said as she walked to the kitchen, telling her mother something in Spanish as she looked in the drawers and cabinets. The last time he was inside these houses was in the nightmare, if not counting when he jumped into one to juke the monsters the previous previous night.
And safe to say, the wallpapers were disgusting. The hallway ones were bright yellow with little blue flower petals, while the one from the living room was just the color brown with small vertical lines. In Levi's honest opinion, it felt like it was torture, and if he had the tools, he would paint everything white and be done with it.
Speaking of the living room, there was a simple black couch and a brown sofa around a coffee table that was way too low for some reason. That was just poor design, and the carpentry inside him wanted to smash it into bits.
"Hey," The unfamiliar voice snapped him out. "Hi," Levi returned the greeting as he watched the patriarch of the family standing awkwardly as well. Not knowing what else to say. "Have you eaten anything yet?" The father continued, and Levi's mind spun too fast to be able to answer in time.
"You've been digging all day, so."
"Yeah, yeah, I ate before coming," Levi muttered, pointing to the dug hole, then to the ceiling, then to himself. He had eaten protein bars, so technically, he didn't lie. But he would love to eat something good, but he was reminded of Khutri's words.
"Hey, here come sit." Ariana intervened, passing by and sitting on the couch, motioning for him to sit next to her. Seeing a slow nod from her father, he did as she said, showing her the palms of his hands.
Ariana's eyes widened slightly. "Levi…" she muttered his name in worry, a deep frown on her face. His palms were a mess of torn blisters, red cracks streaked with dried mud and blood. She didn't touch him right away. Just looked, lips pressing into a thin line before she disappeared again into the kitchen.
Levi glanced around, unsure what to do with himself. He felt the weight of the father's, Miguel's was the name, stare from the corner of his eye. The man didn't look hostile, but cautious. Protective. Like any father should be. Levi respected that. He looked down again, pretending the ugly, disgusting, bleached in the eyes worthy wallpaper was suddenly fascinating.
When Ariana returned, she carried a small metal tin and a clean towel. "Here," she said softly, setting them on the coffee table. "My mom keeps first aid stuff for… you know… Scrapes."
A smile emerged on his face. Scrapes… was the least worrying thing, but yes, he did understand.
He wanted to say you don't have to, but when she knelt beside him and gently took his wrist, the words fell apart somewhere between his throat and his tongue. His chest did funny things, and he felt heat on his face. Almost without thinking, he faced the opposite wall, so much more fascinating than a moment earlier.
"This might sting," she warned.
"It's fine."
It wasn't. When the disinfectant touched raw skin, his jaw clenched hard enough to hurt. He nearly tore his hand away from her grip, but didn't.
"You eat anything all day?" she asked, her voice trying for casual.
"Yeah." He exhaled slowly through his nose, thinking of the protein bars. He had five fewer now. When he sensed her eyes on him, Levi dodged them harder. "I'm not lying." He cracked.
'WHAT AN IDIOT!!!' he screamed inside. "Uh-huh." She totally believed him- "Ma-" and she said something in Spanish to her mother, but it was her father who took out another plate from the cabinet, with the mother putting more food in a big bowl for everyone.
Miguel set the plate on the table while Elena stirred the stew one last time, her movements deliberate, almost ceremonial. The smell hit Levi all over again: garlic, onions, some kind of sauce, and salad. It smelled delicious.
After a few minutes and a bandaged hand, Levi stood to leave. But- "Sit," Elena, the older version of Ariana said simply, gesturing to the table.
Levi hesitated, but Ariana gave him a light nudge with her elbow as she stood. "Go on. Before my mom decides to feed you herself." That got a quiet snort out of him.
After clearing his face and arms of all the dirt in the bathroom, he joined them at the table, lowering himself into the chair as if he didn't quite belong there. The bowl set before him steamed faintly, and for a second, he just stared at it, hands hovering.
Miguel noticed. "Comer." He commanded and on reflex, Levi turned to Ariana. "It means eat." She translated with a smile, not catching the shared glance between the parents. He nodded once, muttered a quick "thanks," and picked up the spoon.
The first bite nearly made him sigh out loud.
Because it was way too spicy for his taste, making him almost choke on the food. Immediately, the trio burst into laughter as Levi attempted not to spit out food or die from it.
Ariana was laughing so hard she had to cover her mouth, her curls bouncing with each breath. "You okay?" she managed between laughs.
Levi coughed once, twice, then waved her off with a red face and watery eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he rasped, gulping down the water Miguel slid toward him. "Just… wasn't ready for that sneak attack."
"You'll get the hang of it," Ariana said with a peaceful smile, though Levi didn't think much of it, getting into another coughing fit.
"That was an ambush," he managed to joke. That earned another round of laughter, even from Miguel. Levi couldn't help it; he smiled painfully, too. The burn in his mouth started to fade after the second glass of water, but the strange warmth that came from the sound of their laughter didn't.
They ate together after that. The conversation was light: Ariana translating bits of Spanish between her parents and Levi, and Levi occasionally throwing in dry comments that made Ariana snort into her food. It wasn't much, but for the first time since arriving in this cursed town, the family almost forgot what waited outside.
When dinner was over, Ariana gathered the dishes. Levi tried to help, but Elena practically smacked his hand away with a wooden spoon. "You rest- or shower," she said firmly, catching a bit of his smell. "Ariana, go wash."
Ariana rolled her eyes but did as told, and Levi gave up arguing. His hands throbbed dully under the bandages, but the pain was less now, swallowed by the low hum of a house that felt… alive.
He glanced out the window. The sun was about to set, painting the sky in fire. His stomach tightened. Time to go. But not before giving them something back. He opened his backpack, taking out two bags of rice he had and put them on the kitchen counter.
"Thank you," he said quietly, standing. "For the food. And… this." He lifted his hands slightly.
Elena didn't refuse, her eyes going warm. She gave a soft smile. "Tomorrow, you eat with us."
"I will." He replied once he saw everyone staring at him in hope.
Ariana returned just as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "We're heading to the hatch soon," she said. "You coming?"
"Yeah." He lied… For the first time in a long time. "I'll walk you there."
They left the house together, Miguel carrying a lantern, its light flickering over the cracked pavement. The air was heavy with the kind of silence that always came before night in this place. Every step toward the hatch felt heavier than the last. The previous warmth and safety were gone. Instead, something suffocating had taken its place.
When they reached it, Miguel and Elena climbed down first. Ariana lingered, one hand gripping the edge of the ladder. "You're not coming?"
Levi hesitated. "Forgot something at the station. I'll grab it and be right behind you."
"Now?" Her voice dropped, uncertain. "Levi, it's almost-"
"I'll be quick," he said, offering a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Promise." His insides hurt at the lies, and he wanted to punch himself in the mouth for it. But he talked himself out of it. He wouldn't be like his stepfamily.
He didn't lie to benefit himself. He lied so maybe he could find a clue to save everyone.
Ariana searched his face for a second, like she could sense something he wasn't saying. His body was tense and ready to spring into action. But then her father called up from below, and she gave a small nod. "Okay. But hurry."
"I will."
He closed the hatch gently behind her, hearing Donna and Khutri's confused voices asking the family questions. The click echoed louder than it should have.
The night had settled fully by the time he reached the gas station. He climbed up the rusted ladder to the roof, his bandaged hands protesting every grip. Once on top, he crouched low, scanning the treeline. The air was unnervingly still. No wind, no insects. Just waiting.
His pulse slowed. He reached into his pack and took out the sling he'd been keeping close and a rock from one of his pockets. The moonlight caught its edge faintly as he rested it on his knee. From here, he could see the curve of the road, the forest pressing in on both sides like dark lungs.
A faint rustle came from the woods, then another. His grip tightened.
Then the first scream.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
It tore through the quiet, guttural, and wrong. Levi froze, his blood stilled for a moment, breath caught halfway. Shadows shifted between the trees, thin, jerky silhouettes moving with impossibly slow speed. For a moment, he regretted not hiding, but he pushed that down.
He crouched lower, watching them emerge. One, then two, then five of them slipping into the open, smiling wide enough to split their faces.
Levi swallowed hard. "Showtime," he whispered, loading the sling and spinning it.
Ariana's POV
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The sound came from above, faint but unmistakable. That scream. That same inhuman shriek she'd hoped never to hear again.
Ariana's head snapped up. "He's not back yet," she said, voice cracking.
Miguel turned sharply from the hatch door. "What?"
"Levi- he said he'd come right back."
Elena placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Maybe he found another place to hide, cariño."
Ariana's chest felt tight. "He wouldn't just-" She stopped herself. What did she even know about him? A few hours. A few words. But that didn't matter. Something deep in her gut screamed that he was still out there. Only a suicidal fool would still be out during the night.
SKREEEEEEE-
The screech came again, louder this time, closer but it got cut off right in the middle. And then a thud. Dust fell from the ceiling.
Miguel moved toward the door, listening carefully. "Stay quiet."
Then came another. Not one, but many.
All around the town.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—