"You… You naughty girl, come here," Darius said, eyes narrowing with a mischievous grin as he slowly advanced on Sophie.
"Oh no, I'm not falling for that," Sophie laughed, backing away with mock caution, her hands raised in defense. "I'm not stupid enough to walk into the wolf's den."
"I said come here before I have to chase you," Darius warned, his voice low and mock-threatening, though the playful gleam in his eyes betrayed him.
"Nope! You'll spank me, and I'm not letting that happen!" she teased, already edging farther away, her curls bouncing with each step.
He smirked. "Of course naughty girls get spanked. So come quietly… or face the consequences."
"No, no! I won't!" she squealed, spinning on her heels and bolting.
"Then don't blame me for being ruthless," Darius called, a wicked grin on his face as he launched into pursuit.
Sophie shrieked with laughter, darting down the path. Her laughter echoed through the park, drawing amused smiles from joggers and families nearby. But neither of them cared. Their world was a bubble of joy, and nothing else existed in that moment.
"Stop! You naughty girl!" Darius called out, half-laughing.
"No, please, hubby! Don't spank me!" she cried back, breathless from running.
He caught her near a bench, wrapping strong arms around her waist and lifting her slightly off the ground.
"Ahhh! Hubby, please forgive me!" Sophie giggled, squirming playfully in his grip.
"Nope," he grinned, setting her down with exaggerated care before spinning her gently sideways. "You must be punished so you won't repeat your mischief."
He gave her a few light, teasing pats on the butt—gentle enough to make her laugh, firm enough to keep her squealing.
"Okay! Okay! I've learned my lesson!" Sophie gasped, gripping his arms as she laughed uncontrollably.
Satisfied, Darius pulled her into a warm embrace. The playfulness in his expression softened into something more tender. His grin faded into quiet reverence as he gazed into her eyes, and then he leaned in to kiss her.
It was slow, unhurried, full of feeling. His lips pressed into hers like a promise kept, a familiar anchor that whispered I'm yours. She parted her lips and welcomed him, their kiss deepening as the world fell away around them.
But then Sophie placed a gentle hand on his chest, her voice tinged with a playful pout.
"Hey—careful," she whispered. "You're putting your whole weight on me."
Darius blinked, pulling back slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"You'll crush the baby," she said softly.
The words hit him like a gust of wind.
"What… what did you just say?" he asked, his voice suddenly fragile.
Sophie bit her lip, her eyes shining with mischief and warmth. "I'm pregnant, Darius. I was going to surprise you over dinner, but… well, you ruined the timing."
He stood still. Her words echoed in his mind like a bell, "I'm pregnant."
"You're serious?" he whispered, his breath catching in his chest.
She nodded, her smile trembling as joy welled in her eyes. "Yeah… we're having a baby."
Darius didn't move. His arms stayed around her, but his body locked up—like the moment hadn't quite registered. He looked at her, searching her eyes for confirmation.
"I'm… I'm going to be a dad?" he breathed.
Sophie nodded again, laughing gently. "You are."
And then the wave hit.
A wide, uncontainable grin lit up his face. His eyes sparkled. His joy burst forth in an instant, and he swept her into his arms with a whoop, spinning her in the air.
Sophie shrieked with laughter. "Darius! Put me down! People are staring!"
But Darius didn't care. He spun once more, then set her gently on her feet, kissed her forehead, and turned toward the open park.
Cupping his hands to his mouth, he shouted, "MY WIFE IS PREGNANT!"
Heads turned. A few people clapped. Someone let out a cheer. A teenager whistled from his bike.
"We're having a BABY!" Darius yelled again, louder, his voice brimming with joy.
Sophie gasped, covering her face with both hands. "Darius! You're embarrassing me!"
He turned back to her, still laughing, his grin contagious. He stepped forward, gently cupping her face in his hands, brushing away the tears at the corner of her eyes.
He kissed her again gentle, thankful, full of wonder.
"Thank you," he murmured against her lips. "Thank you, Sophie."
She looked up at him, radiant. "You're going to be an amazing father."
"I'll give it everything I have," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
After a long, quiet moment, Sophie leaned back slightly and rubbed her belly with a playful smirk.
"Speaking of giving… I'm really craving something."
"Anything," Darius replied, already alert. "Name it."
She tapped her chin dramatically. "Hmm… chili cheese fries from that food truck down the path. And maybe… a strawberry milkshake."
Darius gave a mock salute. "Chili fries and a shake. On it, mama bear."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, gave her belly a fond glance, then jogged off toward the food stalls, his laughter still drifting through the air.
Sophie watched him go, one hand resting over her belly, her heart impossibly full.
---
Darius made his way toward the truck, weaving through the scattered crowds with a bounce in his step. The world felt different somehow, brighter, softer, like the future had cracked open and let in a flood of warmth. A child. Their child. For the first time in years, the path ahead didn't feel empty.
At the truck, he placed the order, half-listening as the vendor spoke. He caught a glimpse of himself in the side mirror, grinning like a fool and didn't care. This moment felt too big, too real. He hadn't imagined joy like this still existed for him.
When the order was ready, he gave a quick thanks, gathered the food and drink, and turned back the way he came.
---
Darius walked back through the park, a wide grin plastered across his face, holding chili cheese fries in one hand and a strawberry milkshake in the other. His heart soared, practically beating out of his chest. Minutes ago, he'd learned he was going to be a father. He could still hear Sophie's voice—"We're having a baby." The words echoed in his mind, steady and warm, pulsing with a joy he never expected to feel again.
He felt almost untouchable, floating, until his world shattered in an instant.
His footsteps faltered.
The paper bag slipped from his fingers and fell with a dull thud, fries spilling onto the grass. The milkshake toppled, rolling to a messy stop. He didn't notice. He couldn't.
His eyes locked ahead.
A shape, hunched, dark, twitching.
It crouched over Sophie.
No. No, no, no—this couldn't be real.
His mind screamed denial, a storm of dread clashing within, but his body refused to move. He stood frozen.
The thing was munching over Sophie's belly.
The same belly she had warned him not to put weight on because she was carrying their child—their future.
Sophie lay motionless beneath it, limp and bloodied.
Darius's thoughts went blank. The breath left his lungs. Everything inside him hollowed out. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe.
Then silence broke.
Screams erupted, raw, agonized, panicked. Chaos flooded in. People ran in every direction. Some were chased. Others mauled. Others… changing.
The peaceful park became a bloodbath in the blink of an eye.
Darius's heart jolted back to life.
"No—SOPHIE!" he screamed, the name ripping out of him like a wound.
He sprinted toward her, rage and terror merging in his chest. With all his strength, he kicked the creature off her, sending it tumbling backward with a sickening thud. It skidded across the grass like a ragdoll. But Sophie… Sophie wasn't moving.
He dropped to his knees beside her. Her face was pale, lips slightly parted, blood soaking through her shirt, pooling like a dying flower.
"Baby—no, no, no—stay with me," he begged, voice shaking as he cradled her. "Sophie! You're okay, you're okay. Stay awake! I'll get you to a hospital, just hold on. You and our baby, you're gonna be alright."
Tears streamed down his face. His whole body trembled as he held her, rocking gently, as if the motion might tether her to life, might keep her soul from slipping away.
A low, wet growl behind him froze him.
The creature was rising.
Darius turned, fists clenched, blood roaring in his ears.
Not a creature anymore, it had once been a man. Now its skin was sickly gray, eyes clouded with milky white film. Blood dripped from its mouth. It let out a gurgling snarl, twitching unnaturally as it crawled on all fours toward him, faster than anything that size should move.
Darius stood, fury boiling. "You bastard…"
The thing lunged.
Darius barely dodged. He punched hard, then drove his knee into its side. It paused only briefly, snarling louder, more feral. He kicked, elbowed, slammed it against a bench. It kept coming. It didn't feel pain. It didn't stop. It was insatiable.
Screaming in fury and desperation, Darius grappled the thing to the ground. His hand scrambled for anything, found a loose piece of brick beside the path.
With all his strength, he brought it down on the skull.
Once.
Twice.
CRACK.
It stopped moving.
Blood pooled beneath it, steaming on the warm grass.
Darius staggered back, panting, hands trembling, coated in red. He didn't pause to catch his breath. He ran to Sophie, gathered her gently, whispering shakily, "Hold on, baby. Please. I'll get you help. Everything's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. Our baby's going to be fine."
She didn't respond. But he clung to hope like oxygen.
He carried her through the chaos. The park was now a nightmare. Screams filled the air. Others were torn apart by snarling, twitching monsters. Some bodies already fed upon. The air reeked of blood, smoke, and death.
Darius didn't look back. Couldn't afford to.
He reached his car, fumbled the door open, and gently laid Sophie on the passenger seat. She was cold. Too cold. He started the engine with shaking hands and pulled out, tires screeching as he sped down the road.
"Stay with me, Sophie… stay with me," he muttered over and over, gripping the wheel tight, eyes flicking between her and the road, driving blindly, tears streaming.
Then—
A strange, gurgling sound.
He turned his head.
Sophie twitched.
"Sophie?"
She made the same strange cry he'd heard from the creatures. Her head jerked side to side unnaturally. Her fingers curled against the seatbelt.
Then her eyes opened.
Milky. Clouded. Inhuman.
"Sophie…?"
She growled and lunged at him, teeth snapping inches from his face, only the seatbelt holding her back. She snarled, twisted violently, hands clawing at the belt, trying to get free.
"No—no no no—SOPHIE!!" Darius screamed, horror flooding him.
The car veered.
CRASH.
It smashed through a roadside wall, crumpling like paper.
Everything went black.
—
Darius shot upright, gasping, drenched in sweat. His chest heaved. He was in bed. Dark outside.
It had been a dream.
Just a dream.
He blinked wildly, heart pounding.
The room was silent.
But the echo of that final scream, Sophie's snarl, still rang in his ears.
He reached for the space beside him.
Empty.
His hands trembled.
"…Sophie?" he whispered.
---
It had always been like this. Nightmares.
Since the day he left that cursed island, sleep never came peacefully. Not once.
Every time he closed his eyes, he was dragged back. To screams. To blood. To unbearable memories weighing him down like chains.
How could he rest?
He lost everything that mattered on that island.
His family.
His love.
His friends.
His home.
Gone.
Ripped from him in the most brutal way.
And the worst?
He hadn't just lost them.
He ended them.
With his own hands.
What fate could be crueler?
To be forced to pull the trigger on those who gave his life purpose.
Those who made him laugh.
Those he fought for, dreamed with, lived for.
Their faces haunted every second of silence.
Now, nothing was left inside him.
No love.
No light.
No hope.
Just the echo of who he used to be.
He moved. He breathed. He existed. But no soul behind his eyes.
No meaning.
No fire.
He was just like those Cravings.
Empty.
Numb.
A hollow shell wearing human skin.
A living dead.
A walking corpse.
Some nights… he wondered if it might've been kinder to stay on that island.
To die with them.
To let it all end.
To never wake up again.
Because waking meant remembering.
And remembering…
Hurt more than dying ever could.
---