My Three Vampire Queens In The Apocalypse-Chapter 33: Saving the Little Girl

After that for a while, the only sound that I heard was the steady echo of my footsteps. The lights above flickered now and then, never fully going out, but never stable enough to feel reliable either.

I exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of my neck, trying to shake off the weight that had settled there.

That could have gone worse.

That thought came naturally, almost out of habit, but it didn’t sit right. There was no version of what I had just seen that could be called "better." At best, I had arrived in time. At worst...

I didn’t finish that thought.

Instead, I glanced around at the empty rows of cars.

"So this is a safe-zone."

The words left my mouth without much energy behind them. If anything, they felt more like a dry observation than a joke.

A place where people hid. A place where no one came when someone screamed. A place where the only difference between safety and danger was whether someone stronger happened to walk by.

"Yeah... makes sense,"

I kept walking, my pace steady, but my eyes didn’t stay still. They moved constantly, scanning corners, gaps between vehicles, the shadows that stretched a little too far under the weak lights.

There were too many signs that people had been here recently, but not enough actual people in sight.

That kind of imbalance always meant one thing.

Something was wrong.

It was the kind of wrong you couldn’t always see directly, but you could feel it sitting in the air, pressing down just enough to keep your guard up.

Still...

I let out a small breath and forced my shoulders to relax slightly. Staying tense all the time would just wear me down faster.

"Relax," I muttered to myself. "It’s just a parking lot. Not some horror movie."

I paused for half a second.

"...hopefully."

That last word slipped out before I could stop it. I clicked my tongue quietly and kept moving.

Then I heard it. A faint sound.

So faint that it almost blended into the background noise, but once I noticed it, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

I stopped walking.

There it was again.

A soft scraping sound, uneven and weak, followed by something that sounded like breathing, but not the steady kind. This one was shallow and strained, like each breath took effort.

My gaze shifted toward a darker section between two rows of cars where the light barely reached.

I changed direction without hesitation and moved toward it, this time more carefully. My steps slowed, my senses sharpening as I approached. After what had just happened, I wasn’t going to assume anything.

The sound grew slightly clearer the closer I got.

I rounded the side of a car and finally saw her.

A girl sat slumped against the wheel, her body curled inward like she was trying to hold herself together. She looked young, too young to be here alone, probably around thirteen years old. Her clothes were dirty, her hair tangled, and her face...

Her face looked wrong.

Pale skin, dry lips, and eyes that were barely open, like even that small effort was too much.

For a moment, I just looked at her.

Not because I was hesitating, but because I was confirming. No immediate threats. No hidden movement nearby. No one else waiting to jump in.

The surroundings were clear. I stepped closer and crouched down in front of her.

"Hey."

There was no response. I leaned in slightly, watching her carefully.

"Hey. Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids twitched, struggling to lift. It took a few seconds before they opened just enough for her to look at me, though it didn’t feel like she was really seeing me yet.

"...food..."

The word came out dry and faint, barely more than a whisper.

I reached into my bag and pulled out what I had left: a small ration pack and a half-full bottle of water. It wasn’t much. At max, enough for one person, maybe two if stretched carefully.

I looked at it for a second. Then I looked back at her. Yeah, there was no point in overthinking it.

I opened the bottle and moved it closer to her lips.

"Slowly," I said. "Don’t rush."

She tried to move, but her body barely responded. I adjusted slightly, supporting her just enough so she wouldn’t choke.

The moment the water touched her lips, she reacted. Weakly, but desperately.

"Easy, take small sips."

It took a bit of effort, but she managed. Her breathing steadied slightly after a few moments, though her hands were still shaking.

I opened the ration pack and broke off a small piece before holding it out to her.

"Eat this slowly."

She stared at it for a second, like she didn’t trust it, like it might disappear if she reached for it. Then she took it.

Her fingers trembled as she brought it to her mouth, and when she finally ate, it wasn’t fast or desperate like I expected. It was careful and controlled. Like she was trying to make it last as long as possible.

I sat down beside her, leaning back slightly against the car, keeping just enough distance so I wouldn’t overwhelm her.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

The silence this time felt different from before. It wasn’t heavy or suffocating. It was just... quiet and simple.

I let my gaze drift upward toward the ceiling for a moment, watching the lights flicker again.

It was funny. A few minutes ago, I was dealing with people at their worst.

And now... I glanced at the girl beside me as she carefully ate another small piece of food.

Now I was just sitting here, making sure someone didn’t starve.

The contrast felt strange. But not wrong.

"...you gave me food..."

Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at her.

"Yeah."

"...why?"

"You needed it."

She blinked slowly, like she was trying to understand that answer, then looked down at the food in her hands again.

"...people don’t do that anymore," she said quietly.

I didn’t reply immediately. Because she wasn’t wrong. After a moment, I spoke.

"Some still do."

She held onto the food a little tighter after that, like it meant more now than just something to eat.

"...thank you..."

I waved it off slightly.

"Just eat."

She nodded and continued, a bit more confident this time. A few minutes passed in silence before she spoke again.

"...big bro...

...can I call you that?"

I raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint hint of amusement slipping through despite everything.

"That was quick."

She looked down, a little embarrassed.

"...you helped me..."

"Do whatever you want."

Her lips curved into a small, fragile smile.

"...okay... big bro..."

"Finish eating," I said calmly. "We’ll move after that."