Pitch Black

A man among the onlookers spat disdainfully, "Pah, if you want to die, don't drag others with you. I plan to live a long and healthy life."

Due to this incident, the people in the supermarket dispersed instantly, and when the two went to check out, there was not a single person in line.

Exiting the supermarket, Hurley placed several items into Alice's bag, saying, "I bought too much, and it's heavy to carry. Help me share the load."

Alice, helpless, replied, "I'm not as poor as you imagine. I have money for shopping."No need for her to devise ways to 'subsidize' her.

"I know," Hurley said seriously, smirking, "Take it back."

Despite the generous offer, Alice still carried two large bags of groceries home.Entering the misty fog, she stored the items in her space.

Not far behind Alice, the two men who had finally caught up with her saw her hands empty, and they were instantly stunned.

They clearly saw her carrying two bags just a moment ago—how did they disappear?Did they see it wrong?Big brother, someone must have intercepted her," one of the men asserted firmly.Darn it, we arrived half a second late.""Let it go; let's find another target, preferably a woman who is alone."Do you mean..."The two men burst into laughter.

Their voices were not low, and Alice could hear their conversation clearly.With the cover of the fog, could these people's vile intentions no longer be concealed?As Alice walked halfway, she sensed numerous eyes falling on her.

"Miss, please wait," a man walked over from the side.Alice stared at him and asked, "Is there something?"

"Don't misunderstand. I just want to remind you that it's dangerous for a girl to be alone. Next time, make sure to have family accompany you," the man advised.

Could there still be good people now? Alice didn't believe it. "Thanks for the reminder," Alice said, unsure whether the man had good intentions or ulterior motives. After speaking, she continued walking forward.

The man continued to follow her, and Alice turned back with displeasure.

"It's not safe for a girl like you. Coincidentally, my house is just ahead, and I have a flashlight. Let me escort you," the man explained hastily.

Alice suspiciously stared at him for a few seconds, and for some reason, she curved a barely noticeable smile. "Really, you're a good person."

"Just a small favor. Lately, there have been various unstable factors in the base. I don't want chaos in the base, so I try to help as many people in need as possible to alleviate the burden on the base..."The man rambled on, and Alice occasionally nodded in agreement.

There was a section in the base where a streetlight was broken, leaving everything pitch black, with visibility reduced to almost zero.Many people only go out every few days and have no idea that the streetlight is broken. It's really dangerous without a flashlight," the man explained.The flashlight's beam was dim, flickering occasionally, as if it was running out of battery.

Alice walked ahead, the man following behind with the flashlight, and there were some faint footsteps around them.

Suddenly, the flashlight went out. "Seems like it's out of battery," the man lamented.

Before Alice could speak, someone covered her mouth and nose with a cloth. Her body went limp, slowly collapsing.

"Take her away," the man leading the way changed his demeanor.

"Another one dealt with. You're really something," remarked the accomplice."Who told these women to be so foolish? They believe whatever I say, without any guard or precaution. Obviously, they've been in a stable and peaceful environment for too long."

After an unknown period, Alice was thrown onto the ground, and she slowly opened her eyes.The two men who brought her here were locking the door as they left.

Suddenly, faint sobbing sounds came from behind her, and Alice turned her head to look. A dozen or so girls huddled in a dark corner, barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

"Have you all been captured too?" Alice curiously approached them.

From the start, Alice felt that something was off about those men and decided to play along to see what tricks they were up to. Pretending to faint, she found herself being taken out of the base and brought to this abandoned house.

One girl weakly replied, "Yes, we've all been held here for about a week."

"What do those people want?" Alice asked in confusion.

"We don't know. They brought us here and then left. They give us one meal a day. A few days ago, one girl among us was taken out, and she never came back."

Alice pursed her lips, wondering if they were taken for certain activities or perhaps as bargaining chips. She was curious about who was behind all this.Was Alice just coincidentally captured, or was she the intended target?

Alice calmly sat down in a corner, took out some compressed biscuits from her pocket, and leisurely ate.

At that moment, sounds of someone swallowing saliva came from the opposite corner. Alice sensed their longing gaze but paid no attention.

After finishing the biscuits, she turned away from them and pulled out a bottle of milk to quench her thirst.With nothing else to do, Alice leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and rested.The other girls who were captured together whispered among themselves, puzzled by Alice's calm demeanor. They had been terrified up to this point. However, seeing Alice distancing herself from them, they harbored some dark thoughts. When those people came to capture someone, they speculated that Alice would be the first to be taken away, providing a temporary safety for the rest of them. People are inherently selfish, and they all wanted to survive. Quietly and mutually understanding, the dozen or so girls distanced themselves from Alice.

Three hours later, the sound of the door opening echoed from the entrance. The girls huddled together like frightened birds, tightening their formation. A girl with bound hands was pushed in. Seeing that the people outside closed the door without taking anyone away, the girls finally eased their nerves.

In the dim light, Alice opened her eyes. With excellent vision, she looked towards the newcomer. Cecilia, who had been captured, also noticed Alice. In the next moment, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. "Alice?"

Cecilia walked over to Alice and sat down beside her, struggling to find a comfortable position due to her bound hands. Alice nodded at her in acknowledgment.Cecilia, aware of Alice's reserved personality, didn't disturb her much. She quietly sat beside her.

After a while, Alice's voice broke the silence. "How did you get captured?"

Cecilia turned to her, surprised that Alice initiated a conversation. "I went to the office building to exchange supplies. On the way back, they ambushed me. There were too many of them, and I couldn't fight them off."

"You should be skilled. How did you get caught?" Cecilia asked innocently.

Alice replied, "Momentary lapse."

Cecilia nodded and muttered, "The base is filled with fog; you can't see anything. No wonder they've been successful multiple times."