Saad drove his car down the street toward the local market shop, which was barely half a kilometer away. Negotiating the neighborhood turns, Saad glanced over at the passenger seat. "So, how's life going, bro?"
Ashad, who was playfully distracting the twins on his lap, sighed. "Pretty much the same as usual. Work, home, sleep, repeat."
Saad nodded in agreement, shifting gears. "Yeah, man, same here. In the morning I have to go with Dad to work at our factory, come home, and then repeat the whole cycle." He paused, a smile breaking through his trimmed beard. "But Ramadan and Eid are always much better. There's actually enjoyable stuff happening during these months." Saad gave a sly nudge with his elbow. "Hey... how is she doing?"
Ashad looked at him, genuinely confused. "Who is 'she'?"
Saad made a sharp clicking sound with his tongue. "Bro, her. Mariam! You said you'll be marrying her right after April."
Ashad's wheatish face lit up with a realization, a wide smile spreading across his lips. "Oh, yeah! I will. May 25th is the date. By the way, what's the date today?"
Saad turned his head toward him in sheer disappointment. "It's the 19th of April, dummy!"
Ashad rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Oh man, I seriously need someone to fix my brain. I'm almost forgetting everything these days."
Saad laughed sarcastically as he pulled up and parked right in front of the store. "Just don't forget you have to marry Mariam, not some other girl."
Ashad burst out laughing, shoving Saad's shoulder. "Oh, you bastard!"
Instantly, Saad turned toward him, his dark eyes wide with panic. "Shhhh!"
Ashad blinked, totally confused. "What?"
"Don't use bad words," Saad hissed in a hushed voice, gesturing toward the back seat. "Nephews copy words instantly, and they will repeat them anywhere they want!"
Ashad chuckled, feeling a bit proud of the boys. "Kids do learn quick, though."
They stepped out of the car and walked up to the counter, facing the shopkeeper. Saad cleared his throat. "Can I have..." He paused, looking down at the kids, and started counting on his fingers. After a moment, he finished, "...four chocolates. The big bars!" He then turned to Ashad. "What should we get for baby Sonia?"
Ashad shook his head. "Oh, no thanks. She's too young. The doctors strictly told us not to give her anything from the outside for a whole year."
Saad nodded to the shopkeeper, who returned a moment later sliding the four chocolate bars across the counter. Puffing out his chest like he was the biggest-hearted, most generous man in the world, Saad handed over a large bill and said proudly, "Keep the change."
The shopkeeper stared at the bill, then looked up flatly. "Twenty rupees more, please."
Ashad instantly burst into roaring laughter, doubling over. "Oh, what a great, heroic beginning!"
Saad's face flushed red. He quickly fumbled around his pockets, pulled out a twenty-rupee note, and handed it over, whispering aggressively to Ashad, "You couldn't have said that any louder, huh?"
It was glaringly obvious the shopkeeper had done that on purpose to tease him, because he gave Saad a subtle wink as they turned away. Ashad was still clutching his stomach laughing as they reached the vehicle. They got into the front seats, while the twins were safely buckled up in the back.
Saad started the engine, glaring dead ahead. "I swear to Allah, Ashad, if you tell anyone about this incident, I will kill you."
Ashad just smirked, putting a finger to his lips. "Shhh... they repeat."
Saad didn't say a word out loud, but his lips aggressively moved to form the word 'Asshole'. Ashad caught it instantly and laughed harder.
They began driving back, but the peaceful Eid morning shattered within seconds.
Up ahead, a man was sprinting down the middle of the road, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Run! People are going mad! Run!" The sheer terror etched into his pale facial expressions made it clear he was scared out of his absolute soul.
Ashad frowned, cracking his door open. "Hold on, let me have a look—"
Saad grabbed Ashad's arm firmly, pulling him back. "Come inside! It's probably just a prank for social media. We need to leave."
Right then, Ashad's phone blared in his hand. The screen showed it was his mother. He pressed answer. "Want anything from the store, Mum?"
On the other end of the line, Ayesha's voice was completely frantic. Her breath was coming in short, ragged gasps, though she sounded slightly relieved to hear his voice. "Come home. Now."
Ashad's smile vanished. "Why are you worried? Ammi, what is happening?"
"Just come back right now!" she ordered, and the line went dead.
Ashad stored his phone away, his face pale. "Drive home. Quickly."
"What happened?" Saad asked, slamming his foot onto the gas pedal.
Ashad locked his door with a sharp click. "I don't have a single clue."
As the car sped through the streets, Saad gripped the steering wheel tight. "It must be something massive. Your mum never panics or lies. What could have possibly happened?"
"I just hope it's not very bad news," Ashad muttered, his heart starting to hammer against his ribs just like in his nightmare.
They were only a few minutes away from the safety of the house when a speeding car blindsided them. It came tearing out of a side street and hit their vehicle with a sickening, violent crunch. The force of the impact spun them completely off the road, crashing their car through the boundary of a residential garden.
Luckily, the airbags deployed instantly, saving them from being crushed. Slowly, coughing through the dust and smoke, Ashad and Saad shook off the daze and regained consciousness. Ashad whipped his head around to check the back seat. By the absolute grace of God, Hasan and Hussain were physically unhurt, but they were crying wildly, terrified by the crash.
Furious and shaking with adrenaline, the two friends scrambled out of the wreckage. Ashad pulled the weeping twins out of the back, holding them close, while Saad stormed toward the driver of the other car.
"Get out of the car!" Saad yelled, ready to confront him.
The driver's door creaked open, and a figure stepped out—but it wasn't human.
The man's face was completely drenched in fresh, dripping blood. His jaw hung open weirdly, revealing teeth that were significantly larger, sharper, and more jagged than any normal human's. The creature locked its crazed eyes on them and came charging forward with terrifying speed.
Panic seized them. "Run to the house!" Ashad yelled.
As they sprinted down the street, Saad's eyes darted around until he spotted a massive stone boulder sitting by the edge of a garden plot. Making a split-second decision, he shoved Hasan into Ashad's arms.
"What are you doing?!" Ashad panicked, now holding both crying children.
Saad didn't answer. He bent down, grabbing the heavy stone boulder with both hands, his muscles straining. He waited, chest heaving, as the bloody creature closed the distance. The moment the thing lunged at him, Saad channeled all his strength and hurled the heavy boulder directly into its face.
The rock smashed into the creature with a brutal thud, almost completely crushing its facial structure. It collapsed to the asphalt. But to Saad's horror, it didn't die. It lay there, wiggling and thrashing madly, attempting to claw its way back up.
Adrenaline surging, Saad grabbed the boulder again. He hoisted it high above his head and struck down a second time, putting all his weight into it, completely crushing the skull.
Saad stood over it, panting heavily, his mind racing in confusion. How had it survived the first strike? Any normal human would have died instantly from that kind of impact.
He sprinted back to a completely traumatized Ashad.
"Monster...!" Ashad whispered, his voice trembling.
"They are not human," Saad said, terror bleeding into his voice. "He survived a crushing blow to the face!"
Before they could move, a man came sprinting past them from around the corner. He glanced at the boys and screamed, "Run! They are coming!"
Right behind him, a horrifying mob of about twenty of the exact same blood-soaked creatures turned the corner, chasing the fleeing survivors. The neighborhood was in absolute chaos; screams echoed from every direction as people were either running for their lives or brutally fighting those things off.
Saad instantly snatched Hasan back from Ashad's arms to split the weight. The twins were sobbing hysterically, burying their faces into their uncles' shoulders. Pushing their physical limits, Ashad and Saad ran like they never had before, their singular, burning goal being to protect the innocent kids in their arms.
They made a sharp right turn onto the street of their house. Thankfully, the bulk of the monstrous crowd followed the larger group of screaming people straight down the main road, but five or six of the creatures caught sight of the boys and turned sharply toward them.
Sprinting up to the familiar main gate of the house, Saad desperately patted his pockets. His face drained of color. "Fuck! I left the keys in the car wreckage!"
Ashad fixed him with a furious death stare. He quickly set Hussain down on his feet and grabbed both twins by their shoulders. "Stay right behind your uncles!"
He whipped around to face Saad. "For God's sake, hit the intercom!"
Saad began hammering his thumb against the intercom button repeatedly, his breath hitching. Meanwhile, Ashad's eyes scanned the porch. Spotting a heavy wood cricket bat resting near the wall, he snatched it up, gripping the handle tightly. He squared his shoulders, facing the approaching monsters. "Come on then!"
The first creature lunged through the gate opening. Ashad swung the cricket bat with everything he had, cracking it violently against the side of its head. The creature stumbled, and Ashad struck it again, hard, making absolutely sure it stopped moving.
He stepped back, shielding the twins with his body. "I'll protect you, just stay behind me!" He shouted over his shoulder, "Saad! Why aren't they answering?!"
"I don't know!" Saad yelled back, his finger glued to the buzzer. He gasped, pointing wildly over Ashad's shoulder. "Ashad, take it down! Another one!"
Ashad spun around and brought the bat crashing down onto the second creature's head. He followed it up by smashing the heavy wood into its face twice more until it fell limp.
Suddenly, a heavy click echoed through the gate. "It's open! Come in!" Saad shouted.
But as Saad turned to pull Ashad inside, his eyes widened in sheer horror. Ashad was still recovering from his last swing when another creature caught him off guard, leaping from the side.
"Behind you!" Saad screamed.
Ashad whipped his head around, but it was too late. The blood-soaked jaws were inches from his face. Time seemed to slow down. This is the end, he thought to himself. In that terrifying split second, the image of his family flashed through his mind, and the weight of his mother's words finally hit him—he realized just how profoundly important family truly was. He thought of his baby sister Sonia, whom he loved from the bottom of his soul. Tears spilled from his eyes as he braced for the bite and closed them.
BOOM.
A massive, heavy fist suddenly flew into the frame, striking the creature squarely in the face with terrifying power. The monster was thrown completely off its feet, crashing hard onto the pavement.
Ashad snapped his eyes open. Standing over him was Anees Sufyan—the husband of his cousin Mahnoor. Standing at a towering 6'4" with his thick black beard and long mustache, Anees looked like an absolute wall of muscle. Without wasting a second, Anees grabbed Ashad by his vestment and forcefully hauled him inside the gate.
Saad and Anees slammed the heavy metal gate shut, locking it securely. Ashad and Saad collapsed onto the ground, their chests heaving violently as they tried to catch their breath.
"Thank you... thank you for saving me, Anees brother," Ashad choked out, dripping with sweat.
Anees extended his massive hands, helping the two exhausted young men sit up. A look of profound gratitude washed over his rugged face. "Thanks to both of you for saving my sons."
The twins, recognizing their father, broke away and threw themselves at him. "Papa! Papa!" they cried, clinging to his legs.
Anees easily lifted both of his boys into his large arms, holding them tight, before pulling Ashad and Saad up off the ground. Together, the three men turned and hurried to the main entrance door of Saad's house, knocking urgently to get inside.