Chapter 109: All Kinds of Monsters

Melody Summers stared blankly at Winnie Summers. Suddenly, her eyes stung with tears, and she threw herself into Winnie’s arms.

’In her past life, Melody had struggled alone through the apocalypse. She’d had to guard against not only outsiders, but also her own blood relatives. No one had ever cared for her; she had only faced malice and accusations.’

’After everything that had happened today, her mother’s first reaction was to learn a new skill... just to protect her...’

Melody Summers said, her voice thick with tears, "Mom, you’re the best."

Colin Summers chimed in, "That’s right! We have to learn! Your uncle is going to learn, too. Melody, don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Officer Thorne to teach me some self-defense. If anything like this happens again, I’ll protect you all!"

Hearing Colin Summers’ determined tone, Melody Summers couldn’t help but smile through her tears. "Okay, you’re the best too, Uncle!"

The SUV glided smoothly through the night. With her family by her side, Melody Summers felt a profound sense of peace.

*

The three members of the Summers family drove back to The Metropolis Residences, only to see several figures in black standing in front of their house, B16, from a distance.

Colin Summers jumped, not daring to drive closer. He cautiously pulled the car over to the side. "Quick, look," he said to Melody and Winnie Summers. "Why are there so many people in front of our house?"

Melody Summers’ heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked out the window.

The people in black noticed the SUV as well. After a brief exchange, one of them jogged over to the vehicle and tapped lightly on the window.

The three of them exchanged a glance before slowly rolling down the window.

The man in black spoke. "Mr. Summers, we’re bodyguards sent by Miss Thorne. She asked us to keep an eye on your villa, so there’s no need to be alarmed. Miss Thorne is at your house right now. You can go on in."

Melody Summers froze. ’Miss Thorne? Sophie Thorne?’

Though bewildered, the three of them nodded their thanks to the man in black and drove toward the house.

*

When Melody, her mother, and her uncle got home, they found Sophie Thorne sitting in the living room chatting with Grandma, Miss Lowell, and Melody’s aunt, Grace Sutton.

The moment she saw them, Grace Sutton shot to her feet, slapping her thigh. "Oh my goodness, you’re finally back! You were gone for so long, and then you called to say you were at the police station! You scared us half to death!"

"Don’t worry," Colin Summers said, comforting his wife. "The three of us are fine. Melody took care of both robbers!"

Her grandmother grabbed Melody’s arm, her voice filled with worry. "You silly girl, how could you scare us like that? Rushing into a den of criminals bare-handed? If something had happened to you, how could this old woman go on living!"

Melody quickly reassured her. "Grandma, don’t worry, I’m okay. I brought a weapon with me for protection. The robbers didn’t even get close enough to touch me."

Melody ushered everyone to sit down before turning to Sophie Thorne. "Sophie, what happened here?"

Before Sophie Thorne could open her mouth, Grace Sutton burst out in a rapid-fire torrent of words. "Oh, you have no idea! Right after Melody left, the three of us were on pins and needles. We didn’t do anything, just sat here staring at the security monitors. Then, all of a sudden, this masked person shows up on camera and smashes every single one of our wall-mounted cameras!"

"The monitors went black all at once. We were terrified, so we did just what Melody told us to: we activated the electric fence and ran down to the basement to hide. We tried calling Officer Tate to report it, but nobody picked up."

"A little later, we got a call from Sophie. She said she was on her way with bodyguards and told us not to be scared, so we came out of the basement."

Sophie Thorne nodded and took over the story. "My family’s bodyguards were on duty tonight when they spotted two people acting suspiciously in front of your house. They smashed your cameras and were trying to disable the electric fence on the wall."

"One of them came and told me, so I had them chase the intruders off. I tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up. I was worried something else might happen, so I brought my team over to keep an eye on things."

Sophie Thorne paused in thought, then added, "My guess is they knew about the robbers from earlier. They figured the police and security guards would be tied up dealing with that, leaving them free to cause trouble and take advantage of the chaos."

Melody Summers’ heart hammered in her chest as she listened. A wave of regret washed over her for having left. She was consumed with self-blame. "Aunt Grace, Grandma, Miss Lowell," she said, her head bowed. "I’m so sorry. I never should have left. This is all my fault..."

Seeing Melody’s distress, Sophie Thorne quickly reassured her. "Don’t worry. When my bodyguards got here, the two of them were still fumbling with the electric fence; they’d been at it for a while without any success. Besides, your doors and windows are solid. It’s not a given they could have gotten in anyway. They took off running the moment they saw my men."

Melody Summers asked nervously, "Did they get a clear look at them?"

Sophie Thorne shook her head. "My guards just said one was tall and the other was short. They didn’t seem like professionals. A bit clumsy, actually."

The Summers family exchanged bewildered glances, completely at a loss. Grace Sutton sighed. "The world is just getting more and more chaotic."

Melody Summers looked up at Sophie Thorne, her expression full of sincere gratitude. "Sophie, thank you. Really. If you hadn’t shown up with your men, I’m afraid something terrible would have happened to my family."

Sophie Thorne smiled and shook her head. "It’s nothing. We’re neighbors, after all. And don’t worry, I’ll have my guards keep a closer eye on things over here from now on."

Sophie Thorne glanced at the time and stood up to leave. "Well, since you’re all back safe, I can relax. It’s getting late, so I should be heading home."

After seeing Sophie Thorne out, the family gathered in the living room, all still feeling a lingering sense of fear.

Grace Sutton voiced her fear. "They just ran off like that... do you think they’ll come back later tonight?"

Colin Summers said, "I’ve already decided. Starting tonight, I’m moving into the maid’s room on the first floor. That way, I’ll hear any disturbance right away."

But Melody Summers shook her head. "Uncle, our yard is completely fenced in, and the main gate has multiple locks. It would be very difficult for them to get in. We just need to make sure the windows on the second and third floors are locked. The glass is all double-paned and blast-resistant. They won’t be able to get through it in a hurry."

Grace Sutton let out a long sigh. "I mean, really, what is the world coming to? It’s like all the freaks are crawling out of the woodwork. First, a break-in, now armed robbers."

Miss Lowell sighed. "Actually, it was always chaotic in the days leading up to the New Year. Thieves and robbers need to make money for the holiday, too. Lots of people would wake up to find their homes completely cleaned out. With all the disasters this year, it’s only going to be worse than before. We have to be on our guard."

A heavy gloom settled over the living room, filled with the family’s sighs. It was a year of cataclysm. People were starving or dying from the heat everywhere. As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, can any egg remain unbroken? With all of society descending into chaos, the only outcome was a world where everyone had to fend for themselves.

Finally, Melody Summers forced herself to rally. "Alright, it’s getting late," she said to her family. "Let’s all get some rest. We still have to go to the management office to file a report tomorrow, and we need to replace the broken cameras outside."

The rest of the Summers family nodded. They knew worrying wouldn’t help. The only thing to do was rest up and gather their strength to face whatever came next. One by one, they returned to their rooms to get ready for bed.