Sofia's POV

I woke up to a blood-curdling screech outside my window, followed by a deafening crash that shook the very foundations of our house. My heart racing like a jackrabbit, I rushed to the window and was met with a sight that made my blood run cold. My mother stood frozen, a log of wood clutched in her hand, as a grotesque creature towered over her, its eyes blazing with an otherworldly fury.

The creature's body was a twisted mass of muscle and sinew, its skin a deep, mottled green. Long, razor-sharp claws extended from its fingers, and its jaws were wide open, revealing rows of jagged teeth. My mother's eyes were fixed on the creature, her face a mask of terror.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was still trapped in a nightmare, but the horror before me remained. I stumbled down the stairs, my legs trembling like leaves, and was confronted with an even more gruesome sight: my nine-year-old sister, Natasha, lay lifeless on the front door, her small body bathed in a pool of her own blood.

A low, anguished moan escaped my lips as I knelt beside her. I shook her gently, hoping against hope that she would wake up, but her body was limp and unresponsive. I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of my own heartbeat.

As I looked up, the creature emerged from the shadows, its jaws still dripping with my mother's blood. I saw the fear in its eyes, the hunger, and the savagery. In a blind rage, I grabbed a log of wood and struck the creature with all my might, but it swatted me aside like a fly.

I crashed to the ground, my head spinning, as the creature closed in for the kill. But just as all hope seemed lost, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet pierced the creature's foot. My father stood in the doorway, his gun shaking in his hand, but his eyes blazing with determination.

"Dad!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet.

But our relief was short-lived. Another creature emerged from the darkness, its eyes fixed on my father, and struck him down with a single blow. I saw the life drain from his eyes, and his body crumpled to the ground.

I knew then that I had to escape, no matter the cost. I stumbled out into the night, my injured leg screaming in agony, and found myself alone in a world gone mad.

The streets were deserted, littered with the bodies of the dead and dying. Cars were overturned, buildings were on fire, and the creatures roamed free, their twisted forms lurking in every shadow.

I stumbled through the wreckage, my vision blurring, my head spinning. I saw things that no human should ever have to see: a child torn from its mother's arms, a family slaughtered in their own home, a world destroyed in a matter of hours.

My body screamed for rest, but I knew I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving, no matter what. I stumbled upon a cave, and collapsed inside, my body and mind shattered by the horrors I had witnessed.

As I lay there, I realized that I was completely alone. I tore out a piece of my dress and used it in dressing my injury. The creatures seemed to be everywhere, their twisted forms lurking in every shadow. I knew then that I had to find a way to survive, no matter what. I had to find a way to stay alive in a world that seemed determined to kill me.