النص (en)

The man suddenly spotted several strangers entering the yard, terrified. He ducked low and rushed upstairs. His daughter stared at him in confusion. But the man had no time for explanations. He grabbed her and pulled her straight into a wardrobe to hide. Instead of hurrying back downstairs right away, he waited until the strangers knocked at the door. Only then did he slowly make his way down. Putting on a calm front, he asked what they wanted. The strangers claimed they were just passing by and hoped to get a drink of water. The man had no intention of opening the door and made up an excuse to send them away. Before long, all noise outside faded. The man thought he had narrowly escaped danger, but as soon as he turned around, he saw someone circle round to the back door. He knew these people meant harm. He raced upstairs to pack their belongings, then took his daughter and hid back inside the wardrobe. Hidden within it was a secret passage he had dug long beforehand. Clearly, the man had always known this day might come. They followed the passage into a room at the rear of the house. The man opened a window, and the two climbed out quickly. Once they escaped, they ran to a spot where supplies were buried. They grabbed their gear and prepared to flee the area. The girl stared back longingly at the small house in the distance. She understood she would never be able to return. The man urged her to keep moving, desperately afraid that his daughter would be discovered. Not long before, a virus had broken out that infected only women. It left fewer than 1% of females alive across the world. If his daughter fell into the wrong hands, the consequences were unthinkable. That was why the man had been constantly on the run with her, and so the pair set off on their journey of survival. That night, they found an abandoned church. It was shabby, but at least offered somewhere to sleep. Early the next morning, they resumed their trip. They planned to settle down at the house where the girl's grandfather had once lived. It stood in a remote area, unlikely to draw attention. The journey was far, so the man tried hitching a ride on the highway. Luckily, a young man agreed to give them a lift. All the way, the man lied and said his child was a son, to avoid unnecessary trouble. Unfortunately, the young man saw through the lie not far down the road. The man asked him to pull over, called the young man aside, and openly told him he was commandeering the vehicle, outmatched by the man sturdy build The young man could only watch helplessly as they left The decision weighed heavily on the man conscience yet for his daughter safety he had no other choice After traveling for what felt like forever they finally reached the grandfather house Years had passed and everything was unrecognizable When they knocked on the door, they found other people already living there. Thankfully, the occupants did not turn them away. They opened the door and invited the man and the child inside to warm up. Inside, three elderly men resided in the house. When the man mentioned this had been his father's home, one of the seniors explained that the place had been run down when they arrived. If they had not moved in and carried out constant repairs over the years, the building would have crumbled away entirely. The man realized reclaiming the house in this chaotic world was almost impossible. He agreed to stay and live alongside the old man for the time being. Still, he remained extra vigilant, for he was hiding a young girl. At 3 o'clock 1 midnight, the man woke his daughter. He quietly took her to a small cabin nearby, and stashed emergency supplies there for any crisis. Once everything was ready, they headed back. When the elderly men questioned where they had been, the man simply said he had taken the child out for a run. They settled into life together. As time passed, trust and friendship grew between them. One of the old men even privately taught the girl how to handle a shotgun. The man grew anxious when he saw this, and quickly pulled his daughter away. This had happened many times before. All this strange behavior led the elders to suspect the truth. The man immediately denied their suspicions, but faced with their persistent questions, he began to hesitate. He knew that if they stayed here, his daughter's secret would come out sooner or later. Besides, after several days together, he trusted the old men. He finally told them the truth. He also showed them a photograph of his whole family. The first time he had mustered the courage to reveal his daughter to anyone. After speaking, he felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. He no longer needed to live in constant secrecy. Years on the run had drained every ounce of his strength. It seemed he truly hoped this place could become their permanent, safe home. Yet fate would not grant his wish. One morning as the man was getting dressed, he suddenly heard the sound of car engines outside. He walked to the window and saw several burly strangers. He rushed to find the elderly man he trusted most to ask what was happening. Instead, the old man silently shut the door in his face Panic crashed over the man He knew without a doubt His daughter's secret had been exposed