- Walking along the streets, Vahan notices that everyone is gone. No street lights are on, and people he knew are no longer in their homes.
- At Goryan's Inn, the soldiers open the door and tell them to get inside a dark room. At first Vahan thinks it's just dark, but then he realizes it's full of other people taken from their homes. Shudder.
- Vahan's mom asks one of the others if they have any food or water, but they don't have either.
- Then the lady tells her to be careful if she has daughters because at night, the soldiers come looking for them. Again Vahan is confused by what this means, but his mom gets it loud and clear.
- For the first time in his life, Vahan is hungry and thirsty—there's no food or water here though, nothing but darkness.
- That night, the door opens and Vahan and his brother try to cover their sisters with their own bodies. The soldiers come in, put a lamp up to some girls' faces, and take them away; Vahan doesn't understand what's happening, but he knows it isn't good.
- When they leave, Vahan's mom tells them not to worry—the soldiers are gone. Only one of Vahan's sisters answers, though; the other one—Armenouhi—stays silent. She took her poison so she wouldn't have to go with the soldiers.
- Vahan tries to tell himself that she's just sleeping or sick, but he knows better. His sister is dead. The soldiers take her body away like it's just a sack of potatoes.
- Over time, Vahan gets to know people through their moan and whispers—and when he doesn't hear them, he knows they've died.
- Even the woman they met on the first day is dead.