Chapter Text
I sat down before my laptop with a sigh, a mug of coffee in hand. This damn report is going to be the death of me. I grumbled under my breath.
Ring. Ring.
I walked over to my phone, my coffee still in my hand. 'Sadie! Watch the news NOW!' Came Kailey's panicked voice.
'Whoa spitfire, calm down and tell me what happened.'
'Just turn on your damn TV and watch!'
'This better not be some sick joke...' I said as I pick up the remote. My mug crashed on the floor, sending fragments and coffee everywhere.
'You serious?' My jaw is on the ground. On the screen, a man was munching on a half-dead woman's intestine, her screams were floating through my speakers. Shots were fired as the officers attempted to stop that man, yet bullets seemed to do nothing on him. His body will shudder as the bullets found their mark, but he seemed unfazed by the pain. An officer advanced to stand directly behind the man, ordering over and over again to stop and surrender, only to be answered by an animalistic snarl and a swipe to the face. A shot was fired, and a hole appeared on the man's head as he dropped like a stone, twitching all the way. In the background, the news reporters were looking on in horror, trying to make sense of what happened.
'Hay, what about I come over with Ash? Ethan is out of village right now.' Kailey spoke, still on the phone.
'Sure. I think we better stock up on food.' I said as I bend down to clean up the mess I've made.
An hour later Kailey's truck showed up on my driveway, loaded down with crackers and MREs.
'Seriously? MREs and crackers?'
'Well they last the longest and you hated them, sooooo they are here!' Kailey replied with a smug grin.
'Kailey you are such a pain in the rear end sometimes.' I groaned.
'A royal one too.' Ashton, usually called Ash snickered. I swear those two have a huge crush on each other from how they two bickered but are just too shy to admit it. Kailey crashed on my couch with a thump, pulling Ash down with her. The frame of my couch squealed in protest as Ash flicked a strand of red hair off of Kailey's face, his eyes filled with love.
'Movie marathon?'
Two weeks later the streets started to fill up with those people I saw on the news that day, it was known that a virus that caused such drastic change in one's behaviours and there is no cure for it. Once you got it, your human mind will be erased while the virus took over your body, just like what happens in those zombie movies of Hollywood, except that these zombies had beautifully clear blue eyes rather than red. Beautiful they are, but empty and lifeless.
'The infected cannot be killed by a bullet to the head, they will be knocked out, but not die...' The radio was going on and on about infected behaviours and survival tips while providing the research centre's location.
'Good to hear there are still some humans kicking around out there...' Ash sleepily commented on my couch with Kailey's head on his shoulder, his stormy grey eyes oozing with content. Seriously, those two should just admit it, they were already acting like a couple.
'What happened?' Stirring from her sleep, Kailey said while still half-asleep.
'Nothing, go back to cuddling Kailey.'
Kailey was turning to a rather interesting shade of red. 'It-it is just for warmth! Nothing more!' She stuttered.
'Rrrrrright I am sure of that...'
'Oh, shut it you two, I am off to a shower, see you in a bit!' Ash yawned, stumbling to my bathroom, leaving Kailey moaning softly at the loss of contact before falling back to the realm of Morpheus.
'Hay rise and shine sleeping beauty.' I nudged the fast-asleep figure on my couch and with a yarn, Kailey sat up, looking accusingly at me.
'Oh, you don't disturb my sleep like that! Came here, you!' With that, I bolted out to the hallway with Kailey chasing right behind.
Kailey chased me around the house a few times before bumping straight into Ash walking out of the bathroom drying his hair. She stumbled and fell, before being caught by Ash's hand.
'Thank you.' Kailey whispered, blushing a little. She seemingly was melted in Ash's hands, unwilling and unable to move.
'Oh come on, the last second you were chasing Sadie around, the next you were laying in my hands like a sack of hay!' Whined Ash.
'Mmmm...' Came Kailey's voice, her head buried in Ash's arm.
Over the course of the next few days, the population of infected doubled as if the whole village had turned. Soon we were trapped inside with dwindling supplies. Electricity was down and so did the water supply, infected were constantly pushing against the door and the windows, everything smelled of certain demise for us. The main door had a crack near the lock, and it was growing, fast.
That door gave way as the hour hand snaps to 4.
The infected came pouring in through the wide-open door, getting awfully close to us as we desperately try to get to the garage, only to found it be blocked by more infected. Perhaps it was folly, perhaps it was bravery, or perhaps it was the protectiveness over friends, I throw myself to one of the infected and rolled off, prompting a snarl and it started turning somewhat clumsily and staggered towards me.
That was when I get a good look at it.
There, with infected blue eyes and the virus running through its system, stood the person who once was Ash's mother. Her long wavy brown hair was stained with blood. I stared wide-eyed at her, frozen in shock. A searing pain from my legs snapped me back to reality. A second infected was munching on my left leg and more were closing in. I looked back at my friends; horror plastered on their faces.
'Run! Get to that research centre!' Came my voice before another wave of pain laced through my system. On the corner of my eyes, I saw them running out to the garage.
Before blackness blanketed my version.
Her wide, brown eyes stared into his own, peeling the layers of skin, meat and bones away, until his soul was laid bare under her piercing gaze, like they always did. Yet, contrary to his memories, her eyes didn't hold even a single speck of life. They looked dead, cold and dead.
And those eyes were dead.
With shaky hands, he knelt and gently sealed her eyelids. Dried blood creaked under his knees, cracking under his weight. It surrounded her like a halo, smeared all over her.
Her throat was gone. It was torn completely off, as were the muscles on her limbs. Smaller cuts and scrapes adorned her body; her face, was locked in a permanent scream. He fixed that, too. She now looked like she was just sleeping, forever. She now seemed so peaceful, yet the wounds on her broken, lithe body stood testimony to the horrors of her final moments.
All around him, were broken furniture and smashed windows. The front door was smashed off its hinges; the tv was resting on the floor, its screen smashed into pieces. The table was upturned, a leg snapped off; the chairs were in splinters, scattered asunder through the house. A strong breeze was flowing through the house.
He gently lifted her cold body from the blood and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, 'Sleep well, little wolf.'
The nail let out a sharp ping as it connected with the ground, followed by a dull pang from the hammer. Sat before him, was a smooth round rock with words carved into it. He stood, noting how much time had passed since he started, and returned to her. She was in a long white dress the covers most of her injuries; her face devoid of the silent scream and blood was nowhere to be seen on her skin. She looks so delicate, so pale...
He gently lowered her into the grave overlooking the sea. This was her favourite spot in this place, seems fitting to be her final resting place. Warm lips gently connected with her cold forehead, hot tears silently rolled dropping, soaking the cold, hard ground. Silence filled the air all around, as if nature herself had come to pay her respects as he silently grieved. Without a word, I climbed out the grave and started shovelling dirt back into the hole, tears still rolling off his cheeks.
And a rabbit decided the grave was a great place to jump into.
It immediately regretted its poor life choice as a pile of dirt landed on its back, forcing a pained squeal out of its mouth. He lifted the rabbit out, gently smoothing down its fur as he did so. The rabbit squirmed out of his grip, with an accusing glare at him, it slowly limped away. A small smile grew on his face. His heart felt lighter as he watched it hop away.
His body still felt heavy and sluggish with grief as he placed the headstone down. The wind felt like a whetted knife as it sliced through his flesh and bones. On the stone, it reads:
Here lays Sadie Lace King,
A fierce little wolf with a fiery soul.
Memento vivere, quia memento mori
May she rest in peace.
A bird chipped just as he turned to leave.
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Oh boiiiiiiiiiiiii
Dying's always a good start to a journey.
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Anyways, enjoy!