Chapter Text
The summer sun beat down on Leif’s back. He felt like it was going to melt his skin off his bones, each step felt sweatier than the last, but he wasn’t focused on that.
Leif’s mind was set on one thing and one thing only.
Ice cream.
He was trying to catch the ice cream truck that frequented this part of town, usually selling out early because of how many people bought from it.
But at the back of his mind another thing was lingering, his old house.
They’d moved earlier this month, he and his mum, and he still wasn’t over it.
He missed how his old home smelt, how in the morning his mum would come into his room barely past dawn and wake him for school. He missed the way she would tousle his blonde hair after he helped her cook dinner saying, “One day you might be better at cooking than me!” and they’d both laugh at the thought.
But now? She was cold and distant, not laughing at his jokes, not waking him up early, not even asking him to help cook. It's like the town changed her.
He shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts.
It was probably normal for people to change when they move houses anyway. Now was the time for ice cream, not depressing thoughts.
Not even two seconds later, he heard the tinkling of the bell on the truck coming his way.
Leif started to run in the direction he heard the bell, wanting to meet it halfway.
It was beautiful. Its exterior? Perfectly pink and white. Its menu? Sprinkles and chocolate flakes. The person serving? Wait. Where was the person?
He carefully approached the serving space of the truck, not seeing anyone to greet him.
Another thing he noticed was there wasn’t anyone else lining up to order.
It was certainly weird but maybe the person was just parking the truck properly and some kids were probably on their way.
So, he waited, seconds stretching into minutes as he stood in the sweltering summer sun.
Leif waited for about ten minutes before he thought he should check to see if the truck driver was okay.
He braced his hands on the serving platform to push himself up and into the truck but as soon as he leaned to get a look he got pushed back by a wave of pure stench. His eyes watered, his nose scrunched up, it’s like he was smelling the armpit of the grim reaper. It smelled like pure death. He shuddered despite the oppressive heat, suddenly feeling cold.
He dropped back down to the pavement, doubling over coughing from the smell. What even was that?
He didn’t really want to go back inside the truck, but it seemed to be calling to him though, and he was nothing if not curious.
Leif stood up on the tips of his toes, trying to get enough leverage on the serving space to haul himself over it.
Using his legs against the outside of the truck, he managed to get his forearms fully on the ledge, clambering up and over it to land on the floor on the other side.
As he stood up and brushed himself off, Leif noticed it was pretty dark in the truck. But as he looked around to find a light switch, he saw them.
Pale, sunken eyes, stared in his direction. He jumped back when he saw them, but they weren’t attached to a monster as he first thought, it was a person.
He took a moment to calm his breathing before speaking to them.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked as he approached them, they looked like they were his age.
“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you if that what you’re worried about,” he was crouching now, down on their eye level. Leif reached out to touch them, “Are you o-?”
He cut himself off with a scream as he touched them and they flopped to the floor, clearly dead.
Oh my gods, ohmygods. A dead body?! I was just trying to get some ice cream, not get caught up in a murder! What will mum think? She’s gonna be terrified andIdontknowwhattodo-!
Breathe
One coherent thought arose from his whirling mind, and he clung to it like a lifeline.
He didn’t even know he was panicking but it was understandable for someone in his situation. It’s not every day you see a dead body.
I need to get help, was all he was thinking as he calmed himself down.
He needed to plan.
But as he stepped back to jump back outside the truck, he heard a woosh and felt a searing pain through the back of his head.
The last thought he had before he passed out was, I hope mum is okay.