Chapter 3: The Second Morning
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In the darkness... 

A familiar warmth is felt through my chest.
Slowly I open my eyes…

Ahh this scent, it’s his smell isn’t it…?

“Ah, you're finally awake? How much sleep did you get last night? To suddenly drift off in the middle of a movie like that.”

Through my half closed eyes, I catch the glimpse of that all too familiar grin on the side of his face.

 

“Hikari…?” Slowly I separate my upper body from his back, lazily bringing my hand to my face to wipe my eyes. “When did I fall asleep…? I was supposed to be the one cheering you up today, yet it looks like it’s the other way around.” I once again lay my body on his, as a lazy grin seeps across my face, my arms slowly wrapping around his shoulders. “I must be heavy right? How long have you been carrying me like this, let me off.”

A light chuckle escaped his lips.

“You just woke up right? Your legs must be asleep. Just stay like this a bit longer, it’s fine.”


I realize the scene playing before me…

This was… Yes… Right before that happened to him…

“Where are we going…? This isn’t on the path to either of our homes last I checked?” He was walking me through a path which appeared to be deep in a forest of some kind. A cool summer breeze blew through the air, making the trees and their leaves sway, revealing that the sky above was filled with a full moon which illuminated the path ahead of us. Even still, Hikari was careful and watching his feet, making sure he didn’t trip and fall, especially with me on his back.

“Ah so you noticed? Nothing escapes past you huh Michirin?”

Another laugh from him… Ahh, how I missed that…

“If I just go home right now, I’ll be sure to get chewed out by my parents for getting fired from yet another job you know?” He turned his face to look over his shoulder, that all too familiar, yet comforting smile on his face, as he continued. “Soooo, I’m taking you with me to a place I like to go every now and then. It’s not much further if my memory isn’t failing me.”

We continued on like that in silence for a while, the memories of the past day's action flittering through my mind. We had spent all of last night setting up makeshift plans to spend all of today, now that he suddenly had a free schedule. Under the pretense of ‘cheering him up’ I was able to secure a date with just him and me alone all day. And yet, I seemed to have slept through most of that special day… But to end up like this…  being carried by him… It’s not all too bad.

 

“We’re here…”

He began to put me down, feeling was returning to my legs again after being carried for so long. The spot he had brought me to was a clearing in the forest, long blades of grass displayed a meadow in the middle of the trees.

“Shh…” He motioned a finger over his mouth, and picked up a small stone lying on the ground.

“It should be right around this time… There it is.”

Quickly he drew his arm back and threw the pebble into the surrounding brush. As he did, dazzling yellow lights emerged from the area he threw into. Fireflies scattered all about and into the air, illuminated by the pale moonlight, as they flew into the night sky full of dazzling stars.

 

I was surrounded by stars both on land, and in the sky…

If I look up, I should be able to see…


It’s gone…

 

It’s not there…

This isn’t the right night sky… this is…

 

As I returned my gaze back down, I was no longer in the field, but the familiar white of the hospital room…

And right there in front of me…

 

Laid Hikari once more…

 

A wave of despair and encompassing dread was caught in my throat, tears started forming in my eyes as I crumpled at the sight before me.

 

I was falling… no, drowning in the torment before me, as I was being sucked into the floor, an intense feeling of cold washed over me as I found I could no longer breathe... I-

------------------------------------------------------

 

"Mimi!" I could vaguely make out the voice of a serious-toned Livie. My eyes jolted open, only to be met by a cold flood of fluid pouring into them, forcing them back shut. "Mimi, get up!" Livie called out once more with a sense of urgency. 

 

I brought my sleeves up to my face, and rubbed them against my eyes to dry them. "What's going on?" I asked sternly, struggling to reopen my eyes.

 

"We're being attacked, by… something." My eyes finally shot open. I attempted to focus them on Livie as she sat on her knees beside me, nonchalantly scratching her cheek. 

 

"A-attacked? Attacked by what?" Livie's serious tone faded, and her body language returned to that of a playful child with little to no sense of danger. I could vaguely make out her face in the faint light produced by flames in the center of the room. Looking past her, I noticed Yusha and Arashi struggling to remain pressed against the wooden board which blocked off the entrance. To the upper-left, Ollie was perched atop a broken set of stone stairs looking out of a missing portion of the wall, horror stricken across his face.

 

"Oh, but don'cha worry your pretty little head about that." She placed a hand atop the back of my left arm. "You take your sweet time getting up. I even got a fire going!~ Ain't cha proud?" Livie clapped her hands together as she smiled brightly.

 

“Livie, it’s not the time to be playing around!” Yusha agitatedly shouted at us. “Get back over here and help keep this board up!” he gritted his teeth and returned all his focus on blocking the entrance. 

 

“ Ugh…” Livie’s head dropped in disappointment. “Buuuut I’m so worn out from being the only one doing it at the start. Surely two strong young lads like you don--”

 

“Livie, please go help them, even if they don’t need it.” I sighed as I sat myself up. Livie gave a light nod, before skipping over to lean herself against the board, between Arashi and Yusha. “What are we being attacked by?” I shout out in question before standing myself up right. “And how many are there?”

 

“I-I see nine of them” Ollie dropped down from the step he was perched on. “They look like… they look like old people… and they’re all groaning.” He frowned, and crossed his arms for comfort, walking in my direction to get away from the noise. He made his way towards Arashi’s belongings, and sat down with a blank stare on his face, poking at the ground with a wooden pole in his hands.

 

“Old people?” I whispered to myself. Arashi stayed silent, but based on what he told me yesterday, I could make a decent assumption at what he was thinking. It could very well be a small group of what he saw yesterday, and if so… there might be little chance we make it out of this.

 

 I bit my thumbnail as more questions shot through my mind. Are they zombies? Some other type of undead? Are they being controlled, or are they aimlessly after our scent? How easy are they to ki--

 

“Bah! They’re just a few drunken hippies.” Livie interrupted my train of thought, giving a shrug once we all gazed at her for that remark made in jest. “They’ve been clawin’ away at this board for almost an hour, and haven’t made so much as a dent.”

 

“Livie’s right.” I smiled at the three in front of me. “There’s no need to rush in a situation like this, and that alone is all we need to win. As long as we can keep the entrance blocked, we have all the time we need to find a way out of this.”

 


 

Mimi… no the girl I saw as my big sis was talking to the others like she always does. Acting like a leader, now of all times. It’s not just here either… 

 

I’m the only one here doing nothing to help. I’m the only one here too afraid to step up, because I’m so weak…  

 

There’s ought to be something I can do, right? What would he do in a time like this?

 

My grasp weakened as I was lost in thought, the pole slipping out of my hands. It rolled to my left until it collided with Arashi’s backpack. As I reached out to grab it, I saw inside the bag, the zipper already open. Staring back at me, I could see my reflection in the polished metal that lay sleeping inside, an idea popped into my head. With impulse, I reached for the blade which tempted me with its edge…

Fervently, I got to work…

“Ollie, W-what are you…” Unable to ignore the sounds of metal against wood coming from right next to her, Sis was the first to notice what I was doing, a look of bewilderment ran through her face. Her words attracted the attention of the rest of the group, as they looked at me, blade in hand. But I ignored them. Right now, my work came first.

In a minute I had completed it, the once rounded pole now had a tapered point to it. I threw the several inch long kitchen knife to the floor and picked up the once walking stick, steeling myself, I started to run.

“Out of the way!” As I shouted this, I ran towards the door, makeshift spear in hand. Immediately Livie and Arashi who had been watching me intently until now, opened the way, as Yusha stood there in silent shock.

 

Blood sprayed forth as I ran the wooden spear in the body of the leading zombie, it staggered back and fell over from the force, tripping those behind it. As I watched in shock and horror at the actions I had committed, a feeling of joy washed over me. I had done it! I had managed to buy ourselves a few seconds. We could slay them! We could win!

“Nice work, not bad at all for a makeshift job.” Arashi quickly moved, and picked up the spear I had let go of in stupor, and proceeded to finish off the remaining bodies as they struggled to get up.

I watched first hand as he proceeded to cave in their heads with the wooden staff, blood and matter sprayed everywhere. My short feeling of victory was now replaced with that of horror and disgust. Quickly, I ran over to a corner of the room and threw up when…

“What the… Y-your kiddin’ right?” I looked over and saw Livie, a look of disgusted confusion rushing over her face, when I saw what she was staring at, I could only feel an overwhelming sense of fear take over. The blood and matter that had just been freshly sprayed over the ground was melting, the bodies Arashi had just butchered, began to bubble at their wounds. Each part regrew at an exponential rate, and the zombies, no these things proceeded to stand back up, perfectly healed like nothing had happened.

 

“Gah…!” One of the humanoids… no monsters, had already grabbed the off guard Arashi by his leg, and began sinking their teeth into his calf. Blood flayed as a piece of Arashi’s flesh went flying, causing him to fall over backwards from pain.

Sis was the first to act, regaining her composure she ran outside the doorway, quickly grabbing Arashi by the back of his shirt and dragging him back inside. Before the monsters could respond, she grabbed the plank and put it back in place, blocking the doorway with it, and her own body.

“Back in position, now!” Her words took the others out of shock, as they scrambled back to the door, holding it in place with all their strength. We no longer had the spear, as it was now stuck inside one of those things on the other side. Arashi was cursing himself under his breath for forgetting it, or it might have been the immense amount of pain. He sat on the floor attempting to tend to his wound. Except… it wasn’t bleeding… I watched in shock as much like those things the missing flesh began to bubble, and soon his wound had disappeared, as if he was never bitten.


A look of clear confusion flashed across Arashi’s face, but he quickly snapped out of his stupor, and went back into position, quickly putting his weight behind the door.

“But Arashi, your-” Sis began to speak up when Arashi interrupted her.

“It’s fine, Mimi. I don’t know why, but it’s healed now. We have more important things to focus on currently.” As he said this, Sis looked down at the now healed leg. Seeing it for herself, her face had become even more troubled.

“Is this really our only course of action…?” Sis was lost in thought, she was clearly starting to panic now, a sense of despair washed over all of our faces. “We can’t kill them, and we barely have any means to defend ourselves. Is to just stand here really the only way…?”

We stood there, as all hope seemingly faded when…

A noise came from the other side of the door, as if an object had just quickly passed by and struck something. Quickly I ran back to the window and looked out to confirm what had happened.

A large mess of blood and matter was left where one of the monsters had been, I felt like I was about to hurl again. What was left of their body was sent flying through the desert. The others completely ignored their friend, still banging on the door. After several seconds another shot rang out, and with it another body seemingly exploded. As it was sent flying, a small rock fell out of the body… was that it…? The projectile that killed it…? A pebble no larger than my thumb?

Quickly I looked towards where it had come from, and expecting to see some kind of massive cannon, instead I just saw a long hooded figure in the distance, seemingly carrying no sort of weaponry or machine. As I looked on, I saw them enter a pitching position, and after a few seconds…

Was that it? Was that all it was…? They only threw rocks, and they did that much damage? I looked at the growing number of bodies on the sand, none of them were getting back up.

“Ollie, dear... What the blazes is going on out there!” Livie’s voice brought me back into the room, where they were still holding up the door, their bodies were less tense, as they were expending less force on the door than before.

“There… there’s somebody killing those things! They aren’t getting back up, we’re saved!” As I said these things, Sis looked over to Arashi, and in silent understanding, they nodded together. He ran towards the knife I had thrown into the ground before and picked it up, as well as some rope in his bag. As the last of the monsters flew away from the door, both Arashi and Sis quickly knocked the wooden plank that was our door down, making it seem like the humanoids had broken in. After the brief preparations were complete, everybody got in position around the doorway.

“B-but… they’re trying to…” I tried to speak out.

“Shush Ollie, we can’t say that for certain.” Sis quickly quieted me in hushed whispers, she was preparing the rope Arashi gave her. After a brief pause we heard hurried footsteps in the sand outside, as they got closer we heard a voice.

“The door’s already… Don’t tell me I was too late!” From the sound of it, the owner of the voice was male, and young, at least around my age, as I thought this, their footsteps drew closer.

The figure was barely through the entrance-way when everyone jumped at them, but before they committed to their attack, they hesitated.

“You’re… a kid.” With Sis’ voice everyone stopped, as they were now uncertain as to how to proceed...

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