WinTeam Week 2021

2 Bullets

It's the end of the world. In the midst of the death and destruction, Win still finds a way to bring a smile to Team's face.

prompt: zombie au 

TRIGGER WARNING: suicidal thoughts, implied suicide, attempted suicide 

Ooo

The need to heave and suck air into his lungs is strong but the need to not be devoured by a lone zombie is stronger. It is the only reason Team holds his breath, peering through the branches as the creature snarls below, swerving its head back and forth.

The Skele, once human but now past its ability to do anything but feed on flesh, growls low, sensing that there's a meal close by but not able to pinpoint the location. Its deadened leg trails behind in the dirt, rotting and oozing pus that mixes in the mud, sending putrid fumes into the air that Team struggles not to gag on.

Instead, he quietly roots around in his backpack for the one thing that will save him right now. Emerging with a baggie filled with rabbit meat, Team pulls out two pieces and as stealthily as he can, throws it as far as he can in the opposite direction. The sound of the blood filled meat is loud and wet against the ground and distracting enough for the Skele to change its menu for tonight.

With a barrage of snarls and hisses, the half-rotting creature ambles away and only when he can't see it anymore does Team inhale a lungful of air.

And then immediately gags because the fetid miasma hasn't disappeared yet.

Cursing inwardly and trying not to cough, Team gives himself a few more minutes to make sure there's no more Skeles around before nimbly dropping down from the tree.

He was only 5 minutes away from his safe-house before the Skele made him take the detour so Team finds his way back home with no issue, easily scaling the stone wall with the help of some missing chunks of rock and dropping down the other side without a sound.

Being within the walls of his compound means that he's the safest he ever will be and Team takes a few extra precious seconds to stretch, reaching for the dark sky with his hands above his head and going up on his toes. He inhales deep, leaning against the wall as his fingers drop down to trail over the lemongrass, where it grows in fresh bunches around the edges of the compound, a simple yet effective way to mask the scent of his blood.

Once the lush backyard of some poor soul who'd succumbed to the virus, Team has spent the last year fortifying the area, building on the foundations of the stable stone wall until it reached past his height of 5'8" and was impenetrable from all sides. The small cottage that stood on the grounds was comfortable and homey from his many forays out into town for whatever supplies could be scavenged and while it wasn't an ideal life, it was the best Team could do given a zombie apocalypse.

With one last inhale, Team opens his eyes, ready to head inside and organize his new supplies from today's trip. He steps forward, feet steady as he makes his way to the small cottage but then stops.

At this time of night, the only sounds that Team should hear are his own breathing, crickets, distant screams and the low growls of the Skeles.

And yet, he can hear it. Faint. But still there.

A soft snarl.

Feet dragging in the dirt.

In the second it takes Team to realize that he's about to be ambushed, a vice-like grip catches hold of his forearm and yanks. With a yelp, Team tumbles onto the earth, backpack digging painfully into his back and a heavy weight settles atop his chest as his arm is yanked up and towards a wet mouth.