Legends ➸ Ben Parish

12

CASSIE STRUGGLED TO GIVE Nugget a bath. At one point, she was pushed out of the bathroom and into me as I passed. Her brother shouted obscenities at her when she came back in. Ben offered to take her place, so she went out to the porch where Evan Walker stood.
I scrunched my nose. Grace was the worst damn housekeeper ever. Mold seemed to grow on top of mold in the kitchen. I quickly made my way to the living room where it didn't smell as bad.
I smiled at Dumbo as I sat next to him. Megan climbed into my lap. She treated me like Teacup had treated Ringer before they were captured.
Dumbo pulled out a jigsaw puzzle that he found in a kid's room and the three of us got to work. It was almost normal. I nearly forgot that the human race was on the brink of extinction.
Cassie and Evan argued outside. A lot of it was about her brother. She began bawling in what looked like Evan's jacket.
I went back to working on the puzzle with Dumbo and Megan. They finished the puzzle and went into one of the back rooms with Nugget. I stayed.
"Hey." Zombie sat next to me.
"Why couldn't they just do it quickly?" I asked, "They've spent so long killing us off one by one."
"I don't know." he looked away.
"In four days it'll be over. There won't be anymore survivors for them to torture." I put my head on his shoulder.
Cassie stormed back in which made Zombie shoot up from his spot next to me.
"How's Sam?" she questioned.
I gestured to the back of the house, "He's with Dumbo and Megan. He's fine."
"I'm gonna go." Zombie blurted out.
I knew almost immediately what he meant.
"I've thought it through." he kept hesitating, "If Evans telling the truth, we have four days until he leaves. That's more than enough time for me to get there and back."
"To get where and back?" Cassie glanced at me as if I had anything to do with this.
"I won't be alone. I'm taking Dumbo with me." he continued.
"With you where?" she cut him off before he could say anything else.
I answered her, "The caverns."
"It's killing me. I can't get it off of my mind. Maybe Teacup caught up to her or maybe she didn't. They may both be dead or they may not be. Maybe they made it to-" Zombie took a huge breath.
"They didn't make it. I've already told you." I stopped him, "I told you that Ringer shot Cup and then the helicopter came."
"You still don't know what happened after. You ran, remember? Maybe they made it out." he persisted.
I couldn't stop him. He was set on checking the caverns and no one could stop him at this point. He sat back down next to me.
"Go back for them. Like you went back for my brother. Like you didn't go back for your sister..." Cassie said.
Zombie's face went red, "Cassie, this has nothing to do with her."
It was silent after. No one dared to speak. Until it finally hit me, he didn't plan on coming back.
"You're going to die." I mumbled.
"You bet I am." he replied with a smile, "But it's going to happen my way. Not theirs."
He was getting up to retrieve Dumbo, but I grabbed his wrist. I had to stand on my toes to reach his ear.
"You're coming back." I whispered, "If you don't, I'll kill you a second time."
Then they left. Neither of them would be returning. That's all I knew.
Evan was saying what I already knew, "There's no way they could've survived this long. Not against us. Your friends are dead."
He was already gone by then. He didn't want to listen to what we were telling him. He only wanted to believe what benefited the mission.
Goodbye Ben. I went into the back room with Megan and Dumbo. I didn't want nor need to watch Zombie leave.
You know what? No. I'm not going to watch him leave because I'm going with him.
"Take care of Megan." I told Nugget before grabbing a gun and racing after the two.
"What the hell are you doing?" Zombie exclaimed when I caught up to them.
"Coming with you, duh." I grinned, "You need me."
"No we don't." he pointed to the safe house, "Go back."
"Yes you do." I gave him the death stare, "I was there, remember?"
That shut him up. Within seconds we were on our way. We didn't say anything. Traveling through Urbana was risky, but it had to be done to reach the caverns.
Zombie pulled us off of the road right before we could pass into Urbana, "You know what Evan is?"
"A silencer." I responded, shifting my grip on the rifle.
"We're passing through one's territory. If something happens to me, you abort the mission and get back to the safe house." he pointed to the sign.
"We're not leaving you." Dumbo shook his head.
"Yes you will. That's an order." Zombie brought us back onto the road, "Anything that lights up, we take out. No exceptions."
I nodded as I slipped my eyepiece on. The streets of Urbana were trashed. Plastic bags and newspapers, clothes, shoes, toys, even TVs were scattered everywhere. About four blocks into our journey we ran into a six foot high barricade.
There were corpses wrapped from head to toe in tattered sheets. I could feel vomit rising in my throat, but I couldn't give our position away to the silencer.
"You ever been to Urbana, Dumbo?" Zombie asked.
He shook his head, "I'm from Pittsburgh."

Eventually we stop inside of what used to be a coffee shop.
"I've got an idea." Dumbo spoke up, "You stay here. I go on, but in a totally different direction. Once they're drawn off, you two can haul ass north and get to the caverns."
"That's a terrible idea." I glanced at the big-eared kid.
"That way you two can make it." he ignored me.
"We're all going to make it." Zombie cut him off.
Dumbo shook his head, "I don't think so." his voice cracked.
Suddenly, Dumbo lunged at Zombie. His hands were outstretched as if he were going to choke him to death. I swiftly raised my rifle, but I was too late.
His head snapped back and he fell limp. The report of the sniper rifle was audible a second later. Dumbo took the bullet for Zombie. He was trying to save him, not kill him.
The silencer knows we're here. I followed Zombie as he dragged Dumbo behind the counter.
We were out of the line of fire, but we were also cornered now. Zombie struggled to help Dumbo while I peaked around the counter, trying to spot our attacker. They must be hidden in the ruble.
Dumbo began screaming. Zombie struggled to pack the bullet hole in his back with the gauze he had stuffed in his pocket before leaving.
"I'm coming back for you, Bo. I'll find the son of a bitch and then I'm coming back." Zombie promised.
I followed the raging soldier as he left the safety of the counter. We snuck through the streets of Urbana and eventually entered the three-story building across from the coffee shop. It seemed like the only place the silencer would've had a clear shot on Dumbo.
A cat darted in front of us, bringing our attention to an open doorway halfway down the hall. I could smell hot soup as well as the distinct odor of a dirty litter box.
That's when I heard the voice. A high-pitched voice was singing a song that I couldn't recognize, but Zombie seemed to know it.
We stopped at the doorway, Zombie pulled a flash grenade from his pocket, pulled the pin, and tossed it through the open door. There was a blinding flash followed by the screeching of cats and a human crying out.
Once inside, I was able to spot the crumpled figure in the corner. Zombie quickly clears the room and returns his attention to the woman.
"Please don't kill me!" she shrieked.
Zombie yanks off his eyepiece. A ball of green fire engulfs the lady's head.
Anything that lights up. I loaded my gun. No exceptions.
"Please." she whimpered, "Please don't hurt me."
"Where is he?" Zombie asked, "Where is the shooter?"
She tilted her head. She then went on to explain how no one was there with her except for her babies. She called the cats her babies. The smell of the litter box was overwhelming now.
"My friend's been shot." he raised his pistol to the level of her eyes, "Either you did it or someone you know."
I glanced at the soup, but couldn't find any cans. Where'd she get the meat? Or any of that shit? I repositioned my rifle in my hands. Something was off about this old hag.
The woman senses my distrust and hobbles over to the pot, "Would you like some?"
"We don't have time." I told her.
"Please? I've been so lonely." she stirred the soup, "I ran out of cans a month ago, but I've made due."
I silently clicked the safety off on my side arm. I knew now that something was definitely off about her.
I tugged on Zombie's arm, motioning that we should leave, but he pulled away.
"What's in the soup?" he asked.
I knew what she was going to say before she says it, "Cat." she hurled the pot at us, but I dodged the scalding liquid.
Zombie wasn't so quick. The woman grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up the wall. He put a bullet in her gut, but she keeps hold.
That's when I came up behind her. I held my sidearm to her temple, "Nice try." I pulled the trigger.
We made it back to Dumbo, who was barely breathing. Zombie took a moment to explain that we were going to the caverns without him, but we'd be back.
I looked away. I should've forced Zombie to listen to me. This would never have happened if I persisted.
Dumbo wouldn't be dying.

EDITED

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