Ꮇ𝑦 ℤօｍ𝘣ⅈ𝖊 𝗕օ𝑦𝚏𝔯ⅈ𝖊𝖓꒯ ||Parkster

Promises; Lungs Graced with Breath, Hand Graced with Knife

He grits his teeth and musters up all his strength to shove every goddamn maggoty piece into bulging bags of wet trash. Chester scrubs at the puddles of fluid until his shoulders ache, feeling himself unravel again with every plunge of diluted bleach from the bucket, every stroke of the sponge, every sound of pained agony that comes with it all.

Tears spill from itchy, irritated eyes and Chester tells himself it's from the chemicals. Not because he knows it's his fault these dogs are dead. That everyone is dead.

He's back in Everlyn's basement. Alone. Inside a room where an unrecognizable mass of scarred, screaming flesh is chained up by it's ankle in the corner of a room. All of it's limbs are severed nubs except for the leg that's chained. The eyes are black like a shark, imbedded deep into a malformed face. Nose and lips are missing, stretched away from the mouth to reveal veiny gums and jagged teeth.

Beside the creature is an open cage, large enough for a human. A thin trail of fluid leads from it to an open door beyond a dark room. Chester blanches, nauseous from the worst fear he's felt in a long time. He has to tell Parker.

Chester sniffles, the memories are serrated blades that rip him open.

The Everlyn ordeal happens. They're now trapped in the basement with whatever has escaped the cage.

They won't stop coming, just like the tears won't stop..

Parker and Chester frantically search for a way out. He finds a small window half above ground, but it's too high up. He pushes a chair against the wall and climbs up, trying to force the window open. A strange sound is emitting from the shadowy recesses of the corridor, like a dying animal, but worse. It gets louder. He curses and clambers off the chair, that's where Parker is!

Chester is sobbing hysterically now, recalling the moment Parker got infected by a fucked up creature that was kept in a cage by Everlyn's dad and experimented on until it found a way to escape.

It's too late. It's too late. It's too late.

"It's too late!" Chester screams and grabs fistfuls of coppery blond hair, pulling until white hot pain flashes behind his eyes to replace the look on Parker's face when he ran away in fear, toward the small window to escape Everlyn and her infected boyfriend when they burst through the locked door of the basement.

There was nothing I could do. I was too late. That's all.

But why can't he convince himself?

~~~

The night passes in a blur of tears, painful memory, and the sharp scent of chemical cleaner that makes Chester's head pound dizzily. His hands are pink, raw, and feel like they've been dunked in boiling water from chemical burns because he couldn't find any gloves.

The room is clean as he can manage, and Chester feels like passing out from both physical and emotional exhaustion.

He climbs the stairs with a heavy silence. Makes a note to never step foot in another basement again. Takes a long, hot shower. Barricades the front door. Gets a knife out from a kitchen drawer and places it underneath his pillow before sleeping the rest of the day and throughout the night.

~~~

Parker still hasn't woken up. It's been 3 days.

Chester sits next to Parker and chews his nails with worry. It's almost funny how long he's been hovering over his friend, racking his brain for an explanation of why he's been asleep so long.

He had no idea the infected even slept.

The blond would assume he's dead if not for the faint uneven puffs of breath coming from parted lips. He stares at them, transfixed, with only a little shame and spies a stray lock of hair. On impulse, Chester brushes the hair away from Parker's forehead and jerks away with a hiss of alarm.

It's too hot. Way too hot. Oh God, why's it so hot?!

Now he's back to worrying, picturing Parker's brain liquiefying into a bitter soup and his heart gives a painful lurch at the horrible image.

Chester cuddles up to him, leaning his forehead against Parker's chest. Fingers slip beneath his black T-shirt and crumples the fabric in clenched fists, closing his eyes tightly and praying for his best friend to wake up soon.

"Parker," he says quietly, "If you can hear me.. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I promise, if you wake up.. I'll take care of you. No matter what. Y-you deserve it." He sniffs and raises his head to gaze affectionately down at Parker's closed eyes. I never noticed how pretty his eyelashes are.

His arm goes around the other's waist and presses his cheek against the concave of his stomach.

~~~

Chester bolts upright when the sound of a window shatters downstairs. He scrambles for the knife under his pillow, heart battering against his ribcage at the sudden loud noise and realization that he might actually die, right after finding a reason to live. Not now. Please not now.

What if it's a monster? He fights down a pathetic whimper and glances again at the sleeping figure, takes a deep breath and steels himself for a fight.

In a burst of bravery (or stupidity), he practically flies down the stairs, knife poised for stabbing, and runs straight into a girl.

She screams. Chester screams louder and drops the knife with a clatter. A boy rushes around the corner with a shotgun aimed and Chester screams again.

"What happened?" The boy demands, looking between his companion, Chester, and the fallen knife. "Who are you?" He barks.

Chester raises his hands in a gesture of surrender, both shocked and relieved it's not a monster or infected. "Um.. my name's Chester and I uh.. live here?" He hasn't seen any survivors in months, didn't think there were any in this area.

Clearly the strangers think the same because they eye him with mistrust, as if he might be a creature hiding in a flesh suit. "Please take whatever you want.. there's plenty of food.." He looks past the boy with the gun and sees 2 other people stuffing backpacks with cans and bottles of water.

The boy nods and the girl grabs the knife off the floor. "Here, you dropped this." She puts it in his hand and brushes past them to go to help the others.

"Thanks.."

The boy slightly lowers his weapon. "Sorry about that," he says, not sounding sorry at all, "thought you might've been a.." His eyes travel past Chester's shoulder and freezes.

"Shit, behind you!"

Chester whips his head around and his heart plummets when he sees Parker halfway down the staircase, staring out at the commotion with wide innocent eyes. The pallor of his skin and dark circles are a dead giveaway.

He turns back around and watches the boy aim the gun.

~~~

(Words: 1,800)

A/N
Imagine if I stopped the story right here😅
Next Chapter is emotional, and the one AFTER that is my personal fav🖤

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