"What are you doing?"
Barry jumped, startled at his husband's sudden question. He'd been... somewhere else, though he couldn't remember where. There's been a definite thought path he'd been traversing, but the interruption had pulled him away, losing track of it entirely.
"Huh?" he mumbled, his mind still returning to the bedroom he was currently packing in.
"What are you doing?"
Barry looked down to remind himself of what, exactly, he had been so engrossed in. He vaguely knew his hands had been moving. But, what...? Oh, yes.
"I'm packing, obviously."
"Are we going somewhere? It's not really safe to go anywhere, is it?"
"Probably not, but you were so adamant, I didn't feel I had a choice."
"What are you talking about?"
Barry stared at the shirt he was holding. He wasn't overly keen on it, but Drew said it suited him. He liked the colour and fit. As such, Barry wore it, thinking, whilst doing so, the colour made him look paler skinned than he already was, and it was tight enough to make his small paunch look more like he was expecting a delivery in a few months. He shook it out of its folded state and laid it out on top of his bag.
He sighed.
"You, Drew. You told me to go, so I'm going."
"I... what? I said no such thing! Why would I tell you to leave? I love you!"
"I know. I love you too, but... it was the way you said it. You meant it, and I can't refuse."
Drew moved closer to the bed, standing next to his husband. He didn't like the ominous look on the other's face, as if he was waiting to say something he knew wouldn't be liked. Well, he was right!
"Baz, are you OK? This doesn't make sense. We haven't had this conversation."
"Of course we have. Just an hour ago. You said I had to go find where the zombies are coming from."
"The zombies? Why would I ask you that? I wouldn't want you anywhere near those monsters. We're safe here. I don't want you going anywhere!"
"Then why order me?" Barry spun around, shaking off the hand Drew was about to lay on his. "Why tell me to go, and make up some stupid reason for it? If you want me gone, just say it!"
"But, I don't!"
"And why say it in a stupid voice?"
"Stupid...? What? I promise you, I don't know what you're on about."
Barry was panting and his fists were clenched, keeping his tears tightly controlled. They'd been together for almost a decade. Arguments were few and laughs came regularly. They were both affectionate and, as far as he knew, their relationship was solid. How could it end so abruptly?
Though...
Between them, a promise had always been a promise. It wasn't a word scattered around without meaning, as others often did. With them, if one said they promised, it was meant. So...
"You mean... you really don't know? You don't want me to go?"
"Of course, I don't want you to go! Why would I? Was it a bad dream?"
"I... No... I mean..."
"Looked, Baz, you've been working so hard. So much pressure. It was just a bad dream. I love you, idiot. You're staying here."
"I..." Barry began.
He was relieved. It must have been a dream. Surely it was. Except, he was unable to resist the urge to keep packing his bag. He had already turned back to the bed and was watching his hands work as if by themselves. It was hypnotic. He didn't want to go anywhere, let alone out there. No one really knew what sort of savages existed beyond the Great Wall. They might, and probably were, all zombies anyway. The Wall had kept them safe for thousands of years, and its demolishing had meant to change the world for the better.
If only they had known. If only they hadn't forgotten and created their own histories in their arrogance. The fact there was even a world beyond their barrier was difficult to understand. Their secure, flat Earth was a myth. No, a lie! Everyone felt cheated, but they had nobody to blame it on. Stories had become facts over the centuries, so no one living now had any idea. Should they be thankful their President had decided to tear it down? Was the knowledge they had been missing so much worth the death and the monsters and the fear and tears and loss?
No. And now he had to go out into that. Face it. Find... something.
Except, Drew was now telling him it was a dream. No such demand had been made. So, why couldn't he stop his hands from folding clothes and putting them in his bag?
"OK," he said quietly, hoping agreeing would stop the compulsion to pack.
It didn't.
"Baz, stop!"
Drew grabbed Barry's arm and pulled him away from the bed. He brought his face in close and kissed his husband. When he pulled away, Barry was blinking.
"huh? You haven't kissed me like that in a long time."
"No, and I'm sorry for that, but it seemed like the only way to pull you out."
"Of what? I'm just..."
Just what? Barry shook his head. He couldn't finish the sentence.
A loud PING noise sounded from the kitchen.
"What, the fuck?" exclaimed Barry.
He looked around, suddenly afraid. He felt as if he'd just woken up in the dark and had heard breathing close by – and not from Drew's side. But, it was day time and he hadn't been asleep. He'd been...
Shit. He had no idea.
"It's just the microwave, silly. I've made us some lunch."
"Oh. Oh, yeah. Good, because I'm starving."
"Come on, let's eat, then we can put your clothes and stuff back where it belongs."
Barry allowed himself to be led to the door of the room. His mind was foggy, but some food and the great company Drew always provided would clear it soon enough. He really was hungry! The closer he was to the bedroom's exit, the fresher he was.
They reached the door and Drew stopped suddenly enough for Barry to walk into the back of him. Rather than stumble together, however, Drew was unmoving and unmovable. Barry bounced off him and staggered back.
"Drew, what the hell?"
Drew didn't answer. Instead, he gripped the wooden door surround. His back straightened, then arched, bending his body backwards.
"Drew?"
The man in question's fingers were tightening against the wood, digging in, and its pained splintering pricked Barry's ears with each broken fragment.
"Drew? Babe?"
The fingers had embedded themselves so deeply into the wood that when Drew turned around, he pulled sections of the door surround away. They seemed to fall away instead of needing to be forcibly removed and the remnants dissolved, turning to ash that faded from view before it could reach the floor.
"What the...?"
Barry took a step back. It would have been more, but his fear and love were struggling with each other for supremacy. His hand was partially raised. He lowered it nervously.
Drew was panting, and his breath started to ooze from his lips like smoke under a door. His eyes darkened, with his pupils expanding to fill the orbs. The skin on his face flushed a deep red and Barry could see veins pulsing through the flesh.
"Drew? What's going on? Are you OK?"
"Go forth!"
"What?"
"Go... forth!"
"Not this again. I said I was going. I couldn't really stop myself, which was weird. Have you been eating dairy again?"
"Go forth, beyond the ruined Great Wall. Discover..."
"Discover the source of the zombie infection. I know. But, no. I'm not going. You told me to stay here, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm not going anywhere. Stop this nonsense now. You're scaring me!"
Drew laughed. His mouth opened wide to release an air splitting cackle. His always perfect teeth were now black and rotten. Barry covered his ears and fell to his knees – no – was pushed to his knees. He knew tears were brimming his eyes, but couldn't remember starting to cry.
"Drew!" he pleaded.
"GO FORTH! SAVE US!"
Drew's words hit Barry with the force of a tsunami, throwing him against the far wall. Suddenly, his eyes and face and breath cleared and he collapsed, falling forwards, prone. He reached out to his husband, all his energy pushed into the extending of his hand.
"Go..."
Barry stared, trembling. He wanted to reach out. To make contact with his husband. He was unable to. He was too afraid.
But something was happening inside of him. His stomach was beginning to churn, creating a warmth that was radiating throughout his body. It should have been a pleasant sensation, but was far from it. A tingling was chasing the heat, ending sharp jabs to his extremities. It increased to the point he thought he might explode, and then vanished. In its place was a conviction he could not explain.
He looked at the now unconscious Drew and smiled.
"Yes, dear," he said.
Here's the latest chapter of The Source, thanks to the prompts from LayethTheSmackDown! This time, it was to feature LGBTQIAP+ and paranormal aspects. I hope you're enjoying the evolving story. Barry will be on his way, and he'll soon be meeting Alexis and his Gargoyle. There'll also be The Inscribed and the Toymaster and, of course, zombies.
Oh, my!