chapter song; jet pack blues - fall out boy [ft. big k.r.i.t] remix
"Do you have anything else on ya?" The mysterious man asked. His accent was similar to Ash's, except thicker and his voice was much more groggy like he smoked three packs a day. Harry and I both shook our heads as his men approached us. One with bright blonde hair held my backpack, examining the hatchet that hung from it for only a second before tossing it away. He unzipped my backpack and pulled out the silver bottle of Vodka.
"She got yer drink, Boss," I don't even know where he was from. A jagged scar ran over his left eye as he stared at me, his eyes were brown but his left was almost a crystal colour. It looked glassy, fogged where the dark colour should have been more prominent. This man was only partially sighted. "Pretty lass, eh?" He licked the corner of his mouth as he neared me. I was aware of the knife he held, not daring to move.
I looked away from him, but the idiot didn't seem to get the message as he tilted his head underneath my chin to stare right at me. His chest shook as he laughed, rotten teeth peaking from behind his lips. I wanted to gag from the smell of his putrid breath; I've smelt death and decaying bodies. His breath was just as worse.
"Oi, Boss. She a pretty one. Can we keep her?" I clenched my fists, using every ounce of self control to not square him right in his horrid jaw. The "Boss" cackled from where he stood, gun still pointing towards us. The other two looked down at our weapons, checking to see the bullets in our guns. Another with long black hair and a bandana over his mouth held my hatchet, twisting it around his fingers and sliding his index against the blade.
"Maybe they should take us to their place. They got some good hardware," he says as he continued to stare at my hatchet.
"What's your name, Darlin'?" Death Breath asked me, purposely puffing out. I swear I think I almost passed out from the smell.
"Step away from me, don't talk to me, and maybe learn how to use a toothbrush once in a while. It'll do well for you, trust me," I spat, stepping backwards.
He was quick with his actions as he raised his fist and swung, but I was even quicker dodging his attack. His fist swung at nothing, and while he was in a momentary shock I grabbed his hair and pulled hard so he was looking up at me. "And I'm not a wild animal you can keep. I don't belong to anyone." He opened his mouth to say something but I reacted quick enough and slammed the side of his head to the wooden table besides me. He was on the ground unconscious.
I knelt down, reaching for my pistol hidden in my boot and raised it to the Boss. His shock was evident but still remained stationary.
"Give him the weapons, or I blow your Boss' brains out. You have until the count of three. One... Three." I was just about to pull the trigger when another gunshot was heard, not from me. I watched as the stranger with the beard stared at me with widened eyes, but fell straight to the ground. Blood gushed from a hole in his forehead.
I turned to face Harry, who was holding a small black handgun. His face was hard and angry as he stared at the other two men. "Drop the weapons and go. Don't make me shoot you," he spoke slowly and immediately the two men dropped our property and ran off shouting profanities at each other.
His gaze softened as he turned to me. "Are you all right?"
I nodded. "Are you?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "Come on, let's get out of here. We've got one last stop."
We picked up all our weapons, including the Vodka, and left the bed store. I knew that when Harry wanted to be feared he accomplished it. The way those boys ran from us, away from us, only illustrated their apprehension; either it was from the death of their Boss or the threat Harry gave them. Whatever it was, I'm glad we left the shop unharmed.
I heard Harry chuckle to himself, a crooked smile on his face. "What's so funny?" I ask.
"What you said to that idiot. And then what you did to that idiot. Can't believe he was gonna hit you."
"And yet you didn't stop him," I joked but judging by Harry's sour expression he didn't take it in that way.
He didn't answer as he lifted the lid that led to the Professor's lab. He pulled two torches from his backpack, handing me one as we began to climb down the ladder. Harry of course went first.
"Just in case something is down there," he says.
"Or you just want a view of my arse," I replied which earned a light laugh from him.
-
Doctor Fredrick Humbert seemed like a wise man. Although his theory and predictions may be incorrect, they were still very valid. The live remnants of him were still inside the chamber, and once he caught sight of us he began to hit the glass. The crack in the video wasn't there, neither was the duct tape he had used to temporarily seal it. The walker bashed and groaned against the glass, its jaw hung open as it tried to actually chew through. But whatever was left of its teeth couldn't find a good enough grip.
Harry was staring at it. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were narrowed, just looking at the walker.
"I want to know why he's in there, instead of Trisha. Unless he got rid of her after he killed her."
"He must have. Still doesn't explain why he's in there."
We didn't move an inch. We just watched as the walker fell to the ground, its thin and knobby knees finally gave out. But it didn't give up, now using its head to hit the chamber's walls.
"I may have an idea," he seemed to ponder before answering. "Just by looking at him, the simplest observation you can tell he was starved. In his videos he mentioned lacking food and his resources were limiting. Maybe he knew he was going to die so he locked himself in there."
The thought has crossed my mind, but it did feel peculiar. He could have left his lab, unless he was afraid to go out in the open.
"Do you want to, or should I?"
"Just unlatch that hinge over there. I'll take care of the rest."
I nodded and followed his instructions. A transparent lock, which was made of glass, was what kept the door shut. It surprised me that it hasn't broken, seeing as how fragile glass is. But after examining the latch I noticed that it must be three or so inches thick. I held the rod with my fingertips and pulled until it was out of the latch. The glass door began to swing backwards.
Harry stepped forward inside the chamber, quickly raising his arm to block his nose from the stench. I couldn't smell it, but I'm sure it was bad. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger once.
Doctor Fredrick Humbert was now dead. Not unknowingly living. Dead.
Harry stepped towards the dead walker, pulling out some matches as he bent down. His head tilted in confusion as he reached over to the pocket of the lab coat. When Harry's hand was in sight I noticed what was wedged in between his fingertips.
A tape.
His gaze met mine as my eyes widened. There was one more.
-
He unlocked the door to the cabin and slammed it open, storming inside to meet a very surprised looking Ash and Savannah. Savannah shrieked as she pulled herself away from Ash, but Harry and I didn't have time to stop for greeting or a friendly chat. There was a final video, and the curiosity was eating me alive to know what was on it.
Maybe he finally figured out the answer. The answer on how to end this virus. Maybe there is hope after all.
Harry bent over to grab the camcorder that was underneath his bed. He sat beside me, immediately hitting the power switch and inserting the final tape. The tape with all the answers.
He appeared on the screen, looking fatigued, exhausted, and deathly pale.
"There is no hope left. No hope left in this world. Or maybe there's just no hope for me," he laughed humourlessly. "If you are watching this tape then I am dead. Or you have killed me. Or you've possibly killed the monster I had become, and for that I would like to say thank you. It was never in my intention to die like this. My supplies of food and water have run out... well it's been four days... I have been without food or water for four days. I hear the screams and moans every single day from up there," he stared towards the ceiling, which was what I assumed was the town.
"If— When I am going to die I know I will turn into one of them. I have no bullets left in my gun, and I have no knife sharp and long enough to piece my skull. I refuse to use any more of my medicine; it's no use to me. Medication cannot replace food, although they are both essential for survival, one cannot substitute the other. To you that is watching this... there's a cabinet on the right, it's stocked with different medicine. Many are foreign and brought from other countries and continents, but it will help you more than it would have helped me.
"Trisha's body is disposed of. One evening everything up there was quiet, so I quickly buried what was left of her. It's respectful enough. If my lab wasn't my home then I would have burnt her, yet I have nothing to spark a fire," he sighed heavily then began to cough. He reached into his coat to produce a handkerchief that I've recognised in one of his previous tapes, and coughed into it. This went on for a minute, but he soon stopped, and then laughed.
"Coughing blood. One of the symptoms. Yes, I am in my early ages. Yes, I do not have long but I am not afraid of my outcome. My theory remains; we are all infected whether or not we're bit. Once we die, we turn, simple. You must have survived a while if you've found my lab; it's been countless of months, days, and weeks since the outbreak of the virus. But unfortunately, you are bound to die. I bear some good news, but also bad. Good news first. During the winter and colder days, the walkers begin to slow. Then over time they will freeze, their bodies will shrink, their muscles will tighten and almost suffocate their organs.
"But of course, the bad news. It will not kill them. Their bodies will stay frozen until the next summer. Although that way it will give you, and those whom are trying to survive, time to escape. Where you will go is up to you, but I would definitely leave this place. The dead will be walking to anywhere warm."
I frowned as he paused. What he is telling us is everything we already know. We know that during the harsh winter the walkers will freeze and begin to slow down. The information he is telling us isn't new. We've heard it all before.
"I refuse to be a threat. I will stay in my lab, and if you did kill me, I do hope that you destroyed my lab... along with me. Darla, if this is by any chance you watching... I love you so very, very much. I can't explain how sorry I am for not being there for you and for the children... I'm sorry if you're watching this, hoping to look for answers. You want my opinion in this matter? Run. Run far away, some place where it's all mainland and far from civilisation. Find as many non-perishable items as you can, canned foods, etcetera. Save it all. You'll need it."
He straightened his back and inhaled deeply, staring at the camera.
"My name is Fredrick Humbert. I may not have survived the apocalypse, but I've been alive for too long. Sixty-four years too long. I know I don't have much time, but to whomever is watching this. It's up to you now. It's up to you to save the human race. Book one has ended, now God wants to start a new book, with a new beginning, middle, and end. And you," he smiled gently, one of the most genuine smiles I have yet to witness on his face. "You are the protagonist and the author to your own story. Everything is in your hands now. Good luck."
Static.
That was it. No answer but a good luck.
To say I was fuming with anger was an understatement, heat bubbled in my cheeks as I bit down against my teeth — hard. I don't want to be angry, but seeing how his attitude was pessimistic except towards the end frustrated me.
"Well that's bullshit," Harry says, clearly just as upset about it as I was. "That's all he has for us? Become the next Adam and Eve?" He licked his lips and began shaking his head. "That's bullshit," he repeats.
"It's pissing me off too, but maybe he's right. Just rely on each other to survive," I blinked, and then shook my head, even I didn't believe what I was saying.
Harry heaved a sigh then lay down onto his bed. "We're all going to eventually die," he whispers.
"Don't be such a mood killer. Think of the positive, be optimistic ."
"No, shut up," he groaned then turned over so he was facing me. Our close range was enough to make me shift slightly away from him, any further then I would fall off the single bed. "I never noticed your hair was so blonde." He reached forward with his abnormally large hands and lightly twisted a few strands in between his fingers.
"Yeah well I've never realised how big your hands are." Lies.
"Well I can show you something else that's bi—"
"Okay, that's enough," I stood to my full height. He covered his eyes with his arm and began laughing, the way his mouth curled upwards and showed his teeth. Even his dimples became more prominent than when he would simply smile. "I think we should go and tell the others, about Fredrick."
His laughter died down, and immediately I regret speaking. His lips now portrayed a small smile, but not high enough to reach his eyes.
"All right. Let's go then."
-
"That's it, no cure?" Ash asks, narrowing his eyes towards me as if I had something to do with it.
"Yes," I grit my teeth. "It's about who stays alive the longest, long enough to continue our race."
"So what, like reproduction?" Lark asks.
"I guess." Harry scratched his head. "But how about we don't talk about kids, first we need to figure out how to survive, ourselves, maybe in a few years come back to me about the kids option."
"And how are you gonna produce children, Harry?" Savannah asks. "Unless you have a magical uterus."
"Christ, enough," he mutters. "We've established the ground rules, never trust another human esp—"
"You've already broken that rule haven't you, Harry?" Ash dares to ask. He smiles curtly, but we all know the action is false.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you brought this little spitfire into your home so easily. Tell me, what made you trust her?"
"Stop it, Ash," Savannah scolded but he ignored her as he continued.
"The first girl we've seen since Lana. It's been like two years since you've been with a girl. Is that your little plan? To bring her in, in exchange for sex?"
"Ash, I suggest you shut your pretty little mouth before—"
This time he stood, glaring at Harry and I.
"I've known you for years and look, you're already taking her side! Is it only me that's not blind?! She's hiding something, I know it! She'll probably kill us during our sleep. It seems like I'm the only one thinking with some sense because you all have your heads so far up your asses that you can't see that —"
"That's enough!" Savannah shouted, cutting off whatever Ash was going to say. I didn't realise that I was also standing, hands balled into fists by my sides and breathing heavily. One step and I would gladly knock his teeth out. "Bedroom, now!" She grabbed his shirt and dragged him away before he even said a word. Once they disappeared I sighed.
"I'm sorry he—"
I raised my hand to cut Harry off.
"He's right, partially. You've taken me into your home, given me food to eat, a shower, a bed... everything. I'm just extra space and an extra mouth to feed. Ash is right, I'm a burden," I shrugged my shoulders with a small smile.
I glanced at Lark who was staring at the ground, brows furrowed. I didn't spare a glance at Harry, but only turned away and walked towards the closet besides the front door. My weapons and backpack were all there. I removed the 9mm handgun from my waistband as well as the harness and knife on my leg, placing them neatly on the shelves. My rifle felt heavier than before, seeing as I've been using small guns rather than something extensive.
"So you're just leaving," Harry's voice startled me as I turned to face him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and I could have sworn he was more upset than he was curious.
"It was bound to happen soon enough. I've overstayed my time here, but I do appreciate everything you've given me, all of you. Although I do want to wring your neck out for listening to my audio recorder and almost getting me killed."
"Hey, at least you'll remember me as the dick who almost got you killed." His attempt at a joke was ruthless, but nonetheless I smiled.
I lifted my rifle so it rested on my shoulder, now the feeling of having it on me was becoming more familiar. "I can't say I regret meeting you, Harry. You're a good guy. Stay out of trouble, yeah?"
"You don't have to leave you know."
I sighed and shrugged on the large coat that Savannah had given to me. "If it makes one of you uncomfortable then my time is excused. I'm intruding and only causing havoc between you guys. It's enough of a reason for me to leave."
"Ash'll get over it. He always does. He was the same with Lana."
"And look at where she ended up. Look at how Lark ended up... He's looking out for you guys, and I admire that." I reached for the lock, and twisting it until I heard a click. The door swung open, revealing the evergreen trees that were welcoming me back.
"I promise you he'll get over it."
I reached over, pressing my lips against his cheek for only a moment before pulling back.
"Goodbye, Harry Styles."
And I began to walk down the pavement, watching as the concrete turned into bark and grass. This time however, he didn't call out, and I didn't look back.
~