Sora was frustrated. He gripped his gun tightly as he ran, heading to the nearest camp full of humans. If he could reach it, the faster zombie behind him would lose interest in him and focus and the mass amount of flesh that WASN'T Sora- not only that, but the humans would defend themselves, and in doing so, would ultimately defend Sora.
The zombie was nearing him. If he tried to turn and shoot now, the zombie would surely get him. Just a bit more... there was mere feet between them now. Sora glanced back, fear making him run faster- but not fast enough. The camp was too far and Sora wasn't going to make it. He panted, air rushing through his lungs. The adrenaline was wearing out and his legs were worn thin. He rushed through the trees, heading for a clearing. That was where he was going to make his final stand.
At the very least he was going to take the zombie with him, he determined.
Sora didn't want to do this, but he knew he had to. He was going out with a bang, not matter what. The sun streamed out towards Sora. That was what he always wanted- to die under the sun. Sora began to turn, raising his gun.
"SWISH." The zombie's head split clean in half, brains spreading everywhere. The slice was dead center- straight through the head. Red liquids sludged out of the skull, soaking the zombie's clothes. The zombie fell to Sora's feet, and as he toppled over his brain slid out with a thunk. Sora nudged the zombie with his toe, careful not to let the gore enter his wounds. He looked up, wondering who saved him. It was a soldier, with long silver hair. The man slid his weapon- a long thin sword that Sora recognized as a katana- into it's sheath on his back. "Th- thank you."
"No problem. Next time, don't let the zombie catch up to you. Shoot the fuckers while you can." Sora nodded, and stood up. He breathed a sigh of relief, and settled his priorites quickly- first, he was going to have to get a kick ass weapon like the man's, and second that he needed to restock on supplies. He inspected the zombie, searching for any inventory he could use to survive.
As the man turned to leave, Sora called him out. "Wait!" The man- no, Sora realized, a boy barely older than him- turned back toward Sora. "What's your name?"
The boy smirked. "Riku." The silver hair gleamed under the sunlight, making him seem ethereal. The beach thunderd noisily as the waves crashed back and forth.
"Well, Riku, would you mind pointing me in the direction of the store that you got the katana from? I don't have any money, but I'm sure that the zombie store owner won't mind!"
Riku rolled his eyes. "Kids shouldn't run with scissors, let alone katanas. Don't you have a group to get back to or something?"
Sora smiled. "Nope! I'm the lone ranger, destined to travel alone, fight alone, and die alone."
Riku paused, eying the younger boy. He ran his fingers through his hair and the strands whispered across his face. "Don't you have enough common sense to avoid the shoreline? I realize it's a pretty small island, but if you don't stick to the center and have multiple places to run... you're dead meat."
"Are you going to show me or not?" Sora was beginnning to get irritated, and no amount of smiling was going to get rid of the situation. "If I stay here for too long, like you said, I'm going to die. Just tell me where to go and I'm gone."
"Hey, kid, I'm just trying to keep you alive for a bit longer. Here, I'll lead the way." Riku turned and headed deeper into the forest- and away from the town.
Sora paused. Not only was the stranger leading him in the wrong direction- but he was taller, stronger, and well armed. Sora didn't like his chances if the boy turned out to be a cannible. It had only been a few weeks since the incident, but that was enough time for people to become insane and very, very hungry. "No thanks. Just show me where to go, and I'll be fine on my own."
"What do you have a death wish or something? C'mon, if we cut through these trees we'll get there faster. The shop is at the edge of town." Sora took a few steps back. His hand rested on his hip- and not too far away from his gun. His hand inched closer and closer as he clicked off the safety. At this distance, it would be a tie. At the very least, the stranger wouldn't expect him to fight back. Sora could get a hole or two in him before he got his head chopped off...
Riku turned and saw Sora's hand at the hilt of his gun. Riku raised his hands above his head, and tied his hair in a ponytail. "Listen, kid, I'm not going to hurt you."
"Don't call me kid." Sora grit his teeth. Who knew what kind of monsters were lurking within these woods- but at the very least, he could consider them all an enemy. And Sora liked his enemies either dead or very far away.
"Fine then, what do I call you?" Sora knew what Riku was doing- trying to establish trust. He has seen it happen dozens of times before on that island, and it had all ended in death.
"You don't call me anything. Point me to the store, and I'll be on my way." Riku wordlessly aimed in the direction he was initially heading.
"Keep heading in that direction for 2 miles and you'll see a tiny greenshack. Enter it, and you'll find all the weapons you'll need." Sora pulled out his gun and aimed it at Riku, training it on him as he passed the boy and headed toward where he had said. Riku stood still, watching him until Sora couldn't see the boy anymore.
Sora quickly turned and fled, running as fast as his legs would allow. If there were weapons, there had to be food. It was the main reason that Sora has turned that far away from the center of the island in the first place.
Like any human, he needed food. And like all the other humans on the island, he was raiding the shops. But as everyone realized where the last sources of food were, they began to diminish. No one knew where the infection had started- but they did know that no other ships were coming with supplies.
They were all on their own.
It was a fact that Sora had learned the hard way.
...
Sora's speed had slowed down to a walk as his stomach burned hollowly. How long had it been? His body was suddenly cold despite the warm air around him. Was he infected? Or was this because he was hungry? Sora couldn't tell anymore- all he knew was that he had to reach the shop, and fast.
He almost missed it. It rested against the shrubbery, blending in so well that it was hard to tell where the grass began and the store ended.
Sora hadn't encountered a single living dead. It was odd, but Sora was greatful. He wasn't sure what to call them, so he created a new name. The "Heartless". They hungered for nothing other than flesh, not caring who it was. It could be their brother, their mother. As long as the skin was warm with meat inside, they didn't care.
Sora thought it was a fitting name.
Heartless.
But sometimes, he wondered if humans weren't heartless themselves.
Sora opened the door.
...
It smelled like rust and metal. Sora's nose scrunched up as he closed the door behind him. Did he really want to do this? Did he trust Riku? Was this a trap?
A headache engulfed him. The metal swarmed around him, glittering and shaking. Sora grasped a table, feeling metal cut into his skin. He didn't care- he needed something to hold on to as he staggered on his feet.
Was he going to die? Was this it?
A moan filtered through to his ears. A Heartless? This far into the forest? They usually stayed near the shore, or in the town.
The moan didn't stop. It was joined with a chorus of groans and yowls, hundreds of voices joining into one chaotic chorus of pain.
It was a hoard of heartless.
...
Riku rushed through the door. "Shit." He panted, slamming it closed behind him and resting against the wooden door. The room was windowless, and the metals might mask his smell- but not for long. Sora was on his knees in front of him, breating heavily with sweat clinging to his now pale skin. "Hey- hey, are you okay?"
The boy rose unsteadily on his feet. "Yeah... I'm fine." He didn't look fine. Riku yanked his chin quickly and examined his eyes. They weren't yellowing, or bloodshot. He wasn't turning. So what was wrong with him, then?
Nevermind that. Riku pulled a bloody sword from the table beside the boy and folded it into his hands. "Can you fight?"
"I can try." The boy tried for a smile, before his muscles fell and his eye lids lowered. The boy looked barely alive. Riku sighed. He not only had to protect himself, but this kid as well.
Riku was up for a challenge.
Riku opened the door and pulled Sora's hand into his, leading the boy out of the room. Riku sealed the room behind him, and looked at the thousands of zombies flooding his vision and staring at him hungrily. Drool dripped down what was left of their jaws, and yellow teeth clanked loudly as they howled at their prey.
Riku heard the familiar zing as he unsheathed his katana.
He hadn't had good practice like this in a while.
This was reality, but Riku couldn't help but smirk as the first zombie fell. Blood splurted out and covered Riku, sticking to his skin as the coagulated blood hit him. Chunks of flesh and blood began to spill forth from the first zombie, filling Riku's soul.
The first blood was always the best.
...
His feet danced rhythmically. A single zombie rushed forward towards him, and he slid the top of it's scalp off. Brain lay reveiled to Riku as it wobbled toward him, arms outstreched.
Riku jabbed the zombie quickly in it's heart. He would have preferred dancing a bit more, but his partner was lagging behind him. He needed to preserve his energy and make sure that the boy made it out alive.
Slash. Dodge. Combo attack! Stab. Two kills, one slash! He cut off the hands of one, leaving it unable to touch it's prey. He would have left it like that, but as it ambled toward the boy he decided to kill it.
Leave no rock unturned, he decided.
The boy placed his hot forehead against Riku back. Riku sighed, and turned his back against the army for an instantly. He quickly liften the boy up and swung him over his shoulder. The last thing he needed was another death on his head.
Riku returned to the dead in front of would be a long, boring fight. The monsters only attacked a single way.
Riku sighed, his hair bobbing in it's ponytail.
He would have death.
He pointed his katana at the nearest zombie.
But he wouldn't have it today, while someone else's life rested on his hands.
...