Alphonse Elric moved his sleeping brother's drooling face off the book.

Al was too scared to sleep and too tired to read. So he sat there. His eyes started to close and he forced them open. His eyelids were so heavy...

No. No. He couldn't sleep. Since Ed had started on this, Al had been having nightmares. Terrible nightmares. So he wouldn't sleep.

He had the vaguest feeling of something behind him. He had to look. But he didn't want to see it.

"Mom," his whisper came out. Slowly, Al turned. Nothing. No zombies.

"Zombies don't exist," Al whispered.

"The zombies are going to get me!" Al sobbed. His mother picked him up, warm and soft and safe.

"Al... the zombies aren't going to get you."
"They are! They're going to come, and they're going to get you, and they're going to get Brother, and when I'm all alone, they'll get me!"

"No, they aren't..."

She was using the voice that made him sleepy. He clung closer but resisted the urge to sleep. If he fell asleep, the zombies would come.

"It was just a nightmare..."
"But the zombies... They got Dad!"
"The zombies didn't get your father. You'll see when he comes back."

"Ed says he won't. So the zombies must have got him, 'cause Dad would never leave!"

"He will come back. The zombies didn't get him. The zombies won't get anyone."
"How do you know?"
"Because I have special mommy powers that make the zombies stay away."
"Ed says you don't have any special mommy powers."
"Well, have you ever seen any zombies around here before?"

To a sleepy four-year-old, that was indisputable logic, and Al finally fell asleep.

"Mommy?"

Trisha coughed for so long Al was terrified. When she finally spoke, her voice was so quiet and hoarse it almost didn't sound like Mommy.

"Yes, sweetie?"
"Did the zombies get you?" He climbed up into the bed for a Mommy hug. Mommy hugs were magic, no matter what Ed said.

"Of course they didn't..."
She coughed again. Al couldn't hold back the sobbing.

"But you're going to turn into a zombie and not be my mommy anymore just like Dad! And then Ed's going to turn into a zombie! And then they'll get me..."

"Al... I'll always be your mommy."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I love you, Mommy..."

"I love you too."

Al finally couldn't stay awake.

His mother stood up. But it wasn't Mommy. She was rotting and didn't smile like Mommy.

"Shit," said Brother.

"Mommy! Please! You said you'd always be my mommy... you can't be a zombie!"

The zombie Mommy grabbed Ed. Al hid in the suit of armor. Please... no...

He poked his head out. Ed was a zombie too. Al sobbed and curled up. He was all alone, and the zombies were going to get him...

He looked out again. His dad, Winry, the Rockbells, Pinako... all zombies. All trying to get him.

"Mommy!" Al sobbed, "Brother! Please..."

The suit of armor was knocked over and he rolled out. He was alone, surrounded by zombies... Everyone had left him. And now the zombies would get him.

Al woke up and screamed.

"Al?" asked Ed.

"Brother! You're not a zombie!"

Al grabbed his brother. He couldn't let go, not after...

"Of course I'm not." Ed hugged Al. "Come on. Let's go get breakfast."
"Ed, what if we bring Mom back and she's a zombie?"
"Al... zombies don't exist."
"Well, no one's done Human Transmutation before!"
"Al. No zombies. I promise."

"All right..."

Al stared at the suit of armor and shuddered.