Slow days at the shop were always really dull for Yugi Moto. Every day he would clean the counters, the cards, and even the windows twice over just to have something to do in the small card shop his grandfather owned and maintained.
As he was staring off into space, dodging a request from his grandfather in the other room, he decided to turn the television on. The T.V jolted to life with the click of a button from the remote. Yugi had been expecting some usual fluff piece on a missing cat or something. The television came on with a news reporter looking flustered as she was reporting a crisis in the middle of Domino City.
"Eyewitness' and victims have given reports of a strange man attacking people and running off. Authorities are currently working on capturing the suspect responsible..." Yugi furrowed his brow at the strange news. Deciding to take no mind of the news, Yugi began his usual task of polishing the counter when the bell over the shop door rang.
Yugi looked up and started to say, "Welcome to the shop..." when he realized it was his friend, Joey.
"Oh, hey, Joey!" Yugi greeted with a smile.
"Hey , Yuge." Joey responded to his enthusiastic friend. " Have you seen the news this morning?"
Yugi frowned, "Yeah, I just saw it. It's pretty crazy... All these random attacks..." Yugi looked back down at the counter, "I'm sure they'll catch that guy soon, though. I'm not too worried about it."
"Yeah, I hope so! I just came from that part of town and I saw him attack a guy!"
Yugi raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Are you okay? You weren't hurt were you?" Yugi said as he was looking over Joey to confirm that there were no wounds.
Joey brushed him off, looking annoyed, "Yeah, I'm fine, Yuge" Joey said as he looked through some cards in one of the glass display cases.
"Well that's good..." Yugi sighed in relief. Yugi was about to add to his thought when the phone rang. Yugi picked up the phone from the counter and answered, "Card Shop, how can I help you?"
"Yugi! We have a problem!" It was Yugi's friend, Te'a, on the other end. She sounded distraught.
"Te'a! What's wrong?"
Joey looked over, "Something wrong, Yuge?"
Yugi payed him no mind and just focused on Te'a.
"Bakura is in the hospital! He was attacked by some lunatic on the street!" she exclaimed in a hurried tone. "You need to get over here A.S.A.P! I was able to get a hold of Tristan but I can't find Joey. Get over here!"
"Joey is with me, we'll be over there as fast as we can!" Yugi and Te'a said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.
Joey stood there puzzled, "Yugi, what's wrong?"
"I'll have to explain on the way," Yugi turned towards the other room of the shop, "Grandpa! I'll be back later!" and with that, Yugi and Joey left the card shop, half running.
After about twenty minutes of fighting, the absurd traffic, and getting a nurse to tell them where Bakura's room was, Yugi and Joey found Te'a and Tristan standing over his bed. Te'a wiped her eyes and took notice of Yugi and Joey's arrival. They were all speechless.
"What happened!?" Yugi asked, looking at Te'a and Tristan.
Te'a looked at Tristan and then back to Yugi, "Me and Tristan were walking around and we found Bakura. We met to get some lunch at the Generic Deli down the road and this sick looking guy charged at Bakura and bit him on the hand." Te'a looked back at Bakura, " Next thing we know, Bakura has a huge fever and drops to the ground."
Tristan cut her off, "I helped her carry Bakura over here and we've been here for more than an hour."
"And the doctors don't know what to do." Te'a finished her thought and went silent again.
No one said anything for the next thirty minutes as the T.V was on. There were news reports of riots breaking out all around the area, people were fleeing to the heart of Domino City, and even an odd report about a body rising from a grave.
"What the fuck is happening out there!?" Joey looked at the T.V in astonishment.
Tristan looked at Joey as he said, "I don't know, man, but I don't like it."
Out of nowhere the heart monitor strapped to Bakura starts beeping rapidly. Concerned, Joey shouts for a nurse. After about a minute a nurse rushes in and presses a button, signaling for all of the other nurses and doctors. Yugi, Te'a, Joey, and Tristan were asked to step out of the room. The friends rush out of the room reluctantly, but they stay in view of Bakura, surrounded by the frantic movements of nurses and doctors.
After a few seconds of just watching, feeling hopeless, all they could see were more and more doctors flooding into the room and they eventually lost sight of Bakura all together.
Te'a covered her eyes and couldn't bear to watch. The noise from the heart monitor slowly increased in volume. With each passing second, it beeped faster and faster, so fast that the sound itself tugged at the hearts of the four friends sitting outside the room.
Faster, faster, faster and all of a sudden, the most frightening noise any could have ever heard came out of that hospital room. A single, unchanging, noise, loudly heralding the death of their friend. Tears welled within the eyes of the four as they sat.
"I- I don't understand..." said Te'a quietly, with tear stained eyes, "It was only one little bite..."
The movement from inside the room settled down, and nurses left one by one out of the room. A doctor was the last to leave, he walked up to Te'a and looked crestfallen.
He looked at Te'a and calmly said, "I'm sorry, we did all we could..."
Te'a started sobbing and looked as if she was about to collapse. Yugi stood up and held her in his arms. The doctor turned away, and walked off.
Joey started to Bakura's room with Tristan at his heels. Yugi, with Te'a in tow, slowly made his way to the door.
Inside the room, a nurse was prepping to transport Bakura's body. Yugi asked the nurse to give them a minute before they had to transport the body. The nurse smiled, nodded, and left quietly.
The room seemed darker, somehow. Nothing changed since they were all in the room together,
except for Bakura. The friends were all silent, there was now only four in their group, no longer five.
Te'a let go of Yugi and slowly turned to Bakura's body. Tears still in her eyes, she reached under the sheet, took Bakura's hand, and squeezed it saying, "We love you, Bakura... Goodbye."
All of a sudden, a scream echoed through the hospital corridors. Tristan and Joey bolted to the door and looked around to see what the problem was, but no one was to be seen. A few receptionists looked petrified at the sound, just as confused.
Te'a was about to join the boys and let go of Bakura's hand, when suddenly, Bakura's hand squeezed hers. She stood completely still, barely breathing, and her gaze slowly turned to Bakura.
"B- Bakura...?" she stared at the body, the force behind Bakura's grip not as tender as she would expect.
Yugi turned to her, "What's wrong?" taking his gaze off the doorway.
Te'a didn't utter a sound, never taking her eyes off of Bakura's body.
All of a sudden, there was motion under the cover.
Te'a turned excitedly towards Yugi and shouted, "Yugi-!" suddenly she interrupted herself with a scream. Yugi, Tristan, and Joey looked at her, confused and then they saw it. Bakura's body started to thrash around the hospital bed, with Te'a's hand firmly in its grasp, she was being jerked towards the bed.
The sheet that once covered Bakura's dead body was now thrown on the ground in the conflict. Bakura's usual tender and kind features were contorted into that of extreme, animalistic hunger. His eyes didn't seem human, they took on a reddish hue.
Yugi rushed to Te'a's side to free her from Bakura's vice like grip, but to no avail, his hold was too powerful, which locked them in a stalemate. Joey and Tristan rushed to help free Te'a from Bakura.
Te'a's screamed louder as Bakura started biting at her ravenously. With Tristan, Yugi, and Joey's strength combined, they managed to pull Te'a free. They fell backwards away from the bed, and Bakura fell forwards towards them, never losing sight of Te'a.
Te'a, trapped on top of Yugi and Joey, was trying to put distance between her and Bakura, pushing him away with her hands and feet.
Tristan got his bearings and punched Bakura, sending him flying off of Te'a. Bakura instantly started to stand up, without needing to take a break, as if Tristan's punch had no affect.
In a moment of desperation, Joey grabbed the lamp on the side table and slammed it into Bakura's head. Groaning, Bakura fell backwards, and he fell silent and still.
No one in the room moved for what seemed like hours. All eyes were on Bakura.
Joey looked at his hands, "What did I..."
"Well I'm glad you did... That wasn't Bakura." Tristan reassured him, "I don't know what it was, but Bakura is not himself."
Te'a clung to Yugi once more, silent.
As the group was gathering their thoughts a nurse screamed, "Stay away from the morgue! The dead are rising! The dead are rising! Run!"
"What are they talking about?" Yugi said, starting to panic.
Joey ran out into the hallway to see if he could make out the nurse who screamed. All he saw was silhouettes of people hobbling down to the main stairwell after the other patients and nurses.
Joey made eye contact with one of the dark figures, they looked normal, except the one in particular he looked at had half of his face torn off in a bloody mess. No one could possibly be alive after that.
Joey stood there for a second, stunned. Some of the other stragglers took notice of him, and started rushing towards him. He receded back into the room, and slammed the door quickly.
"We have to get out of here!" he said, locking the door behind him.
Yugi looked at Joey, puzzled, "What did you see?"
"Yuge... I just saw a guy walking around with half his face torn off... I think we should leave..."
Yugi nodded, "What about Bakura?"
"I don't think he is Bakura anymore." Te'a said.
"Let's get out of here," Tristan said, " I think there's a fire escape out here." Tristan opened the window and made his way out to the fire escape.
And with that, they took one final look at Bakura, and quietly climbed their way out of the window.
Once all of them were outside on the rusting fire escape, they see the horror that has befallen their city. Everywhere they looked there were people running for their lives from the same things that were inside the hospital.
BANG.
BANG.
The earsplitting thuds on the door Joey locked were painfully loud to the group. They knew that if they stayed here much longer, more of those things would be on them, cornered.
Whispering, Yugi told everyone, "Get down. Quickly!"
And they all made their descent into Domino. Finally, after what seemed like hours of climbing, they touched ground and bolted away from the hospital.
"Where do we go?" Te'a asked.
"I'm worried about my grandpa, Joey, where's Serenity?"
Ever since Bakura fell unconscious, Joey had already thought about calling his sister to give her the news. Now that these things had started causing a panic, it would be a good idea to reunite with his sister.
"I need to go get her from the house, I'll meet up with ya later, Yuge." Joey started to run off when Tristan followed him.
Tristan looked back at Yugi, "I'll make sure Joey stays safe, Te'a go with Yugi, we'll all meet up at town hall. Right outside the movie place!"
"Stay safe!" Te'a yelled after them, disappearing from sight.
Yugi grabbed Te'a's hand and the two of them bolted down the street, towards the card shop.
The streets were filled with running, screaming people. They were all headed in the same direction, town hall. A few doors were locked and barricaded, trying to wade out whatever it was that was going on.
"Yugi!" Te'a gasped, astounded.
She looked to her left and, not too far away, there was a woman pinned to the ground by a ghoul trying to take bites out of her.
Yugi and Te'a kept running. She was still staring at the woman, incredulous.
Finally, the woman's hand gave out, and the ghoul fell into her, teeth first. Crimson blood left the woman along with cries of agony and terror. No one around her attempted to help her, they all passed her by, trying to save themselves.
Te'a forced her gaze away from the woman.
Yugi's face darkened. There was no longer anything they could have done for the woman. The only thing on his mind was his grandfather.
It took about another ten minutes to get to the shop. Yugi and Te'a spent their time maneuvering through the back alleys and shadows to avoid the gaze of the dark figures with murderous intent.
They came down a side alley adjacent to the card shop, through the narrow opening Yugi could barely see the door. He could make out the silhouettes of the creatures that were pursuing them earlier throwing themselves at the shop's wooden door. Yugi felt an urgency course through him, his grandpa was in that shop and he needed to get to him now.
He bolted out from the corner he Te'a were hiding in, straight to the backdoor. The creatures did not seem to notice them or the second entry yet.
Te'a was right behind him, eyes wide, and fully alert.
For Yugi, with each passing second his mind brought him to a grimmer conclusion
He reached for the brass doorknob on the back of the shop and quickly twisted it open. Yugi motioned to Te'a, who ducked inside with Yugi, and they shut the door.
The pair turned around to the chaos that the shop had turned into, papers were everywhere, the glass cases were shattered and almost all of the doors were boarded up, shutting out sunlight.
Grandpa Moto was busy, nailing planks of wood over the windows furiously. His usual face of joy disappeared, and one of fear replaced it, sweat lining his brow.
Yugi felt relieved when he saw his Grandpa safe, "Grandpa!"
Grandpa turned around to the sound of his name, "Yugi, you're okay! Te'a i'm glad to see you're alright too."
Te'a smiled as Yugi and his grandfather embraced.
BANG.
BANG.
The creatures outside were persistent.
Yugi and his grandfather parted, Grandpa making his way toward the door to strengthen the makeshift barricade with Yugi behind him while Te'a stayed back trying to find more materials.
"Grandpa, we have to get out of here! Joey and Tristan are going to meet us at City Hall!"
Grandpa made no response.
"Grandpa, let's go!" Yugi urged his grandfather.
Yugi's grandfather seemed less worried about the barricade and began searching for something.
Yugi was puzzled, 'What could he possibly need right now that was more important than the barricade? Some kind of tool perhaps?..' He began searching the area, trying to find something that could be of use.
"Aha!" Grandpa edged a box out from behind a bookshelf, right at the very top.
Yugi looked over at the little box. It was encrusted with gold along its edges, creating a series of odd designs, in the very center was a golden eye. The box was covered in dust from sitting untouched for many years.
Yugi recognized it, that box housed a puzzle his grandfather had uncovered when he was still performing his archaeological duties. The box and the puzzle were found in an ancient pharaoh's tomb. It took Yugi several years to finally solve it. Once it was done, he found no real reason to wear it around, so he placed it back in the box his grandfather gave him.
Grandpa presented the box to Yugi, "Here! Take it!" he urged.
Yugi looked worried, "Gramps, that would only slow us down! You can't possibly expect us to-"
"Take it!" Grandpa thrust the box into Yugi's hands.
Yugi took the box, giving it a once over before tucking it safely into his backpack.
BANG.
BANG.
The door would give way at any moment.
"Yugi," grandpa said, "keep this with you always, it may be more useful than you think."
"Why does this sound like a goodbye?" Yugi asked, nervously.
"Yugi..." Grandpa revealed his arm to Yugi. His arm was covered in thick cloth bandages, Grandpa slowly began to unwrap it. The arm itself was nearly ripped in two, blood was crusted in various places. His skin was ashen, deteriorating and practically melting off of his arm.
"Grandpa!" Yugi gasped along with Te'a, awestruck.
"This was one bite, Yugi." Grandpa looked at his grandson in the eye, "you mustn't let them bite you, do you understand?" He took a cautious glance at the door, looking weak.
Grandpa fell to the floor, "Also..." he was struggling to make words at this point, barely conscious. "Be wary of the dead...don't ever...drop your guard...and never lose sight of what's ahead.." Slowly drained of his energy, he begins to slip to the floor grasping onto his wounded arm, his breath thickening and his words losing will. The shop filling with a strong tension, which only weighed down on Yugi and Te'a.
"Te'a!" Yugi screamed.
"Yu...gi..." was all Grandpa could manage to say as his eyes fluttered a few times before closing completely. Yugi matched his breathing to his grandpa's, tear stained face. After a few moments Grandpa became still, Te'a bent over and checked Grandpa's pulse, Yugi looked at her desperately. Te'a's face darkened, Yugi looked away from her to his Grandpa.
"Yugi...I-i'm so sorry."
BANG.
BANG.
Te'a got up quickly and rushed around the shop, all she managed to find was a blanket. She ran back to Grandpa and place it over him.
The door was barely hanging on by its hinges, with each breath the hoard drew closer.
"Yugi, we have to go, now!" Te'a said, standing up and picking up her bag.
Yugi's face was unreadable. There was no sadness, no sense of fear, or even a sense of self. He seemed almost empty.
"Yugi!" Te'a exclaimed, already at the door, ready to make a run for it.
Slowly, Yugi's looked back at the door, turning his attention away from his grandfather for a brief moment, and placed his hands on the puzzle box left to him.
"Let's go" he said, finally addressing the situation at the door..
Yugi stood up and turned towards the door, he wore a strange expression that Te'a has never seen on Yugi's small, childish face. It was a smile, but not one of happiness, it was cold and distant like all the warmth that Yugi once had was drained.
The change scared Te'a, she wasn't sure she knew this boy. He wasn't the Yugi she grew up with and cared for, he was much more sadistic, his eye's held no kindness or life.
This "new" Yugi looked Te'a dead in the eye, "Well are we going to go or do you want to greet our new friends?"
Te'a was struck speechless, Yugi would never be that sarcastic and she could have sworn his voice was a bit deeper. Te'a shook her head, ' I don't have time for this right now.' she thought to herself. She nodded to Yugi, "Yeah I'd rather not, let's go."
Yugi ran towards the door and Te'a quickly pursued him. Yugi slipped it opened and stuck his head out, checking for the walking corpses. When he didn't see any he motioned for Te'a to follow. With unwavering emotions, Yugi exited the building that would not longer be his home.
Joey and Tristan ran, only stopping to sneak around the things chasing them.
Looking behind him, Joey narrowly caught a glimpse of Yugi and Te'a rushing through the streets of the suburb. As worried as he was, Joey knew he had to find his sister, Serenity and make sure she was okay.
Taking his mind off of Yugi, Joey turned and sped off towards his sister's apartment with Tristan right behind him.
It didn't take more than five minutes for the two to find the apartment complex.
Joey looked up and could only hear screams from the people around him, the complex was in chaos. Small fires erupted from the windows and entrances, licking up the sides of the structure.
Joey recklessly ran towards the building.
Tristan kept close, making sure none of the walking corpses came near them.
Joey threw open the steel gates that guarded the complex, drawing the attention of a few corpses nearby.
Tristan looked around for a weapon. After only seconds of searching, he found a steel pipe should he need to battle an attacker.
He ran behind Joey and stood guard at the entrance, holding his weapon with malice.
Taking one last glimpse of Tristan, Joey disappeared into the flaming building.
Joey looked upon a scene of complete chaos. Papers flew in every which way, fire started engulfing the walls, and unconscious bodies littered the area, assumed dead.
There was no time to waste, Joey ran up the stairs, all the way to the fourth floor.
Screams echoed through the stairwell. Joey tried to keep his mind off of it, he couldn't save them all, and his sister was his priority.
At the top of the stairwell the door leading to the hallway was ripped off of it's hinges. Joey dashed through it and bolted down the dilapidated hallway.
Apartment number forty six was his sister's apartment. The numbers were melting off of the doors, but luckily, Joey knew the location by heart.
Failing to open the door, he backed up as far as he could, and rammed into it with all his might. The door would not give way. He repeated the process for another six times and, at last, the barrier cracked beneath his weight.
"Serenity!" Joey scanned the room for his sister.
The normally clean apartment matched the rest of the complex, it was falling apart. Fire had caught on the walls, furniture was overturned, papers and personal effects littered the carpet.
"Shit!" Joey said to himself.
He began to run through the apartment again, overturning any place that Serenity might be hiding in. Eventually, Joey realized, he had to leave. All Tristan had as protection was a steel pipe and that wouldn't do him much good if he was out numbered.
Joey scanned the room one last time, and spotted a photograph of him and serenity after she finally bought her apartment. He reached for the photograph and crumpled it into his pocket, turned, and retreated.
"My sister is safe. My sister is safe." Joey kept repeating to himself to help the knot swelling in his stomach. He swore on that photograph that he would find her, nothing would stop him. Not the divorce of their parents, not distance, not even walking corpses would separate them for long again. He turned, and ran out of the room.
Downstairs, Tristan was facing his own stream of zombified problems. Sweat on his brow, and blood staining his jacket, Tristan had killed at least four zombies while on guard. His weapon had proved to be more effective than he first thought it would be, though himself becoming exhausted after every swing.
To his right, a small group of zombies had started making their way towards him. Tristan's eyes widened, the corpses had the same exact look Bakura had in the hospital, the look of insatiable, primal hunger.
"Hurry up, Joey!" Tristan screamed at the building.
As if on cue, Joey ran out of the building, shoving Tristan forward, "Let's go!"
Tristan regained his balance, turning away from the incoming zombies, and the two ran as fast as they could down the street, towards City Hall. Soon they would be reunited with Yugi, Te'a, and hopefully grandpa.