I Don't Care
Summary: "Let's get the hell outta here, Keith!" Sadly, it didn't turn out as planned. KeithxEllis. Future NickxEllis.
Prologue
"Ma! I'm ho-"
A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the small country home, startling the twenty-three year old boy- for his mind state was still that of a boy- as he stumbled back from the shock of a creature leaping towards him. He yelped as yet another scream sounded and the creature managed to tackle him to the wooden porch of his childhood home. He winced as claws sank their way into his abdomen and began tearing through his work shirt and skin.
"Get- off!" He hissed as he forced the thing off of him with a desperate shove. He stood and prepared to run when he finally got a good look at the still 'alive' creature that attacked him. He stumbled back once more at the sight of the person.
Of his mother. Her eyes were black and yellow and pupils rather cat-like instead of their typical light blue. Her face was covered in blood and rotting flesh, and her once adorable yellow floral print dress was covered in the red fluid as well. Her hair, in it's wiry grey wonder, somehow was still in a neat little bun on her head, much unlike the disorder and chaos of the rest of her blood-drenched persona.
"M-Ma? Are ya okay?" The boy stupidly stumbled towards the woman who was crouched down and growling at him. "What happened? Was it somethin'-"
"Ellis, get back!"
The young man with dirty blond hair whipped around and found himself being pushed to the ground rather forcefully. There was another screech before a loud thunk was heard as the porch and it's two still living occupants were splattered with blood and guts. Ellis just lay there in shocked silence as he stared at one of his now red coated hands. "M-Ma..."
A firm hand grips his shoulder, pulling him up and forcing him to stand. Thankfully, the other brunet before him stood between him and the corpse of his dear mother turned... Well, turned down right insane if anything else. Ellis soon found himself in his friend's tight, comforting embrace, the other man's small amount of facial hair brushing against his own smooth cheek.
"Now, El, hurry up an' stop yer blubberin', we gotta move. People have been actin' like that all over 'Vannah, we have ta get to one of them evac centers and fast!" The other ordered as he gently shoved Ellis into the house so he could sort out what to do with the body.
Ellis simply shuffled through the doorway and into the house, that was nothing like he had left it when he went to Keith's for the weekend on Friday. What was once neat, orderly, and rather obviously family-oriented was then ripped to shreds, littered with glass, fluff from the couches, and wood shards from the furniture and pictures, and blood, so much blood. It was as if someone had tried to repaint the house and grabbed the wring can of red liquid. Some parts of it were still red, while other portions were already brown from oxidizing.
Ellis stood there for a moment, staring and listening to the sounds around the house. He could hear Keith outside, talking to himself about a way to get to the nearest evac. He heard the wind blowing outside, causing the branches of an old oak to scratch against one of the outer walls of the house. The one sound he didn't hear, though, was his mother and sister laughing, much like they were whenever he came home from a day- or in this case, weekend- with his buddy.
"Oh god..." He muttered, his body kicking into action as he rushed through the remains of his home for the past twenty three years, heading for the staircase. "Lizzy! Are you okay? Where are you at, gal?" He charged up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time as his boots thudded up the altered incline. "Lizzy!" He didn't even slow at the table lying on its side after the last step, desperately leaping over it and sliding to a stop before a doorway.
"Ellis!" Keith's voice called from the lower level of the house. "What's going on?"
But Ellis couldn't find the strength to talk after opening the door as he let out a small chuckle. There, next to a duffle bag on sky blue sheets was his old hunting rifle and a single sheet of paper with slanted scrawl upon it. He finally allowed himself to clutch at his bloodied abdomen as he entered the room with a slight limp, adrenaline having left him for the moment and all pain having returned. He sat down upon the bed as Keith rushed to the doorway, panting slightly. Ellis grabbed the note and began reading it, ignoring Keith as he tried to speak.
"El," He read aloud, stopping his friend short. "Hope you live to see this note." That part made his heart practically snap, but he continued reading, "I have to rush out. I set aside these supplies for you. Jed and I are heading out to that new hotel down by the mall. It's nearest evac point. Hope you and Keith make it there. If mom is okay again when you get here, tell her I love her. Lizzy." He looked up from the piece of paper that now wore a few tear stains. "She and Jed are safe, Keith. We have to go meet them!" A new determination entered his blue eyes as he grabbed the gun and began searching through the duffle bag.
"I'll go grab yer truck, and some food." Keith answered, his expression turning serious. He turned and began muttering to himself as he walked away. "Maybe I could make a couple more molotov cocktails 'fore we go..."
Ellis chuckled, pulling some things out of the bag: a blue trucker's hat, his favorite yellow Bullshifters tee-shirt, and some of his more worn out mechanics overalls. Another note was attached to the hat, and he laughed at what it said.
Go kick some ass in style, Ellis. Make sure Keith don't kill himself.
Ellis changed quickly into the outfit, throwing his other outfit in the bag for spare. He threw the straps of his rifle and duffle bag over his shoulders and maneuvered somewhat painfully down to where Keith was waiting in the truck. His friend was chilling, head bobbing to the sounds of the Midnight Riders with his feet propped up on the dash and a shotgun resting in his lap. Ellis chucked the bag haphazardly into the bed of his truck, startling the other hick into action as he jolted up, gun poised and loaded. Ellis only rolled his blue eyes as he entered the truck, slamming the passenger door shut behind him.
"Let's get the hell outta here, Keith!"
Kevyn: Another one of my fics! ^^ I hope you guys like this one!
Mags: ... Kevyn, don't you try to steal my thunder now...
Kevyn: Too late, little sis!
Mags: -gasp- But I'm the older twin!
Kevyn:... Whatever. I hope you guys like this so far! Please review if you liked it, or if you happen to stumble upon a grammatical error somewhere that I may have missed.