"Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it."
-Henry David Thoreau
The blaze of red danced before me, waltzing and weaving it's way across the black concrete and buildings around me. It's glow illuminated the world in a hot, fiery, red. I could smell the burning of wood, metal, plastic, and even the horrid and appalling smell of flesh. Screams echoed and bounced all around me, their cries loud at first, but soon muffled by the ripping of skin and choking of wind pipes. I couldn't budge no matter how hard I tried. I was glued to one spot as I watched the world fall apart around me in a crimson mass. Silence didn't seem to exist or even have a definition at this moment. Everything was hot, burning, boiling, but even still I felt a cold sweat break down my neck as I swallowed the lump in my throat. It was the same dream every night...Every night i'd see, from my stationary spot in the middle of all the chaos, everything I knew and loved covered in fire and blood. Everything I knew...was being ripped apart in front of me by things that could only be described as "undead".
It's ridiculous, I know, and sometimes I even tried to give myself the benefit of the doubt, like this calamity didn't actually happen, that it's NOT happening right now again and again, but I couldn't deny what my eyes were seeing. Everything was a blur. Shapes moved around me that I could identify as humans, some slower, some faster, but I couldn't tell the first thing about them. If they were a man, woman, or even the color of their skin. They were all black scratched out figures frantically moving about as other, humanoid blurs, raced after them. The only thing that was clear was the blood. The blood that rained from their necks, stomachs, and bodies. Their organs filled the streets like litter. It didn't affect me as mush as it used to. If anything, seeing intestines sprawled across the street like rope sparked a rage in me I didn't know how to describe. I was angry...but I felt oddly at peace.
A billboard sign from high above broke from it's hinges, the creaks and moans from the rust covered bolts almost mixing in perfectly with the screams of humanity at the brink of destruction. As it came crashing down onto a heap for rubble next to me, creating a small tremor, I didn't even flinch as a piece of rock flew across my face and cut my cheek. The sting set in shortly after and for a split second, I couldn't tell if this was actually a dream or indeed reality. Was this a dream of a dream? Or a dream becoming real? I couldn't tell. If this was indeed real...why was I just standing here? Why wasn't I doing something?
A warm drop of liquid ran down my face, reflecting all the vibrant light around me and shinning against my skin. I felt strength return to my arms as I moved my hand up to touch the place I was cut. When I pulled it away, a think black liquid ran down my fingers, sloppily dripping off my hand in huge droplets. As if like acid, it ate through my skin. It too, slowly splashing off in chunks, reveling the bone hidden beneath.
My eyes widened in horror as a scream escaped my mouth. I frantically shook my hand, trying to rid myself of whatever was on me, but it just seemed to bubble over...as if it tainted the rest of my blood and spread the goo further and further into my body, causing it to eat itself alive. I fell to my feet, reality coming back to me, as my arm began to disintegrate. I could do nothing but stare in dismay and cry at how hopeless this situation was and how bad the pain of the skin being ripped off my body felt. I shook uncontrollably, my legs going into a hysteria , as I tried to grip onto my remaining forearm in an effort to find a means to steady myself, but it didn't help. I gritted my teeth, attempting to not let another cry escape my mouth, but I failed and let out whimpers as I watched my slowly body fall apart.
The blurs moved around me slower now...so slow that it seemed like they stopped moving entirely. Everything began to come into focus once more and I could see all the pained expressions of everyone around me. I could see that some, tried protecting the ones they loved, their children, their family...but it was all for not. Some of the faces around me were normal. Others where not. The other, disfigured ones, were covered in blood, necks snapped to the side, open sores, cuts, missing eyes, everything that would make for an obvious crime or death scene would describe these people, but...they moved. Even more so they hunted. They hunted us. The ones who were still living in an attempt to make us eventually join the ranks of the undead.
I grunted as the black liquid made it's way up to my shoulder now. This was a dream right? Please tell me this was a dream...I "dreamt" about it so much...I began to doubt myself as to what was really the dream...and what was reality. Everything was so real and life like. I could feel the wind hitting my face and strands of my hair lift off my face, sweat tickling down my skin, my head become light...
I heard a goggling noise come from ahead of me. I turned my attention away from my arm for a moment to see a figure, far away from me, but close enough to see, with it's back turned to me. It's long dark brown hair dangled down as it's head stared up at the sky. It stood rather awkwardly, it's knees pointed inward and it's arms hanging off to the side. I continued to stare for a long moment before recognition hit me.
"M-Mom?" I said. It came out as more a chocked sob that anything, but I also sounded a lot younger then I...remembered...It came out as a weird train of thought and I couldn't exactly make sense of it myself, but I sounded like I did years ago.
"..." The body twitched, it's head spazzing at the sound of my voice.
It was a long moment before I heard, "...Eren...?"
I felt a wave of relief fall over me at the sound of my mom's voice, "Mom! Mom help me i'm-"
"ErEN..."
The goggling noise returned as the head turned completely around, the crunches and snaps of the bones accompanying it. My body stiffened in horror, the pain of the acid inside of me disappearing instantly. No. That wasn't my mom. That was...
The body moved towards me, it's graceless, awkward, backwards, movements making it jerk all around. The eyes widened it's stare on me as razor teeth' covered in blood' smiled in sweet anticipation.
"ErEN...WhAt DId yOu dO To MEEeeEEE?" It spat out, inching it's way closer to me, the sounds of bones popping with every step.
I let out a stifled gasp as I continued to grip my arm and tried to scramble my way backwards and away from this monster approaching me. As I slid myself back, I felt my back pressed up against something hard and firm. My neck went rigid as I slowly turned my head around. Behind me was a wall of blurred figures, the only thing visible being their round red eyes, and grinning teeth. They whispered among themselves and I couldn't tell what it was at first, but then it became clear.
"Eren..."
"Eren."
"Ereeeennnnnnnnn..."
They whispered my name mockingly and tauntingly. Like they welcomed me into their home, but they hated me with a passion. Their black hands gripped onto my shoulders, not allowing me to move as the whispers became louder and louder in my ear. I wanted to cover them, but I failed to noticed that the acid was now chewing away my other hand.
"Eren."
"Eren..."
"Ereeeennnnn..."
"ErEN..."
I turned my attention back in front of me to see that, the body of my dead mother, was now on all fours and making a mad dash towards me. I couldn't even scream as the fangs sank into my neck.