Learning to live again
Hello readers This will be my second fan fiction and I hope that this will be an on going one. I have a vision for this fic and it is a Francis x Ellis romance. But if I don't get any reviews I may just be impelled to leave it as a one shot Nick x Ellis Anguish. Please please review! I sooo want to continue this story if anyone is interested.
Prologue Chapter: Words Never Said
"Hey Overalls?"
"Yeah Jack?"
"Do you love me?"
Ellis hesitated. "Of course I do." He shifted uncomfortably underneath the dusty and scratchy covers of the bed they had the fortune of sharing. He looked up to meet Nick's eyes which shined with an uncharacteristic tenderness. Nick held a grin on his face as he bent down to nuzzle Ellis in the crook of his neck. After some time he slipped his arm underneath the covers to hook around the mechanic's waist, and in doing so he earned a moan from his southerner. Nick took that as an encouraging sign to leave the now bruising flesh he has been busying himself with to go and nibble on the lobe of his lover's ear.
Ellis whimpered as he did so. He brought his own arms up to grab his lover's bare back, who had took to taking a new position which left the older man hovering just inches above the country kid. Usually Nick didn't partake in pillow talk. Especially when they didn't make love to each other like they usually did. Nope. They fucked each other. Long and hard. Ellis thought it impossible to snuggle after fuck, but here they where, in a safe house just outside of a carnival overrun by zombies.
"Why?" Ellis seemed confused at the question. He looked up at the compassionate conman who went back to focusing on the little bruised piece of flesh on his neck. Slowly and deliberately Nick took the flesh in his mouth working it over and sucking hard and hoping it would leave a deeper bruise marking him as his.
"Why what?" Nick stopped sucking and detached his mouth from his lover's skin to stare at him. Was it such an impossible question to answer? If so, why then? Nick ran the reasons through his head and one thought caught Nick off guard. What if Ellis didn't love him? What if he was just using him for sex?
Ellis may not seem smart at first but when you actually get to talk to him you come to realize that he masks how smart he really is with redneck jokes and his uncanny ability to act like a kid. He was more than capable of manipulating people if and when he deemed fit. And more than capable to take advantage of a man who's sexual tension was about to explode. But he was too sweet to do that. Wasn't he?
Nick had a flashback of his ex wife and their so called 'love'. The way that she had munipulated him for his money and his skills in the bedroom. Oh how he thought that SHE was the sweetest thing in the world. And oh how he himself had been conned by a far better player of the game. Oh how he was blinded by that smile and manipulated into a sense of calm and happiness. He gave his heart to her and she stomped on it, threw it in a fire and threw away the ashes. Leaving an empty shell to try and piece back together the pieces. He was so close to giving his own heart away again, but this time to a hick who grew up in a small town of rednecks who probably never used or even heard of the things called soap and deodorant. He wanted to make sure he didn't make a mistake again. No, not this time. The Ex husband couldn't bare anymore heart break anymore. It hurt too much. It felt like someone pulled a red hot pike out of a burning fire and force fed it to you. The sence of loss and lonliness was fare to much to bare. That's why. That's why he had to know if Ellis felt the same way toward him as he did.
"Why do you love me?" Nick's voice seemed hostile now and Ellis quivered inside the tense gaze that Nick bore down on him.
"What do you mean Nick? I just do." The hick's southern accent only fell upon deaf ears. Nick had ceased staring at his lover and instead took to looking through him. Nick could tell a lie a mile away, could see the lie as plainly as someone reading it on paper. He could tell when his lovers were lying. And Ellis was lying.
"What do you mean you 'just do'?"
Ellis was extremely confused by his response. Why did Nick have to go spoil the moment with this stupid question? He hesitated, not because he didn't know the answer. He loved Nick with all his heart and soul. If Nick wanted, he would give him the world if he could. He would brave mountains, scorching hot desserts and blistering snow storms and even a zombie apocalypse just to see him smile. He would kill anyone who hurt his conman, be it physical or otherwise. But how could he ever tell Nick that? What if the conman was conning him? Maybe this was all just a game to the lovingly deceptive gambler. Like a board game with pawns and disposable pieces and Ellis just happened to fit into the role of the disposable sex toy that could easily be replaced, if killed or got boring, by some petite little news reporter? Ellis could-no. He wouldn't let Nick on to how much he really feels for the foreigner. Not yet. Not now. Not until he knew that he felt the same way.
"I don't know what to tell ya Ni-" But before Ellis could finish his half hearted remark Nick's hand came up and slapped him, hard, across the face. Leaving Ellis stunned as Nick moved to get out of the bed.
Ellis' hand came up to caress the quickly reddening and sensitive part of his cheek. He held back tears that were threatening to fall as he looked up to find Nick who had busied himself with redressing. "Nick what was that for?" Why would Nick be this mad? Why would he have reacted this way if to him Ellis was just a disposable pawn in his sex game?
Ellis' voice sounded hurt, not mad like Nick originally thought. He paused after he had his pants on to turn around at the hick. Ellis looked like he was about to cry. That alone would've made Nick think about what he had done on any other circumstance but not this time. No, this time he was mad beyond repair. He was about to give his heart away, again, to someone who didn't love him. He had once again been played. How could he have been so foolish? No, Nick didn't care about the tears in the hick's eyes. Fore he was to focused on the ones that were blurring his own vision. HOW could he have been so STUPID? To finally realize that the kid didn't feel the same way hurt. It sent spurts of heat and ice shivering its way up the conman's back. He wanted to break down and cry. Just wanted to curl up into a ball and let the tears flow willingly. But he couldn't. Not here in front of the man who was the cause of all the pain.
Nick bawled up his fists and tried to stay calm but failed miserably. He wanted and needed to cry but was unable to do so and that alone made Nick mad as hell. And sure enough, like wild fire, the feeling spread through out his entire body until he was boiling with anger at the innocent conniving man laying in their bed.
"FUCK YOU ELLIS! FUCK YOU YOU STUPID DUMB HICK!" Nick breath as his voice started to increase. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I LOVED YOU!" Nick clamped his mouth shut as he mentally kicked himself. Had he really just said that out loud? Shit- he had. The answer was as clear as the grin spreading across the hick's face. Why the fuck was he smiling?
"You lov-"
"DID! AS IN USED TO! BUT NOT NOW YOU DUMB HICK! I FUCKING HATE YOU AND NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR DISCUSTING, UNDER BRED, DEFORMED FACE AGAIN!" And with replacing his shirt on his once spent form he marched out of the room, slamming the door and successfully waking up the other two residence of the safe house.
Rochelle and Coach emerged from their own separate room groggy and slightly irritated by the rude awakening. Rochelle looked the madder of the two and so in turn she was the first to speak her mind.
"Nick what the hell are you doing yelling at this kind of time? Huh? Don't you think it was bad enough for the two of us being kept up for most of the night having to hear you two humping each others asses off? Huh? Come on man, a girl needs her beauty sleep too you know." If Nick weren't so pissed off he would have smirked at the idea that the two were listening in on his and Ellis' 'stress release time'. But he was in no mood to argue or even talk. He was hurt far to badly to be his normal cocky self.
"Whatever." He surprised himself as well as the two other survivors with his voice. It was barley a horse whisper but it had contained so much hurt that it made Nick mentally flinch.
Rochelle's expression changed as she made her way into the living room of the said safe house and came to be within an arm distance away from the grieving man. "It's ok Nick...I'm so sorry that I snapped at you..." Rochelle trailed off as Nick ignored her and went to go grab his gun off of a near by table. She looked at him in slight confusion as he checked the barrel of his shotgun for any bullets.
"Do we have anymore ammo Coach? I'm all out." Nick didn't wait for an answer as he reached on down next to the table to pick his fire ax up off the floor. He needed a cigarette so bad. And he knew just where to look.
Nick made it half way to the door before the former linebacker decided to chime in on his own opinion.
"Nick, just where the hell do you think you're going?" Coach had been a silent observer this entire time and he was fed up with it all. He was tired stressed out and GOD DAMN what he wouldn't do for a burger right now. He was so sick and tired of this same old fight and he just wanted everyone to get along for one. FOR ONCE! Was that too much to ask?
"Out." Was all Nick's reply as he removed the metal bar from the door and quickly left the safety of the safe house and into the cold unforgiving night.
Back in the bedroom Ellis was still in shock. Had Nick really said that he loved him? Had he really and truly say that? Ellis' mind raced. Nick really did say it. Those magical three words that he himself longed to say to the conman. Those three words that made your heart soar into the sky and make you feel weightless and on top of the world.
Ellis was in a world of bliss until he remembered what else the conman had said. He had been in such a state of astonishment that he completely tuned out after he said that he loved him.
Ellis' searched his memory for the event and found out to his horror that Nick was mad when he left the room. He wasn't just mad. He was downright fuming.
In his horror struck panic he recalled the hideous things his lover had said to him and all because he didn't say it back. He was too in shock to comprehend what was happening then. But now it came back ten fold. Nick had left him! And all because he so arrogant and foolish to pay attention to what was really happening around him at the time.
With surprising quickness Ellis was able to get himself redressed and raced to the door. He was so happy, joy seemed to embody himself. He could still fix this. All he had to do was tell Nick how he truly felt and everything would be ok again. Right? How hard could it be? Surly Nick would forgive him and understand, right?
Just as his hand reached for the door knob Ellis heard from the other side of the door the sound of heavy metal screeching against concrete. The sound itself made Ellis pause out of sheer terror. He found himself breathing heavily as sweat raced down his face and his palms became clammy. Someone was leaving. Or worse, someTHING was coming in.
Either way, Ellis burst through the door into the small living room to find to his relief that Rochelle and Coach were ok and well. But it only lasted a moment before Ellis' heart sped up do to the fact that he was unable to locate his lovable gambler. All the blood drained from his face as he realized that the two other survivors didn't even notice him. They were too busy staring blankly at the opened red door that threatened to send in something that could kill them all.
Ellis was completely dumbfounded. "Oh please tell me he didn't." But without waiting for an answer he was off, running into the icy cold darkness of the night. How could Nick be so stupid? What if he got hurt? Then what? Ellis would never forgive himself if that happened. While in the short time of knowing Nick Ellis had come to think of Nick as a sort of beckon in the darkness that was this world. They were always helping each other out and standing side by side when danger lurked around the corner. No matter what Nick was always there helping him in his time of need. Healing him when he had minor cuts and scraps even when Nick himself was near death ready to collapse in pain.
It didn't take long to locate Nick. He hadn't gotten far. Just across the street to be exact. Ellis let out a relieved sigh. Nothing had happened to his light. His angel. His life.
"Nick!" Ellis started toward Nick as he turned around. "Nick I have something to tell you."
"Leave me alone Overalls!? I'm still pissed off you know." Nick didn't look angry anymore, just hurt and injured. Why had Ellis come looking for him? Was he not through with tormenting his poor heart? He had come outside to grieve and who happens to come looking for him? The very thing that made him feel like a defenseless new born.
"I have to tell you something."
"What is it already." Nick folded his arms to rest over his chest as Ellis stopped in the middle of the eerily deserted street.
"You found smokes?" Ellis asked. Not really a question but a statement for he could very well see the lit cancer stick in the man's mouth.
"That's really what you wanted to ask me? If that's it you're dumber than I thought."
"No that's not it-"
"Then spit it out already!" Ellis could tell that Nick was getting irritated and he knew it had to be now or never.
"Nick, I have to tell you that I am deeply and forever truly in lo-"
"ELLIS! NICK! LOOK OUT!"
Ellis turned to look at Rochelle and Coach who now occupied the entrance to the safe house. Why was she yelling? And why did she and Coach look so terrified? Why were they motioning them to come inside. He wasn't finished talking to Nick. They had interrupted. He wasn't going inside until he was done and things were straightened out. That was for damn sure.
It was then that he felt it. The shaking of the ground and the roars of an undistinguished monstrous cry behind him. Ellis quickly turned around and reached out to grab Nick who looked just as horrified as he was, but it was too late. Nick was hit with 300 pounds of full raging muscle to his side. The force of the impact was big enough to knock him off his feet and send him flying into a near-by chain link barricade fence. He screamed out in pain and reached for Ellis to help but did no good as the tank was on him in an instant pounding him into the ground with its mighty fists.
"NICK! NO!" Ellis' mind couldn't comprehend what was happening, he just knew that his body was reacting without the consent of his mind. Within seconds of the Tank ramming into Nick, Ellis fetched the abandoned fire ax then he himself charged at the Tank, Ax a' blazing. He swung at the Tank not even noticing that he had triggered an alarm on a near by car when he swung the ax and missed the Tank completely. Ellis was completely gone, or at least his rational mind was anyway. He was completely unaware of the rounds of bullets being pumped into the great musled beast. He wasn't aware of the fact that the Tank had turned its attention off of the now limp and bleeding form on the ground and turned its sights onto him.
No. He wasn't focused on any of that. No. He was focused in on the fact that Nick didn't look like he was breathing and that his loved one might be dead completely shut Ellis down. He stopped running and swinging his ax and just stared at the pathetic looking life form that was pooling in its own blood.
No. This couldn't be happening. Nick can't be dead, he just can't. No. That can't be Nick. Maybe this was some sort of cold and cruel prank. Yeah. That had to be it. It just had to be. The mechanic wasn't worried about the Tank charging after him. Nor did he take to any rejoice as the thing fell dead just a foot away from him. No. He wasn't there at all. He was somewhere else. He had to be. This was all just some cruel nightmare after all, right? His mind was off. All he could see was when Nick reached out for him to help and Ellis was unable to do so.
Ellis could feel the blood draining from his face. He could hear the pulse in his ears that he knew as his own. Could taste the stale sorrow in the air. Could even smell the blood that had stilled to a small pool around the limp form. Ellis could sense everything and yet, full heartedly believe that nothing was happening. Nick was stronger than that. Was smarter, braver and faster than that. He couldn't die. He can't be dead.
As though in a state of false tranquility Ellis slowly walked over to Nick. His body was pooling in its own life blood. His suit was stained with blood, tattered and ripped to shreds, not like his body was doing much better. His chest was beaten in and looked like every bone in his rib cage was broken. His face was covered in cuts and bruises and had blood splattered all over it. His eyes were closed as well and no breath could be heard passing though his slightly opened mouth.
Ellis knelt down to gently pick up the bleeding conman from the ground and pulled him toward his chest. It was only then did Ellis realize that he was shaking uncontrollably and crying as though the world has ended. And in a way, it did. Nick was his world from the beginning of this damned apocalypse and now he was gone. No. Nick couldn't be gone. He jut couldn't be. He was just here asking for help. Pleading for it. No. he couldn't be gone.
"Nick? Come on man, wake up." Ellis hugged him tighter to his chest, willing Nick to open his eyes. When Nick didn't respond Ellis tried again. "Come on man. I have something to tell ya."
Ellis was so lost in his hopeless pleading for what even a miracle couldn't change that he didn't notice that both Rochelle and Coach now stood behind him. Rochelle was cry into Coach's neck while Coach himself began a silent prayer for his fallen comrade.
"Please, please wake up Nick. You can still be mad at me if you want but I've still got something to tell ya." His voice was but a horse whisper as he gently shook the lifeless form in his arms. "Nick I can't tell ya if you don't wake up...please..." He had to choke the last plead out. There was a knot in his throat that only worsened the faster the tears fell. Why didn't Nick respond? And why was he so cold?
Ellis felt hollow inside. A deep hole of nothingness engulfed him. He wasn't Ellis anymore. He wasn't here right now. Just gone. Poof. Just simply gone from this gruesome, evil, unforgiving infected world.
Ellis took to rocking himself as he clung onto the once white fabric that he had come to love. This couldn't be happening. Not to him. What had he ever done to deserve this? He had always been a praying man. A good boy. He went to church every Sunday before the apocalypse and helped anyone in need. He always tried to see the brighter side of things and help cheer people up when they were down and where had that gotten him? It gotten him into the streets of an infected town clinging to the last shred of hope that was now gone. And with it, his sanity. It got him hunched over crying to the heavens to also take him out of this world. But were his prayers answered? No, not even close. He did feel dead inside, but that wasn't going to help him any.
"Why? Why? Why?" Ellis' shacking increased in intensity and his sobs grew so loud that even a witch would feel sorry for the grieving man. Ellis was so lost in his darkness that he literally flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find that Coach had stopped his prayer, or maybe he had finished it. Ellis would never know, but now he was laying his hand on the mechanic's shoulder as if to reassure him that things will be alright. But they weren't. They never would be. Never again would he wake up with Nick in their bed. Never again would he feel the warmth of the conman's naked body up against his. And never would he say those three words that he wanted to say. That he needed to say. No, never again.
"Ellis, son. We can't turn off the car's alarm. We should get back inside before a horde comes." Ellis knew that the former football coach didn't intend for his words to be harsh and in all honesty his voice was gentle and sympathetic. But that didn't help the fact that Ellis' eyes grew wide with fear. They just couldn't leave Nick out here in the cold. What would happen if he woke up in the middle of the night? He would be all alone and wondering if they left him behind. But Ellis knew that that was a fools bet.
Ellis craned his head down to look at Nick. This wasn't at all what death looked like in the movies. There wasn't any sad music and definitely no flashbacks of the person's life. And there was no rain. None. The heavens always looked like they were weeping in mourning for the lost soul. They heavens weren't weeping now, not one tear was shed from above. Did the heavens not take notice of this tragic passing or did they just not care anymore. With having millions of deaths, did God just stop caring along the way? Or did he not want anything to weep for such a sinful soul. Ellis didn't have the time or even the energy to think about it. He didn't want to think about anything anymore. Not without his glue. Not without Nick.
"Ellis, sweetheart? You have got to let go." Ro tried to sound strong but failed miserably as she started to cry again when the mechanic looked up at her with so much hurt in his eyes. "honey, he's- he's gone." she tried to make a moved to pull the former conman away from him but he clung tight to him and pulled him closer.
"NO!" Rochelle recoiled when Ellis folded into himself. "Please no. He's all I have." And in his eyes, that was true. He was completely and utterly alone in this forsaken world. He couldn't let go of his last hope. His light. His reason and only reason to live. He just couldn't.
"Son-" But even before Coach could finish, his sentence was cut short by the screeching of a fast approaching horde.
"Ellis we need to get inside the safe house. NOW!" And with that, both Coach and Rochelle had to use all their strength to pry the mechanic off of the bloody corpse of the former conman. Ellis tried to fight but couldn't find it in him. At first he tried to bite, kick, punch, twist and scream. A lot of good that did him. The full blunt of the emotional attack on his heart finally set in as he watched the horde come and attack the body of his dead lover, completely unaware that there were three defenseless survivors struggling to get into the opening door of a safe house. And as Ellis was being dragged into the safety of the house, he felt is vision darken on the one scene that he knew would never be able to get out of his mind. The one memory that will be forever burned into his mind and there it will stay for all of time, even in death. The sight of Nick, his lover, his other half, his life being torn apart and eaten by monsters. His flesh being ripped clean by monsters. Hideously discussing monsters who pray off of others who are too weak to defend themselves. And too dead to even try.
Ellis woke up with a splitting headache. And as he tried to get up a wave of nausea crashed over him. Flinching in pain he hurled himself over the side of the bed and convulsed. He dry heaved a couple of times before feeling like he emptied himself enough to sit up straight again, this time the nausea was gone but the headache remained. It took all his strength and concentration to pull himself up out of bed and stand straight being cautious of his vomit.
He glanced around the room and nearly shut down and cried. Every part of him felt like caving in on itself. And soon he found that he was shacking without any hope of stopping anytime soon..
He was back. He was back. Back in this room. The room where it all started. This downward spiral. The room where he last was with Nick. The room where everything fell apart.
Ellis felt like throwing up again. But he knew he couldn't. So instead he settled for curling up in the corner farthest from the bed and began to cry.
Why was he still here? Was the world that cruel? To show him where things went wrong. To shove the fact that it was all his fault for the death of his loved one. Ellis ceased in his rocking to gasp in the darkness.
It was all his fault. It was ALL HIS FAULT! Nick died because of him! I was all his fault. If only he was a little better at controlling his feelings and letting them be known. If only he would have told him sooner than all of this could have been avoided. If only he wasn't him. Then Nick would still be alive. And they would still be together.
Even if he had been in quicker on his reaction time back when Nick needed him most, He would still be alive and well. But he wasn't and it was all Ellis' fault. And the southerner knew it.
And that's when it came back. The darkness. The icy cold darkness that seeped into his skin and bones. The darkness that played with his mind and soul. It sent shivers through out his body as he tried so very hard to control himself and keep his mind clear from the haze that was quickly engulfing it. But his tries were in vain as the haze and darkness took over, throwing Ellis into an almost death like state.
It was all his fault that Nick had died. He was unable to stop him from going out into the open in the middle of the night and he was also unable to stop the Tank in time to save his life. Ellis was useless and as good as a knife in a gun fight. He felt so stupid and weak and oh so very vulnerable.
What if he was unable to protect Rochelle and Coach next time they needed him. Or even worse. What happens if they already died? He can't remember much of that night. Only the horde and Nick's body being devoured by those sick and hideous infected beings. He couldn't remember anything else, not even for the life of him. Maybe they died in trying to protect him! Maybe now he would have to find a way to save himself and to continue on without anyone by his side. And if that were the case he already knew he wouldn't be able to do it. They must have died, why else would the room and house seem so quiet?
Yes, that's must be what happened. After blacking out he must have made his way back into the room somehow. Yea, that's it. That must be it. With all three survivors dead that was the only solution to this weird bizarre puzzle.
Ellis began to rock himself again, though the tears seemed to stop he still whipped them away from his eyes as though they continued to fall.
Dead.
Dead.
Their all dead.
Dead, dead, dead.
He was alone. No. He had himself. Surly he could defend himself if he could only focus on something. Anything. But nothing seemed to make sense to him. Everything in the room seemed real but at the same time not. He himself questioned if he really existed. Maybe he had died too and that is why his mind was so unclear. But if he was dead then where was Nick. Surly he would have waited for him. Right? He couldn't have been that mad at him not to wait for him. It was only yesterday that these horrible events happened.
Wasn't it?
Ellis didn't know how long he had been sitting there thinking about everything that had to do with nothing. He imagined it had been quite some time because when he looked up again he saw that there was light now flushing into the room from a slightly boarded up window that was near the bed.
Oh surly that light is fake. It cannot be real. Just like everything else in this room it too held no meaning to anything and there fore it ceased to be. Ellis took to staring at the center of the miss-shaped rectangle of light that cast itself upon the floor without so much of a welcoming. It had to have more manners than that to just go and barge in on people like this. Who raised this shining light to be so rude and inconsiderate. Didn't it know better than that?
Apparently not because it continued to stay there like it was welcomed into the room. Maybe it thought it was better than everything else. Maybe it thought it was special so there fore common curacy didn't apply to it. Knowing this it made Ellis mad. Why did it think itself so great? Couldn't it just leave a grieving man to grieve? Was that too much to ask?
Without hesitation Ellis stood and made his way over to the rectangle of light. "WHERE DO YA GET OFF 'N BARGIN IN 'ERE UNANNOUNCED? HUH? TOO GOOD TA KNOCK YA WORTHLESS PEICE 'O SHIT MOTHER FUCKER!" He began to beat at the light on the floor with his military combat boots, but to no prevail. The light still remained in tact and still so ever arrogant.
Without succeeding the second time he simply tried a new tactic. Ellis pointed his finger at the window and looked down at the light. "out."
But the light remained. "I said 'out'!"
Once again the light made no indication that it was moving anytime soon. "Fine ya WHORE! I'll leave the room to find a BETTER one." And with that being said Ellis moved toward the door. But before he left the room he turned and gave once long last look at the invading light. "And you better not follow me there either." And with a smirk plastered on his face he turned on his heels and left the room with the invading light that taunted him as he did so.
Once out of sight, so the light wouldn't see, Ellis started to once again break down and cry. He wandered around crying, much like a witch, around the ground floor of the safe house. Ellis made it into the living room before collapsing onto the dirty rug to curl up into a ball again.
Why was everyone he loved gone? Why did he have to be alone? Why?
But no sooner did those thoughts come into his mind when he heard footsteps of two things running down the stairs that led to the second floor of the safe house. They were probably common infected come to finish him off. At least he didn't have to suffer alone anymore. He could be with all his friends like Dave, Rob, Keith, his ma and even Rochelle, Coach and Nick. And maybe he could be more optimistic when he died. He hoped he would go to that place up above where he was sure all his friends were waiting for him, but what if he went to hell? What would be waiting for him there? More suffering? Even worse than the pain he already had to endure day after day in this hell hole? No thank you.
Ellis got up to retrieve the ax that once belong to Nick. It was placed onto a near-by table, he grabbed it and readied himself for the inevitable attack to come.
But it never came. Instead coming down the stairs were two familiar faces of two survivors, Rochelle and Coach. The mechanic couldn't believe it. They were alive? How could that be? It's impossible. It must be fake. They can't really be alive. Could they?
"Oh Ellis! You're finally awake! How are you?" Rochelle declined the last few steps of the stairs just to run up and embrace her injured companion. Coach just laughed and he too wrapped his arms in a warm and welcoming embrace around the shocked man.
Ellis was stunned. How could nothing have feeling? Unless he too was nothing. So he had been right all along. Nothing in here was real. Nothing. Not even them. Ellis looked at the illusion of the two survivors.
"Why are we nothing?" Ellis' question seemed to have shocked the two figments of his imagination because they both pulled away to stare at him.
"Honey you still must not be feeling too well. After all, we did do a lot of traveling while you were out." the vision of Rochelle placed a hand on the man's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze that came along with a reassuring smile.
Wait. What? They have been doing a lot of traveling? But if that was so, then they wouldn't be in the same exact safe house that they were in when it happened. Something didn't add up, even in Ellis' clouded mind.
"We have been traveling?" He asked, determined to get this as clear to himself as possible.
"Ya son. For about a week now. I had to carry you, along with other supplies on my back, while baby girl here took to firing at the opposing zombies that had the misfortune of getting in our way." the mirage of Coach slapped a hand on the other mirage of Rochelle's shoulder and gave a laugh. "She was pretty great I'll tell you. I wouldn't want to be in the way when she gets going boy."
It still didn't add up. "The why are we still here at that safe house we were a week ago?" Now that question really took the illusions of his former comrades to shock.
"Ellis honey. What do you mean? We are in a safe ROOM. By a bridge just inside of New Orleans."
Now it was His turn to be shocked. "But I was in the same exact bedroom where Nick and I-"
"Ellis. This place doesn't have any bedrooms. Only a bathroom." Both of the illusions stepped back just to observe his reaction.
That was impossible! Ellis quickly glanced at the wall where the door leading to the room should have been, but it was a blank wall. Nothing more than a blank brick white wall with the occasional graffiti covering the surface. No. That's impossible. He had just come from there. hadn't he? He couldn't remember anymore. He didn't understand it. It didn't make any sense. It didn't click.
And as suddenly as the fog and darkness came, it was gone. As if a veil was lifted from his thought he was able to think straight a little bit more. And for that he was grateful. But why had it come. Was he losing his mind? Was he going insane? Even with all those thoughts coursing through his head that wasn't his worst consern. His worst conern was that...what if it came back?
He stared at the two concerned figures before him and smiled. He couldn't think about it right now. They had to get rescued.
"So what's the plan ya'll we finally getting' rescued or what?" Ellis' southern drawl made them feel at ease. They just simply dismissed his previous behavior for being disoriented after a week of unconsciousness.
"Yep." Coach was so enthusiastic about it. " we radioed in on this walkie-talkie to this guy who is bringing a copter around to come get us. All we have to do is get to the other side of the bridge and then Bam! We are outta here." Rochelle smiled at that. "Yeah. So Ellis, you need to grab a gun and then we'll get a move on." Coach pointed him in the direction of the gun table where Ellis quickly selected a standard M-16 Assault rifle. He quickly pocketed some magazines and headed toward the door where the other two were waiting.
Rochelle pulled off her health kit and rummaged around in it. And after finding what she had he mind set on she handed the object to Ellis.
"Sorry that we don't have more food but that's the last of it. The last people here cleaned this place out."
"No it's ok. This is great. Thank you so much."
"No problem. Now lets get going hon. We are almost there."
Coach began to open up the door leading to the bridge before Ellis stopped him.
"Hey Coach?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a sharpie?"
"I think I do. Why?" Coach reached into his pocket to product a black marker from the confines of the fabric.
"Ellis snatched it up and ran into the safe room yelling a quick thanks to Coach in the process.
It seemed like minutes later Ellis re-emerged from the room with a big smile on his face.
"Boy what did you do?"
"No time Coach. He will have to explain himself when were are safe." And with that they began to lower the bridge.
It took them a while to get across the bridge. They moved together, attack together and survived together. The zombies where everywhere but the managed to all make it to the copter in time before it departed without them. They even made it with three tanks riding their asses. But they did it. They were finally on the copter being wisped away to safety. They had all made it. Minus one survivor. No. Not a survivor anymore, but a legend. Something somewhat of myth.
Ellis felt a twinge of regret for not being able to recall anything from when it had happened. But he knew he kept Nick's memory alive for people to see one day. And he too would pass on the great stories of him and his buddy Nick.
But Ellis was soon ripped out of his thoughts by Coach, who was sitting across from him in the copter. "So Ellis. What did you do with that sharpie?" Rochelle, sitting to his left, turned her head to see what he might say. But Ellis wasn't going to tell them anything anytime soon. It was personal. A personal message to the man he loved and to anyone who cared enough to read it.
"Just a message to a friend Coach. That's all." Coach seemed to believe him so he turned his attention onto Rochelle and they both began to talk about things that meant nothing to Ellis. All he could think about is what he actually said in that 'letter to a friend'. he could still remember writing the words on the cold concrete wall.
Dear survivors,
My name is Ellis and I am also a survivor of Z-day. But this message isn't about me. It isn't meant to be read by just anyone. This is a message about my friend, the love of my life, my one beacon in this hell hole, my friend Nick. He was a great person who always looked out for me. But in the one time he needed me to look out for him, I had failed. He died young. In his prime as well. He was not suppose to die here. He was suppose to die of old age living in a house with his one true love. Be it me or not. Have a yard full of kids and finally settling down. But these guastly things took him away from me and now I am alone in this world. I don't even feel apart of this world now. There is a darkness and it is consuming me. I believe that I deserve it for not being there for my boyfriend. Well... I guess that I can't even call him that. But there was something that I needed to tell him but was unable to do so before he was taken from me. So here's to you Nick, I LOVE YOU! And I always will. You are my one and only. And I am so sorry that I was unable to protect you. So here are my parting words to all of you survivors.
Don't just give up hope. Pull each other through. Don't make the same mistake that I made.
Ellis~
R.I.P
Nick,
A survivor, A conman, my light
I'm sorry Nick, that you were
Left 4 dead
Well this one could have gone better. More emotional to be exact but hey. It gets better if I continue it. This was just a flash back for the real story, so review and I shall write! YEAH!
