The fire was dying.
A long thin stick held by an equally long and thin arm prodded it in an attempt to keep it going.
"Firesss going out, Accce," hissed the arm's owner. They placed the stick down next to them and wrapped their arms around their legs and hugged them close to their body, trying to keep warm.
Ace simply nodded in response. He barely registered what his companion said; his thoughts consuming him.
He couldn't believe it. He had lost them. Lost them forever.
Big Billy.
Lil Arturo.
Grubber.
All left behind.
He wanted to go back for them, but what good would that do? They had turned, and there was no cure; least none that he knew of. If they went back, he'd have to do it; the thing he dreaded the most.
He'd have to shoot his own brothers.
Ace's body shook with anger; his fists balled tight and his teeth gritted. He was their leader. He was suppose to keep them safe. It was his fault they weren't here. It should had been him who'd been bitten, not them.
It should had been me-!
"B-bossss?" came the voice of his concerned companion who was awkwardly pulling up their sock. "It'sss gonna be a cold night." They scooted over and leaned on Ace in an attempt to help, thinking the other was simply shivering from the cold.
Ace's body stiffened briefly in surprise, snapping out of this thought. Snake couldn't read Ace's mind; so how could they tell he had been shaking mostly from anger and self hatred. But it had worked either way. He had calmed down and relaxed a little.
"Y-yeah," replied Ace, scratching the tip of his nose briefly before putting his arm around the other, holding them close. Sadly, a night like this was way too normal for them. They grew up in the streets ever since their childhood. The five of them had been family, looking out for each other and keeping each other warm on nights colder than this. They had always made it together. The only difference; it was just the two of them now.
Even if they manage to survive this mess, things would never be the same again. His family was broken forever. Ace felt hopeless.
The fire died.
Ace closed his eyes with a small grimace. "We should get some sleep."
"Right..." Snake sighed in reply as they scratched their leg. They swallowed hard before speaking again. "What are we gonna do tomorrowsss?" They also wanted to return, but they weren't that stupid. Snake knew what had happened to them and how dangerous it was. The whole thing had been terrifying enough as it was, but when Lil Arturo had grabbed his leg...
Snake shivered. It was still fresh in their mind. The white eyes, the groans, the teeth...
"I donnos yet," Ace responded, shaking Snake from their thoughts, giving them some small relief. "I thinks we's safe here, but we gots no food on us." What little they had had also been lost in the commotion. "Best look for some, probablies."
"Probabliesss," Snake agreed.
Though the fire had died, it still let off a faint glow. Ace laid down close to the fire pit, taking in the last of the warmth it provided. Snake did the same curling up with their leader, who then put his arms around them and held them close, watching the fading embers.
"Good night, Accce..."
Snake closed their eyes and soon fell asleep. Ace envied them in this moment. He felt no sense of ease, and though he felt tired, he couldn't sleep. All he could think about was today's events. They had always thought horror movies were cool, even rooted for the bad guys. But it's a lot less cool when you're living in one.
