"Close your eyes and shoot it already, Arthur!" I commanded, standing from a distance as I saw the corpse crawling closer towards him while groaning.

I spotted tears rolling down Arthur's face as his body trembled in shock, unable to hold a steady aim. I saw him bite his lip before turning his gaze towards me, retorting an answer. "I can't, Alfred. He's-"

"He's not himself anymore! He's one of them!" I interrupted with a sharp tone. "He's already gone, Arthur! Can't you see? You need to do it now before we attract more of them!" I said, scanning our perimeter, hoping to god that we wouldn't.

I glanced back to Arthur, seeing him change his direction of sight toward the body. "Tch.." Arthur muttered. I heard Arthur curse under his breath as transparent tears rolled down his pale face. By his expression, I could tell he was struggling. But there was no way he could help now because he spotted several groups of the un-dead heading their way.

Someone needed to do it, and fast. There was no time to get emotional. "Dammit Arthur!" I moved up behind him, covering his eyes as I took the handgun in my own fingers. I aimed at the crawling body's head. I stared at it a while, whispering something before turning away. "I'm sorry, Yao.." I pulled the trigger, hearing the bullet shoot out and the groaning soon ceased.

I took a deep breath, picking up my bag again and placed it on my back. "Come on, Arthur. We really need to go." I pulled Arthur away from the body and ran with him. He ran with me, but I could tell he was still looking back. Exactly, how many times must we go through this? Hopefully, it was over for now..

I understood him, however, we can't let our emotions get ahead of us and eat at us. Otherwise, we'll get eaten by.. "them" and I think that's much worse. We've already lost many because they favored belongings and emotions over necessities. And it was painful. But...We have to be strong to survive in this world. Stronger than them. We will not let them win. We will fight until the end. We are... the last men standing.

|| Seven Days Later ||

I panted lightly, sliding underneath the garage door and slamming it shut. "Phew, that was a close one. There are too many out there to fight. It isn't safe, especially since it's night time. We'll just wait here until they've wandered off." I muttered, looking for heavy objects that could be propped up against the door of the garage for extra protection. "At least we found some food, comics, and a flashlight with some working batteries. Am I right, Arthur?" I said with a cheeky grin, but it faded when I looked around and found him sweating on the ground.

"Uh.. Arthur?" He looked pale, paler than usual. My eyes widened as I heard a faint whisper. "Come here.." I nodded, moving a broken couch against the door and moved toward him. "What's up, Arthur? You've been acting really odd lately and-"

"Shh-" Arthur interrupted, pressing his hand against my lips. It was cold against my warm skin. "I have something to show you, Alfred..Promise me you won't panic. " I nodded again. Arthur lifted his shirt, revealing a flesh wound on his side with bite marks.

My heart nearly stopped. Was this real?... Is this really happening? I mentally shook my head, refusing it. "Ha, funny. That's some nice make up you got on there. Now, come on. Let's eat." I laughed nervously. There's no way that bite was real, right? All of a sudden, I felt Arthur grab my wrist. "Alfred. This is serious... I'm bit." Those words resounded in my head as I stared off into space in disbelief. Arthur breathed heavily, and I could tell. His face was hot, in temperature, and his eyes were changing colour, things I had not noticed before.

"N-No..Arthur, I-" I stuttered. "Alfred." Arthur replied sharply. "I need you to shoot me in the head.." I made an odd expression, about to break into tears. "No, this a lie! All of it!"

"Alfred, are you daft? If this was a lie, would I be risking my own life just to get some crappy Hollywood make up and place it on my side?! Alfred, I'm already infected! And you will be too if you don't shoot me now."

"N-No.. You aren't leaving me alone... I-I can find a cure-"

"THERE IS NO CURE!" Arthur yelled, panting hard after. "Can't you see? It's too late for me.. But you.. You are still alive. You can make it. " A weary smile creeped his lips. I stayed silent, whimpering slightly. I didn't want to believe a word he said, but could it be true?

"Come on Alfred.. You've done it before. A week ago, was it?.. With Yao."

My eyes shot open, surprised to hear him bring that up.

"I'm.. the same as him, aren't I?"

"But you're still-"

"I'm still what, Alfred? Dead meat? A rotting corpse? One of "them"?"

I shut myself up, knowing that Arthur had accepted the fact he was going to die.

Arthur paused a moment. "The day Yao died, I was bit.. I've taken antibiotics I've found along the way, but it just isn't enough." He paused again. "I still remember how you were that day.. And I knew you were going to have to do that to me as well... But at least, this is the last time you'll have to do it, right?." He gave a short laugh. "A-And you know how I was looking for a time you could properly return my favor?" He swallowed, his breathing slowly growing heavier. "I've decided to use it now."

I bit my lip, knowing what his final request was going to be.

He grinned solemnly. "I want you to shoot me in the head..Alfred." He looked at me, a moment, staring into my own eyes. "I don't care if you don't like it. It's my wish.. And I will /not/ become one of them.. Y-You have to do it now.. Or I'll do it myself.." His voice trailed off.

I shut my eyes tight in attempt to stop the tears but they kept flowing. I knew he wouldn't have the strength to do it himself. He couldn't. He was tired and weary from the infection in his body. He didn't have the ammo or weapon to do it anyways. I knew that I needed to do it now if I didn't want to see him become one of them. I have to.

I put down my bag, grabbing the gun with an attached silencer. I sat against the wall, pulling Arthur up towards me and sat him on my lap as if he were some kid. His eyes were closed... Had he already passed? I bit my lip, trying to fight back the tears that escaped my eyes. I placed the gun against his head. As I was ready to pull the trigger, I was surprised to see Arthur's lips move, whispering something into my ear as he gripped my arm. "Thank you..-"

Chouk. The bullet was sent straight through Arthur's head, crimson droplets splattering against the wall and on his clothing. My pupils dilated, realizing the other's last words before breaking down into tears and crying as his grip loosened.

I stayed in the same portion for hours, grieving the loss of my last friend. I stared around the garage, looking at all the loot, then out the top windows. It was morning. I got up, placing a blanket over Arthur's corpse before retrieving items that could be useful along the way such as car parts and weapons.

After upgrading my weapons, I pulled the couch away, opening the garage door to see nine zombies awaiting my presence on the road and one on the driveway. I grabbed the one on the driveway and jammed a screwdriver into the other's eye and let the body drop to my feet as I thought something to myself whilst retrieving my 1911.45 pistol and aiming it at one of their head's.

'Arthur. Yao. Ludwig. Ivan. Kiku. Francis. Feliciano. They are all dead. And that was all fact now. One by one, they lost their lives. But not me, no...I, Alfred F. Jones, am the last man standing. And I will avenge my friends' death, even if it's the last thing I do..'

Fffook.

|| ...End.||