The road stretched before Mathias and Lukas as they walked along the highway littered with abandoned cars. Mathias peered into the window of each car he walked past as if searching for something. Lukas was less worried and looked ahead to search for any signs of civilization.
"Luke?" Mathias whispered.
"Yes Mathias?" The irritation heavy on his whispered voice.
"Don't you think that it might be safer to walk somewhere without all the cars? One of them could be hiding in any random car."
"This way is quicker and easier though. Look we're almost at the camp. Just one or two more days and we'll be there." "Lukas I still don't feel good about this..." Mathias' voice was rising fast with fear.
"Mathias calm down. You know that they're attracted to sound." Lukas remained calm even though he was starting to have his doubts about the highway.
"Luke can we please just get down from here?" Mathias yelled out in fear.
"Mathias keep your voice down. Now we have to get down and move quickly. They're probably already moving towards us."
"Okay."
The two companions walked to the side of the highway and looked for a way down onto the ground and into the forest. They walked a bit further before they found a large concrete pillar that they could climb down. Mathias went down first and waited by the edge of the woods with his axe for Lukas to climb down.
They walked for a few more hours in the woods before they decided that it was time to start looking for a place to rest for the few hours of darkness the summer night provided. Mathias was in charge of getting firewood and starting a small fire to cook some food on while Lukas was in charge of getting the bird that they had caught earlier prepared for cooking and then cooking it. They ate their meager portions and set up their bedrolls to go to sleep. What seemed like minutes after after he closed his eyes Mathias awoke to rustling noises coming from all around him in the forest. His hand inched towards his axe as he slowly sat up in his bedroll. He looked around and saw nothing until his eyes wandered over to where Lukas was asleep. A zombie. A monster was hovering over Lukas threatening to sink it's teeth into his pale skin. Mathias abandoned any sense of danger and ran at the monster with his axe in hand. The zombies mouth got closer and closer to Lukas' arm and time seemed to slow down for Mathias as the gruesome scene unfolded before his eyes. The zombie let it's head fall and it's teeth sank into Lukas' shoulder. Lukas awoke screaming in pain and Mathias continued running towards him to kill the monster that dared hurt Lukas. Mathias struck the zombie's neck and it's body fell away from the head that remained stuck in Lukas' shoulder.
"Lukas are you alright?" It took every fiber of his strength not to yell from fear that he was dead "Yes. I'm-" Lukas was cut off by a fit of wild coughing that finally shook the head free of his shoulder.
"I'm fine." Lukas winced with every word he spoke but managed to stay relatively calm.
"No you're not. You were just bitten by one of them." Mathias was struck by the sudden realization of what had just happened as he said it out loud. A few tears rolled down his face, the only forewarning Lukas had to him sobbing into his chest. Lukas pet Mathias' hair with his good arm and remained eerily calm for someone who had just been bitten by a zombie. Mathias managed to calm down after a minute and when he did he immediately started packing their few belongings together. He ripped up his shirt and bandaged Lukas' shoulder before picking him up and carrying him, along with the rest of their stuff, out of the woods.
"Mathias I need you to put me down." "No. I'm not risking you getting even slightly more injured." Mathias' voice was thick with tears that Lukas couldn't see "Mathias. I have something I need to ask you to do."
"You can ask me from where you are right now."
"Fine if you're going to be that way. But at least stop walking for a second."
Mathias stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at Lukas.
"What do you want to ask me?" "Mathias I'm going to turn. We both know that." Lukas was choking back tears but looked straight into Mathias' blue eyes. "I want you to kill me before I turn. I don't want to become one of them. I want to die a human." Lukas was now crying at the mere thought of asking anyone, much less Mathias, to do something like that.
"Lukas, I can't. I'm sorry but I can't." Mathias voice cracked on the last word and he was now crying alongside Lukas.
"Mathias please. I know this is a horrible thing to ask anyone but I don't want to turn. You heard the screams when it first started. You know how painful it must be. I don't want to turn." Lukas was still crying and he buried his head in Mathias broad chest.
"I'm sorry. I can try but I don't think I'll be able to make myself finish it." Mathias had a look of extreme sorrow on his usually happy face. Lukas looked relieved and started to struggle out of Mathias' arms. Mathias set Lukas down on the ground and helped him steady himself on the ground. Lukas was steady quickly and he had just two more things he needed to do before he died. He took off his cross pin and handed it to Mathias then pressed a kiss onto his lips, one last kiss for Lukas before his end and one last kiss from the love of his life for Mathias.
Lukas kneeled down on the ground and exposed his neck by sticking his head down and staring at the forest floor. "Goodbye Mathias. I love you."
"I-I love you too Lukas. I love you more than anyone could ever possibly understand. I'm sorry." Lukas could hear the tears on his voice and fought the urge to go comfort him and walk away from the entire raised the axe over his head and made sure that his aim was perfect before squeezing his eyes shut and bringing the axe down. He opened his eyes expecting to see a bloody mess but instead saw Lukas huddled on the forest floor and the axe hovering just inches above Lukas' shaking form. Mathias threw the axe aside and gently touched Lukas back to signal that he needed to stand up.
"I'm sorry Lukas. I couldn't do it. I even closed my eyes and pretended that you were already turned but I still couldn't do it. I'm sorry." Mathias seemed remorseful yet relieved that he couldn't bring himself to kill Lukas.
Lukas sighed and hugged Mathias. "It's okay. I'm sorry that I asked you to do it." Lukas nuzzled his face into Mathias' chest and Mathias put his head of spiky hair onto Lukas' smooth hair.
Mathias carried Lukas for a few more miles until they came to an abandoned neighborhood. Lukas sat on the front porch of a house that Mathias had deemed safe so that he could go make sure that the rest of the house was clear of the undead. A few minutes later Mathias popped his head out the front door and motioned for Lukas to hurry inside. Lukas walked until he found the living room and plopped down on one of the plush couches. Lukas was starting to feel the effects of the bite already. Even after that short walk from the front door to the living room couch had exhausted him.
"We need to talk about what you're going to do when I turn." Lukas managed to wheeze the short sentence out before having to gulp for air.
"Please can we not talk about this? We can figure it out later."
"Mathias. I have less than a day left before I turn. I'm going to be a zombie by tomorrow morning."
"No, no, no, no! I won't think about this. I refuse to."
"Okay. If you don't want to face the truth than you don't have to. I'm going to rest here."
Over the course of the day Lukas had more and more coughing fits and the color slowly drained from his already pale skin leaving it grey and lifeless. By evening Lukas was screaming from the pain of turning into one of the undead. Mathias kept him as comfortable as possible even when the screams started sounding less and less human. Around 10 o'clock, the screams stopped altogether and turned into low growls and moans. Mathias knew it was time. He walked back into the living room where Lukas had been resting with his axe in hand and tears streaming down his face. He was soon spotted by the thing that once was Lukas and it started walking towards him. Mathias swung his axe and missed. He swung it again and hit the thing right in the middle of it's neck and it's head came tumbling off. Mathias dragged himself to the couch where Lukas had been sitting for most of the day and collapsed on it. Mathias drifted to sleep on the small couch hoping that this was all a dream, this entire screwed up zombie apocalypse. In what dreams he did have he dreamt about Lukas. He dreamt about all of the wonderful times that they had had together before the incident. Mathias woke up alone on the couch and sadly remembered what had happened the night before. He knew that Lukas wouldn't have wanted him to give up searching for the settlement. Mathias only spent a little longer in the house. Just enough time to bury Lukas and loot the place for food, water, clothes, and valuables. He was about to walk out the door when he remembered what he had in his pocket. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the cross pin that Lukas had always worn. Mathias walked back into the house and into the bathroom, looking in the mirror he slid the pin into his hair and fastened the clasp.
"Luke?" Mathias whispered.
"Yes Mathias?" The irritation heavy on his whispered voice.
"Don't you think that it might be safer to walk somewhere without all the cars? One of them could be hiding in any random car."
"This way is quicker and easier though. Look we're almost at the camp. Just one or two more days and we'll be there." "Lukas I still don't feel good about this..." Mathias' voice was rising fast with fear.
"Mathias calm down. You know that they're attracted to sound." Lukas remained calm even though he was starting to have his doubts about the highway.
"Luke can we please just get down from here?" Mathias yelled out in fear.
"Mathias keep your voice down. Now we have to get down and move quickly. They're probably already moving towards us."
"Okay."
The two companions walked to the side of the highway and looked for a way down onto the ground and into the forest. They walked a bit further before they found a large concrete pillar that they could climb down. Mathias went down first and waited by the edge of the woods with his axe for Lukas to climb down.
They walked for a few more hours in the woods before they decided that it was time to start looking for a place to rest for the few hours of darkness the summer night provided. Mathias was in charge of getting firewood and starting a small fire to cook some food on while Lukas was in charge of getting the bird that they had caught earlier prepared for cooking and then cooking it. They ate their meager portions and set up their bedrolls to go to sleep. What seemed like minutes after after he closed his eyes Mathias awoke to rustling noises coming from all around him in the forest. His hand inched towards his axe as he slowly sat up in his bedroll. He looked around and saw nothing until his eyes wandered over to where Lukas was asleep. A zombie. A monster was hovering over Lukas threatening to sink it's teeth into his pale skin. Mathias abandoned any sense of danger and ran at the monster with his axe in hand. The zombies mouth got closer and closer to Lukas' arm and time seemed to slow down for Mathias as the gruesome scene unfolded before his eyes. The zombie let it's head fall and it's teeth sank into Lukas' shoulder. Lukas awoke screaming in pain and Mathias continued running towards him to kill the monster that dared hurt Lukas. Mathias struck the zombie's neck and it's body fell away from the head that remained stuck in Lukas' shoulder.
"Lukas are you alright?" It took every fiber of his strength not to yell from fear that he was dead "Yes. I'm-" Lukas was cut off by a fit of wild coughing that finally shook the head free of his shoulder.
"I'm fine." Lukas winced with every word he spoke but managed to stay relatively calm.
"No you're not. You were just bitten by one of them." Mathias was struck by the sudden realization of what had just happened as he said it out loud. A few tears rolled down his face, the only forewarning Lukas had to him sobbing into his chest. Lukas pet Mathias' hair with his good arm and remained eerily calm for someone who had just been bitten by a zombie. Mathias managed to calm down after a minute and when he did he immediately started packing their few belongings together. He ripped up his shirt and bandaged Lukas' shoulder before picking him up and carrying him, along with the rest of their stuff, out of the woods.
"Mathias I need you to put me down." "No. I'm not risking you getting even slightly more injured." Mathias' voice was thick with tears that Lukas couldn't see "Mathias. I have something I need to ask you to do."
"You can ask me from where you are right now."
"Fine if you're going to be that way. But at least stop walking for a second."
Mathias stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at Lukas.
"What do you want to ask me?" "Mathias I'm going to turn. We both know that." Lukas was choking back tears but looked straight into Mathias' blue eyes. "I want you to kill me before I turn. I don't want to become one of them. I want to die a human." Lukas was now crying at the mere thought of asking anyone, much less Mathias, to do something like that.
"Lukas, I can't. I'm sorry but I can't." Mathias voice cracked on the last word and he was now crying alongside Lukas.
"Mathias please. I know this is a horrible thing to ask anyone but I don't want to turn. You heard the screams when it first started. You know how painful it must be. I don't want to turn." Lukas was still crying and he buried his head in Mathias broad chest.
"I'm sorry. I can try but I don't think I'll be able to make myself finish it." Mathias had a look of extreme sorrow on his usually happy face. Lukas looked relieved and started to struggle out of Mathias' arms. Mathias set Lukas down on the ground and helped him steady himself on the ground. Lukas was steady quickly and he had just two more things he needed to do before he died. He took off his cross pin and handed it to Mathias then pressed a kiss onto his lips, one last kiss for Lukas before his end and one last kiss from the love of his life for Mathias.
Lukas kneeled down on the ground and exposed his neck by sticking his head down and staring at the forest floor. "Goodbye Mathias. I love you."
"I-I love you too Lukas. I love you more than anyone could ever possibly understand. I'm sorry." Lukas could hear the tears on his voice and fought the urge to go comfort him and walk away from the entire raised the axe over his head and made sure that his aim was perfect before squeezing his eyes shut and bringing the axe down. He opened his eyes expecting to see a bloody mess but instead saw Lukas huddled on the forest floor and the axe hovering just inches above Lukas' shaking form. Mathias threw the axe aside and gently touched Lukas back to signal that he needed to stand up.
"I'm sorry Lukas. I couldn't do it. I even closed my eyes and pretended that you were already turned but I still couldn't do it. I'm sorry." Mathias seemed remorseful yet relieved that he couldn't bring himself to kill Lukas.
Lukas sighed and hugged Mathias. "It's okay. I'm sorry that I asked you to do it." Lukas nuzzled his face into Mathias' chest and Mathias put his head of spiky hair onto Lukas' smooth hair.
Mathias carried Lukas for a few more miles until they came to an abandoned neighborhood. Lukas sat on the front porch of a house that Mathias had deemed safe so that he could go make sure that the rest of the house was clear of the undead. A few minutes later Mathias popped his head out the front door and motioned for Lukas to hurry inside. Lukas walked until he found the living room and plopped down on one of the plush couches. Lukas was starting to feel the effects of the bite already. Even after that short walk from the front door to the living room couch had exhausted him.
"We need to talk about what you're going to do when I turn." Lukas managed to wheeze the short sentence out before having to gulp for air.
"Please can we not talk about this? We can figure it out later."
"Mathias. I have less than a day left before I turn. I'm going to be a zombie by tomorrow morning."
"No, no, no, no! I won't think about this. I refuse to."
"Okay. If you don't want to face the truth than you don't have to. I'm going to rest here."
Over the course of the day Lukas had more and more coughing fits and the color slowly drained from his already pale skin leaving it grey and lifeless. By evening Lukas was screaming from the pain of turning into one of the undead. Mathias kept him as comfortable as possible even when the screams started sounding less and less human. Around 10 o'clock, the screams stopped altogether and turned into low growls and moans. Mathias knew it was time. He walked back into the living room where Lukas had been resting with his axe in hand and tears streaming down his face. He was soon spotted by the thing that once was Lukas and it started walking towards him. Mathias swung his axe and missed. He swung it again and hit the thing right in the middle of it's neck and it's head came tumbling off. Mathias dragged himself to the couch where Lukas had been sitting for most of the day and collapsed on it. Mathias drifted to sleep on the small couch hoping that this was all a dream, this entire screwed up zombie apocalypse. In what dreams he did have he dreamt about Lukas. He dreamt about all of the wonderful times that they had had together before the incident. Mathias woke up alone on the couch and sadly remembered what had happened the night before. He knew that Lukas wouldn't have wanted him to give up searching for the settlement. Mathias only spent a little longer in the house. Just enough time to bury Lukas and loot the place for food, water, clothes, and valuables. He was about to walk out the door when he remembered what he had in his pocket. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the cross pin that Lukas had always worn. Mathias walked back into the house and into the bathroom, looking in the mirror he slid the pin into his hair and fastened the clasp.
Epilogue Mathias walked for three more days to find the settlement. When he found it he was examined for any sign of the virus and when he was proved clear he was assigned a house and a small plot of farmland. Mathias never forgot the night when he killed the thing that Lukas had become. He remembered it in excruciating detail. While Mathias wasn't unhappy with the settlement, he sometimes wished that he could join Lukas in the afterlife. When Mathias was alone in his home he often imagined that Lukas could hear him and would talk to the thin air. One day when Mathias was growing old he received word of a cure being developed. He told Lukas all about how no one would ever have to die like he did again. Just a few days after that, Mathias died. Even then, in his last few moments he managed to write a letter. The letter explained that he wanted to be buried with his axe and his cross pin. That was all it said. The young girl who had found him when she went to bring him his paper said that he had been smiling in death, like he was going to go see someone.
_
Thanks for reading! I hope you guys liked it!