II – Fear
We're moving slow and quietly because we still have no idea where these undead hide. Soon we're on the street where all the shops and cafés take place and we decide to pack as much as we can – we're definitely not planning on staying in this park, but before we can even try to leave, we will have to find Ventus, Vanitas and Sora.
Since none of us has eaten since late afternoon the day before, we decide to stuff some cake into our mouths as we keep walking. "Where are we even going?", Xion asks nervously. "You do have a plan, don't you?". All the eyes land on me and I swallow hard. "Well, I have no idea where they've last been, but if I had connection, I could try to track their phone, you know".
"You don't even have an idea where they could be?! Axel, we're never gonna find them like this. The park is huge and I can imagine they're also looking for us. This is hopeless. We'll never find them". I wish I could have held back my anger, but instead, I yelled at all of them. "What then? What then?! Does any of you have a better idea? Clearly not. So would you all please just fucking stop blaming me? It's not my fault we're here, okay? I didn't spread a virus. So if you want to keep sitting here, pouting that you're never gonna find them, fine. I will look for them. Chances are someone's hurt and seriously, this fucking park isn't too big to not run into each other some when. But I'll make it up to you. You wanna stay here, get killed and pity yourselves? Okay. See ya". I cross my arms and give them my most sarcastic look. Maybe I've been a bit too harsh, but come on! Who can blame me? We've just got overrun by a bunch of zombies or whatever they are. It's not like you can stay sane like this.
None of them says a word. They just stare at the ground and eventually, Xion nods. "Axel's right, guys. We have no choice. And as soon as we've found them, we can get out, right? No problem. We should just avoid getting killed". She's pretty tough for a 14-year-old. The others agree, or at least pretend to, so we take out a map and figure out where to go first. "So we're here, right? I guess we manage to get through the entire park at least twice before night dawns. Until then, we should have found a place to stay the night and – in case we're extremely lucky – our friends. So, I suggest we get going now!". And so we do.
After having searched the entire park twice, both careful and intense, we find ourselves inside of a small house, whose actual purpose was just to look decorative, so there's no heating or anything like that. The younger ones, especially Zexion, whose legs are really too short and skinny to keep up with me or Demyx any longer, definitely need a break, so we sit down and try to come up with a plan. We're in a bit of a conflict because the kids are supposed to stay in the house a little, while we want to search some flashlights and blankets (or at least stuff that can be used as such). It's just that Demyx really refuses to leave them alone, in case something happens. And he is right; the fear in all of their, no, all of our eyes is so intense it almost hurts. We're vulnerable and we don't know whether we'll ever get out alive. And, seriously, nobody plans dying at such a young age. We all have plans...
"I'll come with you, Axel".
All of our heads turn towards the young blond who had just volunteered to come along. Before I can even try to protest, he says: "It's still daytime, right? So basically, nothing can happen. And I'm also a part of the group and seriously, I want to get home as badly as you guys. I want to help". He's made his point and I won't deny his wish, so we both get out of the house. I look around; it's already getting darker. Fuck.
"Where could they only be, Axel?". He whispers and grabs my hand. I know it's more than inappropriate, but I feel delighted and warm at the touch. "I guess they've hidden, found themselves a place to stay, like we did. But, Roxas, I promise you, we're gonna find them". He nods and it's killing me to see how sad he is. But who could blame him?
I almost barf at the first dead body I examine, looking for a flash light, simply because he's dead and so blood-splattered that I could shower in it. The reason I picked him was that he was a security guard and those usually carry any sort of light around. And indeed, after rummaging in his bloody pockets, I find a small flash light, which is better than none.
Roxas, who seems to get slightly used, like me, to see all the dead and the blood, and I roam the streets further to hopefully find another security guard that hasn't been turned into a zombie. We're inside of a café because I promised Roxas a little treat, as I hear something. Looking outside, I frown – is it already that late? Neither Roxas nor I have a watch and my phone's battery died last night. I motion the younger to be quiet and carefully get up. I look around, searching for any sort of weapon and find nothing else than a decorative pan1, which I grip tightly. If I need to kill, so I shall.
But instead of a zombie, I spot a familiar mess of brown spikes and gleeful blue eyes. "Oh my God, Axel, Roxas! You're alive!". The three of us break out into laughter and hug and cry and just hold each other, because nothing is more relieving than finding a tiny piece of home, of familiarity.
While grabbing a muffin, Sora reveals what had happened so far; he, Ven and Vanitas had just escaped the escalation, staying inside one of the roller coasters. Then, when they'd been looking for food, he had got separated from the group and has been searching them ever since (this afternoon, to be honest). They'd got split up because Vanitas had accidentally awoken a zombie by stepping on his hand and he'd run after them.
Good news was that the other group had decided to wait. They'd figured that my group would be searching for them and therefore they'd set themselves a limit until when they'd wait. And since we had Sora in now, finding them wouldn't be a problem. Roxas and I started telling him what we've found out so far about an hour ago and I'm glad Sora knows how to properly comfort him; I'm not good at stuff like that.
If only we hadn't forgotten about the time.
I get up, listening to Sora's happy babbling (surprisingly, he hadn't lost his optimism yet, despite having seen probably far too many bodies for one life time. He's on drugs, I swear), not paying attention to the windows or the door, when I suddenly hear the most gruesome sound I have ever heard all my life. We turn our heads and I start to panic. Fuck, how are we supposed to find the way back to our "house" now? The flash light wouldn't be much of a help.
We've all fallen silent, but when I spot the first undead, I yell, "RUN!".
We escape through the side door and run for our dear lives, but they're everywhere. No kidding, wherever we turn, we are almost overrun by another wave of them. Unlike most horror movies, these real life zombies are fast. Real fast.
My eyes try to focus, somewhere, anywhere must be a sign of our safe place. But then I remember – if we managed to get there, they would find the others as well. Damn, this is more than just a dilemma.
I try to think straight, think of the zone, where it was – and then I spy the flood light, about 50 yards to our right. "Guys, hurry!". Both of the boys are smaller than me and therefore can't run as fast, but they keep up well. Until our way is blocked by about six undead. Even though it's definitely not the right time, I can't help but examine them a bit.
Their human features still visible, most of what looks like the pest covers their faces and bodies. Whatever it is they're infected with also seems to be itchy, as all of them have torn shirts, trousers and bleeding scraps on their skin. Their eyes have all turned into either a bright yellow or a muddish brown, sometimes a mix of both. Some are missing features, like a jaw, an arm or even the eyes, but there seems to be a connection with their eye colour; the ones with the bright eyes are highly intact, whereas the more damaged they are, the darker their eyes. "There's no other way than to run right through", Sora pants, and so we do. Two yards away from our goal, the safe zone, I hear a pained scream. My blood runs cold. Roxas is still behind me, so it has to be...
"Sora".
1Raise your hand if you see the L4D reference here :D
