Note: I don't own Code Geass nor its characters…


Chapter 3 ~ Gino

It was too soon but the sun had reached its limit. They had arrived at the new town an hour ago and yet they could not find a place to stay for the night. All the buildings were occupied, not with residents, but dead and some rotten corpses, with lots of rats too. The town was called "The Whistle" but what has it got to do with the rats?

Soon, they came to a junction of crossroads.

"Which road?" Lelouch asked.

"I don't know. I've never been here before. I only remember my friend told me that this place is like a maze," Suzaku joked.

"Hm…maybe your friend's right, that Lloyd guy might be right too. I had a bad feeling about this town. It had been too quite since we first step in here."

Lelouch was right, though Suzaku. The town had been horrifyingly quite throughout the whole road and sometimes, they could hear footsteps but see nothing in that direction. Even a slight breeze could not be felt.

"You know, this town is worse than the first town we came from."

"True. Gino! Where are you going?" Lelouch called and both he and Suzaku looked towards Gino who ran quickly towards a shop. They hurriedly followed him.

It was a candy shop, which was why Gino would run towards it. Kids have a very high sensitivity towards anything sweet, don't they? But, it was different for Suzaku and Lelouch. Though it was a candy shop, they did not think that something sweet is waiting inside there.

Lelouch asked with fear, "Do you want to try the door? Or shall we leave and continue to the next town?"

Suzaku answered, "It'd be a bad idea to even touch the doorknob. Let's go, Gino."

Gino was stubborn. He did not listen to them and straight away open the door. Then, he stood there, not moving an inch. Both Suzaku and Lelouch stared into it as the creaking door opened slowly, in great fear of what they would be looking at.

They were surprised. It was empty. There were only 2 racks standing beside the wall, no corpses nor blood or rotten smell either. It was quite clean and no rats were found. It looked safe. Though it was quite disappointing for Gino, but they could at least stay in there for the night.

"I think we'll stay for tonight," said Suzaku.

"It isn't a totally bad idea, but…it doesn't feel right," replied Lelouch, still a little worried.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you," Suzaku said while he let Lelouch sit on the floor back against the behind the door.

Lelouch laughed, "I know you're a knight, but there's no need to make such a promise. I can still run if I have to."

Suzaku blushed, "I…I though it will make you feel a bit more relax." He sat beside Lelouch and patted Gino to sleep.

"It did, actually. Night," Lelouch said and closed his eyes to sleep.

"Night…"

Suzaku stared at Lelouch for a moment before smiling and shut his eyes to sleep.

xxx

The midnight sky was clear. The sleeping moon was accompanied with some brightly shining stars. Down the silent road, there were human beings. They were being followed in the dark. They had found a place to spend for the night, but they had yet to know what was going to happen next. They were nearing them and hadn't they noticed? There was one with them, in that sweet shop without candies.

xxx

Gino was steering around, uncomfortable of the cold air blowing into his face. Then, he felt a drip of droplet on his face. He brought up his hand to wipe it off while opening his eyes slowly to see what, or who, did that. Gino was stunned. He was shivering greatly and tears started to form in his eyes. A man, no, a woman, or maybe…a zombie? It was a somebody, with reddish eyes almost popping out from its sockets, mouth opened, and saliva dripping continuously. Its skin and lips were almost torn and tiny worms can be seen eating the flesh out of it. He was breathing unbearable breath. It was a human but…

Gino whined as he was scared and did not dare to move another muscle. That inhuman thing was nearing him, stretching his crooked hand to touch him. In that split second when Gino shut his eyes, Suzaku shoved off that zombie and punched his face till he feel backwards on the ground with half of his body bent. Suzaku quickly carried Gino into his arms.

Suzaku was shocked himself. He whispered, "That isn't human, not at all."

Suddenly, Lelouch shouted in a whisper, "Suzaku!"

Suzaku turned and saw many more of them were nearing the shop. All of the same kind as that zombie, or cannibal, or whatever it is.

"We must leave!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"How? There's only one way out!" Suzaku only realized, the only way out was the entrance.

"Get onto my back," Suzaku told Lelouch. Lelouch climbed onto him without asking a thing. He held him tightly around his shoulder. Suzaku covered Gino's head under his hand. He told Gino to shut his eyes and Gino hid his face in Suzaku's chest.

"Lelouch, ready?"

"Yes."

Suzaku charged towards the door, breaking the door into pieces by his free arm. He paused for a while and saw the crowd of inhuman beings. There were almost hundreds of them and all were desperate for food. They have became insane and out of control.

"Go!" shouted Lelouch into Suzaku's ear. Suzaku ran in a speed of lightning, banging into the inhuman beings in front and shoved and pushed them away. Lelouch dug out a pack of snacks from the backpack and opened it. Then, he threw it both sides to the crowd. Some of them stopped and snatched the food from one another. They even kill each other for it.

Finally, they were out of the crowd. Lelouch and Suzaku took a last look at those helpless beings before continuing their journey.

It was certainly a bad idea stopping there, but luckily, none of them were harmed.


The next chapter…

Chapter 4 ~ Confession

Stay tuned….