*Warning*: Very violent and gory passages. It was cautioned in the summary but I'll just place this as another reminder. If you do not have the stomach to take such gruesome scenes, I'd ask that you do not read or only read what you can. Brief summary of chapter is at bottom if you'd like to still follow the story but can't handle horrific imageries/descriptions.
Chapter IV: Just the Beginning
FOUR MONTHS LATER:
"You must go, tomorrow morning."
"Mr. Brunner, have you been smoking something because you're acting goddamn crazy." I replied to my past teacher.
"Please don't be so obstinate child." Chiron sighed. "You and the others need to save yourselves."
I yanked at my dark bangs in frustration.
"What've I carry you all the way… then all that weight training I had done in high school will finally pay off along."
"Please don't surface such idiotic plans." Chiron responded. "You know you'll need all your energy."
I felt pure fury surge up within myself as I impulsively grabbed my mentor's shoulders.
"So you're saying you want everyone to move north where apparently zombies are isolated which the exception of you who would be left behind as the prey for those flesh eating monsters?" I bayed at him, unable to comprehend such absurdity. "Are you trying to commit suicide?!"
He stared at me, his void mousy eyes filling with despondency and pity.
"Look son, you need to do this to save millions of lives more than just one old man." No matter how cliché it sounded, I knew whatever came out of Mr. Brunner's mouth has had to be true. "Sacrificing this sexy middle-aged man is the least of your problems."
He gave me wink in what came across as an overly enthusiastic façade. I slowly loosened my grasp on his arms. I felt my heart ache as if I had just lost the greatest comrade the universe could ever give me the pleasure of knowing. I had admired his strength and thoughtfulness but I couldn't take his willingness to just accept defeat, especially after losing my mother.
"You have to save yourself as well. I think everyone would agree with me if they were to find out about your little strategy." He shook his head but he seemed to be realising that I wasn't about to allow him to be torn limb from limb in order to save my ass. "Fine, see it this way. I'm going to stay right here if you aren't going to change your mind." I told him, my patience wearing thin.
He groaned but nodded, seeing that his departure with the rest of the team was the only way he would get me to go as well.
"Your loyalty and intractability is both a curse and a blessing." He stated right before turning his wheelchair away from me. "I guess I'll be leaving with you tomorrow. You better collect your things and get ready. I think the training that has been given to you these past few months is good enough. The undead is anyway becoming a more complex type of species, figuring there's more to the strawberry farm than they must have initially thought or sensed or… Who knows? They're corrupt minds are supposed to be completely dysfunctional, yet they seem to be growing in intelligence."
He pushed himself out of my cabin but not before tossing me my old scruffy backpack I had originally came with. I mentally expressed victory before taking a hold of the sack. I looked around the little temporary house I had been given and I threw a couple t-shirts and pairs of jeans to take with me, along with a gun, a few rounds of ammunition, four large water bottles, matches, a flashlight, and a plastic container filled of preserved foods.
I slung each of the straps onto the curve of my shoulder letting the bag settle properly on my back. It seemed to have weighed a good ten kilos which left me relieved considering I didn't want to end up carrying such a heavy load with a strenuous goal set in place.
I ran outside making sure it was suited for an escape sprint or a zombie chase. Two hours was all it took for me to seal decision.
"P-percy!" A breathless Grover called.
He stumbled forward bombarding with his lankiness. Sometimes I question whether or not his legs are real because he seemed to be unnaturally gawky.
"What's up man?" I asked lending him my arm to steady himself.
"Zombies….Pursue….Stoll..."
I narrowed my eyes at him, not understanding what he was attempting to say.
"Slow down." I replied to his exasperating behaviour.
He inhaled dramatically, forming what seemed to be a lump in his throat. He looked at me with alarm in his eyes.
"The infected is approaching and it's got Travis." He finally said.
"What, you're joking."
"You really think I'd joke about something like this."
I looked at him contemplating whether or not to believe him.
"You know, you're a pretty terrible liar. I think you should stop hanging out with Travis, his stupidity is influencing you for the worst."
"Percy…"
I watched as his eyes darted to the right as if he just saw something move.
"Oh, nice one. You really had me there. The eye averting made it feel quite more realistic. You know, I really thought you were the last person to do this. I mean really come on, gangly pale kid who's afraid of rabbits."
"I'm not kiddi-"
Grover didn't get to finish his sentence as a walker emerged from the bushes, baring its unsanitary oral hygiene. I reached for my pen to behead the creature until I met the sight of clear azure irises. I looked behind me to see Grover on the ground pressuring his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh. I changed my stare to the other daft slumped over and snickering.
"You guys are jackasses." I scowled irritably.
"You. Should've. Seen. Your. Face." Travis said between laughter.
"Sorry bro couldn't pass up the opportunity to prank Mr. Fearless Jackson." Grover smiled.
I rolled my eyes.
"Not funny." I told them walking back toward the camp. I heard them chuckle a little more before a shriek rippled through the air. I didn't bother looking back.
"Ha-ha funny guys. No really, your jests are quite amusing. Please proceed but do it to someone else who'd actually fall for it again."
"Percy, please! We aren't joking this time." Grover yelled.
I heard growls and the sound of tearing but I wasn't taking it.
"Ooo you got more people to join in your moronic hoax eh?"
"…Percy!"
I felt my shoulders get gripped with the feeling of sharp unkempt nails. Pain shot up my arm as I didn't hesitate to uncap the disguised blade that had been sitting in my pocket. With quick accuracy I stabbed the zombie in the head, causing it to fall limply to the ground.
I saw Grover as he tried to fight off one of the monsters using his pan flute which he was failing miserably with.
"Help!" He screamed as it climbed on top of him, its mouth foaming with a putrid vomit coloured liquid pouring from its mouth onto his face.
I dashed towards him right before he could take a chunk out of the acne scarred boy. I sliced its head clean off and the thing tumbled across the porch of the Stolls' cabin becoming unresponsive.
Grover coughed, letting out a spatter of blood into the grass. He took his sleeve and wiped the unknown substance the walker had dribbled upon him and got up, a look of disgust settled on his face.
"That was nasty." He muttered, shaking at the recollection of his traumatic experience.
"A thank you would be nice." I told him with a smirk.
"Yeah, thanks."
We heard a cry and it occurred to us that we hadn't gotten Travis out yet. We saw his legs flailing as an assembly of about twelve of the repulsive beings indulged in his flesh, his yelps becoming fainter every time.
I cut into one of the decaying bodies causing a couple others to draw attention to me.
They hissed as both lunged at me their stench causing my senses to sting. I tried to shove them but they proved to have inhuman abilities. Their clutch on me grew tougher, isolating me into one position. I struggled to make my move stealing a glance at Grover who seemed to be having issues of his own.
Overwhelmed, I kicked the first one back then swiftly drove my knife into the second. I then crushed the skull of the first one using the sole of my boot.
"Whoa!" I heard Grover shout as he broke his reeds in half and plunged them into two of the walkers.
He strained to get the instrument loose from within their temples but he had driven it so deep, it wasn't budging.
"There go my pipes." He wailed. Then he watched as the contaminated slowly grew flaccid, allowing the pieces of his musical friend to slide out with a horrific gurgle. It glided across the creatures' fluids, reaching Grover's foot.
"Aw, they cared enough to deliver back to you." I told him derisively.
"You know what, we can just raid another music store later." He said as he stepped back in nausea.
Grover and I finished up the rest of the roamers with my sword and a large stone Grover had picked up.
We pulled up to the mutilated remains which had once been our curly haired pal whose love of pranks cost him his life.
"Oh my god." Grover said breathlessly as he fell to his knees.
Travis's torso had been shredded apart, almost as if he was skinned alive. His ribcage was shattered, his organs torn into small portions sitting beside his waist. His blood was no longer the crimson shade that normal people held, but murky mustard, reflecting in his skin tone as well.
I felt my stomach churn as I looked at the guy I couldn't save, though a dunce, an irreplaceable friend.
"I couldn't save him." I choked, staring at his lifeless form.
"You can't blame yourself man." Grover replied through his tears. "Why the hell did we pull that trick? We were so damn stupid…So stupid!"
Grover's cries quickly turned into violent weeping as he collapsed near a tree. I felt my own sorrow build up in my chest and I slumped beside Travis.
"W-what happened?!" I heard a voice called.
I observed helplessly as I saw familiar auburn ringlets, the same matching ones as Travis had come tumbling down, shaking with denial and agony.
A horrifyingly tragic reunion between two brothers.
"Travis?!" Connor cried as he stared at his twin whose flesh had now become a host to the bacteria that would resurrect him as one of the infected.
Connor looked at me, then to Grover, and then surveyed the landscape around of limp corpses that dispersed around us.
As if on cue, nature's tears poured down upon us, soaking all of us as if we were in some theatrical production; the depressing zombie rendition of 'Singing in the Rain'.
The freezing water droplets found its way into my hair, matting it down and causing a feverish shiver. I stared at Connor who simply gazed at his brother, a vacant look in his eye. Grover seemed to be passed out as he didn't seem to respond to the weather he absolutely loathed.
I waited a little longer till I found the strength to get up, my feet slowly taking me to the spot a new walker was developing. I looked to Connor who still seemed to be indifferent but knew what I had to do as he nodded slightly in approval.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as I pierced the pen into the head of who had been a friend, a brother, and once a son.
I wished I could be so ignorant as to believe that this was the only casualty I was going to face with this team I had joined, but this Travis's death was just one of many to come. His was just the beginning.
Summary: Chiron tells Percy that he needs to take everyone from the camp and lead them North where walkers can't strive due to weather and that the creatures were beginning to realise of the kids' existence. He tells Percy he should leave without him due to being a 'burden' considering the fact he's in a wheelchair. Percy doesn't listen, insisting that Chiron would come with them, slowly persuading the older man to save his own life as well. Later Grover appears to Percy panting telling him that zombies have gotten Travis. Percy doesn't believe him because Travis and him have pulled stunts like it before and at that current time, he was correct. Travis jumped out the bushes dressed as a walker. Percy knew it wasn't a real one seeing that his eyes were blue. Percy then began to walk away hearing shouting and shrieks but thinks that it was just another back up prank. He soon realises it wasn't a false alarm but by then it was too late. He is able to save Grover but not Travis. He knows that his friend's death was not the end but only the beginning for more causalities to come.
