Ah, yes, zombies. Even though I know they're not real, it'd still be really scary, you know? It's like…like those horror movies. You know they're just movies, but they scare you to death while you're watching them.
Coincidentally, I'm listening to "Thriller" right now.
Anyway, I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, (at least, I know you reviewers did, and thanks for reviewing, once again). I hope those of you not reviewing liked it, too. Hopefully you will all enjoy the next chapter. I'll do my best! While listening to cheerful Beatles music. Huzzah.
Disclamer: Cheerful-author-person does not own D. Gray-Man, but the fact that I can't put it together like it's supposed to be really bugs me. But then it just changes to -Man.
Chapter Summary: During a horrifying zombie encounter, Allen and Lenalee head for the mysterious rundown shack…which is terrifying in its own ways…
Allen banged on the door of the shack, which was surprisingly sturdy for something so pathetic-looking. Glancing behind him, he saw tons of zombies, all in various states of emerging from the ground.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" Allen continued his banging, which grew more frantic. He added a "please?" for good measure.
It was no good. No one was answering. He glanced over at Lenalee, who was holding her face and frantically mumbling something about how this wasn't supposed to happen. Really, Allen agreed. One wasn't supposed to be pursued by zombies on a simple picnic.
Just when he was about to give up his banging on the door to grab a stick and attempt to give Lenalee time to run (what a joke), the door creaked open. Allen, having been in the middle of banging on the door, lost his balance and fell inside.
"Why, look, Henry, a visitor," came a voice that could only be compared to spider webs, however that works.
Allen, however, didn't have time at that exact moment for introductions. He yanked the babbling Lenalee inside, turned, and slammed the door shut, after which he slumped against it.
"Henry, look, it's two visitors!" said the same voice.
Allen looked up to see a tall, spindly old woman who looked as if she were about to crumble to dust. It was actually slightly scary, but it was nothing compared to that zombie horde outside. Still, the fact that her tiny eyes were almost disappearing into her dusty skin was a little disturbing.
Still, Allen was one for proper introductions, and, after catching his breath, he said, "I'm sorry to come barging in like this, but…but I think you have a little problem…"
"Problem" was an understatement. Allen could already hear the moans and groans of the zombies, and, although cliché, it was all very frightening.
An old man emerged from the shadows, very spider-like himself. He was almost scarier than the lady, what with those massive circles around his eyes.
"Oh dear," he said, in a voice reminiscent of a butler in a horror movie. "Hortence, it seems they're acting up again."
"Not to worry," said the lady, whose name was apparently the unfortunate Hortence. "They haven't gotten in yet."
Yes, but it was the yet that worried Allen most.
"We thought you were a ghost, coming up the walk," said Hortence in that creepy, awful, wispy voice of hers. Actually, at that point, the only thing she had going for her was the fact that she wasn't a zombie. Although she certainly seemed close enough.
The creepy guy named Henry loomed closer. "I would advise you to get away from the window," he said to someone off to the right.
Lenalee backed away from the window, still staring out. She bumped into a wobbly table and abruptly sat down on the floor.
"Now, you two chiiiiiiiildren are perfectly welcome to stay the night," said Hortence. The way she said "children" seriously creeped Allen out, but it wasn't like they could go back out there and face…that army of the undead.
"We were just turning in for the night," said Henry, rubbing his hands together in a manner similarly creepy to that of the "children" thing.
And with that, they were gone, sliding up the stairs. Allen couldn't take his eyes off of them, because, to be frank, they scared the heck out of him. A sudden scratching at the window, however, reminded him of the alternative. In case you don't remember, it's those flesh-starved zombies.
After a while of silence, Lenalee whispered, "Allen, something about this feels really, really creepy."
Well, what was it? The weird old people? The zombies roaming around outside? The fact that the shack was actually very crooked? Sarcasm aside, though, Lenalee was right. And Allen felt the same way. But then, there wasn't much they could do about it, right?
Allen shivered, since he hadn't been wearing a coat since the picnic incident and didn't have the ability to make one magically appear. It was cold on the creaky, dusty floor that was probably crawling with spiders and cockroaches and poisonous snakes and infectious diseases…
No! Allen told himself. Think about something positive!
But there really was nothing positive about the situation. And the strange old people had taken their light, an unreliable candle, with them.
Suddenly, Allen felt something touch his arm. He bit back a girlish shriek as he waited for his arm to be devoured by something hungering for human flesh. He didn't think he looked particularly appetizing, but after seeing those old people, he realized he was probably the most edible thing around.
This logic did not make him feel any better. You may actually be surprised to find that it made him feel worse.
There it was again, something touching his arm. What if it was a boa constrictor? Or a black mamba? His fears were multiplied as he felt something creepishly soft brush his face.
But snakes weren't creepishly soft, were they? Not that Allen had ever had close interactions with snakes, especially snakes of the poisonous variety, so he wasn't exactly sure. Wanting to be safe rather than sorry, Allen was about to smack it and run, hoping it wouldn't be able to get him, when he noticed something distinctly un-snakelike and incredibly reassuring that made him nervously glad he hadn't attacked in some potentially-damaging way. Unless snakes smelled like raspberry shampoo, he was safe.
"Lenalee," Allen breathed, trying to pretend he hadn't almost freaked out. He wasn't managing it very well.
"I-I-I'm sorry," said Lenalee hastily, sounding sheepish. "I just-"
"It's fine, I'm just glad you're not a spider or a cockroach or some type of incredibly deadly snake," Allen said, voice still slightly wobbly from those darn nerves. Don't think about death, don't think about death, don't think about…wait a second. By telling himself not to think about death, wasn't he actually thinking about it?
Fortunately, his death-ridden thoughts were interrupted when Lenalee moaned, "This is all my fault."
Technically yes, it was. But Allen was too nice a guy to point this out.
"It's not your fault. How were you supposed to know we'd be blown off a cliff, run into the Millennium Earl, and then be pursued by a horde of zombies?"
Even to him, this didn't sound like the best consolation ever, and Lenalee cemented this suspicion as a fact when she burst into tears.
Horrified, Allen could feel people thinking, "You made her cry." He didn't know what to do when girls cried! What the heck was he supposed to do now?
It was all good, though, because Lenalee fixed the problem by using Allen's sleeve as a towel with which to mop up her river of tears.
Finally, to Allen's utter relief, Lenalee's sobs turned to sniffles, and gradually to nothing at all. It was weird, sure, but it was a whole lot better than having to figure out what to do in that situation. Except…usually she didn't stop crying on her own.
That was when Allen began to have the sneaking suspicion that Lenalee had actually fallen asleep, which was relieving, concerning, and awkward all at the same time.
Allen sighed. Oh well.
**********
One of the members of the science branch wandered down the hallway, whistling. Although his whistling was nearly drowned out by the rattling windows and the wailing wind, he enjoyed whistling, and so he did it anyway.
Let's just call this guy…Member A.
Head Officer Komui hadn't come down to supper that evening, and Member A was taking something to his office, like he usually did. He would've asked Reever, but he had been nowhere to be found, so Member A figured he should just take the food there like normal.
Standing outside Komui's office, Member A failed to notice the piece of paper lying face-down on the floor. Instead of surveying his surroundings for possible fallen warning signs, he balanced the tray he was carrying in one hand, knocking on the door with the other one.
A few seconds passed before the door creaked slowly open. True, Member A felt a brief moment of terror, but he ignored it, as he had been practicing to avoid being scared by the Head Officer. It just didn't look good when your knees shook every time someone entered the room.
"Why hello, if it isn't…" Komui, peering out from the dark room, wracked his brain for the name of the wimpy little guy standing in front of him.
Komui ignored him when he spoke, although he was probably giving his name right then and there.
"Well, I'll just call you Member A," decided Komui. "Chop chop, I don't have all day. Get in here."
Member A, who had been dubbed "Member A", nearly dropped the tray he was holding. "W-what?"
"Get in here. I need your help with…er…something." Komui's eyes narrowed. "What, you wouldn't ignore orders from the great Komui, would you?"
And with that, he grabbed the arm of Member A and yanked the poor guy right into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
That's right, that's right. I couldn't think of much for this chapter. In fact, right now, I don't really remember what it is I just wrote. I hope it's not too bad. Next one'll be better, I promise, when the identities of the creepy old people are…sort of revealed, I guess. And not to worry, Lavi will be coming back soon. When I think of what happens next.
…ideas are always welcome? :3
