Oops I've made another AU XD
Day 9
Theme: Rumours of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Prompt(s): presumed dead | tears
"You have to go!" His dad yelled at him over the sound of the approaching swarm of zombies.
"No!" Scott stabbed the closest zombie to him in the head. Its body fell to the floor and Scott sent a glance to his dad before the next ones would come along. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Go!" This time, it was accompanied by a fierce shove that sent Scott back a few steps.
Scott stumbled in shock, not believing that his dad was really doing this.
"There has to be another way!" Scott went to take a step back towards him, but the look his dad sent him froze him to the spot. It was a look that pleaded him not to come any closer, and Scott was torn on what to do.
"I'll keep them back as long as I can." He pulled the gun from his belt and checked it for ammo. "Get your brothers away from here. Keep them safe."
That was what did it. Scott would always put his brothers first and his dad knew that. He couldn't let his dad sacrifice himself so that they could get away, but if he didn't, there was a risk that none of them would make it out of here alive.
Scott wished there was anything else he could do, but as the horde got closer and Jeff was forced to turn and shoot the closest zombies, he knew there wasn't any time for anything else to be done.
"I promise I won't let anything happen to them." Scott meant those words with all of his heart and he knew his dad would know it too.
"I know."
Jeff sent him one last glance, before they both turned away. His dad went back to face the horde, and Scott hurried in the direction of his brothers.
He tried to ignore the clench in his heart as he turned his back on his dad. He wanted so badly to run back and help him, but his father's words were clear in his head. He had to protect his brothers.
He ran through the long hallway and out the door at the end. His brothers were waiting for him on the other side, just where they said they'd meet him.
"Come on, we need to get out of here," Scott instructed them, but none of them made a move. They all had their eyes trained on the door Scott had just come through. It slammed shut behind him, and there was no sign of anyone coming through behind him.
"Where's dad?" Virgil asked the inevitable question, and Scott knew that the only way he wouldn't break down was to ignore the question.
"We need to go." Scott grabbed Alan and Gordon's hands. Both his littlest brothers were looking up at him in confusion, and Scott had to look away.
"What?" Virgil still hadn't moved from where he was standing, and neither had John. They both kept sending glances to the door and then back to Scott.
"We need to go. Now!" Scott's voice left no room for arguments, and as he made his way down the hallway holding onto two of his brothers, the other two eventually followed.
He made sure they were quick as they hurried through the rest of the building. He wouldn't let his dad's sacrifice be for nothing. They would make it out of there safely.
They only came across a few zombies on the way out, which Scott took care of swiftly and efficiently. When they broke through the front door, they were met with the bright sun as it was on the verge of setting.
Scott wouldn't let them stop even as they made it a fair distance from the building. Not only did he want his brothers far away from there, he also knew that as soon as he stopped, he might just go running back.
However, it was Virgil who eventually dug his heels in and refused to take another step further until he got answers.
"Where is dad?"
Scott stopped as his brother did the same. Now that he had done so, he realised how out of breath he had gotten from the run. His little brothers were panting next to him, and Scott relaxed his grip on their hands as he noticed how tightly he was holding them.
He turned to Virgil, who was giving him a steely expression. His fists were clenched at his sides, and Scott knew he would need to be honest if he was going to get him to come with them.
"He held off the horde so we could get away."
It took a moment for the meaning of Scott's words to hit. When they did, it was obvious by the change in expression on his brother's face.
"No."
"Virgil, he had no choice-"
"No!"
Virgil turned to run back to that building, and Scott swore. He shoved Alan and Gordon towards John, who all looked just as shocked by what Scott had said. He would have to deal with that later, he could only manage one brother at a time right now.
He darted towards Virgil before his brother could get far and he wrapped his arms around his chest. He struggled and tried to pry Scott's arms from him, but Scott held firm.
"Virgil, listen to me. Dad wanted us to get away. He was protecting us."
"You left him!" There were tears in his brother's eyes now. Scott couldn't deny that his words were true, and he felt his own eyes start to water.
"I know."
Eventually, the fight left his brother and he slumped in his arms. Scott could let him go without worrying about him running off, but they still all stood there for a long moment, none of them too sure about what to do next.
But then Scott stood up straight and remembered his dad's words. Get his brothers away from there, and keep them safe.
He kept moving forward, and his brothers followed.
They made it back to the little shack they had taken up shelter in these past days by nightfall. They shared a couple cans of their limited food supply between them, and then they went to bed.
Alan and Gordon were curled up under the one blanket they had, and Scott envied their ability to sleep through all this. He suspected Virgil and John were like him and were still wide awake as they laid there, thinking that any sound outside could be their dad coming home.
Scott kept his eyes trained on the door, hoping beyond anything that it would open and it would be their dad standing there, somehow having made it out alive.
But as the night stretched on and the door stayed closed, Scott felt his hope slowly ebb away. He wanted to stay awake, but eventually exhaustion clawed at him, and he fell asleep, with no sign of his dad returning.
The next morning came and with no sign of their dad, Scott headed back to the building where he last saw him. He didn't go alone, Virgil accompanied him whilst John stayed and looked after their littlest brothers.
"He's not coming back, is he?" Virgil asked from next to him.
They were both sitting on the hill that looked down on the building. It was swarming with zombies and the entrance was now blocked. There was no way they could get inside again, and there was a low chance anyone could get out. The only possibility of that happening was if whoever was inside made it out before it got this bad.
"It doesn't look good." Scott knew that Virgil was old enough to be honest with him. If he was speaking to any of his other brothers, he would have tried to keep their hope alive, but Virgil he could be straight with.
If their dad had made it out of that building alive, then he should have come back to them. The only reason Scott could think of as to why he wouldn't was that he was hurt, which is what led him back to the building.
However, after searching around the area without getting too close to the swarm of undead, there was no sign of their dad. He didn't want to risk even trying to get back inside to search, not that he thought anyone could still be alive in there.
Now, the two of them were sitting together as they let the situation truly dawn on them. There was a good chance their dad wasn't coming back.
Scott sighed, and then stood up and offered his hand to Virgil.
"Come on. Let's get back and rescue John from the terrible two."
As much as Scott wanted to sit there and wait for the slim chance that he would see his dad somehow, he knew that now he was responsible for his brothers, he had to think of them first. His other brothers were probably wondering where they were, and Scott didn't like the idea of them being out of his sight for too long. He couldn't lose them as well.
Virgil accepted his hand and Scott pulled him to his feet. Together, they went back to their little shack and their brothers within, and in doing so, turned their backs on the last place their dad could be.
It was a few days later when they were forced to relocate.
A number of zombies had appeared through the trees and found their location. Scott took care of the first few, but the commotion had drawn more to them and soon there were too many. They were left outnumbered.
They packed up the few possessions that they had, and got out of there before the horde got too big and trapped them with no escape.
They spent the day travelling, trying to find a new place to hole up in for a while, but also searching for any food they could find. Their supplies were low, and Scott didn't know how much longer it would last them.
They did manage to find a couple cans of soup on a rotting corpse, but nowhere that would be a safe shelter. In the end, they spent the night tucked into the trees of the forest, which provided better protection than nothing.
Scott would rather not stay out in the open in the dark, but he could tell his younger brothers needed a rest. Gordon and Alan looked like they were about to drop any moment, and Virgil and John didn't look much better.
Which was why Scott offered to keep watch whilst his brothers slept. He was leant up against the trunk of a tree, his brothers right next to him as they slept soundlessly. He listened for any sound that could be from the dead or living, and kept his gaze on the darkness around them and watched for any shadows that could be moving.
But as the night drew on and with no one to talk to, Scott found himself getting lost in his thoughts. He had never let the reality of what had happened hit him yet, but now he was starting to realise the true extent of what had happened.
When they had still been at their shack, there was always the possibility of their dad coming back, however slim that chance was. He could have opened the door one day with a reason as to why he hadn't come back sooner, and they would've all given him big hugs and the nightmare would soon be behind them.
However, they were no longer at that shack. Even if their dad was still out there, there was no chance he would find them now. Not that Scott could see that happening. It had been several days, he had to face the reality that their dad was truly gone and he wasn't ever coming back.
He hadn't realised he was crying until a sob left his lips. He quickly tucked his face into the crook of his elbow so his brothers wouldn't hear as he continued to cry. Their father was dead and Scott had left him, alone in a fight he had no hope of winning. He was gone, and it was all Scott's fault.
Jeff fired his gun until the bullets ran out, and then he reloaded and fired some more. He kept fighting as long as he could to give his sons the best chance to get away safely.
His heart ached at the image of Scott's face when Jeff had told him to leave. He knew it would affect Scott greatly to leave him behind, but Jeff was glad his son had listened. He needed to know that all his sons would be safe, and Jeff trusted Scott to do just that in his absence.
He cursed at the click of an empty chamber and reached into his pocket to grab another cartridge. His hand met nothing, and he knew he was out.
Jeff stumbled back from the zombies as one swiped at him. He had given his sons enough time that they should have gotten out by now, so Jeff spun around and ran off in the same direction Scott had gone.
He almost got to the exit of the building, but was cut off as another horde suddenly appeared in front of him.
Jeff turned back the way he'd come, but the swarm he'd been fighting was blocking the other way. He looked around frantically, and saw a door next to him. Jeff quickly pushed it open and stumbled through.
On the other side of the door was a staircase, and Jeff hurried upstairs as the groans got louder behind him.
Now on the next floor, he could hear even more moans of the undead. Jeff hurried through the hallways as he tried to find a different way to the exit, but every door he opened, he was met with more zombies on the other side.
He reached the end of the hallway and darted through the door, hoping that it would lead to another staircase. However, all that was on the other side was an empty room and a single window.
A dead end.
Jeff turned to head out of the room, but was stopped by the horde that he didn't realise had gotten so close. He was trapped with nowhere else to go.
He stepped back into the room and shut the door. Jeff looked round to see if there was anything that could help him, but there was nothing.
The window caught his attention and Jeff hurried over to it. He slid it open as wide as it would go and stuck his head out to see what was outside.
Below it, there was a drop to the river that rushed along the side of the building. There was no ledge for Jeff to climb on or anything between him and the drop below.
Jeff sent a look over his shoulder as a bang rang out on the other side of the door. He had limited time.
Another look at the river below and Jeff knew he had only one option if he didn't want to get eaten alive. It was risky; he didn't know how deep the water was or if he would even make it. It wasn't like he had a choice.
Jeff swung his legs over the window and perched on the ledge. The water rushed below him and Jeff swallowed deeply.
The door smashed behind him as the wood finally gave away, and with the thought of his sons, Jeff jumped.
The wind rushed past him and then all too quickly, he smacked into the water. He was spun around and Jeff was left disorientated for a long moment as the water pushed and pulled him along. Eventually, his head broke above the surface long enough for him to gasp in a breath, before he was pulled back under.
When he managed to emerge for a second time, the water had grown a tad calmer for him to look around. The bank was too far away for him to reach and with the strong currents, it was impossible to swim over to the edge.
He was pushed along for a long time, and in that time, Jeff fought to grab hold of something. He could never get a good grip on anything and kept getting sucked back into the water.
Then, he noticed the drop.
He scrambled to grab onto anything, but before he could stop it, Jeff was pulled over the edge.
Water rushed around him as he was sucked down the waterfall and he braced himself for the impact.
He hit the surface hard, but he survived. The water was significantly calmer at the base of the waterfall, and when Jeff had pushed his aching limbs to the surface, he dragged himself over to the edge of the river.
Jeff slumped on the dry bank and took heaving breaths. He didn't know how long he was there, slumped and shivering as the cold air hit his wet clothes. He finally pushed himself up when his breath came back to him, and he took in the new predicament he was now in.
He had managed to get out of that building safely, but now he was sitting next to a river that had taken him who knew how far away. He had no idea where he was or how to get back to his sons.
The thought of his boys had Jeff getting up onto his shaky legs. He may not know where he was, but he was determined that he would find his way back. His boys were his world, and he would not stop until he found them again.
It took Jeff longer than he would have liked until he found his way back to the shack he and his sons had been staying at. It took him days. Days filled with sleeping alone in the forest and surviving off whatever food he could find, but eventually he made it.
When he knew he was getting closer, he picked up his pace. He would be seeing his boys again soon, and that was the best feeling in the world.
But then the shack came into view, and his heart sank.
It was surrounded by zombies. The door was open and the worst case scenarios came flying into Jeff's head. He was too late, and now anything could have happened to his sons.
He needed to know for sure.
He managed to lure the attention of the zombies away by creating a distraction far from the shack. They left long enough for Jeff to sneak into the shack and take a look around.
He let out a deep breath of relief at seeing all their things were gone. That meant his sons had left here when it became unsafe, rather than something bad happening to them. Jeff felt a sense of pride at the thought, knowing that it would be Scott who had got them out of there. Jeff knew his sons would be safe with Scott looking after them.
But with them gone from here, Jeff had no idea where they could be now. Still, he would search for as long as it took. He would get back to them.
Years.
Years had passed and he still had not been reunited with his family. He spent every second of every day looking for his sons. He did everything he could think of. He left behind messages that his sons might see and know they were from him. He made deals with the few other survivors he came across, in the hope that they could offer up information if they had seen his sons around.
It always felt like Jeff was just two steps behind them. A couple survivors had mentioned they'd crossed paths with a group that matched his description of his sons, but Jeff was always just that bit late.
This world was tough enough on its own to try and survive in, let alone search for anyone else in it. But Jeff would never stop. It was the thought that one day he would see his boys again that kept him going.
He had just reached a town and decided to search some of the abandoned shops in case he found anything of use. He managed to find some gloves to replace the ones he'd lost, and he grabbed a wooly hat in preparation for the approaching winter.
Jeff put the items in his bag and then he headed down the street to see what other stores there were in this area.
His movements were stilled when he felt something hit the back of his head and heard a familiar click.
"Don't move."
Maybe it was just his hope getting the better of him, but he swore he knew that voice. It was different from the years that had passed since he'd last heard it, but yet it was still so familiar.
Jeff raised his hands in surrender to show he wasn't a threat.
"I'm not here to cause any trouble."
The person behind him went quiet and Jeff's suspicions grew. Did they recognise his voice too?
They were silent for a long moment and Jeff presumed that it was safe for him to turn around. He moved slowly, so as to not startle the person into shooting him.
As he turned, the man came into view, and any suspicions he had were confirmed as Jeff laid his eyes on him.
He was older, taller. He seemed tired, which made him look more aged beyond his years, but nevertheless, Jeff knew he wasn't mistaken.
"Scott?"
Scott stared at him for a long moment, but the recognition, along with disbelief, was clear on his face. He had probably spent this whole time thinking Jeff was gone, and was now staring at a deadman.
"Dad?" Scott dropped the arm holding the gun, but didn't dare move any further.
Jeff allowed him to process what was happening, but without warning, Scott's arms were suddenly wrapped around his neck.
Jeff pulled his son in for a tight hug, and felt tears prick his eyes when he knew these past years had been worth it for this moment. He had finally found them.
They were like that for a long moment, before Jeff pulled away. He would have liked for the moment to never end, but he had questions he needed to ask.
"Why are you out here by yourself? Where are your brothers?" The fact that Scott was alone had Jeff worried that he had split up from his brothers, or worse.
"They're back at the house. I was just out looking for supplies." Scott wiped at his eyes, and Jeff knew his son was feeling just as emotional as him.
"On your own?" Jeff had taught his sons before he'd left that it was better to stick together than be alone.
"Sometimes it's nice to spend a bit of time on my own." He let out a teary laugh, which made Jeff smile. It seemed that nothing had changed, and Scott was still the big brother trying to get some alone time away from four little brothers. "Besides, we cleared out this area, so it's pretty safe. Come on, I'll take you to them."
He grabbed Jeff's arm and started to pull him down the road. Jeff let his son guide him past the shops and then into a forest at the edge of town. And that was where he saw it.
A small house, tucked just past the treeline. It had what was probably once a track leading up to it, but now it was overgrown. There were pieces of string tied between the trees that had old, metal drinks cans hanging from them, and Jeff realised they must be there to alert of any intruders, particularly undead ones.
Scott lifted the string so that Jeff could duck underneath and Jeff did so. Scott followed after him, and then they approached the house.
Scott paused and Jeff looked at him questioningly as he waved up at the window. Jeff followed his gaze, and through the boards on the window, he saw a flash of movement.
His son then continued on and Jeff expected them to head to the front door, so he was surprised when Scott led them around the side of the house.
"Front door's booby-trapped," Scott explained as if he could read Jeff's mind.
"How long have you been here?" Jeff couldn't help but ask as he looked at this place in wonder. They seemed to have thought of everything, and felt even more proud of his sons than he had before.
"About two years now." Scott paused at what looked like a pile of leaves, but Jeff soon realised it was a hatch that led to a cellar. It was decorated with leaves to look like it was nothing of interest, but really it was a secret entrance.
Scott lifted the hatch, and was thrown back as a bundle of blonde came barreling outside.
The figure's eyes darted between the two of them, but then they settled on Jeff. The look in his eyes was just the same as Scott's, and Jeff smiled at the bewildered look on his face.
"Hi, Alan." Jeff knew it was his youngest. He was older too, yet didn't look too different than how Jeff remembered him all those years ago.
Alan still stood there, and Jeff was prepared to deal with this reaction another three times. Alan sent a look to Scott, and it seemed that was all Alan needed to throw his arms around his dad.
"You were watching from the window, then?" Scott asked, and Jeff chuckled that he knew what his brother had been doing.
"What-? How-?" Alan uttered in disbelief from where his face was still pressed against Jeff's chest.
"We can explain it all later. Let's get inside."
Scott managed to pry Alan from him, but his son still clung to his sleeve as they made their way down the steps to the cellar. It was empty, apart from the other set of stairs which must lead into the main part of the house.
They went up the steps, and then Jeff heard more voices.
"What's with all the commotion?" Jeff saw Gordon first, who was rubbing his eyes like he had just been woken up. He was standing across from Virgil and John, who both shrugged in response.
Their attention was drawn towards the trio as they appeared at the top of the steps. Jeff was now used to the shocked reactions, so it wasn't a surprise when his sons went quiet, and then moments later he was barraged by a multitude of tight hugs.
Jeff embraced them all in return, tears falling from his eyes again. He was finally reunited with his family, and that made all the years of heartache worth it.
They had a lot of catching up to do. Jeff was excited to hear what his sons had been up to and he was sure they wanted to hear what he had been doing as well. But right now, Jeff was just glad to be home.
If you like zombie apocalypse au, I've got more coming later in the month!