6 DAYS EARLIER
DAY 1
Darkness.
A deep and suffocating darkness. He was alone in the dark, save for his own mind which had become like a tomb of bones. There was no light here; he couldn't see nor hear anything. The only sounds he could hear were the beating of his heart and his own heavy breathing. There was no way to tell if there was even air in this place, but what did he know? Nothing; not one single thing about himself at all. All he knew was that he was drowning in the black nothingness around him. And then, suddenly, something appeared.
A light.
Like a beacon of hope from the depths of hopelessness which had brought him here. He could believe, no matter how unlikely it may seem that any being could actually exist out here, there must be light somewhere because otherwise how could he even dream of seeing it?
Wrapped in pitch black darkness for so long, he was all but certain he had either lost his sight or never had any sight to begin with.
But now this tiny ray of light had come, and it seemed as though it was going to stay forever. It shone so brightly, illuminating not just his surroundings, but even the darkness itself, giving him just a little bit more hope than before. A tiny glimmer of hope amidst the endless expanse of despair he had found himself trapped in.
To his surprise, it slowly drew towards him and the closer it came, the stronger its light became until finally, with an abrupt stop, the light stopped moving and hovered right in front of him. It looked almost too bright to handle, like some heavenly creature who'd fallen from heaven, except instead of falling through the ceiling of his world, it simply hovered before him.
He stared, awestruck and confused. The light began to glow brighter and brighter and soon everything around them was illuminated as well. Right hand reached out, palm outstretched toward the light which hovered before him and gently touched. He expected to recoil, maybe even fall to the ground if his instincts told him to, but he wasn't hurt. Instead, the light felt warm, welcoming, like someone reaching their hands into your chest cavity and caressing your heart. Slowly but surely, the light filled him up, filling every hole, filling every crack, healing every broken nerve. He gasped, gasping for breath in shock. His whole body trembled and his skin crawled, the feeling spreading to his limbs as the power of the light coursed through them. But still, he didn't pull away.
As much as he wanted to run, scream, and cry all at once, he stayed rooted to the spot, unable to look away from the beautiful glowing orb. Finally, after what seemed like eternity had passed, the light dimmed and faded away leaving him alone again in his eternal abyss.
His entire frame shivered uncontrollably, his eyes glued to where the light once rested, trying to understand why the strange sensation of warmth and comfort hadn't yet left him.
It was as though his very soul had been cleansed by the light. No longer did he feel tainted, corrupted, despaired, or empty.
He was whole, and the purest form of happiness had ever existed.
Suddenly lights appeared one by one making him jump backwards in fright. The sudden brightness momentarily blinded him, making him wince and hold his arms over his eyes. When he blinked them open after a moment, blinking furiously, he felt like he could stare the sun right into submission. He could feel his eyes watering as the tears escaped them.
Echoing In the blinding filled void of light, a voice called out to him.
"Be warm like the sun, be pure like a stream of clear water. Be strong like a mighty oak." The voice was beautiful, like the song it belonged to. "Make yourself free like a hawk."
The voice spoke with such authority, such grace. It sounded familiar, somehow, and he wondered where he might have heard it before.
"Treat everyone as though they're family. Never harm an innocent soul. Protect those who need protection. Stay true to yourself. Remember this warmth, as it'll carry you forward. But most of all…"
And then the voice trailed off, leaving him with no idea what else it had said. Then, in that second, the voice spoke again, sounding almost like it was directly in his ear.
"Never forget dear one. I'm with you in the dark…"
Before he could register any further movement or words, the voice was gone. The light grew even brighter and it took all of his strength to keep his eyes from tearing up from the intense intensity of it all.
And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light disappeared without warning. There was nothing left but silence. The sudden sound of rustling leaves startled him, causing his eyes to shoot open. His head snapped upwards, alertness flooding his body as he scanned the area around him, trying to locate whatever made the noise.
He was shocked to find he was no longer surrounded by darkness, nor was he enveloped in light.
He was… facing a clear blue sky.
A brilliant blue sky that stretched above, seemingly infinite miles and miles above. The wind whistled softly, blowing through his hair while the sun beat down on him warmly. He could smell fresh cut grass nearby and the sweet scent of flowers mingled together. Above, birds chirped and danced freely in the sky.
Slowly he rose from the ground, standing unsteadily upon the soft surface, testing his balance. He felt like he was weightless, floating in midair. He stood there watching for a few moments, mesmerized by the scene laid out before him. A grassy field lay stretched before him, its lush green grasses swaying with the gentle breeze. At the far side of the field, a large tree stood proudly in the middle, its branches hanging low over the ground while its trunk sat high atop a hill. Beyond the tree line, small houses and farmland dotted the countryside, their buildings nestled neatly next to each other.
He furrowed his brow and looked down at his right hand. He blinked when he saw his skin looked moldy and pale, devoid of color and lacking any trace of life. He shook his arm, attempting to rid himself of the unpleasant feeling, but nothing happened. He flexed his fingers and moved them about. He raised a hesitant hand to his face and brushed it across his cheek, surprised at what he found there.
The realization dawned on him that his skin felt cold. So cold that he could actually feel it against his palm.
Looking down to himself, he noticed the same phenomenon. He could feel his clothes – thick fabric lined in fine cotton cloth – sticking uncomfortably to his body; he could feel the texture of the fabric against his flesh.
He turned in a circle, examining himself with new interest. His feet were bare, his clothes also loose fitting and loosely woven and worn thin. And as he continued looking, his gaze wandered downwards. To the top of his foot, a pair of shoes stood tall – sturdy leather boots with golden trim. They looked old, worn, but sturdy; perfect for running along dirt trails through the woods.
Unsure of exactly what to do, he starts forward slowly. Walking along the edge of the field, his eyes scanning back and forth across the horizon to search for anything that would help him figure out his situation.
The landscape around him looked completely unfamiliar, and as much as he tried to remember, the details he desperately searched for would escape his grasp. He didn't know which direction was which, or if he should take a different path than the one he was already on.
He trots along, looking around him, his feet occasionally stepping on grass blades. He approaches the houses closer to the trees lining the field and stops at each house he passes. They are all similar, each a quaint little home built out of wood, bricks, mortar and stones. Their exterior walls are constructed of the same materials used throughout this area: brick, wood, and stone.
Each of these houses is unique in that they all have an identical wooden door carved with the same pattern and intricate detail. All of the doors, windows, and other structures look quite cozy and inviting.
At first glance, these homes appear to be fairly normal and perfectly ordinary, but as he walks past the last one on the left, he notices something odd about it. Unlike the others, the door seems slightly crooked, as though it had lost its previous shape and instead has grown out from its original position. Curious, he makes a detour and goes to investigate further. Once he gets close enough, he can see the inside of the door.
He blinked, mouth slightly agape at what he saw. The walls were smeared with blood, bloody hand prints and hastily scribbled words. Venturing inside, he turns to his left finding the curtains were torn to shreds. The remains barely hang onto the poles that used to hold them. The room itself was completely destroyed; not only was it covered in dust and debris but splinters of furniture, chairs, tables and beds lay everywhere, broken and shattered to pieces. Everything was covered in a dark red substance, coating the floor and the walls.
What… happened… here? He thought to himself, taking cautious steps into the destroyed room, eyes darting around in bewilderment.
Before he ventured further, a low growl alarmed him. He spun around towards the source of the noise, a figure stood just outside the house. It was tall and broad with short black hair. It wore dark brown leather pants and dark purple boots that reached below his knees. Its skin was gray and moldy much like his own and there appeared to be black veins bulging out underneath it. Its long, spindly limbs hung uselessly at its sides. Its eyes were blank, white, lifeless eyes devoid of any emotion as it stared straight ahead.
Opening its mouth reveals sharp teeth that jut out menacingly. The creature let out another loud snarl, and continued forward, moving silently on shaky legs as it advanced.
By sudden coincidence, its growl was followed by another snarl coming from behind, this time louder.
Turning around swiftly and seeing two more figures approaching from the opposite corner of the house. Two became four, then six, then ten. Each one wearing different dirty shirts, with the ends torn and dirty. Their faces were also blank, with hollow eyes staring straight ahead. With every step, each one growled threateningly, the sound deafening as they advanced ahead.
These groups of people all looked… dead; like lifeless corpses with no sense of purpose or motivation. What had caused these poor souls to lose themselves so much that they become mindless walkers?
And he's one of them. No. No, that can't be it. If he is truly like these walkers how come he's still in control of his body? If he was really a mindless corpse then wouldn't his very existence negate that fact? That's what happens, isn't it? When you die your thoughts disappear. You cease to exist. You cease to exist and your soul simply vanishes. There's nothing left of you anymore. There's nothing. Nothing left.
And yet, despite being dead, he remained alive. He shook his head vigorously to try and erase the thoughts from his mind, deciding for now to save those questions for later.
He exited the house through the doorway and stepped out onto the grass. His shoes sank a little into the mud.
He watched the group of dead walkers passing by, never bothering to look in his direction. The walkers continued their trek through the fields, disappearing from view once they climbed up a slight hill.
Maybe…I should follow them. He thought to himself, eyeing the empty expanse that separated the group from him. I mean, I'm a walker too. Or for a lack of better word; half walker. Maybe they will lead me somewhere.
Deciding that's all that's keeping him rooted in place, he began to jog after the group of zombies climbing over the small hill. Reaching to the top, he stood and surveyed the land around him. A road wound its way along the field, connecting to the main road leading away from the town. His eyes followed the main road until it stretched beyond sight, then he gazed up at a city far away from where he stood.
From what he could make out, it seemed to consist of several large buildings situated near the center of town. Further away was an array of smaller buildings spread among the rest.
All the walkers were starting towards the city. Perhaps, that's where we should go. He reasoned to himself, following the group as they continued toward the city. As the sun begins to lower in the sky, the scenery surrounding him brightens considerably. The air becomes cooler and fresher as the sun lowers in the sky, making the world seem clearer.
Trees sway gently under the light breeze, providing him with ample shade from the warm rays of sunlight.
It doesn't take long for them to reach the city. They passed a few buildings before reaching the main street, walking along a cobblestone pavement. The streets are lined with shops, stores, restaurants and even an inn. The sign above the front door reads "The Inn" in gold letters adorned with flowers painted on either side. The walkers entered the inn together, pushing open the heavy wooden door and entering the bistro.
The rest of the group continued stumbling about in silence, save for low growls and snarls. He followed behind them, noticing that most of them were looking around with intense curiosity, almost seeming to sniff the air for some kind of clue.
He stopped on one step however, when a sporadic boom echoed and whistled from inside the inn. Quickly he turned to his right shoulder at the inn's doors, watching as the doors swung wide open.
A/N: Whew! Finally, for months after months, and at long last I have done it. Chapter one is out! Honestly though lol, I've lost count to how many times I've used the word 'He, his, he's,' so I'm sorry if I've annoyed some readers. Our half human walker will have a name soon so don't worry. Until then, see you in the next chapter!