Part 4

Dirk

He didn't like being the leader of their small group. It was too much responsibility. Their lives were in his hands and he didn't know what to do with them. He tried his best though, Dirk did. He found shelter and some food for the next few days. It started to rain the night they found the cave. The clouds overhead made the forest dark. They only way they could see what using Jake's lighter. They had all stumbled into the cave, leaning against the walls to catch their breathes.

"Goodness gracious!" Jake muttered, his eyes closed and his head against the rock. Jade had slid down to the floor, laying herself out. Dirk looked down into the cave, trying to see if there were any threats. "I'm going to go check things out. Jake you stay here with Jade. Guard the mouth. I'll be going deeper in." He shifted his back on his back, gripping his katana tightly in his gloved hand. "Wait, Dirk," Dirk turned around to see Jake walking over to him. "I…be careful okay?" The brunette looked up at him slowly, giving him a small smile. Dirk could only nod because it was the only thing he could fucking think of. "Yeah uh, thanks I will be."

Then he was gone. With the lighter in one hand and his sword in the other, the Strider descended into the cave. It wasn't very interesting, though it was a bit scary. The pointed rocks looked a lot like teeth and Dirk felt like he could be eaten by the cave at any moment. It was damp too which didn't help the musky smell.

The Strider went deep into the cove, watching out for bats and rats and things that could fall and kill him. This was a dangerous journey a sickening reward. At the end of the cave the smell got more grotesque. Dirk had to cover his nose with his shirt just to keep going. He almost turned back. He wanted to turn back. Oh god he really wanted to. But his curiosity got the best of him and he kept going, which was probably the stupidest thing he had even done in his entire life. Why he didn't just listen to his inner self? He didn't know.

As he reached the end, he could barely see past the tears that were rimming around his eyes from the fumes that came from what was on the floor. These eyes widened with both disgust and fear at what they were taking in. It was probably the most vile thing he's ever seen and smelt. Laying on the floor were probably about 15 dead bodies. Not zombies. Just dead bodies. Most likely people who shot themselves in the brain to avoid getting turned by the virus. He had wished that was the case. He truly had.

He ran back to Jake and Jade, not looking back at the pile of dead bodies on the floor. He was about half-way there when he heard a high-pitched scream. Jade? He didn't know. Not that it really mattered. A scream meant danger and that's what Dirk was used to fighting. He unsheathed his katana and bolted towards the entrance of the cave.

Another scream was heard along with several gun-shots, then another scream. Damn it! Why couldn't he run faster! Dirk went as fast as his legs would carry him until he reached the mouth of the cave, when he stopped dead in his tracks. A giant thing was staring at him. Jake was standing off to the side with Jade behind him. They both turned towards him and almost said something, but Dirk held his katana up to his lips, a signal to stay quiet. Jake nodded to him, putting a hand over Jade's mouth. They both knew she would probably scream if something happened.

Dirk's attention went back to this giant monster in front of him. It was ugly. Stinky too. He didn't really know what the hell it was. It's head reached the ceiling and its hands could crush anything. It wasn't furry, and it had stitches and scars all over it's body. Perhaps it was an experiment gone wrong and just so happened to get loose when the apocalypse occurred. Dirk did the first thing that came to mind. He ran.

He didn't run towards it. He ran back to the pile of bodies. Why he went there he had no idea. He didn't have the slightest clue what he did half the time. All he knew was that it kept them alive. Act first, think later. That's how it has to be now.

He led this atrocious thing to the bodies, where he turned back around and faced it. It reached out to grab him, but thankfully he was quick on his feet and moved to the side before it could get a hold of him. The blond brought his sword down on it's hand, cutting clean though. The monster wailed and tried to slap him away with it's other hand but it was too slow. Dirk was already getting ready to stab it in the back when something suddenly flashed, blinding the boy. He crashed into a pointed rock, his sword falling from his hands and somewhere nearby. When he opened his eyes the monster was gone, and so were the bodies.

Confusion didn't set in until after he got back to his group. Jake had a cloth wet with rain water ready for him when he returned, having him lay on a make-shift bed. Jade was off picking the berries just outside the cave, Jake explained.

"She's out there by herself?" Dirk's voice was but a croaky whisper. "She'll be fine. If anything tries to attack she has my pistol. If that doesn't work then I'll run out and get whatever's bothering her." Jake smiled and wiped away some blood from Dirk's head. "What did that monster do to you? You're mighty beat up Dirk."

"Uh…" He didn't know how to explain the flash and everything disappearing. It had happened so quickly , he hadn't even registered it until now. So, he decided to lie instead. "It uh, knocked me into a rock and I passed out. It went deeper into the cave, but once I came too I killed it from behind." Jake beamed admiringly, his eye-lashes batting against his tan cheeks. "Golly Dirk! That's amazing!"

"Heh, I guess. I mean all I really did was-"

"You saved us. That's what you did." Jake gave him another smile before kissing Dirk on the forehead. The action made Dirk blush the color of a cherry. This only made the young explorer giggle. "You're adorable when you blush Strider…" His eyes softened and he started to clean a cut on Dirk's cheek. Dirk stared up at him through his shades, stunned. Jake has never shown any kind of affection for him before. Or has he? Dirk's been so caught up in trying to find Dave that he hasn't really been paying too much attention to his best friend. Jake gently took off his shades, setting them beside his head. Dirk didn't seem to notice. He just kept staring up at his friend. What the hell am I doing? I'm not gay! Or…was he…he didn't even know anymore. He just wanted to do something about the way Jake was acting.

He put a hand on Jake's cheek which made the other stop what he was doing and look at him. Dirk gulped down some nervousness. "Jake…" He whispered, pulling Jake's face closer to his. Jake English was even redder than Dirk had been earlier. This made Dirk smile just a little. "D-D-Dirk w-wha-"

"Shoosh…" He put a finger to his lips, both of his hands now on either side of English's neck. Jake was very much confused by what was happening. The blond smirked, quite amused with how Jake was taking this. In one swift move, Dirk had his lips on Jake's, one hand entangled in the brown locks, the other caressing Jake's face. Jake's eyes widened to the point where they hurt. This was something completely and utterly new for the Strider. If he had known how he felt earlier then this possibly would've happened sooner. But it was happening now and that's what mattered.

Dirk pulled away but his hands stayed where they were. His watched Jake with a somewhat hopeful look. The boy was in shock. It almost scared the dickens out of the Strider. Oh my god did I kill Jake? Once the shock was gone and Jake was looking at him properly, he quickly pressed his lips back against Dirk's. As they kissed, Jake moved so that he lay on top of Dirk. There was absolutely no space between them. And this was very triggering to the Strider.Very, triggering.

Dirk woke up with a naked Jake in his arms. He looked down at himself and found that, he too, was without clothes. What had happened last night will probably never leave him. He and Jake…god it was so unreal. It had been so fucking amazing…probably even better than anything he's ever done. It had been unlike when he and Roxy used to fool around. She was always drunk off her ass so it was really not very enjoyable. But this…it had been real. And it had been with someone he actually loved. Love. Funny thing it is.

He looked over across the cave and found Jade smiling at him. He smiled back and waved. But, she didn't wave back. Dirk furrowed his brow. Why didn't she wave back? Careful not to wake up Jake, he slipped on his clothes and walked over to the girl. "Jade?" He whispered. She seemed fine. Except…she wasn't blinking. And the smile on her face wouldn't go away. Dirk cocked his head to the side and reached out to poke her face. Jade's head suddenly wiped towards him and she lunged, tackling him to the ground. She scratched down his chest and tried to bite his face, but he held her head away. Her growls were inhuman and the words she was muttering weren't fucking English. Her once jade eyes were glazed over, and her hair was matted much like a dog's. "What the fucking hell?!" He threw the girl off of him and stood quickly, grabbing Jake's pistol. When Dirk looked back up Jade had the other pointed at him.

"Jade put the gun-"

She shot at the wall behind him, making him jump. She reloaded and pointed it back at his chest. "Where's Dave?" Her voice seemed mechanical. "What are you talking about? I don't know where my little bro is!"

"Liar!" She shot the other side of the wall near Dirk's sleeping sweetheart. This made Dirk's heart leap against his rib cage. If she wasn't careful she'd surely hit Jake. "I'm not-"

"Shut the fuck up." She fired the gun once more, this time hitting a part of Dirk's body. He yelped, holding his side. The bullet had scrapped the part between his ribs and hips. "Put down your gun Strider." Still holding his side, Dirk slowly put down his gun, holding his other hand up to show mercy. Jade's skin had gone grey, and her iris' red.

Sometime during all of this, Jake had woken up. He stared at the gun in front of Dirk's feet.

"Doc Scratch says the game is just beginning." Jade said, the evil grin still on her face. Her glasses were cracked and her clothes were torn, but she wasn't bleeding anywhere. Dirk was confused by this. She had to have been in a fight. Maybe from the monster yesterday? If she had been then there would be wounds and as far as he could tell, there were none. "Tell Doc Scratch this game sucks and that I want a refund."

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Jade walked over and grabbed Dirk by the hair, pulling him outside of the cave. Dirk yelped, looking back inside the mouth, his brows shooting up in surprise.

Jake had the pistol Dirk had put down and was standing over their bed. He had it aimed for Jade but if he missed he could kill Dirk. Carefully, he waited to shoot until he found just the right moment. He started to pull the trigger back. Just a bit longer. Now!

Just when he fired, Jade turned and fired back at him. His bullet went through her head, while her bullet went through his stomach. "Jake!" Dirk screamed, running over to the falling boy once Jade had collapsed. He caught him in his arms just before he could reach the ground. Dirk held the dying boy to his chest, letting his own body fall to the ground. Jake smiled up at him, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Did I get her?" Tears were streaming down Dirk's cheeks and he nodded, gripping Jake's other hand in his. "Yes…yeah you got her. Went clean through."

"Good." Jake coughed, getting some blood on Dirk's shirt, but he didn't care. The Strider pushed some hair out of Jake's eyes with a shaky hand, more and more tears falling. Jake didn't seem to like this. He wiped away some tears with his thumb, still smiling up at Dirk. "Don't cry mate. I'll be okay. It's just a little scratch."

"How the hell are you smiling English? You're dying! You're fucking dying…how…how are you still happy…" He was crying full on now, choking on any other words he had wanted to say. "Because I saved you silly. You're safe now." Jake's hand started to fall from his cheek but Dirk held it there, wanting Jake to keep feeling. Somewhere deep inside he was thinking that that would help keep him alive. "Hey Dirk?" Jake's voice was but a whisper now. "Yeah Jake?"

"I love you." The blond stared down at his companion through his blurry eyes, a smile forming on his lips. "I…I love you too, Jake."

Jake's eyes slid closed, his smile still on his face. Dirk held his body closer, sobbing into his shoulder. "Fuck!" He screamed, not caring if it drew attention to him. He didn't care if walkers came and ate out his brains right now. He didn't care if a bear came and mawled him. He didn't care if some bandits came and shot him. He didn't care. It was as if all meaning to his life just…just died. It did. It died when Jake was shot. The only thing he really had left was Dave, but even then he didn't know if his little bro was even alive.

"I love you…you can't leave me English…" Dirk rocked back and forth, still holding the body close to him as if he were trying to put life back into his friend. He felt helpless. Helpless and needy and stupidly in love with a man who was now dead. It just wasn't fucking fair.Nothing was fair anymore.

Finally Dirk stood, laying Jake's body on the ground. He gathered up what was left of their supplies and stuffed it into his backpack. He then proceeded to dig a hole in the ground with a shovel he had found at the store the other day, one fit for a body. Once that was done he carefully put Jake down inside. He stared at him for a while, more tears threatening to show themselves. He pushed them away through and filled the hole back up. With a knife, Dirk engraved something into a rock and set it as the tombstone for Jake's grave. After that he picked some flowers he thought Jake would like and put them in front of it.

Dirk didn't look back when he started walked back towards town. How could he? He would only become more emotionally wrecked. He had to stay serious now, no more fooling around. He had quite a journey ahead of him if he was going to find his brother and the others. With his katana in hand, he pushed up his shades and started off into the sunset

In loving memory of

Jacob English

Adventurer, best friend, and beloved boyfriend

December 1st, 1995 - July 23rd, 2013

The last sign of hope