No hope: If there's hope, maybe even the merest of string, the apocalypse always finds a way to destroy it, gobble it whole, until there is nothing left, but an empty shell...
Well it's the second volume. This volume will be longer I think or shorter than the first. Enjoy
Ferdos: OCs will be introduced soon. I just have to plan out the plot. Some will be introduced soon while others in this chapter.
Do forgive me for my never-ending darkness.
The sun dangles like a glowing beacon, the heat so unbearable the witnesses sweated with as little too few minutes as the sun continues its merciless torture. Little freckles of clouds are scattered across the sky, just to remind the dying world clouds are possible. The tree anchors motionless in the soil like a rock, as if they are scared of the sick ones, the zombies. No leafs twitch, for no wind blew. The world is voided of wind. Maybe they too are afraid, afraid to disturb, afraid to brave the sick ones. It's like nature is quickly dying with the world, leaving thousands and thousands of areas into nothing more than a waste land.
Cars lay wreck on the streets like famous monuments and flames crawl on blocks of houses.
And the dead, now the undead, claims the streets as their own, their frantic movement never stopping, never tiring. They just push on, always scanning for flesh, for it is their only objective.
And nothing could stop them.
Conceal within a vacant garage, a teenage couple holds each other closely, eyes so scared it never leaves the garage door. The girl snuggles in the boy frail frame, sweating with no end. Their trembling body joins with each other to produce a violent mess of tangled limbs. Slowly the boy pours a liquid labelled 'Castrol' into two cups. He hands one to the girl and raises his own.
"I love you," the boy whispers.
"I love you too," the girl admits.
It was the first time they had said it to each other, but yet so true. They had braved the world of stress on their shoulders, witnessing their parents' death then their group's death.
It was too much. They couldn't survive, and there is only one other way.
The boy smiles weakly as he downs the liquid, the girl doing the same. They embrace each other tightly.
For the last time.
And slowly, they slip away from this torturous and horrible world into everlasting peace, their hands tightly thread together, forever and ever.
Meanwhile
"And the three little musketeers lived happily ever after." A woman ends. She closes the book and grins as she ruffles her son and daughter's hair. She lovingly kisses them on their cheeks and mutters 'I love you.'
Her eyes are getting droopy. It pained her but she had too.
She had to lace their food with poison. This world is too cruel for her little munchkins. She might survive, but not her two munchkin. Her son suffers from Down syndrome and her daughter is crippled by an untimely accident. The world had grasped so much from her, her husband's life, her son's brain, her daughter's movement and shall rob her unborn baby with her life. With a moment of desperation, she took her life by the reins and led it the way she wanted.
Her dark eyes can see it, her children are slowly dying and so is she, with her unborn baby. She places a hand on her swollen belly, cupped both her children's hands with another and lays her head on the bed.
And all she could think about; was joining heaven, with her two munchkin, her baby and her dead husband, her hero, her lover, Lieutenant Braid...
Later...
For a moment all was at peace. But then the virus set in and the peace is shattered. The two couple, dead in the garage, stirs. Their eyes opens and they rises. Their clasps hands fell limbless against their sides and they both joined the other monsters, in a never-ending judgment, to walk the streets of the apocalypse as minions of hell, torture and never-ending agony
It was a strand of hope they follow and when they swallowed the poisonous substance they thought they would be at peace. But now, because of their stupidity, they would walk the earth as mindless beast until someone showed mercy on their faith and end their life. But until then, they would be trapped between the fabric of torment and peace.
Until the very end….
Clustered between the thick vegetation of the forest, standing on broken twigs and muddy ground stands a sleeping camp. The charred pile of logs burns brightly, the smoke rising and lingering with the new birth moon and stars. The sky is clear, but deadly silent. Crocks of cricket and frogs are never heard, not even the wind dear stirs.
Peaceful it is. The campers sleep warily in their tents. The fire keeps ravaging but no one heed its warning. Suddenly, a wicked wind breathes through the camp. It flickers the fire but otherwise everything else is unharmed. Minutes later, dark pregnant clouds looms over the camp.
A thick fog arrives seconds later.
And with it, came the undead...
Later...
A lone corpse wonders in the fog, growling at anything he hears. It jerks its head in every direction; yellowish blood shot eyes hungry for flesh. He opens his mouth to expose decaying teeth.
Suddenly, a sword impales the zombie at the back of his head, exiting through his open mouth. The wielder pulls out the sword and jerks it to shake off the blood as the corpse falls to the ground.
Hiccup sighs, sheathing his sword as the fog lifts. It's like that what's the fog was waiting for, for the dead to die.
"Is nature allying with the dead too?" he mumbles, dry skin bathing in the heat of the sun.
"Can't blame her, we humans destroyed the world," Astrid answers, approaching him with a warm smile, scythe shouldered.
"No comment there. But I do have a comment, isn't that scythe too big for you, I mean it's so long."
"How about a fight and we'll see," Astrid smirks, twirling her scythe in her hand. Hiccup raises both his hands in retreat. Astrid is extremely skilled with the scythe. Not one had ever bested her in a one-to-one duel.
"I don't-."
"We still need him Astrid," Holly Gorman says, mild chapped lips twisting into a tiny grin. Her black knee length boot crunches against the muddy ground, black leather pants hugging her thighs. She wipes the blood off her hunting knife against her black leather jacket, tucking a stubborn stray brown wavy hair behind her ears.
"And besides, who else would you sleep with at night?" Holly asks Astrid, raising thin eyebrows.
Astrid balls her fist, thankful her bangs concealed her bowing, flushed face.
"I don't sleep with anyone," Astrid hisses, running off in a flash.
"Sure you don't."
As Astrid ran off to avoid the conversation Hiccup took his time to inspect the damage. Casualties are mostly none, but he couldn't be sure. Everything seems ordinary, no blood, no guts; just the same old forest. His eyes settles on the zombie he took down recently, with surprisingly no emotion. If someone had ever said he will be driving knife in heads in his future he would have puked and labelled that person as mental. But now, the things he'd seen since the days he arrived are the things that made him who he is.
He feels nothing but pity, pity for the thing's fate. Rewinding a couple days back he would have hesitated before killing a zombie, or maybe avoid killing at any cause. But remembering how one of his colleagues got ripped open by those things, the pain and misery of watching helplessly as the zombies ate his friends made something in him snap. It was like he had switch off his humanity. Never had he lost control like that.
He saw red, red everywhere and he just acted. He had never thought he would kill those things so brutally. But he did, and it ate at his heart for two days. Until someone talked some sense into him.
And that person was Holly. He had never thanked her for her kindness, but today he will.
"Thank you Holly," he says. Holly furrowed her eyebrows. "For helping me open my eyes."
"Sure, no prob." Hiccup nods and walks off. In his walking he spots no other than the leader of the camp, the cocky bastard, Brain King.
"How is everyone?" Hiccup asks, not bothering to hide his growl.
"Of course they'll be alright," Brian King assures.
Hiccup sighs, how he hates that guy guts. "Aren't you gonna check?" Hiccup glares burns holes into Brian.
"I will lad," Brain claps Hiccup on the back, "But because of my leadership, nothing can happen."
"Oh sure, and that sudden attack is a sign to show how good you are at leading," Hiccup says sarcastically.
Brain let the words sink in, then he nod, a solemn look on his face.
"Look," he growls, "I'm doing the best I can. What more do you want me to do?"
"At least put some night watches and some lookouts," Hiccup says.
"I'll get to that. Anything more?"
"Yeah, you keep leading like this, and your people won't survive a week," Hiccup growls before storming off.
Brain clutches Hiccup's shirt and brings him close to his personal space. "Look, I let your friends in, and that means I have more mouths to feed. But just like how I let you and your friends in I can kick you out just like that." And to prove his point Brain pushes Hiccup away and trumps off, leaving Hiccup staring daggers at his retreating back.
Meanwhile.
"Are you ok," Ruffnut panics, searching Fishlegs for any sign of wound.
"Yes I am," Fishlegs groans, rolling his eyes at Ruffnut's mother-like antics.
"No you're not Fishlegs, that thing was on you."
"But I'm ok, I have no scratch, I have no bite, I'm just ok," Fishlegs sighs.
"I just wanted to know," Ruffnut says, pausing at each word. Her face flashes a second of hurt, a second Fishlegs regrets.
"I'm sorry Ruffnut," Fishlegs leads her face to his with his hands, "I'm just stressed because of the sudden attack."
"I just wanted to know if something happened to you," Ruffnut mumbles sadly. "I didn't know if you were hurt."
"I'm not Ruffnut." And he kisses her. Fishlegs welcomes the feelings electrocuting his body. Ruffnut breaks the kiss and stares into his eyes, hands threaded in his hair.
"It took the ending of the world to find you Fishlegs. If I had known you were everything I never knew I wanted, I would be a happy soul."
"And you are happy Ruffnut, and so am I. He presses his lips against hers again.
"Ahem," Tuffnut clears his throat behind the two. Concern claims the two as they observe the young man who didn't even bother to stop the falling tears.
"Hey," Ruffnut says, running over to her half. "What happened?" Tuffnut chokes on his own words. He points a finger to their shaking father. Ruffnut embrace her father, mumbling 'thanks god your safe." She takes a step back and was about to ask her father what's wrong before she realizes something.
Her heart skips a beat. "Where is mom?" she whispers, terrified. She stares long and hard at her speechless father, tears forming on the side of her eyes. "Where is mom!" she shouts.
"Oh Ruffnut." her father mourns.
Her tears falls.
"She's dead."
Meanwhile
Snotlout heaves his hammer from the zombie's head. He glances near the wall of the tent where a crying child huddles near the thick fabric. The child cries harder as Snotlout's not so quiet footsteps draws near.
"It's ok, it's ok little one," Snotlout comforts but only upsets the child more. Snotlout sighs, he's never good with children, somethings never change. He racks his brain for something to say. His mind settles on a memory of Hiccup trying to approach a wild dog. He is puzzled how that idea came to mind but he has no other choice.
"I'm not one of them," Snotlout says, dropping the hammer. The child peaks out of his cocoon, revealing red nose and eyes. "Come on; let's get to your mommy." Snotlout picks the child up and exits the tent, hammer tucked behind his pants.
A tear eyed woman runs to a young man, embracing him. She squeals in delight as she ruffles the young child hair.
"Mommy," she child calls with his low voice, extending his hands towards her. The woman scoops her child in her arms, murmuring quiet reassurance. Snotlout grins before turning on his heels and walks away.
"Hey stop," the woman calls. Snotlout jerks his head in a questioning manner. "Thank you for everything you've done and I think I speak on everyone's behalf when I say thank you. You have saved many people from deaths over ten times Snotlout, you're a hero, a savior worth praising."
Snotlout approaches the lady, smiling. He performs a mocking bow, grinning.
"No thank you," he whispers and slowly walks off.
Darkness cloaks the camp like a blanket, the only source of light coming from a controlled camp fire. Survivors huddle around the fire, the air tensed, as mouths chew loudly. Conversations are whispers and quick, some didn't even bothering to break the silence. While others, like the Thorstons, braces on each other, mourning quietly for their lost.
Hiccup sighs. He lays his plate on the ground and pops his spine.
"This place won't last," Hiccup admits, saying the words that were nagging on his minds for hours.
"It will," Brian grumbles, trying to believe in his own words.
"It won't!" Hiccup snaps, gripping his sword handle. "And you know it."
"We can make it work."
"This place is crap," Hiccup barks. He springs to his feet and paces back and forth. "We were lucky today."
"We were unlucky," Holly says.
"No we weren't! God spared us and send only a few." Holly lids her mouth as her head bows, lost for words. Other campers' jumps and one tries to make a hasty retreat.
"You," Hiccup points to the retreating lady, "Think about if a herd of those things come, won't we die?"
"I don't know," the lady whispers, lifting her child in her arms.
"We will, they'll out number us, drain our ammo and eat us all for breakfast. Do you want that?"
"No," she says, tears spilling.
"Do any of you want that?" Hiccup asks loudly, raising his hands.
'No's' mutters from all around the camp fire.
"Do you want that?" Hiccup asks, staring at Brian.
Brain chews in his nails, pondering on the question.
"No," he finally says. "So what do you want me to do?" Brian asks. Suddenly bodies shift and all eyes turn to Hiccup.
"What do we do?" Brian repeats.
"We find a safe haven." Hiccup answers.
Everyone nods their head. Brain stands from the only chair available in the camp and gestures it to Hiccup.
"I can't," Hiccup says.
"But your talents say otherwise. Some people want to lead, and some, earns that position. And my friend, you have earned it." Brain leads a reluctant Hiccup to the vacant chair. As soon as Hiccup rear touches the chair, something happened. It's like he morphed into a while new person.
"We leave at sunrise. Pack your bag, and get a good night's rest. I'll keep watch for the night."
Slowly the campers retire to their tents and Hiccup, Fishlegs, Astrid, and Snotlout remains.
"Well who are you?" Snotlout asks Hiccup, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Snotlout," Hiccup says, the old Hiccup reclaiming his body, "I have no idea."
"It's like you have two different personalities," Fishlegs says. "One deals with affairs of leadership and the other deals with friends.
"And is it good?" Hiccup asks.
"To be honest, I'm afraid of the leadership side." Fishlegs admits.
"So am I," Astrid joins in.
"I ain't afraid of anything," Snotlout boasts, smiling broadly. Astrid rolls her eyes and Hiccup shakes his head, chuckling.
"I don't know what happening to," he pauses and gestures to himself, "this. One time it's like the ordinary socially awkward boy is out and the next it's like a big leader type person. It's crazy and complicated."
"It's not so complicated Hiccup," Fishlegs says. "Leadership is in your blood, you'll always earn that position when you demonstrate it."
"I mean like this world is changing me so fast," Hiccup says. He chews his gum and slouches in the chair. "Just a couple days ago I went berserk on a few of those things and since then I've changed.
"We know it's been hard from you," Astrid says. "But it's been hard from all of us. We all change Hiccup, we don't get to be the same, we never get to be normal again."
"I wish I can," Hiccup sighs.
"That's just an overrated pipe dream bud." Snotlout says, "We all wish we can go back, but we can't."
"Okay, that's enough counseling. Time for bed you three." Hiccup orders playfully.
"I'm staying with you Hiccup," Fishlegs says, fiddling with his hands nervously.
"I can't sleep." Snotlout mumbles.
"Neither can I," Astrid chimes.
"Why? Not the same with Hiccup," Snotlout teases. Astrid kicks him in the shin for an answer.
"I'll take that as a yes," Snotlout wheezes.
"I thought you two were going to sleep," Fishlegs says, still fiddling with his hands.
"What Fishlegs?" Hiccup asks, "Got something to say?"
"Uh, maybe it can wait."
"No, do tell," Hiccup encourages, sitting up on his chair.
"No it can wait."
"Come on Fishlegs," Astrid growls.
"Well, I wanted to leave you guys behind," Fishlegs deadpans.
And a bomb was dropped. Hiccup gaps, staring blankly on the ground. Astrid narrows her eyes at Fishlegs and Snotlout raises an eyebrow.
"Just thought I should tell you guys," Fishlegs says and disappears to his tent.
A few minutes later the three recover.
"I know that guy was trouble," Astrid hisses. "I just knew it. I had a feeling he wanted to do that."
"I never expected it from him," Snotlout says bewilderedly.
"And to think that we used to sleep with him in the same room." Astrid huffs. She fists her hands, clutching some dirt.
"I know right."
"So what are we going to do?" Astrid asks. Her blue orb settles on Hiccup.
Hiccup licks his lips, mind blank. He takes a deep breath and admits everything.
Flashback
"He was my best friend, my one true friend who was always there for me. Whenever I was hurt, he used to heal me, whenever I was lost, he found me a way. I can't think of the time when he was never there for me."
A small auburn hair boy laid on the ground, balled into a tight ball. He rocked back and forth occasionally, whimpers escaping his shaking body.
"Were the servants' rumors true? Did his father really hate him?" he thought. Tears spilled more as he thought about his father. He was so in a trance that he failed to see a bloated boy towering over him. The bloated boy got on his knees and shook the boy with his meaty hands.
he crying boy peeked out his ball. His green eyes settle on his best friend and he cries louder.
"Please Fishlegs, please go away," the boy wailed. "Just leave me be."
The bloated boy, Fishlegs, shook his head. "What happened Hiccup, what's wrong?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Hey hey, remember that time when we swore we would tell all our secrets?
"Y-yes," the boy chokes.
"Well tell me what's bothering you."
"O-ok," Hiccup says, sitting straight. "Do-does my father hates me?"
End of Flashback
"He was their when I found out my father never cared for me. He helped me through." Hiccup says.
"Those were dark times," Snotlout says, in a dilemma. "And I wasn't helping you at all."
"That was long ago Snotlout," Hiccup mumbles, deep in thoughts.
"How could you act like it never happened?!" Snotlout barks. "How could you just forgive me for want I've done?"
"Because you're here now!" Hiccup yells, earning a jump from Snotlout. "You may have bullied me when I was small, treat me like I was shit under your boots and hurt me when I was small but you are here now. Something that he isn't," Hiccup points to Fishlegs tent. "And that Snotlout is why I forgive you."
Hiccup has no idea how he is standing on his feet. But he pockets his hands and settles down on the dirt, closer to the fire. He gazes as the flame dances and flickers.
"Ok," Snotlout says, finally recovering from his shocked state. "So what do we do about Fishlegs?"
"Banish him of course," Astrid spits, "Who knows when he might betray us?"
"Leave him be," Hiccup decides. "But keep an eye on him," Hiccup stands tall, glancing to Astrid.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Yes," Hiccup says, voice filled with determination.
"O-Ok," Astrid agrees, taken back by Hiccup voice. For a few minutes Astrid kept glancing at Hiccup, to avert her eyes as he caught her. Snotlout watches the two with a bewildered expression.
"So what now?" Snotlout says, breaking the choking silence.
"I'm trying to form a list on whom I can trust," Hiccup answers.
"Well you can definitely trust me," Snotlout says. He pads to the fire, and outstretches his hand. "Let's make a truce, an unbreakable bond above FIRE!" Snotlout shouts.
"Don't leave me out," Astrid pipes in, resting her hands above Snotlout, the heat blazing her creamy skin.
Hiccup squinted a critical eye at the two outstretch hands above the flames. After a moment of thought, he places his above the two.
"Don't leave out the two of us," Tuffnut grumbles, emerging from the dark, his sister following behind.
"Where were the two of you?" Hiccup asks darkly.
"In our dark soggy alone place," Ruffnut answers.
"Ok, I don't want to know where that is," Hiccup grumbles.
The twins place their hands above the other three and give a fake smile.
"Do we swear to always protect each other in times of danger?"
"Aye," the group shouts.
"Do we swear to be there for each other when no one else will be?"
"Aye."
"Do we swear to never give up on each other until there is no other way?"
They pause before saying 'Aye.'
"Do we swear to follow the orders of our leader?"
'Aye!"
And so it is formed. A bond above flames, a bond unlike no other. A bond, woven and knitted and tied unlike any other knot. A bond spanning the lives of each young adult until the very end, a bond that will forever be unbreakable until the end.
"And what about Fishlegs?" Ruffnut chirps.
"Not to be trusted...
Well that was heated. I didn't think I nailed the Ocs dead on but you guys didn't give me specific attitude. I think i made Brain act too cocky and Holly i think was ok.
Well, do tell me what you guys think of this chapter and other OCs will be introduced later.