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...
I have nothing to say. You guys can punish me, yell at me, flame me or even unleash the zombies at me I deserve it. I am so sorry for my silence these pass weeks. I won't say anything because my excuse is not even worth it. Just enjoy this chapter readers.
And at the end: try not to flame.
Thank you all reviewers and I got to say, I really do like the OCS Holly and Brian. I'm not one for agouties but those two characters just catch me.
Astrid bites her jagged nails as the familiar movement of Hiccup's Porsche sling shot ahead on the dusty streets of an unknown territory. Her baggy eyes are plastered to the front of the car, supposedly staring into the remains of the apocalyptic world.
Green trees stands straight like glamorous mountains, guarding the lining of the eerie road. The clouds are pitch black, on the brink of bringing their cold torture at any moment's notice.
Astrid sighs and hugs herself for what little warmth she has to offer. She shifts her feet in the cramp space but her knee slams somewhere hard.. She sucks in a breathe.
"I know, Porsche aren't known for their space." Hiccup grumbles with a sympathetic expression.
"Foot is cramped like hell," Astrid growls, massaging the abused joint.
"I it helps you can put your foot over mine," he offers with a lopsided smiled, patting his thigh awkwardly.
"I'd rather not," she mumbles, resting her elbow on the car door and propping her jaw.
"Why not?" He asks, cocking his head to the side.
Astrid exhales and chews on her lower lip. "I just don't want too Hiccup."
She couldn't explain it, but it didn't felt right. That morning; when she had awaken with his arms wrapped around her; she felt so safe, so secure and cared for. No one ever cared for her. Her parents dumped her at an orphanage when she was just a toddler, no one gave her a second thought of adoption and the mistress hated her guts. She was shun out all her life, like an outcast, the odd one out. Hurt, angry and alone was feelings she welcomed, not love, care or warmth.
Hiccup is that warmth, and it frightens her. She is afraid of those foreign feelings. It had already found a way to bypass her walls, no more. Whenever she touches Hiccup, she feels that ghostly warmth, whenever she is close to him she feels cared for and always, she feels loved.
But she was too scared to return that love.
She knows Hiccup was not that guy that would force her into anything but her walls just repels him. What if she killed him like she did the other guy, what if she hurt him? She would not be able to live with herself.
The only way, the only safe and hurt free way she sees is to shut him out.
No matter how much it pains her.
"Astrid, just let me in," she whispers for only her to hear.
"I'm scared Hiccup."
Hiccup cages her hands in his, gently rubbing the smooth skin.
She wanted to pull away but she just couldn't.
"Stop rejecting me."
"I can't." She pulls her hand away. "I don't trust myself with you."
"But I trust you," Hiccup reassures, placing his hands around her again.
"What if something happens," she says, eyes sparkling with tears, "I know this is a shitty thing to say but what if something happens to you?"
"Well then I'll do it to protect you."
"Don't you understand Hiccup; heart wrenching pain has been in my life since the day I was born. I've felt too much pain; I don't want to feel the pain of losing you."
"Then you won't Astrid," Hiccup pacifies.
"How can you say that? We both now death is looming over our heads. Heck it might be seconds away."
"We just have to brave it."
Astrid sucks in a breathe. "Fine," she grumbles and throws her foot over his thigh. She releases a relieving sigh.
"Better huh?" Hiccup teases.
"Shut it," Astrid barks, pouting her lips and looking anywhere but Hiccup.
All the argument inside her was suddenly lifted.
"You guys are so cute," Holly teases, muffling a giggle.
Astrid kicks her in the lip. "Shut it."
Holly trails a finger over her bleeding lip. "You kicked me."
Astrid shrugs. "So?"
"Huh, your lucky were such good friends."
Ain't I always?"
"Don't push it," Holly hisses.
"I wouldn't dare honey."
Holly stares menacingly. "Astrid, are you a female dog."
Astrid raises an eyebrow. "Really, that old saying. You don't have to worry dear Holly, because I'm not the only bitch here."
Holly screws her face in disgust. "Fuck off Astrid."
"Fuck you too my little dear Holly." Astrid chuckles, not even paying attention to Holly's insult. She's had worse insults thrown at her: royal bitch, street dog, lowly swine, whore, lowly peasant. She's learned to come to terms with all of them. It did prove beneficial in the long run.
"Ladies, ladies, take a chill pill," Snotlout chuckles, throwing a glance over his shoulder from the driver seat.
"Keep your eyes on the road Snotty," Holly orders.
"Ok... just leave me out of that," Snotlout grunts.
"Would you too please stop trying to tear each other throats out," Hiccup pleads.
"Fine," they both grumble, folding their hands and pouting their lips as their eyes fixes on the passing lands.
"Thank you ladies," Hiccup praises.
The teens mouths are lidded shut, the car engine filling the air. Behind the Porsche crawls an old school bus and bringing up the rear is a pickup truck.
"Who ever thought the apocalypse would be this boring," Astrid groans, banging her head against the door.
"Beats me," Hiccup exhales. He runs a hand through his hair and then drops it. Unfortunately his hands fell on Astrid's thigh and she instantly stiffens. Hiccup shot her an annoyed glare and she relaxes, with time. "I miss my bed."
"Seriously? Your bed," Holly questions. She scoffs. "I miss my phone."
"I miss that stupid addicting game subway surfer," Astrid says, smiling.
"Is this the game of feeling what you missed most?" Snotlout asked lowly. "If it is then I miss my family."
The grins collapsed. The slightly red cheeks suddenly turns pale and all happiness is sucked out the atmosphere.
"I miss my mother," Ruffnut whispers, voice raspy and cranky. She blinks her puffed eyes a few times to cast away the tears.
She had cried enough. No way was she showing her hurt in front her friends.
Tuffnut snakes a protective hand behind his sister, the other hand soothing her blond hair. Ruffnut head rests in the crook of his neck, her hands embracing her waist.
"I miss them too," Holly mumbles. "But you just have to put those memories aside."
"You can you put them aside when you're living the nightmare every goddamn day?" Snotlout barks.
"By opening up to the people who are facing them with you," Holly answers, a strand of teardrop squeezing its escape.
"The pain still lives on though," Snotlout grumbles.
"Always will," Hiccup finishes.
"So what about you Hiccup?" Holly asks as she turned her head from the passenger's seat to his frame. "Don't you miss your mother, maybe even your fat-"
"Don't!" Snotlout and Astrid shouts. Holly winces and then furrows her eyebrow.
Astrid glares Hiccup with a pleading look.
But the damage was already done. His body was already rigid and his pupils were staring emotionlessly ahead. His eyes were voided of light, happiness and warmth. They were open but yet dead to everything. It was almost like he was in another world, maybe a nightmare.
A nightmare that his father created.
And indeed he was...
*Flashback*
A frail auburn hair boy was thrown violently to the ground. His left cheek was tainted red and tears were trailing down his cheeks. He rubbed his abused cheek and muffled a whimper.
"Why did you do that father?" The boy asked.
"Shut up," A hulking man yelled, chest heaving with each seconds. He stood like a towering figure over the boy, his majestic beard swaying. "Don't ever call me father."
"Why," the boy choked.
"Because you are not my son!"
*End*
"It's ok guys," Hiccup reassures. He clasps his fingers together and exhales. "He was never really my father to begin with?"
"So your an-," Holly voice trails off.
"No, he just never acknowledged me. He was my father but he never truly acted like my father. He hated me; he hated me so bad he even said 'you're not my son.'" Hiccup voice hitches.
"That's quite shitty of a father," Holly comments.
"Shittiest father ever," Snotlout adds.
The twins and Astrid chant a low 'yeah.'.
"My mother died in childbirth. Never knew her. He always used to say it was because if me," Hiccup snorted, "I mean don't a father comfort his son when his mother died? Why did he act so like I was never his?"
Astrid intertwines their hands. She shifts in the cramp space of the car and embraces him. Her hands soothingly threads in his hair and she guides his head to her shoulder.
She hugs him tighter.
The feeling, the feelings rush through her body. But this time, for the first time, she didn't reject it. The feelings slips through her walls and the walls crumbled.
And when it did, she felt better. She felt complete, like a long lost puzzle was finally completing.
And for once in her life she felt loved. And she did the only human thing she could; she embraced the feeling with a smile and returned it.
Astrid pecks him on the forehead.
"I am an orphaned," Astrid says.
What?" the teens ask in unison.
Hiccup lifts his head. "Just hear what Astrid has to say." He snakes his hand around her waist and pulls her closer.
It is his turn to comfort her. They had been through so much. Rejected, shun out, neglected, orphaned. The hurt they'd experienced could not even sum up to an average's person hurt. But with them together, the wound was healing. With them has one, the hurt is vanishing.
Slowly it was, but surly...
"I was on my first date in an old abandoned factory."
"What kind of a first date is that?" Snotlout asks.
"Just hear her out Snotlout," Hiccup sighs. Astrid draws in Hiccup closer and rests her head on his shoulder.
"It was a far way off of civilization but I still went. Any sane girl would never go there, but I was not sane and I loved adventures so I decided to go. I never questioned his choice of spot and I hate myself for that. There was a knife I always carried with me whenever I escaped the orphanage. Boy did it come in use that day."
And as Astrid peers her past to her peers, her voice slowly lost volume. She abruptly feels lighter, like if she is leaving this world. Her soul is thug from the realm of the living, and instead of narrating her gruesome past...
She relives it.
*Flashback*
Her white snickers crunched against the sand built route to the factory. She pocketed her pale hands in her white sweater, a few strands of blond hair falling in her sight from her hood. Her tight worn jeans latched onto her slender thighs and she added an extra sway in her hips.
This was it. She was learning to let go. She was spreading her wings. Her chest was bubbling with anxiety as she drew closer to her first date. She hummed a tune to keep her excitement in bay, and not long after she arrived at her destination.
She grinned, eyes observing her date's choice of place. It was adventurous, filled with mystery and the unknown and that was what she was looking for. Not silly romantic candle light dinner's under the moonlight. Those never appealed to her. She wanted fun, adventure and a sense of danger.
And it all came in one package, a tall, dark, handsome and prefect package. What a great catch she made.
Abruptly, a hand robbed her of her eyesight and she was pulled against someone's body.
"Guess who?" The person smirked.
Astrid smiled. "Ian."
Ian released her and as she turned he embraced her.
"I miss you so much darling," he whispered, lips grazing her earlobe. "Do you know how much pain it was to be away from you?"
Astrid playfully shoved him away. "Nope," she said, wagging a finger at him. " and don't get so frisky at the starting of the date." Ian shrugged.
"Can't blame a guy for trying." Astrid sighed, eyes goggling over the boy. His pink lips, his squared jaw, his big nose, his soft blue eyes, his smile and his irresistible charm was just so prefect.
What a great catch she made...
She could never be so wrong in her life.
"Come on, let's go to the unknown."
"Someone's excited," Ian said.
"It's my first date, what's not to be excited about?" Ian smiled warmly and sync with her pace of walking. He shoved his hands in his leather jacket coolly, baggy blue jeans hanging loosely from his waist.
It was fun; we explored the factory till midnight. I wanted to keep exploring but Ian had other things in mind.
He led me deeper into the factory and not for once did I question him. I followed him like a lost puppy. After a while I lost where we were and I got uncomfortable. It was then he started mumbling nonsense and advance.
"What are you saying?" Astrid choked, slowly retreating from the boy. Her back hit a wall and she swore.
"You're the prettiest girl I ever seen, your beautiful, have a great body and it's about time you learned new things. He approached me like a predator. As he got closed I kicked him in the groin and I made a run for it.
I was panting, tired and fatigued. Everything was a mess, my first date wanted to rape me and it was all because of my naivety. I couldn't run anymore, I was at another dead end and he was walking leisurely towards me.
"There is no escaping me," Ian shouted. "Come let me have my way with you and we can all go home happy."
"Never in a million years you ungrateful wretch," I spat, sending him one of my worst menace like staring.
"You're calling me a wretch? And it's you who agreed to this place. You're a whore. A stupid whore. The world is right, blondes are stupid."
I fisted my hands so tight my knuckles turned white. I was tired, my mind was clouded and I couldn't think. He was coming closer and I had no way of defending myself.
Unless...
I patted one of my pockets. There it was; the knife. There was only one way of escaping this...
He was standing right next to me. I stared at him but did nothing otherwise. He placed his hand on my waist and something in me just broke. Something fueled inside me. My body instantly turned burning hot and I gripped the knife. My sight was clouded, red was everywhere and so was my mind. I couldn't think. He trailed his hands lower to my rear and I plunged the knife in his abdomen.
I should have felt guilt, I should have felt sorry bit I felt anything but that. I felt pleasure, pleasure seeing the thick liquid of red sprouting from his wound and I wanted to feel that pleasure again. I heaved the knife out and impaled him again. And again. And again. And again. Ten stabs, maybe more I had no idea. I didn't look back, I didn't break. I walked out of the factory, hands squeezing the knife's handle, blood splatter all over my sweater, smiling.
*End*
Astrid snaps back to the Porsche. She takes a shivering breath before continuing her story. Hiccup squeezes her hand.
"I felt nothing," Astrid says. "No guilt, no fear. Just pure pleasure. That was two weeks ago. He was reported missing a couple days after but no one checked the old factory. There was only one person I told. His name was Jack, Jack Frost. He was an orphaned, but great with IDs. He made a fake passport for me and hugging him for his help I left the small town of Paradise before the police could detain me for questioning. By the time they found the body I was far gone. An orphaned wanted for questioning of a murder of a teenage boy was just not the police prime case. People just didn't care what about an orphan, and that boy was an alleged rapist himself. So I was safe. That was two weeks before everything went to hell. I may never know if they found out I was the one or not, I just hope Jack is safe..."
Hiccup twirls her hair, coaxing her back to reality.
"So the innocent girl is not so innocent after all is she?" Holly teases.
"Nope, and it would do you good not to push me. I don't think anyone want to reincarnation of the past."
"To be honest I wish if we good go back to the past," Snotlout mumbles. "Where life is easier, where we don't have to always watch our back, where we don't have to suffer painful deaths, where there was family..."
"Those days are long gone," Hiccup says and Snotlout nods.
"So what about you Holly? Snotlout asks.
Holly sighs as her head settles in the window. Her friendly antics suddenly vanish and she is once again pulled back to that moment.
She lifts her hand and stares with horrid eyes.
These hands, these cursed hands...
"Not much, brother and sister were eating my father. I killed them with a knife and then my father rose. Killed him too. Couldn't leave them like that, just couldn't." Holly says.
"Looks like we aren't that much different after all Holly." Snotlout says light heartedly, sneaking a glance to her.
"You too?" She gasps.
Snotlout nods.
"I guess so," Holly stammers, iris sparkling.
"I guess so," Snotlout repeats. And for a second he takes his eyes off the road, and as he peers his eyes into hers he smiled.
And after a while, she returned a brighter one.
They held their gaze for a long time. It was a blissful moment but a deadly one...
"Snotlout! Watch out," Hiccup yells.
Snotlout jerks his head to the road and regret ever taking his eyes from it. A lone corpse stands on the road, its stupidity oblivious to the Porsche approaching.
"I'm gonna run over it," Snotlout yells.
"But my car," Hiccup whines.
"Screw your car." And the Porsche collides with the corpse at a break neck speed. It moans, supposedly in pain if it could feel it, as it is rocketed off its feet. The corpse lands a few yards away with its body bent beyond repair.
"That was a juicy one," Snotlout jokes, thankful the mirror blocked the slimy blood.
He twists the steering wheel a sharp left.
"This is a big turn," Snotlout announces.
"Thank you announcer," Hiccup graces sarcastically.
A small smile tugs on his lips. But as the turn end, his smile vanished.
"Fucking shit," Snotlout exhales.
Rotten feet thumped the dirt road in vast numbers unknown to their terrified eyes. The herds of carcasses were dawdling away from the Porsche, almost as if they were afraid. But carcasses were carcasses; stupid and haunts the world for flesh.
"What do we do?" Snotlout asks huskily.
"Stay quiet, keep low," Hiccup whispers. "Astrid, signal the others."
Astrid instantly springs to action, all signs of hurt erased from her face. She twists around and tried to mouth a 'wait' but her actions went in vain.
Brain sighs when he saw the Porsche stopped. He rubs his temple and groans, "what's wrong now?' under his breathe. He sighs again and mashes the horn.
Naive, senseless and stupid in an undead world.
Astrid cringes. "Didn't he see the whole horde of fucking corpse?" she growls. She jerks her head around, her blond hair whipping Hiccup's pale face.
One by one the corpse turns, rotten teeth poking out their open mouths. Their eyes settle on the Porsche and as a snarl formed on their faces, they run to the Porsche.
"They run too?" Tuffnut groans.
"Probably some run, some walk," Hiccup says.
"Oh holy fu- !"
"Reverse Snotlout," Hiccup yells, successfully cutting his swears.
With adrenaline pumping in his muscles and the thought they could be ripped to shreds with decayed teeth, Snotlout's mind works a mile a minute. He swiftly switches gears and floors the acceleration... And silently hope Brian would catch on soon.
Brain did, for as soon as he saw the Porsche reversing he knows trouble is centimeters away. The school's bus engine muffles one of Brain's many swears and the bus was violently jerked backwards.
"Hold on to something," Brain yells to the campers. He spins the wheel a sharp left and the tire screeches. The bus turns rapidly and within seconds his one hundred and eighty degree turn is successful. He allows himself a small grin, just a small grin in this undead situation.
"You gonna do what Brain did Snotlout?" Holly asks with a edge of panic.
"Easier said than done. That turn is quite risky and it takes a lot of steel balls to do it. And not to say we're in a compromising situation, one wrong move and the undead will be on our dead asses."
"Well do something," she shouts. "anything."
For something so dead they were fast... Really really fast. Luckily they were no match for an automobile. The Porsche was slowly putting distance between the enormous herd of undead.
"Biggest herd I ever seen," Hiccup points out. "I say about forty corpses."
"Really Hiccup," Tuffnut groans. "Really? We all can shit our pants right now and you're just not helping."
"Snotlout, time to turn. Complete one eighty, you can do it," Hiccup orders.
Snotlout nods and with gritted teeth he turns sharply.
Maybe too sharply... And instead of a one eighty degree turned, he did a complete three hundred sixty.
"Fucking rookie mistake," Brain swears, gripping his rifle tightly as he watches the Porsche unfortunately face the charging undead.
"Oh no," Snotlout mumbles.
And the corpses slam their body against the car. They raise their blood stained hands to the window and anything they could find they pounded against, barred teeth dripping with saliva and blood.
Brain watches the scene unfolded with horrid eyes. He glances at his rifle and sighs. Though he may not like the guy Hiccup he couldn't watch them die such a horrible death. And plus; Hiccup's blond girlfriend was cute.
"Time to be a damn hero," Brain grumbles. He opens the door of the school bus and jumps off, gun raised. He faces the Porsche and takes aim.
The first shot rings through the air like a booming thunder and impales dead on. The other corpse stops their moaning and faces him. They charge...
"Oh shit," he mumbles.
He aims and pulls the trigger. The corpse falls but still, they are drawing dangerously closer. He shoots another one and then another one and then had to retreat.
He runs into the bus and slams the door shut. Brain collapses on the driver seat, panting heavily.
The first corpse slams into the closed door. The passengers shriek.
"You ok there Brain?" Fishlegs asks, keeping a sharp eye at the corpse hammering the door.
"Yes Fishlegs I'm fucking great."
"Geez I just asked, no need to curse," Fishlegs mumbles, rolling his eyes. "Doors are strong, might hold," he says, fear mixed in his voice. However, it did nothing to pacify the passengers on board.
The corpses soon join the first and the door rattles. Both Brain and Fishlegs steps back.
Is this the end?
Hiccup raises his handgun and pulls the trigger. A corpse is minus from the many pounding against the bus.
"Not my people you rotten foul," He yells. As if registering an insult, the rotten ones charge to him.
He smiles and unsheathed his twin sword. Astrid stands next to him, smirking as she holds her gigantic scythe, Snotlout with his simple rod, the twins with pointy sticks and Holly with a hunting knife.
Hiccup impales the first corpse. Astrid swings her scythe with the second and the poor corpse head flies feet away from its body.
"Look behind us," Snotlout yells. The five forms a close circle and awaits the rotten ones.
"We're surrounded but do not break this circle," Hiccup barks, face steeled. If he is afraid he is doing a good job not showing it. And as the corpse approach, they deposit it within seconds.
But that plan soon flatters as single corpse turns into twos and threes of corpses at a time. The teens retreat as the corpse grows thicker but swings, impales and chops when they could. Hiccup presses on, sword swinging like an extension of his body and face twisted in a beastly snarl.
"Hiccup!" Astrid calls.
"I'm fine. Maintain your circle," he orders.
Astrid nods and kicks a corpse. The corpse makes a move to rise but her scythe was brought down on his head. The head rolls away from his body but disgustingly still snapping and moaning. She deposits another.
Hiccup fought well. Bravely he did but not smart. Alone was never a key for survival in the zombie apocalypse. It was stupid of him to venture deeper into the herd of corpse. The dead overwhelms him.. The herd grows thicker by the second, so thick he has no choice but to retreat... With a shriek he steps backwards. But his step is interrupted by a body and he fell on his rear. He pants heavily and crawls backwards, mouth slightly agape.
He crawls over another corpse, dead to the world.
Or so he thought...
His foot trails over the corpse jaw. Its eyes snaps open and it grabs Hiccup's foot in a flash. It opens its mouth and gleefully chomps on Hiccup.
"Hiccup," Astrid screams, dropping her scythe.
"No," Snotlout gasps, loosing most of his will to fight.
Hiccup draws his gun and shoots the corpse. His eyes lower to his foot, his bitten foot...
And suddenly, realization hit him.
"No," he begged, "No, no," he pleaded, "Oh please no."
But the damage was done.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock was bitten and nothing could change that...
Please do not kill me. Do not flame me or do not hate me. Just please. Weren't expecting that right? Well I did tell you guys that no one was safe from the very start. So….. That was quite a risky move for me to do….
What do you guys think? Tell me in the reviews please. And tell me if I had play out Hiccup and Astrid's past good. Have I done a good job and is their past realistic?
Next on the HYTTD Ill Fate: Do not kill mh10_anthony or they'll be no next chapter.
So let's begin a memorial service.
R.I.P Hiccup… We'll miss you Hiccup…..
Re edited: I seriously had no idea where the character Effie came from and I was actually talking about Holly. You guys might be confused and only recently I found my mistake. Sorry about that.