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A Rug of Corpses

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Jill and Keith looked at the bodies while Leon was helping Chris with the fire. Although they were using the equipment from the guard, a little damp environment made their work a little more difficult.

"Where's my partner?" The guard asked.

Everyone looked back. Jill realized that the guard was not really there and since she did not know what had happened to him and could not see around, she feared for everybody.

"There's a possibility someone or something had pulled him. We should be closer again, as we did before." She said, taking Keith's hand.

"What is that over there, Jill?" Keith asked.

"Where?"

"To your right"

Jill looked carefully and in dim light she saw something white moving behind a tree. She tried to identify it when that thing started to rise so she could realize what was happening.

"Damn it!" Keith said.

"Fire, boys! We need fire." Jill said looking at Chris and Leon.

"We're providing it." Leon said with his head bowed.

"What's going on, Jill?" Chris asked, concentrated on what he was doing.

"The Bodies are standing up..."

"They are walking towards us." Keith interrupted her.

"Hold on, guys." Chris said.

"We're almost there." Leon looked at Jill and then at the bodies.

Jill wielded her sword and stood looking around, attentive to what she could see. They would hardly manage to survive all those beings who were raising up. Jill prayed that the light produced by the fire could be enough to protect them. But before it, she prayed that Chris and Leon could manage to light up the torches quickly.

Looking ahead, Jill did not realize that some bodies were also dragging down by her side, until one of them grabbed her ankle. Jill screamed, before striking it with her sword.

"The happened?" Leon asked.

Keith saw the bodies crawling and got his sword, helping to drive them away. Both the guard and him began to strike and kick the bodies on their feet.

"They are too many, we will not be able to defend ourselves when they all get here." Jill screamed.

"Oh no!" The guard shouted.

When the walking bodies were just three meters away from Keith and Jill, Leon stood up with the first torch, placing it in their direction. After the first contact with the light, the bodies fell down totally inert on the ground, causing Jill to breathe relieved for two seconds.

Chris stood up with the other torch, pointing it to the bodies crawling on the floor, that also stopped moving.

"We've got only two torches, we have to get out of here anyway."

"Let's make a big bonfire and wait until morning." The guard said to Chris.

"No." Jill spoke before Chris "We're not sure if it's already nightfall, it got dark too quickly here and everything makes me believe that all this darkness belong to this place. Then building a bonfire and waiting may be merely a way to postpone the time we'll leave here. With a torch in front us and one behind us, we can at least have more space to act and hit those who approach anyway. But one thing we are not able to avoid..."

"What?" Chris asked looking at her.

"The Bodies on the floor. We will need to step carefully between them."

"What great news!" Keith shouted "A rug of dead skin in our honor. I am the king of the mausoleum..."

"C'mon. Let's go." Leon said next to Keith.

Chris walked forward lighting the way and throwing some bodies to the ground with the torch-light. Leon walked behind preventing the bodies from getting up and attacking them in their back.

Stepping carefully between arms, legs, heads and trunks, they all walked following Chris. At times due to low light, some bodies clung to their legs and they needed to kick them away.

It was a twenty-minute-walk among bodies and screams until they finally got out of that forest of bodies. Chris made everyone walk for a few more meters for safety reasons, before he let them stop to rest.

"My legs are purple." Jill said looking at his calf, above her boot.

"You have fair skin, Jill. So anything that touches you will leave some mark on it."

"I don't care about that, but I felt disgusted about those cold and wet hands."

"And what about the smell?" Leon asked.

"I didn't smell anything." Jill replied "I only heard the screams and felt those wet hands on my legs. Disgusting!"

"No Jill, I mean this smell now."

Everyone raised their heads trying to identify the aroma that Leon was referring to. Chris, who was beside him lowered his eyebrows thoughtfully. So he bent down and picked up the map, positioning the torch over it.

"Jill!"

Jill did not answer, just took a few steps towards him. She already knew what to do.

"Candles." Leon said wrinkling his nose. "Flowers and candles."

"There's just a symbol, Chris. The symbol of purity."

"It's blurred, isn't it?"

"Yes. But why? Spot of time?" she asked.

"Or symbolic spot."

"Difficult to know that since this time we do not have much to decipher. No other mark."

"Damn it! It seems that it's getting more complicated now. Can't believe I accepted this mission." Chris said clenching his fists "And on top of all I put the life of my brother at risk."

"Calm down, Chris. Let's find a way out. We always did" she said touching his hand over the map.

"You don't need not be here, Jill. You..."

"I wanna be here. I want to fulfill this thing with you."

"Jill..." Chris took her hand and smiled.

"I see some light ahead, let's go guys." Leon said pointing to a higher area.

"Yeah, we have to pass through that place. And it seems that something awaits us." Chris said standing up.

They were all attentive. Jill noticed that Chris looked worried, Leon seemed curious, Keith seemed quiet and the guard looked scared.

Each one reacted differently to different situations and all those pressures. Jill could not know how to describe her own reaction. In some moments she felt scared, curious in others, but most of the time she feared for what was yet to come and everybody's lives. According to the girl's vision, she knew there would come a time when she should make a hard choice and to see Chris worried about his brother only let her even more fearful.

"A swamp on a high area?" Keith asked as they reached the marked placed.

"It doesn't looks like a swamp" Jill responded behind him. "Be cautious and walk in the center, where there is no water."

A shallow lake covered by colorful flowers stretched ahead of them. In the middle of it there was a path that seemed like a natural bridge, covered by green grass. Perhaps the only solid and safe passage. The scent of the flowers took all the air and the orange sunlight left that place even more mysterious and beautiful. They walked more than half way silently without noticing anything unusual or suspicious.

"A beautiful and fragrant place." Leon said behind Jill. "Oh! Look at this!"

Jill stopped where Leon pointed out and watched that place when she recognized in the midst of the waters, among the flowers, some black hair. Following the hair with her eyes she visualized a submerged beautiful pale face. She realized that there was a body of a beautiful woman among the flowers.

"A woman!" Chris pointed out near him some seconds later.

"Yes, Chris. Here too." Jill stepped closer to Chris "This lake also looks like a graveyard, maybe a cemetery of flowers."

"What we do?"

"Don't know. But here I think maybe this is not about doing something but about not doing anything."

"You are right, there's no sign. Let's keep on going silently."

Jill nodded and looked back to call the others, but to her despair, Leon was walking back down the central path. Without understanding what he was doing, Jill began to walk towards him and she realized that Keith was doing the same.

"Leon, what are you doing?" She yelled as she walked towards him and Keith.

Leon didn't answer, he kept walking without looking back. Jill realized that something had happened to make him act that way and she began to fear about the lack of signs. She had to think of a way to act fast or make him listen to her. Keith was closer to him and Jill prayed that he could reach Leon and stop him before something bad could happen in that mysterious magic place.

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A/N: Hi deaaars. I'm sooo sorry for the delay.

Lately I've been having some busy days. But of course I won't give up on this. So I hope you guys don't either :D

Thank u very much for being here!

Cya guys! Have a wonderful week. kiissss kissss

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xjillvalentinex : Yeaaaah dear, it's propably going to be a big problem when Dick finds out about Jill and Chris. Those were good sugestionsssssssss :D thaaaaaanks. Have a great week. Kissss.

NerdGirl4Life: Yeaaaah. Last part was really kindda crazy ficfriend. They are brave, i would probably scream all the time. Looool Thanks sissss. Have a wonderful week.

roseimagine: Oh yeah, i could not kill keith sis... no way!

Oooh you are right about what you said, maybe love is not only blind but odourless lol.

Yeah! I think he needs a hug, lets help him sissssssssss lol

I hadn't think about them as zombies, but you're right, they can be a different kindda of zombies =D

Thanks for coming always dear sissssssss. An amazing week fr you! Besosssssss!

Mister Valentine: OOOOOOOOOMG! This was your best reply ever. =D

I'm so glad u liked Chris POV. I'll try to do that more often. Of course Chris would fear for Jill behavor, but that was exactly when she prooved him she is honored.

That was the first time he realized she was his best match, not only because he was in love, but because she would complete him in missions too. They have so much in commom. Ouuuuun.

Yeah, you are right, there are things that is letting Jill worried about his father.

About Miss Valentine, maybe i didnt right for that reason, but i must assure you it always reminds me of you :heart:

I'm glad u liked how I wrote Chris and Leon, because i cannot think about them fighting or aguing, they are both mature and protective.

You are right about the guard, he would die anyway looooool.

Thanks for this greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat review my lovely Chris-Angeeeeeeeeel.

Mon français :heart:

Will: Heyyy will. Thanks for , I cannot think about Chris being mean or imature, he is very mature and has a great sense of justice, and he showed that. Oooh I'll sure send u my ideas soon só u can help me, thank you very very much for that Will! Have a nice week.