Chapter 5: Blood Like Memories

The McCormick House

Saturday September 7

11:18 pm

The glass of the bedroom window shuddered with each blow as Kevin violently tried to break his way in. The window was like the kind you find in a basement. You know, where it starts at the ceiling. A rectangle big enough for a small adult. Kevin was not small but Karen was still positive it wouldn't keep him out much longer. After all it was a cheap window. Plus, he seemed to have some sort of weird zombie strength. And she was right – about the zombie strength and window. There was the sickening crack of breaking glass as large pieces shattered on the hard floor below. Kevin reached through, bleeding on the jagged glass, his pale hand stretched out toward her. The slender brunette flattened herself against her bedroom door, wide eyes fixed in fear at the sight of her brother, or what used to be her brother, clawing his way through.

"Kenny!"

The scream tore through him.

Karen.

Like light in darkness, her small voice cut through the confusion and the pain.

Have to get to Karen.

Kenny raised his head and tried to focus on the wild black eyes staring back at him - the new eyes of his former father. His head throbbed. He could feel blood trickling down his face. Stuart McCormick had his son against a wall – literally – and a large metal wrench in hand, which had already landed a good blow to the side of Kenny's face. Kenny, used to pain, grinned and spit blood at the monster that had him pinned. Fuck it. He hadn't been scared of his old man before and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now.

Stuart's eyes flared with rage, the mouth below the eyes twisted in an unnatural snarl and he whipped the wrench hard and fast with a high-pitched shriek. Kenny moved just enough to avoid a fatal blow. He didn't have time to die. He really needed to get to Karen. When the wrench connected with his shoulder, he grabbed his father's arm, pulled him in close and head-butted him with all his force. Stuart fell back onto the floor. Kenny sunk down over him, dropping a knee right into Stuart's chest.

"Goodnight, you miserable fucking bastard," He spat, grinding his knee into Stuart's ribs, watching him squirm before Kenny reached forward and snapped his neck. Without missing a beat, he rummaged through his Dad's pockets – no remorse, no grief – and collected a wallet, a lighter and a pack of smokes. Not until Kenny reached for the wrench did he pause, distracted by the lifeless black eyes underneath him. Funny, he thought. He couldn't remember what color they'd been before.

And then the moment passed. Kenny rose to his feet, wrench in hand.

He tried the handle of Karen's bedroom door but it would not open. He could hear her, just on the other side.

"Karen," he called, "Move away from the door!"

He heard a strangled scream from inside the room.

Fuck.

There was a lot that Kenny put up with in life. His asshole parents. His dick brother. Being poor as shit. Never getting a goddamned square meal ever. Frequently, not getting a meal at all. Sharing a room and clothes and fucking toothbrushes. The pain of every death he'd ever died and the worse pain of opening his eyes again each time to find himself right back in this hell. And it never, never, never ended.

But, anyone who knew Kenny knew he tolerated his life. Drugs helped. And drinking helped. Fucking helped, too. And so, generally, he could laugh it all off. But, everyone knew this too: mess with Karen, and you faced that broken, beaten down kid and cold, merciless fury. She's his precious, beautiful, little sister – practically an angel born from fucking demons – and, as far as he's concerned, his only family. And while he may have to put up with shit, have to starve and bleed, he absolutely would not let anything bad happen to her and he'd die before seeing Karen suffer any of it.

Kenny ran at the door. The thin wood gave way. The door splintered off its hinges.

Karen was now flattened against the wall, her eyes widened at the sight of her wounded brother. Kenny looked away from her gaze to the busted window, where New-Kevin had mostly slithered in, and then back to Karen. Help, she mouthed silently at him.

Kenny crossed the room to her and Karen immediately threw her arms around her big brother. He squeezed her back briefly and then flashed the wrench in his hand and winked. She squeezed him again and he let her, staring over her head at Kevin, now more or less through the window, black eyes burning into them.

He pulled away, gripping her shoulders, "Karen, get in the closet and shut the doors behind you. Don't come out. No matter what you hear." Frozen, she stared tearfully up at him. "Don't worry," in his calmest voice, and flashed another brilliant grin. "Now, go!" And as soon as the door shut behind her, Kenny faced his brother who was taking his first steps towards his non-infected siblings.

Kevin moved with the grace and speed of a drunken ballerina – quick but clumsy and yet somehow coordinated. Kenny stood his ground, gripping the wrench tight.

With a heavy pipe in his hand, Kevin took a wide swing at his brother and the blow connected with the bloody side of Kenny's face. The room spun. Kenny felt the hot flow of fresh blood run down. Kenny cursed as he swaggered towards Kevin. He managed to grab Kevin's arm, shaking with the effort it took to hold Kevin back and stopping the pipe as it swung down for its deathblow. Kenny was he was used to fighting his brother and zombie Kevin was no exception. Kenny twisted Kevin's wrist and with one quick motion, Kenny's other hand struck Kevin's arm. There was a loud crunch and Kevin screamed, blindly wind-milling his good arm. Kenny caught a fist to his shoulder and went flying into the wall, his wrench landing a little ways from where his body now lay crumpled on the floor.

It was hard to keep his eyes open. Nothing would stay still. He felt like he was moving, swirling around the room. There were lights and screaming and – he had to fight it, had to snap out of it. A dark shadow bore down on him. And it wasn't until it struck his face that he realized it was Kevin's shoe. He reached out for the wrench and the shoe came down again, stomping Kenny's face. Kenny cried out in pain. Blood ran over his eyes. Faintly, he could hear Karen's cries in the background. He desperately groped for the wrench as Kevin's shoe started down again. Suddenly, his fingers felt cold metal and Kenny snatched the wrench and speared it up through the bottom of Kevin's foot as Kevin was still stomping down with all his strength. The wrench lodged deep into Kevin's foot and knocking him off his balance. Kenny pulled the wrench out from the decaying flesh, with a wet squishy sound. He wasted no time, steady as he could, he jumped on top of his brother, knee buried in his chest and began beating him into the carpet with the wrench.

A small hand gently grabbed his arm and it was enough to stop him. Kenny looked up at Karen. He could make out her eyes wide and raw from tears. He looked back down. He had beaten his brother until he was nothing more than a stain. Shakily, he dropped the wrench and let Karen help him up. They both stood in the room in silence for a long time. Karen watched Kenny - as he leaned on her for support - stare down at Kevin with a blank stare.

Kenny sighed and the sudden noise made Karen jump. She glanced up at him and he was smiling softly, "Well, that's over. Wanna help me burn the bodies?" he asked.

Karen smiled back and nodded.

Side by side, they stood on the front lawn and watched the flames engulf the heap of cheap wood and scrap metal they once called home. Not that it had ever felt like home. The roof creaked and began to collapse and they both felt a feeling of relief at it.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Karen asked finally.

"Don't worry. I've got a plan," Kenny smiled, putting an arm around his sister. He had cleaned himself up and Karen had stitched and bandaged him. Luckily, Kenny was naturally a fast healer. "First, we're going to Butters' house. I want to check on him."

"More like, you want to do him," Karen snorted.

"No!" Kenny's voice dripped with pretend embarrassment. They both laughed. Kenny ruffled Karen's hair and shifted his backpack on his shoulder. Another long moment of silence passed between them.

Karen broke the silence first, "Well, we good here?"

"Yeah," Kenny replied quietly, his eyes still fixed on the burning memories.

She enthusiastically slapped her older brother on the back, "Then, let's go get your boyfriend!" and began skipping off in the direction of the Stotch house.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Yet!" she called out from ahead.

Kenny laughed to himself and followed his sister.

Neither of them looked back.

AN: Yes! Finally got to introduce Kenny and Karen :) I've got no idea why I struggled to write this. I hoped you enjoyed it! Next up, Craig & Tweek. And then after that, Kyle & Cartman.