Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1: REPENTANCE
Before me and Jade could say anything I was punched in my jaw. “You fucking shot me!” I looked over to see Quentin, the boy I shot with a face full of anger. I pulled out old and pressed it against his stomach, “do or fucking die kid.”
I pushed him away and put my old back in my pocket, “listen we just..” I grabbed jade and pulled her out of the cafeteria, “are we going to tell them what happened or not?” I ask frantically before they follow us outside.
“No da'shaun, they're still freaked out and they think you'll kill them, once they hear anything about tsuki we're all finished. You can shoot and that's good, but that's 12 school wide known athletes in there. I hate to admit it but we're in the worst spot we've been in.” She held my hand tighter as I heard the voices coming from the cafeteria getting rowdy.
“Should we leave them? We don't necessarily need all of those people. I mean if you think about it all we need is us. Right?” She let go of my hand and leaned against the cafeteria's door trying to listen in on something, “what's wro-” the door flew open as jade got thrown to the floor.
I pulled out young and old and aimed it at the doors in an instant. I watched as 12 men succumbed to the fear they saw in my barrels. “I apologize to her. now.” I kicked a tooth out of Christian's mouth and stepped on his head while still aiming at the group. I watched as his bleeding lip spread across the floor.
“Da'shaun stop!” Jade got up and pushed me off Christian. “Civil first then kill later.” She got closer to my ear as she whispered. She turned back to the group as I holstered my revolvers, “we want at least two of you to come with us. Nothing more nothing less, we need numbers and we'll ask nicely for them.” She stared at the crowd and her eyes flickered to mine for a moment.
Two guys stepped out, one average stereotypical soccer player named Lucas, while the other scrawny one was pushed out by the others. Lucas walked up to me and stood behind me, while the scrawny kid just stood there awkwardly.
“Move. No it's, no buts, no what's about it.”
I walked along as they followed behind me, the scrawny kid was looking down while Lucas at least had the decency to keep his head up. Regardless I still wanted to leave as fast as we could.
We headed down the stairs to the parking lot exit, “so tell me about yourselves. I need to know what I'm working with.” I ordered the two of them while jade was bringing us to the exit.
“Im Lucas, I like soccer, I enjoy other sports, I'm good at remembering things and I know cote-des-neige like the genuine back of my hand. Treat me well and I'll obey. I just need to see my sister again.” I turned to the scrawny kid expecting something better. “I-im Leo and I just want to live..I was thrown out because they knew I couldn't fight. I'm good at chemistry but that's all. I'm so sorry” was this guy about to cry?
“Relax. Right now it's better to take notes before we start throwing punches. Now let's go grab a car and find a place to stay. Got it?” “Yes sir.” “O-okay” both said simultaneously.
As jade pushed open the door I smelt the slightly sweet tinge of the decay in the air. “Go find us a car, prove your worth and you'll get open arms. I watched as they went into the barren parking lot checking cars and looking for other things.
“I found one!” Lucas called out from the side door of a black minivan, Leo bolted past me before I could congratulate Lucas.
I walked up to the van and hopped while holding the door open for jade. “Where to guys?” Jade said as she made herself comfortable in the driver's seat, I stayed in the back with Lucas as Leo took the front seat.
“Which would be the best? Where are there houses that could house a tiny village.” I looked out the window as jade booted up the van. “Mount royal lets us get high ground while we could house ourselves, but we should get supplies on the way there.” Leo turned back to face me while Lucas nodded his head to his words.
CHAPTER TWO: MANY MOUTHS TO FEED
Jade drove into downtown, it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon as we drove by a lot of the stores and survivor groups. Something that struck my eye is the fact it was girls, young, older, some even my age, I don't care about girls anymore, after all I have my own woman.
“Maybe you can finally get laid now Leo.” Lucas kicked Leo's seat hard enough to make him flinch. “Easy now guys, good spirits for now on.” I nudged Lucas in his shoulder and gestured for him to keep his eyes out for stores.
I looked at jade through the rear view mirror just to see her weirdly focused on something in the distance. She pulled over and told me to get out of the car. I stepped out feeling the weird humid air stick to my skin. “What's up babe? Did something happen?” I put my hand on the grip of young. She gestured towards a police station, “we can stock up on guns. I would like to have guns of my own da'shaun.” She walked ahead towards the precinct while I stayed back with Lucas and Leo.
“I want you guys to stay here. If anything happens, take this and commit seppuku.” I said half heartedly while handing Leo Xavier's pocket knife from my chest pocket. It felt weirdly heavy with grief when I handed it to him. But regardless i shut the door and walked towards jade who was standing in front of the doors.
“Let's head in, make sure you keep your eyes out for anything. If that anything comes, promise me you'll do the thing again. Kay?” She brushed my arm before heading to the door and holding it open for me.
We stepped into a barren office, guns scattered all around with an annoying screech of walkie talkies all on a static channel. “Follow me, I know where it is.”
“How do you know? You don't seem like someone who'd know this stuff off the top of their heads.” I jogged up beside her trying to match her quickening pace.
“what do you know?” “What makes you say you know what I can and can't know.” She swung open the gun room door and told me to pick some stuff up without looking back.
I grabbed a .22 rifle and more ammo for my revolvers, I picked up two tasers, one that shoots and one that I'd had to get close and personal with. “Let's go dashaun, we got practically all the things we need.” I looked over to see her carrying two shotguns over her shoulder with a glock in her left pocket.
She walked out but at a slower pace this time, I walked beside her without saying a word. I looked back and felt a sense of dread for no reason. It was like my stomach was spinning, “Jade let's hurry up okay?” I walked ahead through my discomfort and held the door open for her.
We exited the precinct and looked down the street to see Leo waving his arms at us. “Lucas is dead! Lucas killed himself!” Fucks sake. I ran down the steep walkway and went up to the car. “Lucas..” Leo started to gasp for air “one..minute, just one minute..” he sat on the hood of the car and breathed.
“Lucas saw a zombie outside in the alley over there.. and he began to cry and when I asked him what was wrong he just plunged the knife in his neck a..and…”
“Breathe, if you can't breathe then don't speak. We still need to keep going. Dump his body out please. I need to load this stuff in the car.”
I watch as Leo's small frame tries to lift Lucas out of the car, his face gets smeared with blood as tears roll down his face. I put the guns in the front of the car next to the driver's seat while jade puts the rest in the trunk. Eventually Leo gets his body out and sits back in his seat waiting.
I sat next to him as jade started up the car again “we need to find food now. It's 3:30 and those things come out at 9 sharp.” I look at jade as we lock eyes through the rear view mirror. We took off going through more of downtown.
CHAPTER THREE: RECKLESS
We continued driving until we stopped by the metro on decarie, i looked at my watch again and saw it was 4 o'clock already. Let's go guys! Grab a gun each.” I ran into the grocery store and grabbed a cart before looting everything I saw, I took cans, I took muffins, I took a lot of beef since you could Jerky it and store it for months on after, I grabbed potatoes and plant seeds for produce and I even stole a miniature stove top.
I turned into the next aisle to see Leo filling his cart with bleach and other cleaning supplies, “what are you doing!?” I hissed at him to come over here. “S-sorry da'shaun, it's for my chemistry, maybe I could make something effective out of it.” He looked down in shame. “In that case keep grabbing lethal things. And make sure you have fucking places to put them.” “Yes sir.” He ran back to his cart with more enthusiasm than before.
I turned a corner into the jars and glasses and stock piled on pickles and other longevity edibles, I stocked up on cases of water, enough to make us all sick. I turned to the next aisle to see jade getting toiletries, “keep going jade! Grab literally everything!” I turned around and pushed my cart towards the car.
While heading to the car I saw someone trying to get into the front seat, took cover behind my cart and shot them in the head.
BANG.
Another shot came towards me, it hit the pickles in my cart and it exploded with glass everywhere. I blinked once trying to recover until I opened my eyes and everything was blue, not like being underwater but It was like seeing in blue lenses. My heart slowed as my mind was being sharpened like a knife before a barbecue, my mind thought clearly without thinking much.
“If they shot the pickles instead of me that means they don't have high ground and they couldn't be behind me. If I had to guess they're north west!” I stood up and saw a masked man, maybe 20 years or older but it didn't matter. I lit him up with bullets until he fell to the floor. I continued.
The shell casings fell to the floor making the same noise as the ones that we reloaded into my guns.
Jade and Leo came back out pushing their carts in a hurry, jade was already armed with her gun while Leo stayed closely behind. After seeing them I finally calmed down, the world went back to normal and my heart sped back up, too fast though. The world looked blinding as my heart was jumping around, I turned to them and asked them to get me before I fell.
When I woke up I was next to jade while she was driving. “The man is-” “gone, da'shaun. You did him well.” Jade brushes her finger down my lip. “Leo hasn't stopped shaking since but he helped load everything into the trunk. The only thing we need now is a base and then we're fine.” She drives up a hill as we finally make it up to mont royal.
“What time is it?” I sat up in my seat and checked my watch to see it was already 8:30. The world blurred all around me when I saw that number.I jumped in my seat as jade told me to calm down “we'll find a house don't even bother getting worried. You need rest, I watched you stay awake all this time.”
She pulls into a driveway and I look up to see a fairly decent sized house.
CHAPTER THREE: BLOODSHED
She stopped the car and asked if I could get out, I stood up to see most of the side effects were gone. “I'll check the house, stay out here until I say it's clear.” I move towards the front door and try to open the door but the knob won't nudge. I knock the door thrice until I hear footsteps coming towards it. I move away from the door and hold out young in my hand then.
BANG
BANG
Was this a fucking shotgun? I looked at the holes in the door and it was big enough to fit myself through, if I wanted to die. The wood was splintered fully, it was basically half the door gone. I backed away making sure my footsteps were audible until I heard footsteps coming to check the door.
A young boy maybe a couple years shaved off of mine walked out and I shot him between the eyes. He dropped the shot gun as I heard a woman shriek behind him. I shot her too. I watched both their bodies fall to the ground.
I walked up close to investigate their bodies and the woman was 19 years old, attractive but not my type. The boy on the other hand looked no older than a sixth grader. I tilted my head up towards the door as the smoke coming out of young followed behind me.
I gestured for jade and Leo to grab the stuff and follow me lead as I entered the house. I looked around for traps or squeaky floorboards, I saw a surveillance monitor showing me images of people in chains and cages, mostly girls but I saw some boys the same age as the one I shot.
“What's wrong da'shaun? You've been sitting here-” Leo's voice got lower as he looked at what I was seeing on the screens and became just as dumbfounded. “Im checking the basement.” I turned to leave and saw jade in the hallway and grabbed her hand. “Jade this place is a secret human..fucking evil place thingy.” I gesture for her to go to the room where Leo is.
I try walking down the basement steps but I lose my footing and crash down the flight of stairs. I opened my eyes to see I crashed down on a girl my age, I jumped up and apologized to her yet she looked at me in the same way I looked at them through the monitor screen.
“Are you okay mister? My name's anesthesia.” She held her hand out for me to shake it yet I couldn't do anything but stare at her. The other children circled me and all started saying their name and trying to shake my hands.
“She has a cute country voice” but I fell into disgust when I thought, "How could I think of this girl like that.”
Jade came down the steps and looked at me being swarmed by kids who don't even know the world has gone to shit before the zombies even came. I mean most likely they do, they probably had it worse than I ever had. I looked up at her as the kids finally got a hold of my hands and shook them repeatedly, “me and Leo just finished boarding up the house. We have to figure out what to do with these kids.” Her face was mixed with worry like mine.
“Hey mister, is this your woman?” I turn back to see anesthesia pointing at jade “is she your one and only like mama and papa?” I rushed past the kids before puking in a corner. The sound of vomit hitting the floor danced around in my brain like a cicada in the summer time.
Jade picked me up before I puked again and helped me up the stairs. When we reached the top we saw Leo just standing there awkwardly. “Leo!” I spit out more vomit “ask the kids who's the elder of the group. They have a common assessment of English so…do it!” I stumble against jade as my body starts to give out. Leo rushed down the steps and came back up and got cleaning supplies and a notepad before going back down.
“This world..its finished..its utterly gone.” Before jade said anything I passed out.
CHAPTER 4: PROPER CONVERSATION
When I woke up it was the Crack of morning, it was blue outside yet still so dark, I looked to my right to see jade sleeping on my shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief as I stood up and let her rest against the wall, I walked into the basement to see anesthesia and some other kid awake. “Good morning mister!” She said in such a cheer like the world was normal. Is she desensitized or dumb?
“Good morning anesthesia, how old are you?” I look at her trying to grasp her intelligence. “I'm 15 mister, I'm older than you aren't I?” “mhm you sure are.” I pull out a small notepad and a pen and hand it to her. “Could you do an equation for me?” I sat on the ground in front of her, “sure thing mister!” Her country voice squeaked even louder. “What is the area of a cylinder with a height of 15 and diameter of 10?”
For a moment everything stopped. Her smile lowered as she moved the pen like how I did back when I wrote. She was quick and fast, she was no longer some lost kid but someone who knew more than I knew. She flipped the page to show me and I saw no formulas or calculations. It was words, they spelled out "I'm putting on an act so the kids don't get scared. Don't you think I know about zombies? Those people you killed were our captures. So thanks.” I looked past the notebook to look at her face and she was smiling again. “The answer is 628.32, right mister?”
She wasn't dumb, matter of fact she was the best actor I've seen. For starters she did all of that in her head. I can't even do long division in my head, well i can't do it at all but, she handed me back the pen and told me to walk with her upstairs. I felt chills, this person was my honest equal.
We made it to the top of the stairs before she turned to me. “Whatever you're thinking it's most likely true, I've been through stuff. But I see something within you.” She puts one of her hands on my face while she stares into my eyes, for some reason I can't do anything but blush.
“Done anything out of the ordinary recently?” She continues looking in my eyes and rubbing my cheek.
“What do you mean?” “You know exactly what I mean. You have this insane killing intent within.” She stopped rubbing my cheek and dragged me to the kitchen. “Let's make something for everyone to eat.” She begins to prepare plates and puts a pot on the stove.
I begin cracking eggs into the pot “I think most of us like sunny side up right?” “Yeah I used to eat it like that on my farm all the time.” “You lived on a farm?” I turn my head towards her as I slide the eggs around “yeah, a nice nice farm in Germany. It was so nice, it had meadows and genuine life over there.” “So you're a German girl, I hear nice things about Germany. My great auntie lives there.” I finish up the first batch of eggs as she prepares sausages.
“I'm not really hungry for eggs or sausages right now. What about you?” “I agree, but the younger kids love sausage, and it's good for them!” She chuckles as she cuts the sausage into bite sized pieces. “Hey anesthesia, how did you..get here. How are all those kids there..” I swallow my spit anxiously as she continues cutting up the sausages. “I'm a sex slave dashaun. Well I was going to. They house us until we're 17 before sending us off to a higher ranking trafficking group to become sex slaves. So im a child slave, not anymore but used too.” She continues cutting up sausages like she didn't even mutter what she just muttered. The sound of the sizzling pan filled the air as she dropped the sausages in. How could she be so calm?
“Relax da'shaun. We haven't been abused or anything, we were heading to that fate but it's not like we went through it before. We'll I've been hurt time and time again but that was my parents not my captures”
She tosses the pot and flips the sausages over, "I can understand. I hope I can. My family was bad too, I have problems because of them. I'm glad they left me in this apocalypse.” she nods solemnly, “what does it mean to live, I hate that question so damn much da'shaun. Why the hell do people ask that?” “because they think they have the right answer and won't take any other answer because they're ignorant even though that question has no definitive answer.” “Yeah something like that man.” She picks up the pot and plates the sausages and eggs on the plates of the kids. “Da'shaun, go wake them up for me, okay?” “Okay.”
I walk out the kitchen and into the basement, I step down and I watch as all the kids huddle up next to each other as they sleep. “Wakey wakes guys, me and anesthesia made breakfast for you guys, what do you call breakfast in Australia? A small boy no older than 6 stepped up, “um i don't know mistar” his accent was even more country than anesthesia, “you'd call it brekkie!” The moment I said that I got trampled but a room full of kids screaming brekkie and chirping like birds, it was warm but exhausting like shoveling snow.
“You're a natural da'shaun, have you ever considered having your own kids?” Anesthesia looks down at me from the top of the stairs. “No, mental traits are hereditary aren't they? I wouldn't want my kids to go through what I go through.” I blush again, it spreads up my face slightly as I walk up the steps. “How tall are you da'shaun?” “im about 6 foot” “that would make me 5 '8, right da'shaun?” She grabs my hand and walks ahead to the kitchen.
She stops at the doorway and watches the kids eat, “I always wanted kids. I think it's because I wanted to treat them better than how I was treated.” She let go of my hand. “I thought like that too but I just feel guilty if my son ever comes out of his room crying because he feels like shit..” she nods again. “I'm like you da'shaun, we have these things we can do.”
I begin to hear footsteps by the front door, I look over to see many figures by it. Standing tall.
CHAPTER 5: ANOTHER LIKE ME?
It was two knocks before the door got kicked in, I felt my soul jump out of my body, before I could even get ready 4 men came through the door. One with glasses, one with a big beard, one with a suit and one of them in the front. I froze as the smell of outside blasted through with the wind. “Thank you for feeding them but its about time the product came back to the warehouse.” The leader stands tall and proud as I clench my hands.
“Wait! Anest-” before I finished she already took off. She wasn't running but she was cutting through time, she took one step but walked four, she moved like a bad animation. One of the men tried to punch her but his fist went right through like she was a ghost, all the sudden blood spurts out of his neck as a large gaping wound just appears there. What the fuck.
The man with the beard falls to the ground while the man with the suit quickly rubs the blood off. I quickly draw and shoot the man in the glasses in his left eye, I watch the lenses shatter as he falls backwards outside. “Quit it. Now.” The leader says in an eerily calm manner. The man in the suit walks outside for a moment and comes back in with a tied up jade and Leo. The man points a gun at them each, “I want you to choose, I should kill the both of them but I want you to choose.”
“I wo-” “too late little da'shaun” he tries to pull the trigger but his fingers won't move. He tries again and again and again but his fingers are locked in place. I take this opportunity to shoot him dead, I watch as the man in the suit begins to draw a gun but anesthesia walks forward and stabs a knife in him before he can. I watch as he still tries to unsheath the gun but his body is bleeding out. I watch as he finally looks down to see the knife lodged in his side then falls to the floor dead.
I reload my guns before taking a deep breath, I grab the knife from anesthesia and walk towards Jade but when I look at her she's just staring at me. I want to explain it but its…disgust? Or hatred? Or….or what the hell. I cut her ropes and she stands up immediately, “I can't fucking believe you cheated on me!” “Go to fucking hell dashaun! Fucking hell!” She storms into her room and slams the door shut before I could say anything.
Then I cut Leo's ropes and he stands up and slaps me hard. I look down for a moment before turning my head up towards him. “You done messed up. Don't you see that jade loves you, but now she'll love me. Thank you for screwing up, you dumb bastard. You really downgraded, this girl barely has any pers- i slapped him back, “get the fuck outta my sight.” I watch as Leo scurried over to Jade's room and knocked before being let in. A second actor.
Anesthesia rubbed my cheek where Leo had slapped me and spat on it. “Thats what we do back in Germany.” “Is it? Or are you just pulling on my leg now?” “Yeah im pulling on your leg da'shaun” she drags me to the kitchen and grabs a cloth and runs it under cold water before wiping my cheek with it. “They wouldn't understand us. They can't feel what we felt, what we went through. Why do we bother huh? Tell me da'shaun.” She sits me down on a chair across from the backyard windows, “because in this society we're such a minority that even if we all came together we'd still be apart.”
“Tell me about the stuff in Germany,I want to hear you talk about it.” I take the cloth from her hands and wipe my own cheek with it, “well in Germany I read a lot of books, like Manga I read a lot of manga, and my favorite one was Attack on titan because I remember comparing myself to historia, I was too tall but mhm.” I looked at the kitchen table and the children were still eating.
“Hey Da'shaun, we need to be prepared. For anything okay, we want to protect the kids so we have to get stronger, right?” I nod my head as she bends down to take the cloth off my cheek, “so let's go train while those two are stuck in that room, please?” I nod for a second time, my eyes darted to the room in anxiousness before I stood up and walked to backyard.
When I got to the backyard it was fairly sized, it was something I always wanted after living in a cramped apartment my whole life. “Come on and show me what you got dashaun” i looked behind me to see anesthesia setting up cans and bottles for me to try my power on.
“So dashaun I'll give you the run down of one thing I know, do you know what t.a.i stands for? Its an acronym for the absolute intent, its basically what our powers are, some people say the derive from personalities while others say you can get them from wanting a power but to actually use it you'd need extreme willpower. Got that?”
“Yeah, it sounds simple enough, is there a way to activate it?” “Yeah there is, you'd just have to well..kinda believe in it? It sounds stupid but you need to believe in yourself to do it, if you've done it before than it will happen again easily.” I look at the bottle and cans again before twisting one down to the bottom. “Good, now control it.” I turn back to see anesthesia writing in a notebook.
I follow her lead and twist another can down out faster, its like physically straining a muscle, but when I did the third can slower it was like easing off that aching muscle. “Do you feel it too? Did you grasp it that easily” she puts the notebook at her sides and walks over to me before pressing and rubbing my muscles, I blush horribly as I let her feel me up basically.
“Are you religious da'shaun?” She lets go of my arm and grabs my hand and makes me sit on a lawn chair. No, im an atheist but I have this, I pull out a pentagram chain to show her. “Oh a devil, my little devil boy.” She runs her hands through my hair as she hums a sweet tune, “God's aren't real. If a god was real they'd be cruel or they'd be powerless, utterly powerless. Just like we were.” She stops humming and begins to hum a different tune.
CHAPTER 5: BETRAYAL?
As anesthesia brings me back to the house I take a quick look at Jade's window to see the blinds moving up and down. I nudge anesthesia and point to it, “is she okay? Is she signaling for help?” “Maybe, let's go check da'shaun.” We went through the back entrance and cut through the kitchen to get up to the stairs. Our steps creaked through the house so weirdly, like it was loud yet it was still so quiet.
We made it to her door and I knocked, “hey jade you in there?” I knock again. “I know you take showers quickly so there's not a chance you're naked right now. I grab the doorknob and twist it inwards, the moment the door opens slightly ajar you could just hear the creaking of the bed, back and forth back and forth like a damn tennis match. I opened the door fully and what do you expect..
I watch as the both of them continue fucking each other on the bed in the house I suggest we head in. They aren't even paying me any care. I blinked again and I watched as the blue tint in the world draped over my vision again like a well needed rag, I pointed towards the bed frame and watched as it twisted loudly as the wood splintered in on itself.
BOOM
I watch as they scramble to pick up their clothing off of the fallen mattress on the half broken bed frame. “You fucking bastard da'shaun! I fucking hate you!” Jade ran up to me and slapped me again while Leo stood there trying to stare into my eyes, as much as he tries to prove something is just as much as I try to ignore.
“Hey anesthesia. Let's go take a shower together, it's obvious these people stink of shame.” “Mhm yes da'shaun I agree so much.” She wrapped her hand around my waist and led me out before jade started to scream again. I held her waist back as we both made it to the bathroom, “you really want to do this?” “Why wouldn't I da'shaun?” She took my arm and dragged me to the bathroom before shutting the door.
She begins to take off her clothes as I just stand there awkwardly, “I've seen bodies before da'shaun. Family worked at a mortuary man.” She chuckled as she took off her shirt, I joined her and started removing my clothes alongside her, eventually we were fully naked but even then it was under control, we had attraction for each other but just as much as mutual understanding. The house was silent but you could tell no one but them knew we were in here doing this.
She turned on the faucet of the bathtub before turning on the shower head. “Come in da'shaun, let's bathe together” she smiles at me before stepping behind the shower curtain. I took the lead and followed her in to see her cupping the water with her hands. “Do you like me da'shaun? Do you?” She looks into my eyes with an unexplainable feeling. I always wanted women, or in simpler terms just a woman. But having her actually accept me is..
I nodded my head as my tears mixed with the rain coming from the shower head, I held her sides and pulled her close as we hugged. I wasn't clinging to her like jade, I was sharing the same force we gave to each other. I felt a blush run down my face as my member pressed against her stomach. “Shhh, soon very soon da'shaun.” She pulled me closer and rested against my body as we stood in the shower, it smelt like oxidation and strawberries in the room. I pulled back as I watched my excrement drip down her stomach.
She grabbed the soap and began washing herself, “in my family we give names to our lovers, my mother named my father aussie because he came straight from Australia and didn't know how to speak German..” “Da'shaun, I want you to call me Krista, the girl from my favorite manga. Please” she caressed my hand gently, “okay my Krista, no problem.” I replied honestly as I rubbed her hand back. I waited for her to finish washing herself and before she stepped out she turned to me “can I call you my little devil boy?” “Only if you do it in that sweet voice my krista.” I wanted to take a picture mentally in my mind, it was perfect, the world was cruel but I found someone who just made it a bit better. Thank God for this, well screw God but…thanks
I grabbed the bar of soap and began bathing meticulously, counting each minute as my vision went back to normal. I finished and washed my hair quickly before stepping out of the shower and drying myself, Krista was leaning on the sink counter drying herself off. “What's the plan now da'shaun?” “I think we should..i think we should take 4 kids maximum with us.” She stops drying herself and looks at me, the air went heavy with suspense as I stared back with a heavy heart.
“I understand da'shaun..but where would they go, the rest of them? Do you think Leo and Jade would give a damn about those kids?” “I don't know Krista. But I do know we share the same feeling. We want each other to live.” She sighs loudly and begins to rub lotion on as I shake the water off my body and watch as it hits the walls.
“Come, let me dry you off” Krista grabs another towel and brings me forward before drying me, “I like this new life. Maybe we could just be a little happy family, right?” “Maybe we could krista, I just feel so clear right now, I mean a little at least.” “So for the four kids, what will we do? Is it favorites or is it by age? Maybe intelligence?” She moves down to my lower body as she pats me dry.
“How many are there?” “There's twelve. Twelve da'shaun.” She grabs the bottle of lotion and lathers my body with it, “we have to pick one smart one. And one with a lot of heart.” I looked down into krista's eyes and saw same look she's gave me all this time, a weird mutual understanding of our situation no matter what.
“Can I dress you da'shaun?” “As you wish krista” i bend a little bit down and let her put a black shirt on me, “let me crown you my little devil boy” she kissed my forehead before putting the pentagram chain around my neck and then tucking it in my shirt. I sat down on the counter and let her put gray sweatpants on me, they reminded me of Xavier's sweatpants.
As I stood up tall I watched as she dressed herself, a beige shirt with a purple zip up hoodie, only she'd wear something like that. I sat down and the closed toilet lid and watched her finish up. I took a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror and watch as a corner of my hair line twists into a dread and quickly untwists until its straighter than paper, I jumped back in shock as krista caught me “what's wrong? Are you okay da'shaun!?” Her eyes filled with worry as i just looked back into them in confusion, “sorry I overreacted about that.” I hugged her tightly and whispered.
CHAPTER 6: ADAPTATION
“Let's head out devil boy” krista took my hand and held it tightly before giving it a few squeezes, I walked out the door and let her follow behind me as we held hands tightly, I looked down the hallway and saw jade trying to kiss Leo as he just pushes her back, “let me lead this time da'shaun.” Krista ran up ahead and dragged me behind her.
We came face to face with jade and Leo and before I asked her why she brought me back she yanked me down to her height and stared me in my eyes “can we kiss? Can you be my first?” She fiddles with my collar as her eyes keep the same unwavering look. “Mhm, oh course kris-” she pulled my face down and I felt her lips press against mine, they were soft. I looked in her eyes one last time before crying with tears, “da'shaun? Did I upset you?” She tries to pull back but I hold her close and keep kissing, she looks in my watering eyes and presses back again as Leo and jade stared at us with disgust.
She pulled off and led me downstairs as the two of them watched out retreating figures, “let's go find those kids now. Okay?” “Yes ma'am.” I felt our collective weight creak against the steps of the stairs until we reached the first floor. One kid was already there looking at us, he was holding a kitchen knife like it wasn't a fear of his, “you. Name.” “Im Tommy, I don't remember my last name, I was taken during summer but I was in the 7th grade, im 11. What else do you need from me?” He stood his ground-assertive yet clean. I like to believe i was like him.
“Get a bag and pack your things quickly.” He took off running to whatever place he came from. I watched as krista walked up to a girl, “hey there misa, we're leaving so come with us.” The little girl looked at her, then me, and walked away from her.
“Fucking brat. Looks like these kids care about each other more than an honest future” she rubbed my hand over and over again in a circular motion. “Fine then, let's only take two.” Her face shows more and more agitation “babe, krista, relax, at most I'll just come back and give her a quick end.” “Too harsh but thank you. You're my little devil boy not my devil.” She gripped my hand softly this time and lead me into the living room.
I saw six kids there, all different from one another, misa was there and I saw her lock eyes with me as I tried ignore her. I had my eyes on the boy who was staring out the window. I walked over to him and kicked the chair to get his attention, “what was the color of the three houses across from us. “Blue for the first two then white sir.” I tilted my head outside and saw he was correct. “Want to survive? Come with us.” The boy looked me up and sighed before jumping off the chair and following into step next to us.
As we walked back to the front door I saw Tommy sitting there with a small bag he wrapped his arms around. “You guys took forever” he stood up and threw the bag over his shoulder, “sorry little Tommy, my dearest apologies man” “we should go da'shaun, its 5 o'clock already and we need to settle in wouldn't you say?” I watched as Krista walked to the door and opened it then gestured for us to walk through.
I stepped out, no we stepped out collectively and took a deep breath of this surprisingly fresh air. I point to the house across the street, “we'll be staying there. There will be the best spot for us.” I started walking before I heard a voice call me back. “You fucking monster! Get the hell out of my sight you bastard!” I barely looked back. I just pointed my fingers to the door and twisted it into a large wooden junk ball.
Each time I use this power it's getting easier, shorter and shorter breaks so far. We walked up to the house and walked in, same exact floor plan as the last, just more barren this time. “Split up and prepare, no zombies came last night so let's settle in first before we stress ourselves further.”
I walked throughout the empty house until I found a large room with a huge bed. I called over Krista and heard her footsteps clack against the ground “yes my little devil boy?” she peeked her head in to see me standing at the foot of the bed. “this is where we'll sleep. Right here we'll rest together.”
“The boys picked their rooms already, they settled in nicely, but us however haven't.” She took off her hoodie and hung it up in a closet. “Da'shaun, you don't strike me as a particularly clean person no offense” “none taken krista. I think messy is how life should be.” “I like that about you da'shaun, you give your opinion regardless if someone likes it or not.” She layed on the bed as I walked around it to sit next to her.
“Krista there's something that's not personal that scares me.” She sat up when she heard me say this “what about the groups in this world. Don't you think they either united or got stronger?” “Be specific da'shaun, there's groups of hate all over my love!” “like the kkk or the damn sex traffickers that got you in the first place, weren't they the ones who kicked down the door?” “Yeah you're right da'shaun..” I watched as her expression slightly dropped. “Do you think they got stronger?”
“Yes krista, you mentioned we get these powers through will and beliefs right? Who has more will than a raging hate group, they already do outrageous crimes without powers so what would they do now.” I fall back on the bed and look up at the ceiling.
“Krista, what's your t.a.i?” I shift my head right to look at her, “you silly boy, t.a.i's are like privates, you don't walk up to people with your penis flying out do you now?” I nod my head and sit back up "I guess since we're closer now I'll show you it. Well I can't show it but I can tell.” She gets close to my face and she begins to glitch through space like the last time, “it's numbing.” I watched as her form got closer and more blurry like a dying lightbulb “I numbed your eyes so much they can only see glimpses of me, it only works when I want it to so don't worry.”
“I see, Krista, how far do you think our powers could go? No. How far do you think t.a.i's could go?” I looked into her eyes as my vision steaded, she looked back at me until she pulled out the same notebook she was writing in before, “if I had to guess maybe on a theoretical level they could go up to, I don't know, its not like stands where they automatically tell you how they work. Sorry da'shaun.”
I looked down at the ground before patting her head, “it's getting a bit late so how about we sleep?” “mhm that seems fair, we should always be rest-” I hear the door open softly and turn my head to see it.
Creeeaaa-aak
I saw as the window watching kid came through, “the people are back, they just pulled up sir.” He fiddled with his sleeves over and over again until me and Krista stood up to watch the window. “I saw two black cars, each were 5 seaters, one on this side of the street and one on the other.”
I went down the stairs and spun my revolvers, as my footsteps echoed across the house I saw Tommy on top of a ledge trying to get leverage on an oncoming attacker, “that's what i like to see kid.” I reached the bottom of the steps and walked towards the door, my mind felt clear surprisingly even though this is the most anxious I've been. I opened the door to see two men already walking to it, I pulled out old and shot them both in the balls.
One of them pulled out a handgun and shot at me, I watched the bullet fly past my head as I holstered old. I watched as the man on the left tried using his walkie talkie but I just twisted off his hand easily, it was like wringing out a rag that's made out of rubber. “Krista! Flank left and get Tommy to flake right. I'm heading middle.”
I walked over to one of the cars and started it up, “this should be possible right? I mean, I've seen metal split bricks before.” I turned the car around and stepped on the gas towards the old house.
CRASH.
When I opened my eyes I saw blood on the windshield and just turned on the window wipers. I got out of the car and watched 3 men all under the car begging and clawing for escape, I'm horrible but needed.
I watched as jade turned a corner with her shotgun and tripped on the blood, “what's wrong? Acting like you never saw blo- i said that before but point stands.” I watched her look at my prideful figure with disdain.
“Go to hell da'shaun.” She stood up and brushed past me roughly, “I just wonder where Leo is, is he cowering away like the snob he is? Or is he already dead?”
CHAPTER 7: ANOTHER LIKE ME.
“I'm right here da'shaun. I'm right behind you.” I turn my body quickly just to see nothing but the crashed car. “Sorry, I should have been specific. I'm right above you” I look up to see Leo suspended in the air horizontally. I raised my gun but he turned into a gray mist, “what's with that face da'shaun, did you think you were the only special one?” I look over to see Leo walking behind jade and standing next to her.
“I don't bother questioning me da'shaun. Don't bother attacking either you fool.” I felt my hands tremble slightly, how dare he take me off my high, how dare he make me fear. “Are you going to attack me?” i step closer trying to test the waters even though my own leg doesn't want to move.
My eyes caught a glimpse of Krista running past the kitchen windows with blood on her knife. I holster my gun and watch as Leo steps back, "just leave. Let bygones be bygones.” “I'd rather say bye and watch you be gone.” I roll my eyes and watch as he turns to mister again.
I looked around but he didn't reappear, I looked back at jade and she was gone too. I felt a sigh of relief but I heard footsteps behind me, not a chance in hell that was Tommy's. I turned around to see a 20 year oldish woman standing there in a leather jacket, “so you must be da'shaun eh? Right? Am I right~""Yes you are. Now get out of here before I bother the bullets in my gun.”
“How rude! How about it let you feel the weight of your words, you disrespectful brat!” Suddenly I feel my tongue double. No triple in weight, I watched as my mouth opened like I was thirsting for water. “How many people are going to have these powers!” I raised young and tried shooting at her just to see it fall to the ground.
I looked her in the eyes and I bit my tongue fiercely, I watched as the gentle blood dripped down my chin. “My~ my~ how strong are you darling? Normally everyone surrenders after feeling that.” I raised my fist and punched her square in the face, I felt as if my tongue felt lighter again. “Don't you undermine me!” I kicked her hard against a wall pressed on her head with my foot.
“Da'shaun I killed two and Tommy got one, is she a t.a.i user?” I turn back to see Krista holding her knife defensively and staring past me and at the woman.
“Yeah, so far she made my tongue feel so heavy.” I touched my jaw as it ached slightly, “where's jade and Leo?” I watched as she leaned against the wall.
“Leo has a t.a.i where he can turn into mist and relocate himself. And jade is the same loser we saw when we went into that room.” She pulled out the notebook and flipped to a different page before writing.
“Just how triumphant do you feel right now boy?” I looked at the woman again just to immediately fall to the ground with a thud so hard my brain cried. I couldn't move anything, the invisible weight wasn't crushing me but sitting on top like a truck.
I tried to speak but I had no need to, Krista already stabbed the woman in the neck and ripped her throat through it. I sat up and watched Krista breath heavily over and over again until she turned back to see if I was okay.
She locked eyes with me before heading to the kitchen sink and washing her hands. “What happened?” Tommy came from the backyard entrance in a daze, “I finished off the last guy and- holy shitt” he looked at the mangled corpse of the lady with wide scared eyes. “Relax, just turn away and puke not near me alright.”
As Tommy puked loudly in a corner, Krista wiped her hands and went back to writing in the notebook. “The woman had some sort of reality manipulation if I had to guess, being further specific it could have been giving things theoretical weight? She made you fall because of your triumph, maybe she gave that feeling of pride an equal weight?” She wrote faster and faster.
CHAPTER 8: ALREADY!??!?
“Hey Krista, the internet should still be up right?” “Barely. Why do you ask?” I stood up and walked over to the kitchen table before sitting on it. “Search up how the world currently is. I can't shake this weird feeling that I'll be a nobody again.” She raised an eye at my words and pulled out her phone and typed away.
I heard her fingers come to a halt. “Da'shaun to be quite honest we're either murderers or wanted criminals.” I looked at her in pure confusion as she turned the phone screen to me. It read “scientists create newfound vaccine for the zombie apocalypse, the city will be cleaned in the next 24 hours.” fucks sake
I grabbed the phone out of her hands, “that was safari not Google, I clicked on chrome and typed away until I got the same answer and some Facebook posts thanking God. “Damn it all!” I wipe all the plates on the table off it and watch as it shatters against the wall.
“Da'shaun we need to figure out what to do. This is hard but we can't take any chances anymore…how many people have seen you use your powers?” “Like my entire class basically” i saw krista clench her fists before she slammed her fist on the table, “god damnit da'shaun if this goes out we're dead. Just dead!”
“Why Krista? Why?” “Because t.a.i users are threats to society, you can literally twist stuff until they implode, how the fuck do you expect the government to treat you once they hear this!” She started breathing slowly until her worry subsided.
“We'll lie low. Very low. Do you have a home da'shaun?” “It's far from here. We'll take a car but this means you'll meet my..parents." I shiver slightly, I just hate saying that word to reference them sometimes.
Krista called Tommy over “hey Tommy, do you have any family here? Maybe friends?” I watched as Tommy looked away before shaking his head. “I have no connections here, just some family in the southern states at most.” He tried walking away until I tripped him. “You're young, if we get the chance we'll hand you over to the police so you can live a genuine life.”
He clutched his nose as he got up and went upstairs, each footstep filled with emotions that rang. “Let's go da'shaun, maybe your parents are back home, weird to introduce me though..” She took my hand and tried to lead me outside but before we even made it out we were stopped by a man in a hazmat suit.
“I'll stop you right there son. What's your name and where are you heading?” I turned to look at Krista before slowly turning to the man again. “Da'shaun clacken, second year at westmount high..” I inched backwards as Krista followed my lead.
“I'm instructed to help bring survivors back with their families. Please come with me so we can get you back to your loved ones.” he pulled out a clipboard and wrote quickly before another guy in a hazmat suit came in “Paul are you finished? we need to load up the van.” “We're coming, we're coming.” The man gestured for me and Krista to follow him.
I stepped forward first before Krista went behind me. When we came outside I saw the entire street littered with cars and people in hazmat suits all talking to other survivors just houses down. “Krista, are you seeing this?” She held my hand tightly. “Yes da'shaun I am.”
The walk towards the van felt so weird, it was like walking in heavy winter boots in the summer time. I heard our footsteps beat against the pavement as we stepped into the sleek black car, “your address?” “6668 on Chester, past the 51 bus stop but not after the school. You'd see it.”
I felt the engine's hum vibrate through my chest, I also felt Krista's hand clench mine even harder again, it heard her give out a small whimper. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close, “we'll be alright, i swear on it.”
The drive through decarie was long, all I did was focus on the view of the window and all the other sleek black cars returning people to their homes, I saw some faces light up with joy while others seemed to be getting devastating news.
The turn down fleet road was even worse, it was raining in that spot and I saw people with no expression of joy, their faces lit up when they saw the car but went right back to crying when they realized it wasn't for them.
When we turned to Chester it was a better sight, I saw parents holding their kids and kids going into their rightful homes. It was a short street until we pulled in front of my house.
“Alright we'll let you off, is the girl with you son?” “Yes sir.” “Well we'll see you around if anything i suppose, great day now.” I took Krista's hand and exited the car.
The moment we stepped out the car just left. It was only us on the street at the time, it was already getting dark but there were no zombies to worry about. Just the weighing dread of seeing my parents.
“Da'shaun come here.” I turn my head to see Krista licking her thumb before wiping away the blood on my cheek, “your hair.” I ran my fingers through her hair trying to straighten them, “do you think your parents would like me?” Krista looked at me with nervousness riddled in her stance.
“They don't even like me, what makes you think they'd like you?” I ruffle her hair before trying to straighten it again. She smiled before speaking again “yeah you're right, we have each other at least.”
I walked up the steps of my porch until I made it to the front door. I knocked before the door swung inwards and I saw my mother. “Why didn't you answer your phone, and why the hell are your father's guns missing!” She pulled me inside roughly, I almost lost my balance until Krista caught me.
“Hi ma'am, I'm Krista.” Krista extended her hand out for a handshake but my mom ignored it, “krista what?” “My name is Krista..Krista Lenz, and I'm an exchange student at Da'shaun's school. He took me with him because my family got eaten by the zombies.”
My mother lowered her guard slightly. “Da'shaun what the hell did I tell you about bringing girls home?” “Sorry mom.” Stood back up and took Krista's hand and walked to my room. “You're grounded! And you're lucky I'm letting that girl even come here.” I just shut the door with frustration filling my eyes.
