DEAD EYES STILL GLIMMER | VKOOK ✔️

════THE BEGINNING════

[3011, South Korea, Seoul]

"Mom?" called Taehyung as he crept down the stairs cautiously. He heard another crash downstairs along with a horde of callous groans. The twelve-year-old boy came to an abrupt halt as he heard the wooden floorboard creek beneath his feet. He heard glass breaking. "Dad?" he finally reached the bottom of the staircase. Taehyung made his way onto the tile floors. He could hear the sound of his skin sticking to the cold tile as a sobbing accompanied the chilling silence. Taehyung reached for the light switch when his toes dipped into some sort of liquid. "Oh my God," he uttered breathlessly. His bare foot was resting in a pool of blood.

"Taehyung?" said boy's silver irises followed the crimson trail of blood to his American father's broken skull. The scarlet liquid oozed crimson from the fractures and his brain bulged out his broken scalp. His eyes were gouged in by thick marbles that had forcefully been slammed in. His torso laid supine on his back, however, the way his lower half was resting with his butt in the air showed that his body was equivalent to sour twisted candy. Taehyung noticed that one of his father's arms was ripped from his body. There was a hand holding his. Her body beautifully preserved. She was dead as well.

"Mom?" whispered Taehyung sotto voce and knelt beside her decaying body because he was too afraid to touch his father's mangled corpse. "Mom, don't leave me." A twelve-year-old should not have to beg for his mother like such.

"Taehyung?" he turned his head upon heard his older brother utter his name. Ruby, red crimson spewed his lips dripping down his chin and pieces of flesh wedged between his teeth. Taehyung uttered a scream of terror as his brother lunged at him. "Taehyung?" said boy's feet were holding him away by kicking at his broad shoulders. Ultimately, Taehyung's knees gave in and came to fold only to bring his attacker closer. The blood of his parents drooled over his brother's gray, crusty lips. Taehyung screamed as his tongue detached from him, coming to rest at the hollow of his throat. Taehyung released a cry of disgust, odious. His brother's irises were hollowed out of emotion and were deluded milky white.

"Seokjin stop!" There was a low gurgle that spewed his lips. Seokjin could not articulate any coherent words well without his tongue, but Taehyung could somehow understand the word his brother continued to repeat.

"Taehyung?" it was a pained question. It was as if he was asking why Taehyung was not there to help their family. Taehyung rolled onto his back and kicked Seokjin off. He went flying across the room and Taehyung hid behind the kitchen island. Seokjin's attention was successfully driven away from him. Taehyung peeked around the corner. He went and knelt in front of their mother's body.

"No," Taehyung clasped his hand over his mouth as Seokjin's harsh movements ripped her abdomen open. His gargled words seemed sad and lonely.

Taehyung turned so that his back was pressed firmly to the counter. He did not as though he could continue watching that any longer. He closed his eyes and prayed for the smacking of lips and the squishing of intestines to stop.

"Shit." Taehyung's gray-blue onyx irises flutter open. He was in an abandoned house he had found the night prior. He loathed nightmares. He sat up. That voice. It was not in his dream. It was not a part of that horrible memory he wished to burry deep within his reminiscence. Swiftly, he swiped the flashlight next to his duffle bag and shined it in the direction of the unfamiliar sound. It was a petite boy. He slowly put on a pair of black glasses that had one of its frames cracked.

"What are you doing?" he looked at his backpack then at Taehyung.

"I'm stealing food," the ebony-haired boy spoke nonchalantly. It had been a month since this outbreak had started and this unfamiliar boy was the first person Taehyung had met who did not bullshit him.

"Why didn't you just ask?" Taehyung toggled the vintage lamp that he had found not-too-long-ago on.

"Most people aren't askin' these days," Taehyung heard the hint of a Southeastern accent intertwined within his vowels.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I can make a meal for us," Taehyung looked at the boy's tiny frame.

This was not healthy. He looked starved.

"What'cha got," the boy's accent was more noticeable the closer he got. There was still a good five feet amid them.

"I have a can of beans, some power bars, a can of fruit, s—" Taehyung noticed the sudden spark that glistening within the boy's chocolate glazed irises at the mention of fruit. "Can of fruit it is," Taehyung went over to open the cupboards and pulled out two bowls. He opened the cans with a Swiss Army knife. Well, he tried but he could not.

"Let me see," the small boy came closer and Taehyung handed him the can. The boy produced a metallic can opener from his backpack.

"That's handy."

"Canned food is the only food I trust," he poured an equal amount of food and juice for the both of them. Then, he treaded back a few steps with the bowl in his delicate hands.

"Here," Taehyung held out a spoon for him. He completely avoided any form of physical contact with Taehyung's hand.

"Thank you."

"Where's your accent from?" the boy stayed silent for a brief moment.

"Busan," answered the boy.

"What are you doing in Seoul?" His spoon clinked against the bowl quietly.

"Family," he pushed his glasses up as they slowly began to slip down the bridge of his cute button nose. His features were very weak probably due to not having experiencing adolescence yet; however, his big, innocent irises that looked as though a nebula had given birth to a galaxy were strong.

"Where are they?"

"I don't have any family anymore. Family picnic didn't have the food my aunt wanted." The boy was reluctant to eat the green grapes in his bowl. Taehyung understood why. They replicated the anemic irises of the reanimated dead.

"My brother killed my parents and I swear, even as he tried to bite me, he was talking to me."

"Is that why you don't carry a gun? Or any weapon at all?"

"I'm twelve. I shouldn't have to live this way. I should be in school, focusing on my studies." Taehyung began cutting the grapes so they would look less 'zombie-like'.

"You still need a weapon."

"But what if they are still alive? Maybe they're dumbed down."

"To eat flesh, human flesh?" the boy laughed, "You got to be fucking kidding me, Silver."

Damn. For a ten-year-old, this boy knew vulgar language.

"Silver?" the cappuccino-tanned skin between Taehyung's brows scrunched together.

"The color of your eyes, I don't do names. They're too personal."

"Then what should I call you?" the boy only shrugged.

"Whatever you think I should be called, just please don't call me 'Busan' or any variation." Taehyung admired the boys' feminine frame, his long wavy ebony locks, his cute rosy lips, and his creamy ivory skin that clashed with his dark hair perfectly. However, Taehyung was riveted on his irises. They had a particular sheen of humanity that seemed to have evaporated in every other living human being.

"Shine."

"Shine?"

"You're eyes still sparkle," Taehyung preserved as the boy stepped closer.

"So Silver and Shine, that's a little weird, don't you think?" it got to the point where he was sitting right beside Taehyung. His boney knee kissed against Taehyung's as he shifted to get comfortable. "Want to tell me what you were dreaming about?"

"Not really."

Shine stayed with Taehyung for a couple of days. He would slowly move closer as the nights became noisy with the sound of rotting corps' walking around. He had the worst night terrors too. At some moments in the night Taehyung had to cover Shine's mouth with his hand in order to stop his grousing so that he did not disturb the night. Other nights Taehyung had to wake him up. Shine would cry on Taehyung's shoulders those nights.

"What are you doing?" Shine came to join Taehyung on the roof.

"Watching the sun set." responded Taehyung.

There was a hill that was cut straight in the middle of where the sun dipped into night. Taehyung could see the silhouettes of zombies traversing the land there.

"I think I'm gonna leave, Silver. It's dangerous to stay put." Taehyung pulled his knees to his chest. "Come with me."

"I can't leave. I can't leave until I can bury them." Shine embraced Taehyung in a consoling hug to which he gladly returned the warm gesture. Shine and Taehyung were friends and Shine was the only person Taehyung had right now.

"You'll find me later, ya hear?" The way Shine hugged Taehyung had Taehyung's shoulder pressed to the middle of his chest. Taehyung turned his head to look at him. His irises travel across the boy's delicate features. His warm brown irises that gained him his nickname, his smooth rosy red cheeks, and his lips that seemed to inch closer and closer to the elder's lips. Their lips mold together in a chaste kiss. After some time they both pull away from their first kiss. A stray tear cascaded Shine's face.

"I'll find you."

"Good," his voice was feeble as he wiped at his eyes with coiled fists. "Take care of yourself," he moved Taehyung's raven locks from his face. "G-Goodbye, Silver," he whispered.

Taehyung watched as Shine stood up from beside him and left. He had his backpack strapped to his back, a kitchen knife in one hand, and a can of fruit in the other. He waved the can in Taehyung's direction with an accomplished smile tugging at his lips.

Then and there, Taehyung wished he had left with him.