Vanilla Dusk ✓

Life Part 4

Shann shifts under the blanket. His wound aches and there is a small lump on the right side of his head. It keeps throbbing. He swallows some painkillers to curb the pain. He knows Elis is still staring at him, watching as he sleeps, but he isn't too bothered by that. He actually feels safer around him. He is in an extremely vulnerable state and if Elis doesn't defend him, he will probably get torn into pieces by other creatures lurking out there.

It's been five years since the first outbreak. The day the outbreak wreaked havoc on his neighbourhood, he was having a lecture at the college. He was taking Economics and Finance, aspiring to start his own company once he graduated. The lecture room was half-full. He was in the last row analysing stock charts on his laptop, not exactly paying attention to the lecturer's tedious presentation. He could make ten thousand dollars within five minutes and the lecturer was still feeding them with rudimentary theories. Roy was sitting languidly next to him, chin in his palm, yawning. His eyes roved over the porn stars on his laptop screen. If Shann hadn't stormed into his dormitory and kicked him off bed in the morning, he would have skipped the class. Halfway through the lecture, they began to hear bangs, shrieks, yells and all sorts of disconcerting noises. They initially thought a riot had broken out when they peeked out of the windows. A large group of people was tangled down there, roaring and growling. Students ran in all different directions and blood splattered everywhere. Sprawled all over the ground were mauled flesh and ripped limbs. They discarded the possibility of a riot when they caught sight of those savage eyes and menacing teeth. The lecture room was plunged into chaos as the students squealed and dashed towards the exit. The front door was suddenly knocked down by a horde of infected creatures. They bounced on the lecturer and shoved down a group of students before latching their mouths onto their napes and taking large bites of their flesh.

Horrified by the massacre in the front, Shann and Roy bet on the back door. Since they were closest to the back, they flee through the back door. One side of the corridor was flooded with monstrous creatures. They ran to the other side and were lucky enough to find the stairs. They got out of the building successfully but the entire campus was invaded by the unknown creatures. They chased after the two boys once they spotted them. A creature lunged towards them and Roy smashed its face with a baseball bat he randomly picked up from the ground. Shann was a martial artist so he kicked another creature off them and dislodged his jaw with a forceful punch. They ran towards the car park and found their silver Mercedes-Benz. A door handle was broken and the front of the car was dented with blood trails. Someone must have attempted to break into their car and drive away but failed miserably. They hopped into the car just when a horde of creatures noticed them and bounded towards their vehicle. Shann took the wheel and sped off.

They drove down the street but couldn't bear to take in the petrifying sight. There were attacks everywhere. These vicious creatures bounced on any healthy living beings. They broke into houses, crashed into stores, roamed the streets and even leapt onto cars. Once people got bitten, their veins started to pop and their eyes went bloodshot. Within minutes, they would become one of them. Shann was trying hard not to crash into anyone but people kept sprinting frantically. He rolled over a lot of creatures and inadvertently bumped into a few running pedestrians. Cars spun in different directions and crashed into one another. They almost crashed into a store after dodging an incoming truck that went out of control. The outbreak started in the Central District and their home was a few zones away. They reached home successfully, glad that May and Akio were still alive. Their house hadn't been attacked, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. They called Jun, who was working in Zone 2. His workplace had been sabotaged and he managed to drive away with his boyfriend's car. Once the family got reunited and realised that the next town was being quarantined, they decided to pack and flee overnight.

Shann wakes up sweating. Elis is by his side spacing out. He twitches when he detects Shann's movement. Shann leaves the bed and walks into the en suite. He is running a small fever and having seen his family members in the nightmare just now only aggravates his condition. His head doesn't spin as much as before but he still suffers a migraine. After washing his face with some tap water, he doesn't return to the bed. Instead, he sits down on the floor next to Elis.

'I wonder how they're doing,' says Shann. He follows Elis's gaze and stares into the emptiness. 'You know, those people I was with.'

It takes Elis a moment to realise Shann is referring to those who accompanied him when he was ransacking this house.

'I have an older brother called Jun. He's like a nagging mum, always dominating the house and bossing people around, but we never blame him. Our parents always work abroad. They hardly come home. Maybe once or twice a year. Jun cooks for us and does most of the chores. He was working as a marketing assistant when the pandemic broke out. He's a bi, just like me and Akio. He was dating a big Russian guy called Nicholai or something. I never really liked him, really. He's so so-fashioned, always wearing a white scarf, a brown trench coat and black boots. And he was creepy. He stalked people and laughed like a psycho. I seriously don't know what Jun saw in him until...'

Shann shifts slightly and looks up at the ceiling.

'He threw himself at those BEASTS. They were chased down in the alleyway and there was a dead end. Nicholai tried to distract them and buy Jun time. He threw my brother over the fence to the other side and tossed him the car keys. He stayed behind and Jun drove his car away.'

Elis frowns, feeling a strange squeeze in his chest.

'Well, I guess I've misjudged him at some point. We never know what happened to him that day. Jun wouldn't talk about it. He came home that day with blood and tears and a crumpled pass that belonged to Nicholai.'

Shann shuts his eyes and sighs.

'Roy is my younger brother. He was a freshman but he loved to take my classes just to pester me. I absolutely loathe sharing a room with him because this scatterbrain is downright inconsiderate. He used to stick revolting posters all over our walls and leave things scattered on the ground. He never knew how to throw the rubbish into the bin and he had this awful taste of music. Always infringed my privacy, sneaking up on me, shouting suddenly when I tried to concentrate on my essays. He ate and left crumbs on my bed, used my stuff without asking and peeked at my phone. We fought almost every day but it was fun. He might be reckless, nosey and immature, but he's the kind that will always stand up for you.'

Shann scratches his head and continues, 'Akio is our cousin. His father is a Japanese and he's a Final Year student majoring in Arts and Animations. He never talks much. He's only fond of video games, anime, manga and figures with big boobs. He's a typical otaku but is really good with swords. He doesn't like Jun being authoritative and commanding all the time, so they used to bicker a lot. But every time he ran away from home, he'd always come back. Jun would prepare a table full of his favourite food waiting for him.'

Elis grunts, as if responding to Shann's story.

'And then there is May, my younger sister. She fancies all kinds of adorable things. She shops a lot. Her wardrobe almost bursts because of her dresses, handbags and stuffed animals. And she likes to play truant, which bugs Jun a lot. She looks up to Akio so when he left home, she almost left with him. And because she's the only girl in the house, she gets all the privileges. Basically spoiled rotten.'

Shann's smile fades.

'I don't know why I'm telling you these, but I think my head is going to implode if I don't talk to someone.' Shann shakes his head and rubs his temples with his thumbs. 'I suppose your brother tried hard to protect you too, right? We all want to save the ones we love. My family means a lot to me and I don't want to assume that something bad has happened to them. They have to live no matter what.'

Elis frowns again at the mention of his brother. His chest feels another squeeze, harder this time. A fragment of memories suddenly flashes across his mind. He remembers running towards the exit of the stadium with Johan and Johan sacrificing himself to shield him. This image disappears as swiftly as it barges into his brain. He shakes his aching head and widens his eyes. This is the first time he is able to retrieve a piece of his long-lost memories. Even if it was barely a fleeting moment, it meant something. He touches Shann's left hand, which is placed on the ground as he sits slouching against the wall. Shann doesn't flinch but instead finds Elis's cold hand remarkably pacifying. He is burning and Elis is a refrigerator. His skin is stone cold.

Shann swallows his sobs as he thinks of his family again. Some time later, he falls back to sleep, with Elis sitting by his side clutching his hand.