He came from the Grave

Chapter 4: The Trio

The three kids stood at the entrance of a run-down Food N' Stuff, its once nice building ransacked and covered in blood. Only a day and it had gone to ruins.

"Why are we at the store?" Gumball questioned, as he walked closer inside, glancing around at the ravaged surroundings. "If anything this is a worse place to hide."

"We aren't hiding here," Anais replied, carefully blocking the doors. "The store carries food and supplies, obviously. So we should grab some before we go look for mom and dad."

"Oh, that makes sense." Gumball soon grinned, looking over at his siblings, who raised their eyebrows at his sudden behavior. "It just occurred to me. We don't have to follow any rules, do we?"

Darwin gasped, eyes widening in excitement. "We can do whatever we want?"

The cat nodded, the two squealing together in joy. And so, they proceeded, jumping around as they messed with displays and such, laughing and goofing around. A few bits of food were thrown as well, though they made sure it was spoiled or already ruined first. They knocked down shelving in pet food aisles, and messed around in the deli.

Anais sighed, though decided to join, laughing herself as she messed with posters, using packaged markers to draw all over them. She drew a mustache and monocle on Larry's employee of the month picture.

The three were at pure joy, as chaos ensued. After several minutes however, they finally wore out, exhausted as they stopped in front of a random aisle. The store looked just as bad as they came in. They did feel slightly bad about it, but if anything, it was unknown whether it mattered at the moment regardless.

"That, was the most fun I ever had in a store." Gumball remarked, not as exactly tired as his siblings, nearly still energized while the latter were catching their breath. "Though nothing beats that time we raced down the aisle with spray cheese."

"Haha yeah, that was awesome!" Darwin smiled, fondly remembering the moment. He soon frowned, as his memories felt rather bittersweet now. The goldfish tried his best to ignore it.

"In all seriousness now," Their little sister snagged a brown backpack off a shelf, waving it in front of them. "We should start packing some stuff that we'll need. We don't know how good the house is yet so we should be prepared."

The boys nodded, as they carefully followed her through the store, helping out in getting said materials. With the excitement now gone, the store now felt eerie and quiet, intimidating with its now fallen over shelves and items. The marker on the walls that was hit with food slowly bled down in its place, as the sunlight peered through the bits of broken glass at the store front windows.

"Just out of curiosity.." Anais picked through bits of edible canned food, as she continued, glancing occasionally at Gumball. "What was it like to suddenly wake up from the dead?"

"That? Uh.. I'm not sure really. It was just.. Darkness. Then I just kinda woke up in a cramped coffin and had to tunnel my way out." The feline had sat down on a pile of cardboard boxes, watching around them cautiously in fear of stumbling across anyone. "I guess it's not that bad being dead, but it's kinda creepy. Like you're there, but you know you aren't really.. There, there. You know?"

Anais paused, as she focused her attention back on him. "So.. Can you eat? Breathe? Or is your body just stuck in limbo?"

Gumball shrugged. "I didn't really decide 'Oh I'm gonna go have a quick breakfast before I go make sure my friends and family aren't dead'. So I dunno. And even if I could stop breathing, it's just kinda instinct to keep doing it regardless of the point."

"..And.. You remember what happened before you died.. Right?" Her words were quieter with this question, as she was nearly worried of upsetting him. She knew better than to act like miss scientist and ask so many things, but the bunny couldn't really help herself. She had so many for what was going on.

"..I do now yeah.. Darwin told me when I found him.." The cat replied awkwardly, slightly scratching the back of his neck. "I guess on the plus side I'm not as gory and bloody like the other zombies right? That'd suck."

He regretted his words then, as he noticed Darwin trying to hide tears. "Woah hey, it's okay I mean like.. Ugh forget it.. Sorry.."

"No no it's fine, I'm just.. Not exactly over the whole thing yet..." The fish replied. He flinched, as Gumball suddenly hugged him.

"Hey, it's okay, I won't leave you like that ever again. That's a promise."

Anais watched with sympathy, as she finished rounding up the materials. "..I admit.. It wasn't the same without you Gumball. Everyone in town was practically mourning for a while.."

"..Everyone?" Gumball was a little surprised by such statement, as he held his brother close by, the latter hugging back tightly.

"Yeah, everyone.." She stood up, swinging the backpack over her shoulders, as she changed the subject. "..So.. Everything should be packed now, we should get moving."

The trio began to make their way to the doors. For a moment, they stood there together, watching the chaos from the streets. The gargling of the undead, the screaming of dying civilians, fire crackling from neighborhood houses, glass shattering from vandalizers.

It felt like their world had fallen apart.

Darwin and Anais were about to step forward solemnly, but were suddenly stopped, dirt covered paws holding them by the hand. Without a word, they looked at their eldest brother, who stood there looking back at each of them, a look of sorrow, but protectiveness.

"We're gonna stick together no matter what, okay?.."

The youngest siblings nodded, as all three began their way home.

Or what remained of home.