Seto was often right. He was right when they first moved in and ominously stated an ice storm would follow. He was right when he claimed lights in the sky were aliens. He was right when he said he'd win on their first game night, when he said True could build Lox, when he said he did magic.
He was right that the illness had spread.
It took two more days before anything happened. Lox continued to dig the moat, managing to get about a foot down all around the house. It still needed more work, of course, but it was an accomplishment. Strips of grass were placed on the street in hopes of claiming the dirt road back sooner and encouraging any visitors to turn the other way.
It was still dark when the first one came. A low, heavy thud against the wall. Sky had been awake, sitting in the living room and fidgeting, unable to rest. When the first thud occurred, he had sunk farther down into the blankets. It was a terrifying and unpleasant sound, not one he wanted to go investigate like a doomed character in a horror movie. One thud, then silence. He felt no need to get up.
The second caused concern. A faint gurgling sound rose from outside, and fear grabbed at his chest, yet he refused. If he looked, it became real. On the floor beside him, True and Seto sleep in piles of blankets and pillows. Sky fidgets. The gurgling continues. He gets up.
It isn't a pleasant sight.
At first, all he saw were dragging marks in the mud of the moat. The muddy trail lead right up to the porch where, having he gained the courage to look over the edge, Sky can see the mud darkened by black blood. A shorter woman stands agains the side of the porch, clothes and hair tangled up in the nails Sky had driven through. Her shirt, once a cheery violet, is now wet from rain, mud, and blood. The same black blood from the zombie in the woods drips from her eyes, her nose, her mouth- and Sky reels back, heart beating against his chest. Rain falls gently, causing a heavy early morning fog to cover most of what he can see. Usually, this would be pleasant, but right now Sky feels unsafe. He glances over again, and her eyes meet his.
"Setoooooooo-" Sky yelps. Her eyes reflect the gold glow of his face, her jaw hanging slack. Fear paralyzes him, unable to move. She reaches up, unable to reach the top of the wall, her arm dragging against the nails. Sky's breath catches as he watches her skin rip open, blood now pouring from her arm, but she doesn't appear to notice.
"Sky?" Seto mumbles, shuffling from the doorway. Sky doesn't move, locked in a staring contest with the undead women. Upon realizing what's happening, Seto pulls Sky away from the edge, electric sparks forming at his fingertips.
"She's stuck..." Sky manages weakly. Seto gives a nod of acknowledgment, leaning on his bad arm and throwing down his other at the zombie. Sparks jump from his hand, joining together in a deadly dance towards the woman. Her clothes catch fire, quickly sending her hair up as well. A gurgle rises from her throat, sending blood splattering from her mouth against the porch wall as she's knocked back into the mud. The gurgle rises into a scream as her body goes up, the blood giving into the flames like gasoline, streaking up to her face and arm. The noise draws True out, stumbling out into the foggy morning as her body falls still, smoke fading into the fog.
Sky grabs into True, eyes bright and body shaking. Seto turns around, unsure what to say, his expression grim. He steps forward and True pulls him into a hug, squishing Sky in the middle. They stand there in silence for several minutes, allowing the cool morning air to settle around them, bringing some level of calm to the situation. True closes his eyes, letting the comfort of the group bring some positivity, rocking slightly until Sky's shaking stills. It isn't until all seems well that he opens his eyes again, and instantly he wishes he hadn't.
True's posture tenses, and Sky buries his face i his chest, not wanting to turn around. Seto, on the other hand, wastes no time to face the nightmare walking out of the fog.
It seems like a shadow at first. One long, shifting, mumbling shadow, but of course it isn't. Instead, figures become visible- a red-haired man dragging heavy boots through the mud, a young man with cracked glasses, a woman with red hair and a stained white sweater, and more figures still emerging. Seto begins to raise his hand, but True reaches out and grabs his wrist.
"No wait- we can't. You'll burn the house down. Let's... try to wait it out?" His voice wavers, Sky still clinging to him for dear life. Seto looks out again, hesitating, then sighs and puts the sparks out.
"Yeah. Yeah let's go in. And lock the door."
"You don't think they can climb the-"
"Just in case."
True nods, leading Sky back inside. Seto follows, glancing out one last time before closing the door and drawing the bolt.
YOU ARE READING
Well That's Not Good
FanfictionA programmer, his robot, and an alien walk into a zombie apocalypse. When the government raids Seto's house and Seto vanishes with it, it's up to our classic trio to try to find Seto and stop his creations from causing too much harm before it's too...
