6.
Hell is overrun, its prisons are full. The dead begin to riot to the point where they become free to roam the earth for all eternity ... the response to this? ... Stand together and fight ...do all you can to survive ... then run.
That first ghost, the first demon, the first living dead entity coming Leon's way is female or rather is something that once was female, a woman who probably was in the prime of her life before death came and took her. And death, at that, had not been kind. A sort of life restored, restored to some degree. She is not what she once was. Knowledge is gone, personality is gone, this person, this decaying entity is a mindless aberration, an aberration only after one thing.
Her being has become darkened and grey. Strange though being dark and grey, that her somewhat lengthy hair has retained some of its blonde colouring, faded and muddy now but blonde all the same. Death indeed had not been kind, there is tearing around her neck and part of her right cheek has gone and a small flap of skin wobbles from her jaw, yet she still moves, almost oblivious.
If this being were truly alive then she would be in severe pain, instead she is only hungry, a hunger that even human flesh cannot satisfy. Her slow movement is accompanied by a limp. Life too may have been unkind and that carried on through to death.
This mindless resurrection does not care about colouring, tearing or limps of any kind, all moving decaying corpses only want one thing and that is to capture those still living and feed off their flesh. The other incoming living corpses now approaching a helpless Leon, probably have their own stories to tell if one were in such a position or of such a demeanour to discover such possible stories based upon what might have existed prior to death.
Leon of course, is not in a position to observe, and if he were he would not be interested in what stories might be told or extrapolated. He unfortunately is not even aware of the complete situation. He has no idea of the danger he is in. Leon had no idea of the world outside prior to escaping an imprisonment so he most certain had no idea that creatures like these were in existence.
A moment or so prior to coming across these living dead, Leon couldn't even make it to his feet, never mind making an attempt to defend himself or attempt another escape. Now he is out cold, he has become nothing, but bait laid out for the on-coming prey to consume.
Moans and groans sound off in unison, a mini orchestra of death playing for an uninterested party of one; though to be interested one needs to be awake. Indeed, if there were an interest then that would one of wanting to survive. As the orchestra closes in, that party of one becomes a party of three. A man and a woman come out of the forestry; both are heading towards their mid-twenties, and both are well equipped to deal with any orchestra of death.
With a small battle scythe he swipes and knocks the nearest moving corpse off its feet before bringing the blade of that scythe down and through the forehead ensuring that death dies for a second time, and also ensuring that it cannot ever come back to any kind of life again.
She quickly moves to check on the boy while he confronts a second corpse.
'He is breathing, out cold but he is alive.'
'Good' he says as his scythe goes through the head top of a second target.
He turns quickly swinging a long stick handle with which he had quickly attached to the scythe hitting a third corpse before the blade finishes off that particular entity. The female corpse is in reaching distance of the boy though the female half of Leon's saviours takes care of this on-comer, ramming the blade of a hunting knife through the right side or its head.
'C'mon, we better get him outta here' she says.
He picks up the boy and they go on their way.
***
Three-year-old Leon wakes in a darkened room. He is frightened and alone with no idea of where he is. There is movement outside of this room and Leon can hear it, this scares him all the more.
'Daddy?' he calls out in hope.
The door to the room opens and a man walks in, 'your father ain't here boy, I'm your daddy now and you will do what I say, got it?
Leon falls a little backwards and starts to cry. Food and water are left for him, and the man leaves the room, a room with no windows. This is the place a twelve-year-old Leon escapes from, and it is the place his resting mind returns to while he is being brought to safety.
Post escape he is back in this darkened room, in his mind at least. His unconsciousness has brought him back. There is movement outside of this room and Leon can hear. It scares him just as much or maybe all the more than it did that very first time. The door opens, his heartbeat quickens, someone is coming through, 'he' is coming through but before he can, the light outside that door brightens so much so that it almost becomes blinding ...
Leon wakes startled. People surround him. He doesn't know any of them. He doesn't know anyone. At first, fear takes him, and his first thoughts are of escape and as to if he can do that at all. He gasps and attempts to maneuver out of the bed he has come to find himself in. Those around him try to settle him and assure him that all is well. The boy is safe here; he is among friends, so he is told. Despite this, he manages to vacate the bed and back himself up into a corner, the furthest corner he can get to away from all those near.
In this corner, Leon does something he has done many times before, more often than not in a darkened room. He curls himself up into a ball, begins to rock back and forth, zones out completely and starts to hum. Those in the room again try to reassure the boy but nothing they do or say gets through to him. That humming, there is one person in the room who recognizes the tune.
The lady half of the duo who came to Leon's aid, she recognizes the tune the boy hums. She calms and quietens the others in the room then begins to sing.
'Hush little baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird ...'
Leon slightly acknowledges the lady, he soon turns his head a little towards her and continues to hum, she continues to sing and slowly moves towards the boy. He allows her to close in.
'... and if that mockingbird won't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring ...'
She reaches the boy and holds him in a motherly way, he reciprocates. Looks are shared within the room. This group of people have taken in a new family member. The lady speaks, directing her words to the boy.
'My name is Amber, and these people here are my friends. They are your friends now too. You are safe with us. Can you tell us your name?'
The boy looks at each of the people in the room as they speak their own names, once that is done, he pauses for a moment and speaks '... Leon.'
There are welcoming smiles and Leon can't help but respond with a smile of his own. There is no darkness in this room.
