Vagabonds

Chapter 9

Chapter Song: Hide & Seek by Amber Run

T/W: Mention of suicide

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"Zack, please. It's the only way." Sarah is pleading with her brother.

"How could you say that? They're our parents! We can't just kill them!" Zack is pacing back and forth and hasn't stopped since this conversation started.

"They're already dead." Sarah speaks softly.

"No, they're not! They're right there! What if someone comes up with a cure, huh? Then we won't be able to get our parents back because we decided to kill them!"

"Then that means we're the reason why other kids won't be able to get their parents back! We've killed other zombies before, Zack. They're not that different from them anymore!"

"YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!"

John and Connor step forward to hold back Zack and sit him down. Sarah continues to look at her brother, feeling lost. And like every other time when the group is faced with a difficult situation, they all look at Alex.

Alex, on the other hand, is having their own battle in their mind. A battle to keep their own thoughts at bay, to stay composed, and not add to the chaos in front of them.

No one spoke a word. The only sounds you could hear were the groaning and thrashing of the two undead parents a floor above them.

Finally, Alex speaks up.

"You have to kill them."

If looks could kill then Alex would already be dead under Zack's glare.

"Typical of you to say." Zack spats at them. "Killing's become second nature to you. I bet you get off on murdering people, you sick freak!"

Everyone's shocked at the words that left their fellow youth group member's mouth. But even more shocked when Alex takes him by the collar, eyes blazing dark.

None of this fazes Zack though. In fact, it even fuels him. "How about we make a deal? I'll let you kill our parents as long as you kill yourself too. You've got experience with that already. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Not even a pin dropping could disturb the silence that followed.

An eternity probably passed until Alex let go of Zack. They slowly walk towards the stairs but stop at the bottom and speak, their back still towards the others.

"Just because I didn't want to live in the old world doesn't mean I like living in this new one. Everyday's the same torture. Nothing's changed for me, Zack. You're not the only one who has had to say goodbye to their parents. So suck it up. I'll kill them for you. Deal with your shit but don't blame it on me. I've got enough on my own."

Alex moves up the stairs quietly and doesn't come back down. The only reason the others knew the deed was done was because there was no more groaning and thrashing on the floor above them.