BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Seven |

I have to admit something.

It's really difficult to write about the character Rose. This is because when I was first planning out this story, I based Rose after my own sister who is nine months older than me. My sister is my twin, my best friend, and took on that mother role for all of my childhood. She is absolutely my rock, and while she is alive and well, it's hard to write about a dead character while basing it after my sister. While writing this chapter I did have to take a few breaks and even call her a few times. However, I realized like two chapters ago that I kind of avoided writing of Rose because of this, and that was silly of me because it can make it confusing why Eeros is so set on finding the truth behind the incident four years ago.

So let me just clarify: Eeros and Rose were EXTREMELY CLOSE!

Anyways, I also love to listen to music when I write and Driver's License cover by Rain Paris was what I was listening to mostly when I wrote this.

Should I let y'all know more about what songs fit with what chapters?

Anyways! Enjoy!!!

Seven |

            I had climbed out of the crevasse between the three trunks, standing on numb legs, slowly stretching my body. I reached my hands to the sky, flexing each of my fingers before letting my arms drop lazily. I stretched my back next, arching my ribs forward before hunching down and listening to the satisfaction of crunches from my spine. The forest seemed less scary now, with the sun bright and the warmth of the morning seeping into my clothing. Once my stretching was done, I pulled open my bag, considering the three weapons inside before taking them out slowly. The mace and the grenade were one use items but also, I didn't know their effects on the user. No doubt the reason why they were in Dad's office. The mace could fly back into the user's face and in an instant melt off your flesh. The machete seemed a bit more complicated, but could still be used as just a normal machete. A soft sigh left my lips, and my nightmare felt silly now. How could I lose myself in the horrors of the past when the world looked so warm and peaceful?

            I laughed at that. Such a silly thought. It's something Idris would think of.

            A branch cracked behind me and I froze. My muscles tensed, and I wondered what it was. I didn't dare move, nor did I utter any breath as if that would somehow make me seem invisible to whatever was behind me. I could hear it closer now, the shuffling of dirt and branches behind me. Something was moving through the foliage.

Ophelia?

A wild animal? 

A slow, guttered moan sounded and my heart dropped. It was neither. A zombie, I should have guessed that first. My heart hammered, I had never faced a zombie before and although I had more than all the appropriate training for such an occasion I never really considered having to use it. My eyes flickered down to the ground, at my feet the machete. I moved quickly, hunching down and throwing out one leg to straighten (very) dramatically. My fingers curled around the hilt of the machete as I spun on my bent leg, using my straightened leg to pop back up now facing the zombie, a strangled battle cry lifting from my lips as I was ready to attack. 

Then my body froze.

Eyes falling upon the undead person in front of me. It was a girl no older than myself. Her skin was grey, her eyes bloodshot and the iris void of any colour. Her lips parted, practically falling off her face and she looked very composed. There was bloody tears dried to her face, and stains of red across the outfit she wore. It was a school uniform, I knew that because it was similar to the uniform we wore when taking classes with Father Antonio. It wasn't our island uniform but it was the Town of Roses uniform. There was always field trips to the island and that's the same uniform Cerci and Erinna wore back in those days. My eyes moved down, her legs were thin but unharmed and one of her bare feet had a small bite on it. It was clear that was the source of the virus.