My Zombie Family (MZF) BL

'The Plunge'

As the land was embraced by dusk, creatures began their journey back to their nests and burrows. The rustling of birds marked their retreat, signaling the approach of night. Meanwhile, wolves lingered in the shadows, ready for another hunt.

The small, secluded island was always quiet. The early chirps of birds learning to fly, the growls of predators hunting for prey, and the sound of leaves rustling, twigs snapping, and pebbles falling. Accompanied by the sound of calm, distant waves. It was a sound that welcomed nature's harmony. If one were there,  they would feel unheard, yet noticed, and alone.

So when such unfamiliar sounds began making themselves known, creatures of all kinds fled in fear of being hunted or captured. After all, what is there to fear but humans? True masters of the common world... A species one would say would be known for its resilience and adaptability. They who conquer nature's abundance of lands and kill the natural order. A species well feared yet unrivaled by any other.

With haste, rustling is heard throughout the wood as footsteps rush closer in a panic. Voices of echoes past and present carried on by the wind, desperation and worry breaking the silence, disturbing the once quiet nature of the land. "Noelle! Noelle! Where are you?!" A distressed voice calls out, attempting to catch his breath. Noah was usually not one to run out into the decrepit forest, but today he had been especially urgent. "Noelle Stop!" he pleads once again, but his warnings were ignored as the little girl, relentless in her pursuit, refused to listen. 

"Noelle! Listen to me! slow down!" Exhausted and near his limit, Noah continues trailing the little girl in hopes of reaching her. Nay!-Convince her to listen to reason but the little girl remained undeterred, focused on her single goal. Running at full speed as if she were lightning herself, her eyes remained focused on a small animal running twice as fast ahead of her. Unaware of her rapid ascent, Noah notices her getting closer to the mountain's rigid cliffside. Alarm and panic strike him as he attempts to run faster, only to slip and stumble on the land's rough terrain. The branches of trees and bushes scratch him all over, even drawing blood as he persists to reach the little girl.

"Noelle, please! You're going to slip and get hurt if you don't stop!" Yelled Noah, but his requests were ignored again and again as the little girl ran even faster than before. Noah staggered from behind, out of breath as the struggle to keep going soon encroached on him. While catching his breath from a distance, Noah spotted Noelle approaching the cliffside. Almost as if pondering what to do, she takes a careful step and slowly walks toward the cornered animal.

Noah watches her get dangerously close to the cliff edge, and as if forgetting his exhaustion, he hurriedly pushes himself to run a final time. Step after step, Noelle approaches the animal who had been quaking in fear, looking between her and the bottom of the cliff. Before the animal could make a decision, Noelle had picked up the critter and held it between her hands. Instantly, the critter lay limply as if it had lost all signs of life, but to Noelle, she was merely relieved to have reached the critter. "Seriously, don't do that again! I know your splinter hurts, but you don't have to run miles away from the village because of the pain. Agh! You caused a lot of trouble for me and Papa!" whined Noelle as she held the creature by its ears, scolding it.

"Noelle, Stop! Get away from the edge! You don't know how unstable it is." Noah warned breathlessly as he approached slowly from behind. He had grabbed onto nearby branches and twigs for support, but refused to go any closer. Heights were never his strong suit. Noelle beamed and smiled, tucking the creature into the front pouch of her dress. "Papa! Look, I found him!" She says happily while pointing at her pouch. "He was pretty scared, but he seems fine now!" Noelle exclaims as the creature pops its head out of the pouch, quivering nervously at Noah.

"I know Noelle, but right now you need to approach me slowly. Move away from the cliffside, please." Noah gestures with a hand, signaling Noelle to approach. Understanding Noelle meticulously takes a step that spooks the critter. Unbeknownst to her, every step Noelle takes creates another small crack amongst a collection of cracks embedded into the rock. And while she takes another, the critter hears the cracks louder and louder. Fearing for its life, it jumps out of Noelle's pouch and attempts to run past her. If the creature didn't have enough time to run away, it had enough time to grab onto Noah at least. Locking eyes with Noah, the creature bolts towards him, except Noelle had grabbed it last second.