The Boy

Chapter Nine : Reflection

Chapter Nine : Reflection

Sleep avoided Ethan that night, he knew he had a lot to be thankful of Ava for but that seemed to pale in comparison to the feelings he had about his family. Ava meanwhile was silent, he didn't mind her silence, it was clear she didn't know what to say, who would? Even he didn't know how to feel about it. It wasn't the fact that his father had turned, he had witnessed that first hand and it wasn't the fact he was alive still, although he hadn't really thought about it, he had assumed they were still locked away at home. He shuddered thinking of his old home, his room with all his pointless stuff, his parents? Suddenly it struck him like a blow to the pit of his stomach, he was going to have to go back there and look. He kept going over it in his mind and it always came back to the same thing, he had to be sure, he would have to go. The night was long and it was early in the morning before he fell into a restless sleep. Ava let him sleep late the next morning knowing he had struggled with sleep and with seeing his father again, it was mid morning before he roused and when he did it was with purpose. Ava had asked very gently how he was and he had to force a smile, it caused his scabs to crack making him wince, he put on a brave face as he told her his plan.

An hour latter they stood in the driveway of his safe house looking over the headless corpse, it had dried in the sun somewhat but still showed signs that something had made a meal or two out of it. They had driven there using the car to block the driveway somewhat sealing the yard. The roads had a lot of dead about but everywhere did these days. It was clear as soon as they arrived that Ethan wouldn't need his key, the door was open, handle smashed in and the doorframe splintered. He hopped the fence quietly, sneaking over to check the front door on his fathers house. He already knew what he was going to find but he had to see it for himself. It had fared no better and he could see down the hallway into the living area. He shuddered at the memories he had of the end of his time here. Leaving the front yard he motioned to Ava and they went together into the former safe house, now a zombie death trap. They drew their glocks neither of them confident enough to wield the shot gun. Ava started to open the door of the first room before Ethan stopped her, pointing down the hallway, he let her know they would come back to that one. They continued down the passage pointing their guns into the rooms until they reached the back door. The house was still empty, just how he had left it, Ethan gave a sigh of relief and stunted laugh, spooking Ava as he did so.

"What's with the first room?" She quizzed him as they trudged back to shut the front door.

"There's a body in there." He replied bluntly. "The lady that lived here suicided in there."

"We should still check it though." Ava gave him a dark glance in return as she got to the door and readied herself to open it. Already Ethan could smell the death and he wanted nothing more than to be free of this place. It was clear that the strange man had smashed all the doors in on the street, now all he wanted to do was leave, he wasn't even sure why he came he only knew he had to see it again. Ava opened the door slowly to the buzz of a host of insects many of them flies. Their pupae shells littered the carpet like mouse droppings while new flies still drying their wings from birth hopped and scurried around the carpet. The corpse was less than one third it's size having being consumed in the process and was black to look at. Ava backed out of the room before gagging and retching bile onto the floor.

"Are you ok?" The concern in Ethan's voice was genuine but Ava missed it and pushed him.

"You Asshole." She stumbled out into the front yard, not really meaning it but feeling ticked off none the less. The street was occupied by one woman, obviously dead, her clothes in taters and her face sagging. Attracted by the movement she came to push against the front fence looking desperately for that meal to keep her going, she came up a couple meters short. Ava went to shoot the wretched thing but thought better of it.