Seven Un-Dead

Chapter 6

Author's Note: Helloo! This is a little collaboration that I did with Cheshir-e. Go check out her stories if you liked this chapter and how it was written. I've added some writing in, which I am sure that you'll notice that are mine straight away. However, most of the writing you see in here is done by TheDimensionSwitcher. So a massive thank you goes out to her for putting up with me and managing to write it, by her own will, at around midnight. Which, to me, is really impressive. We really hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

And thus, Maya fell into a deep sleep. But no, it wasn't a peaceful sleep, no not at all. It was a nightmare filled sleep, fueled by fear and nothing more.

Oh how Maya and Sew regretted volunteering to go out in search of supplies. It was possibly the worst mistake of their now miserable lives. The only thing that kept them alive was each other, both physically and mentally, and now they were on the verge of losing the one thing they treasured; each other.

Now, what's the worst possible thing that could happen to you during the apocalypse? Besides being bitten. Yup, being surrounded by zombies with the risk of being bitten at any time. So there Maya and Sew stood, shoulder to shoulder, weapons in hand backs against a partly destroyed house. A look of extreme frustration and concentration on his face as the automatic rifle in his hands took down multiple zombies surging forwards towards them. Yeah you guessed it folks, the two unfortunate lovers were surrounded and cornered by zombies of all kinds. Maya desperately slashed at any zombies that got too close to the duo. Well that was until the knife was take from her by a zombie who had randomly thrown its arm out. It was so sad... The zombies they were killing, could've been their friends, relatives... But there was no time for regret in a world like this. "Maya get behind me, I've got enough ammo to take the rest down!... I think." Sew yelled over the moaning of the staggering zombies and the noise of his gun. Maya didn't dare argue with her stubborn boyfriend, so she limped over wiping the blood on her cheek off with her jacket sleeve. All she could do was watch as Sew gunned down each and every drooling Zombie in front of them.

Then, at last, everything around them fell silent. Zombies sprawled at their feet as they stared wide eyed at the scene in front of them. Adults, grandparents, children, these people all had families once... Maya couldn't help but cry out of pure joy, she ran a hand through her knotted blonde hair still stood behind Sew. "Hey, no need for tears. We're still alive." Sew commented as he spun on his heel to face Maya. "We're a-actually alive.." Maya said in awe her wet eyes staring of into the distance. He wrapped his arms around Maya grinning like a Cheshire cat as she closed her eyes and returned the rather bloody hug. But they couldn't get too cocky, they still had to get back to base where the others were.

Well at least Sew believed he had killed the whole mob, because he was wrong. A scratcher, the most intelligent kind, had fallen beneath another zombie which had been shot dead, and had been trapped there beneath its cold, rotting body for a while. It silently crawled out from the beneath the other and made its way towards and unsuspecting Sew.

And that was that.

Just like that, the peace was shattered like a broken heart.

Sew's body arched as the scratcher dug its grimy nails into his back, tearing easily through clothing and flesh. Maya jumped backwards, her hands over her mouth as she watched, frozen with fear. And just like that, any hope of returning home together was gone. She watched as Sew's face changed from horror to pain, to sadness. Maya bent down, picking up the discarded hunting knife and with a yell she stabbed the zombie in the back of its already crushed skull, watching as it fell backwards with a thud. Then there was Sew. He'd fallen to his knees, his head in his hands. His back was red with blood pouring from the three gashes, "M-Maya?" He looked around his eyes cloudy, another dangerous feature of scratchers: their deadly poison. "Sew n-no don't go, don't leave!" Maya begged falling down besides him, holding his hand in an attempt to comfort him. But she knew what what had happened. The unfortunate had happened. Sew was becoming one of them.

"Maya." Seweryn croaked out in a shaky voice, catching his girlfriend's attention. She looked down at him, shaking her head in disbelief. With great difficulty, he took a deep breath in. The poison was working its way around Sew's body. The pain was almost unbearable by now and the boy kept cringing and hissing. 

"G-go back h-home." He struggled to form out words. 

"Why?" Maya questioned. Now was not the time for going home. Seweryn was on the verge of dying. Maya was silently having a breakdown. Seeing her boyfriend become a zombie was not something that she'd planned seeing. She was not ready for this. She was unprepared. 

"You'll find it." Sew left a simple answer. He turned over to the right, only to cough out blood. The poison was getting blood into his lungs, which was both painful and disgusting. 

"Find what?" Maya pressed on. It would be a shame if she didn't find out, if Seweryn just died there right in front of her. He'd leave a mystery behind for someone to solve but nobody would be able to find anymore clues. Sew would take down the secret with him.

"You'll find it." He repeated, forcing a smile. From then on, silence commenced. Maya and Sew stared into each other's eyes. Both of them got lost. Past all the pain and sadness in Sew's eyes, Maya could see the sky blue eyes she fell in love with. That colour she'd got so used to seeing, it brought her happiness. The colour calmed her down. Loose strands of dark brown hair fell down and covered his face. 

Maya's eyes were full of sadness and sorrow. The sea blue colour darkened and changed. Her hair, so perfect to Seweryn. They weirdly brought back memories from the past. He remembered the day of their first date, when Nat and Nicole combined their powers to make a perfect date for them two; a picnic on top of a caravan. As Nat said, it was 'just for safety'. The pair climbed up on top of the caravan and ate the food that the girls prepared for them. They both enjoyed each other's company and the last memory of that night was them two falling asleep, Maya silently whispering those three words to Seweryn. I love you. Embarrassment, shyness. Forever tongue tied over those three words. She loved him. He loved her. It was good while it lasted. 

The silence was broken and Maya snapped out of her thoughts. 

"M-Maya I need... I n-need you to do something, p-promise me you'll do it." Sew began wincing as the poison slowly turned his skin into an ashy grey. "Anything I... I promise." was her short reply. To her surprise she wasn't crying. Possibly because she believed that this was all some sort of dream. "Shoot me. " No she couldn't.. She wouldn't- but she had promised. "N-no I won't!" Sew lifted his head shakily towards the sound if her voice, his eyes a bright white, begging for her  to end his suffering. "N- no! I need you.." Maya was now crying, tears rolled down her red cheeks onto the ground below. "Do it!" He snarled, the poison slowly changing him into something he wasn't. She knew, no matter how much she hated and denied it, that she would do it. So Maya did. Snatching up the gun, she put a shaking finger on the trigger. Maya kissed his cold lips before bringing the barrel of the rifle up to his forehead, brushing his brown hair away from his forehead. Sew smiled weakly but reassuringly at Maya as he stead the hand that was in the trigger, "I love y-you more than you can imagine, Maya." he muttered, listening as Maya returned the short phrase.

With one single shot, it was over.

But Maya couldn't bare the fact that she had killed the one she loved dearly. Lying down besides his cold body she held his hand, bringing the barrel up to her own head. One shot to end it all, all their pain, suffering, everything.

Unknown to their friends, their new family, back at the base, the lovers would not be returning for a while. For with glory, comes the downside of gore.

This is gospel for the fallen ones,

Locked away in permanent slumber,

Assembling their philosophies,

From pieces of broken memories.