apocalypse - tweek x craig

two

    Craig and Tweek finally arrived at the Tucker household. The door was already open. Craig felt uneasy and led Tweek inside what he once called his home. The two boys walked cautiously through the house. It looked exactly the same, but felt different. The welcoming feeling of comfort and home was gone.

    "W-where's your family?" Tweek asked Craig. Craig just shook his head.

    "I don't know." He said. Craig turned the corner and entered the kitchen, Tweek following closely behind him.

    Craig first noticed the color red. Dark red everywhere. On the linoleum floor, on the walls, the kitchen counters, even on the ceiling. A rotten, metallic smell filled his nose. He immediately closed his watering eyes, he couldn't bear to see what he knew was coming.

    Tweek screamed when he saw the dead parents of Craig Tucker laying on the floor. Craig immediately turned away, his head flooding with endless thoughts and emotions. He was speechless. He couldn't look.

    "I..." Tweek attempted to do something, but failed to come up with any sort of solution. "Craig, I-" He was at a loss for words.

    He turned around, his eyes red and wet with tears. "Ruby." He whispered.

    "What?" Tweek said, he didn't hear him.

    "Where's Ruby?" Craig said loudly, talking more to himself than to Tweek.

    He bolted up the stairs before Tweek could answer. "RUBY!" He called out. He scrambled all around the house and even down the street, screaming his little sister's name.

    "Craig..." Tweek put his hand on Craig's shoulder after catching up with him. Craig just stopped in the middle of the road.

    "She... She probably went with her classmates after the evacuation." Tweek said, trying to comfort Craig. But they both knew that Ruby was probably dead. They were likely the only ones who made it out of the school, and even they were going to be killed too if they didn't leave soon.

    Craig let out a breath he had been holding and turned towards Tweek. They stared at each other for a few second. "We need to go." Craig said.

    Tweek nodded. "Sorry. I'm OK now." He said, clearly lying, but Tweek didn't argue. "I've got to get something from home-" he paused. "...and then we'll go to your house instead, okay?" He didn't wait for Tweek to answer, instead he just walked past him.

    Tweek followed Craig to the house again. Craig avoided the kitchen at all costs and went up the stairs. Tweek just stood uncomfortably in the living room until Craig came back down the stairs with a pale orange scarf that Tweek assumed was Ruby's and a black backpack he presumed was filled with things Craig wanted or needed.

     "Let's go." Craig said, and they left his house for the last time.

~~~

     When they arrived at Tweek's house, or rather, his family's coffee shop, it seemed empty at first. Tweek immediately assumed that his parents had been murdered too. He almost threw up at the mental image of his parents' guts everywhere.

    He turned the corner anyways and, to his surprise, saw his parents. He smiled and hugged them. His parents were crying. 

    "Tweek, baby! You're okay!" His mother said. Craig silently envied him.

    The coffee shop had no more power and since the back room has no windows, the room was lit by candles. Tweek's mom was still hugging him and crying, while his dad was packing a bag. Craig stood in the doorway awkwardly. 

    "W-what's that for?" Tweek asked, pointing to the bag that his father was filling with basic survival necessities.

    "Tweek, honey," his mother began. "Your father and I have to go." Tweek stared at her. 

    "G-go where?" He asked hesitantly. Mrs. Tweak smiled but had pain in her eyes.

    "We're being... um..." She struggled to find the right word. "Drafted. I suppose."

    "What?" He choked out.

    "We have to go fight. I'm sorry Tweek. We have to go really soon, though." She got up from her seat and turned around.

    "Wait, what?" Tweek said. Craig moved out of the doorway and Tweek's parents walked out.
"Wait!" Tweek yelled. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

    His mom turned around one last time. "I'm so sorry, baby." They were both crying.

    "There's a shelter - in Denver. A really good one. I want you to go there. It'll be difficult, but if you manage to get there then you'll survive. Please." She said gently. Tweek stared at her with wide eyes. Was she crazy?

    "That'll take days." He said quietly.

    "I know." She broke eye contact. "Please, stay alive. I love you." She hugged and kissed her son and left.

    Tweek and Craig stood in silence. Tweek stared in shock at the door where his parents just left. He had a terrible feeling that this would be he last time he ever got to hug his mom.

    "It's like they didn't even notice me." Craig said abruptly. "Oh well. If we're gonna go to that shelter, we've got to leave soon."

    Tweek smiled in an attempt to make himself feel better. He tried to convince himself that his parents were strong, that they would survive. Survive what? He never even found out where they went.

    "Yeah." Tweek agreed.

    "Let's pack a bag." Craig suggested. Tweek nodded and went into the back room. He grabbed a bag and stuffed it with anything they may need. He flung the bag over his shoulder and faced Craig. "Ready?" He asked.

    Craig nodded and led the way, making sure to blow out the candles first.

    "Let's go." He said.