Apocalypse [Pentatonix AU | Kavi / Scomiche]

Chapter 49 - Downfall

"Did you work things out with Scott this morning?" Kevin asked Avi as the two men trekked through the thickly wooded forest. "I noticed ya'll talking again today."

The sun was beginning its descent in the sky, indicating they wouldn't have much longer until they had to return to the shelter for one more night's rest before the group got back on the road. Kevin prayed that they would come across at least one animal before they had to return. They'd started hunting hours ago and had yet to find absolutely anything, which was bad. The starvation was growing almost unbearable at this point in the journey.

"Yeah, I did," Avi replied.

"What'd you say?"

"Told him I couldn't forgive him for what he did, but I'd try."

"You mean that?"

"I think I do, I hope I do. After everything that's happened to us, I can't hold hate it my heart anymore, especially not toward Scott. Don't think I could continue to endure that, so I really am willing to try to forgive him."

"If only Mitch could do that same thing," Kevin sighed.

"It's harder for him, understandably."

"How so? I'd argue that it would be harder for you; you're the one who loved her."

"But Mitch loved Scott, Mitch loves Scott. Scott could've saved Kirstie and didn't, and for me of course that's hard to forgive. And while it changes the way I feel about Scott, I'm not in love with Scott. Mitch is. Scott betrayed Mitch's trust in every way. I can't imagine how hard that is for him."

"Still, I hope they work it out. They don't seem to understand how much they need each other."

Avi murmured his agreement, but quickly fell silent at the sound of approaching footsteps. The two men immediately went back to back, raising their guns and turning their heads rapidly. The footsteps seemed to be coming from all around them.

Kevin didn't understand the extent of the situation until the walkers came into view.

There were only fifteen, maybe twenty. It was an average sized herd, if that. If all four of them were together and the walkers were ambushing the house, they could take them out without batting an eye. Except right now there were only two of them.

They began firing their weapons into the heads of the surprisingly fast approaching dead. Avi was letting out small grunts from behind Kevin as the recoil from his gun pushed on his bad shoulder, a pain he'd had ever since punching Scott. They were both panicked, yet no words were spoken to express their fear.

All too soon Kevin ran out of bullets.

Drawing the pocket knife from his belt Kevin ran forward, thrusting the blade into the nearest walker. He hit the walker with more force than expected, but must not have hit the stem of the brain since the walker continued to advance on him. Kevin fell to the ground, the walker on top of him with its yellow, chattering teeth inches from his neck. Using the last of the strength Kevin grabbed the blade out from its skull and this time thrust it upward through its neck. The walker let out a final moan before becoming lifeless.

As Kevin pushed it off of him, he looked toward Avi only to see three separate walkers coming directly onto his closest friend. Avi was shooting endlessly but it was of no use, and terror had filled his eyes as he shouted a string of curses.

Kevin knew that Avi couldn't hold off the walkers alone, that if he didn't do something Avi would be torn into at any second. And Kevin could not watch Avi die.

So Kevin got to his feet and threw himself in front of the dead.

The first one used its fingernails to tear through his shirt, through his chest. Kevin's agonized cry was curdled by the blood that was pooling in his throat. Not even a moment later the second walker was on top of him as well, its teeth pushing deep into the nape of his neck. It pulled away briefly, and Kevin saw his own skin hanging from its mouth. The final walker took his other side, tearing into his arm.

The trauma was so agonizing that after a few excruciating seconds of a feeling beyond pain, Kevin felt nothing. His mind was already beginning to slip away as cool fingers prodded at his organs, which were now completely exposed in his chest.

From a world away Avi was screaming. Three gunshots sounded and the cold hands fell from Kevin's limbs. Kevin lay on the forest floor, life slipping away from him rapidly.

Kevin focused on his daughter, focused on his wife. He wasn't scared, didn't fear death. Although he no longer believed in a God, no longer believed in a heaven, as life drained from his limp body he might've regained a glimmer of faith. And that glimmer was enough to cause a smile to plaster itself onto his bloodstained lips. He would be finally be with them again.

Avi meanwhile didn't even get the chance to fall atop or comfort his dying friend. Instead he was forced to continue to hold off the countless walkers, screaming Kevin's name through sobs as the gunshots rang in the crisp air. Through fuzzy vision Kevin watched his best friend, the man he had known and loved since forever, fight death.

However Kevin finally, finally let death take him.