Beginning or End?

Chapter One: Lost Boys

(Thank you for checking this out! I'm sorry for any mistakes, English isn't my first language! I hope you enjoy it anyways!)

Chapter One

Kellan

They've been on the run the whole day already. The Undead didn't grow tired, they didn't need to rest or to drink, all that mattered to them was flesh, blood and how to get their dirty, rotting hands on it. Kellan decided that it was time to find a new place to stay at for a while, to build a camp. Ever since the spreading of the virus started they only had one safe place and that lasted only a week against the hoards of the undead. Kellan knew that they had to get out of the Zombies eyesight, then they could stop to rush and look around in peace. Clint, the oldest and tallest of them fought for breath and growled in a low and thunderous voice "Kellan. We can't continue like this for much longer. We need a place to hide." "I know.", was all the redhead responded as they continued to make their way through the forest. The trees didn't grow too close and barely a bush grew on the ground, there was no possibility to hide from the hoard. He got pulled out of his thoughts when Dima, the third member of their trio, pointed to the right and huffed out of breath "There's a cabin!"

Please let it be open, please let it be open was all Kellan thought right now. This was possibly their only chance to escape this situation and to save their lives. He nodded and they ran the right way, leaving the Zombies behind puzzled. Maybe it would work, maybe they needed to much time to find them again. The undead weren't intelligent after all, but they were relatively fast and in great numbers a real threat. The thing was that if one of them found prey it would scream and howl to attract others and they wouldn't leave each other till all the prey was torn apart and eaten. Undead was an odd term for what they were since it wasn't correct. It all started with people getting sick, refusing to eat, drinking unusual amounts of cold water. Kellan himself could observe it when it happened to his parents. With 18 years he still lived with his parents. For just a second he closed his eyes, this wasn't the time to remember the past, they had to stay focused!

Quickly they reached the wooden cabin and Clint grabbed the doorknob, hissing in frustration as it didn't open. "Fuck!", he cursed and ran a hand through his blue dyed hair. Kellan breathed out and stepped a bit back, he turned his head to face him "Try to kick it in.", he was aware that neither he himself, nor Dima would be strong enough to manage that but Clint was of broader build and in fights he preferred combat as well. Kellan watched as the older man obeyed and stepped back as well just to rush forward, kicking against the aching wood. It took three tries, but in the end, it worked and the door flung open. He feared that the Zombies heard their failed tries and would come for them. "Get in the cabin.", he rushed and when both, Clint and Dima, were inside, he closed the door and started to shove an old, heavy desk against it. With the help of his friends it worked and they darkened their new hiding place, using the curtains in front of the two small windows.

It was foolish of us to rush into this, a Zombie could have been inside here as well... Kellan thought to himself and made a face. Yes, the cabin wasn't big and they could easily overlook it now, but when he rushed Clint and Dima into this unknown place he could have lead them directly into the lunging arms of a Zombie. He sighed and put his backpack on the ground, followed by his rifle and sat down. All he needed was some time and he tried to stop thinking what would have happened if one of his friends got bitten because of him. They never spoke about it but it has been clear since the very beginning that Kellan lead the group. Before the apocalypse started they had a small cover band called "The Maniacs" and he has been the guitarist and singer. It was kind of ironic that he wasn't just the leader of the trio, but also the youngest of them. Dima was 19, even though everyone guessed him to be 16 with his long and soft-looking face, his long, blonde hair and big blue eyes. Either people thought he was a minor, a flat chested girl or both. Clint on the other hand was already 27 and while Kellan grew up with Dima they found Clint online when they searched for a Bassist to join their band. It was weird when they, at the age of 15 and 16, started to chat with a guy and a 24-year-old, blue haired guy with ripped jeans and a leatherjacket with patches appeared on your doorsteps. They quickly became a unity though and Clint spent a lot of time with them, since he had no real job or home. At least that's what he told them. One thing lead to another and Kellan convinced his parents to let him sleep in the garage from time to time, but each time he wanted to check on him in the evening, Clint was gone. God knows where he spent his nights, but that man seems to work perfectly fine on 4 hours of sleep anyways. A silent sigh came over his lips and he raised his head again to look at his companions. Clint sprawled out on the other filthy couch on the opposite of the room and gazed up to a taxidermied Blackbear head, which looked high or wasted. Kellan turned his head to catch a glimpse of Dima in the kitchen, which was the next, small room. "Dima, did you find something to eat?", he asked and after a while the blonde responded. "Yeah, I'm going to heat it up. It's Ravioli and should still be good.". Clint had to laugh "Ravioli? Man, it's been ages since we've eaten something else but roasted Deer bits!" Even Kellan had to smile at that. He turned to the window behind him and moved the curtain just a tiny bit to look at the outside. No sight of the Zombies. "I can't see them, but we still have to be cautious, they'll wander around and if they find out that we are in here they are going to gather around us, leaving no possibility to escape.", he murmured and Clint just huffed to signalize that he understood. "This is a nice, small place.", Dima spoke silently, he was the definition of shyness. Kellan stood up and joined him in the kitchen, everything was covered in dust "It's a comfortable place to stay at, yes, I agree, but also a trap if Zombies find out where you are.", he looked into Dimas blue eyes "Or if other survivors decide to take this place from us. What do we do then? We have no hind door to escape." The glimpse of hope that bloomed into Dimas eyes was gone again right away. Kellan understood him, he wanted to believe in safety as well, but how could he in a world like this? All the people they met till now just wanted to rob them, or even kill them. As if humanity would have no bigger problems than hate beneath the few Living that were left.

If he could just do one thing, it would be to provide safety for Dima, a place where he could be careless again, be himself. Maybe it sounded weird, but he was the only family he got left, he was his brother now. Clint still laid on the couch and watched the Bear head in agony, Kellan could hear him whisper silently "Dude, who fucked you up this badly? You could look so nice and now you remind me of a pile of shit." He rolled his eyes. "Dima, how long has this all been going on already?", to be honest, Kellan always lost count of the days, of the weeks and months, even the time in general. He had other things to worry about. The Zombies didn't care about Mondays or Fridays or if it was June or December, but Dima seemed to care about that, so he asked him from time to time. Without hesitation his friend answered, "The apocalypse begun on the 3rd of November 2017, it's the 3rd of June now, so exactly 8 months now."

It didn't feel like 8 months. It felt like 8 years and Kellan used to feel old as well. He was just Eighteen, but what they had to face and what they had to do changed him, at least that is what he thought. Dima had breakdowns from time to time, where he just couldn't focused and just cried and barely calmed down. He wasn't made for this world, wasn't made to survive in this. Kellan clenched his fists Dima will survive this. He swore. Clint was the one, who seemed to be the most unbothered by all. When their city was run over by Zombies from the nearby village and Kellan's parents where already infected, starting to lust after human flesh, Clint just appeared at his doorsteps with a leather bandana wrapped around his forehead, his typical clothes and an unreal number of weapons. Clint told them later that he just robbed a Gunstore. When they arrived at Dimas place, his little sister was trying to get a bite out off him, his parents laid dead on the floor, they had taken their own lives when their little daughter tried to bite them. Kellan had to shake his head. Such a foolish thing to do of them. They didn't even try to fight for their son. Didn't even think he had a chance of surviving. Clint ended the Zombie life of his sister while Kellan helped him out of the house. They were all so confused and never thought that the Virus could turn into something this terrible. It started with unknown symptoms and no one was able to tell what was going on. When the first people turned, the government played it off and tried to get the situation under control, but they failed horribly and the whole world went down in just two days. Two days where enough to end dynasties, governments, lives.

They took the Truck of his mother and just drove, drove away from the cities. It wasn't hard to understand that cities attracted Zombies. Their senses where the one of a normal human being. Therefor the best way to hide from them was to not be spotted or heard. Kellan returned to the living room and thought about their next step for a few minutes.

"We'll leave this place in the morning, the Zombies aren't completely focused then. We'll take as much food and weapons as we can."