Zombsania

Part 2.0 // Fortnocks

PREVIOUSLY:
I felt comfortable. Everything was falling together nicely. That was until 8 days later, I heard crashes coming from the lounge room. I raced down the stairs with my baseball bat behind Luka, followed by Cara to find that the lounge room had been thrown around; an entire couch had been flipped over, the lamp was broken and had fallen to the ground and the coffee table was broken down the middle with Reese laying on it, unconscious. Matt stood over him. He didn't look like Matt any more. His hair was messier than usual, his eyes peaked out from underneath. His iconic smile was no longer there and was replaced with a down turned scowl. His hand was covered in blood.
He turned to us, 'we can't trust Reese.'

PART 2.0:
FEBRUARY THE 20th
DAY 19:

What the fuck.

It was the first thing to come to my mind. Also, the first thing to come out of my mouth.
Luka sprang forward, 'what the fuck happened?' His voice was demanding and overpowering. This is out of character for Matt. He would never hurt anyone, especially not his brother. Its as though he had been taken over by something evil. His whole faced had changed. I was seeing him from an angle that I had never seen him from before. He looked insane, and thirsty for more blood. That wasn't Matt at all.
'Wait!' I interjected, 'he might be like the others.' Luka paused in his tracks, staring wearily at his cousin.
'I'm not insane! I'm not like them. I am 100 percent aware of what I'm doing. You can't trust him,' Matt yelled back. Every heavy breath he took sent his limp hear away from his face.
'Why can't we trust him?' Luka demanded.
'Just... Ah don't listen to a thing he says. He's ruining it. Don't trust him.' Matt said sternly staring into Lukas eyes.
'What is he ruining?' Luka asked. Matt stayed silent. Luka tried asking another question, this time louder, with more power behind his voice,'what did you do to him?'
Matt sat down, his body language becoming less intimidating; shoulders towards his neck, looking at the floor.
  He took some slow breaths,'I had to. He's out of control; I walked out here to find him breaking everything, he was about to put all of our food rations in the fire place, I had to stop him.' Matt dropped his head to his hands as he sat down on the edge of the flipped couch,' I'm afraid that he's turning into one of them.' My heart sunk, and I felt bad for even suggesting that he was losing his mind like the rest of the world. Luka crouched beside Reese. He put his ear to his chest before confirming with us that he is still breathing. Luka had to put aside the details for now and focused on getting Reese better.
'Okay,' Luka put on a concern treated frown,' Matt, can you grab me a bucket of water and a wash cloth. Can someone help me lift him?' While Matt disappeared to get the items, Luka and I lifted Reese onto a non-upturned couch. After some debate between Cara, Luka and I, as to whether we should lay him flat or propped up, the final decision was that we should prop him up with multiple pillows. Across the right side of his forehead ran a brown bruise that I knew would be a deep purple by tomorrow. There was also a slight tear in the skin which would be where the blood on Matt's hand appeared from.

Welcome to the world of head injuries my dude.

I can only imagine the drama fury that will be unleashed when he remembers what his older brother did to him.

Will he yell?
Will he break more furniture?
Will he be murderous, even?

He is already an asshole, I wonder how much worse he can really get? Perhaps locking him in a room is a good idea? Matt came back and dipped the washer into the bucket of water before applying it to his forehead. It was the best we could do since we didn't have any ice.
'He's going to be super pissed off when he wakes up,' Luka said reading my thoughts.
'Should we take him to a hospital?' I asked before realising that the hospital is probably dead.
'Of course not dumbass,' Cara replied.
'Ummmm....' Luka bit his lip in thought,' Do you have a medical kit?'
'Lemme check!' Matt hurried into the kitchen.
While Matt was gone I tried to bring the conversation back to how we should deal with Reese when he wakes up. The three of our heads were connected over his unconscious body.
'So what should we do about him when he wakes up,' I asked.
'We'll probably have to make sure that he's not in the same room as Matt,' Luka replied.
'Should... should we tie him up or something?' suggested Cara.
'Don't be ridiculous,' scoffed Luka,' not even I would suggest that. I reckon we just lock him in his room, and I'll stay in there with him to talk to him when he wakes up.'
'What if he goes violent again?' Cara's eyebrows furrowed.
'I'll take care of it,' Luka finished. And I knew he would. But by 'take care' I didn't know whether that would be a invoke peace or lead to us ditching the house altogether.

     *     *     *

That night, opposed to the usual fancy, formal dinner we would have, we instead sat outside the closed door of Reese's room, eating cold spaghetti out of the can, waiting for a scream of sorts. Matt looked anxious; picking at his nails, his mouth a straight line across his face.

I didn't like Reese, I know we can't trust him. The signs have always been there, but now we know for good that he is bad news.  But at the same time I still happen to have my humanity and hoped that he wakes up soon.

Please wake up soon. What if Reese has lost his mind like everyone else? I would feel bad for Matt. I can understand. I have lost my brother due to this disease... Or whatever we can call it. It bothers me that the one thing I can remember of Aaron is a pungent one. It's his voice that growled and gurgled like rice being over-boiled above a stove coming from behind me before I slammed the door on my old life. I wonder if Aaron is still in that house, or if he has gone to explore other intestines.

I miss mum and dad.

My thoughts were haltered abruptly when the sound of voices arose in the room behind me. It wasn't harsh screams of anger of panic, as I had worried, instead it was conversational.
'Ahh...' I heard a soft groan.
'How do you feel?' That voice was much deeper and creamier than the first. It was Luka.
'What the hell?' I hear the squeak of the bed.
'No no no, just lay down,' hushed Luka. 'Do you remember what happened?'
'I remember that Matt pushed me... Into the coffee table... And punched me,' Reese's voice was soft and croaky. I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

'Do you remember destroying the lounge room?' Luka asked.
'No...' Reese's voice trailed off. If he couldn't remember what he had done earlier, perhaps he really was insane. Reese continued,'that was Matt.'
'Don't lie to me, Reese, this is the second time you've destroyed a room in this house. Can you tell me why?' Demanded Luka. I heard the bed squeak once again.
'It's not me! I didn't destroy the lounge room.' Reese's voice became louder and more assertive.
'Then who did?' Luka yelled. Upon hearing the raised voices, Matt burst though the bedroom door with Cara and I following behind.

And then Reese did the unthinkable.

He cried.

Water droplets slipped down his rosy face leaving a trail of shine.

'I can't, I can't,' Reese told us. All the while Matt glared at him from across the room.
'Well we will stay here until you can tell us,' Luka decided.
'We will be here all night!' Reese protested.
Matt interjected, ' how about we just discuss this in the morning. Sleep could make all of our minds clearer.' As he said this he looked Reese dead in the eye.