The World We Left Behind

Far Too Long

"Wait, so you're telling me that people would actually pay to get scared?" That's ridiculous, out of everything he's ever heard about life before everything went to hell this was one of the most unbelievable. Right up there with the concept of a rabbit that laid chocolate filled eggs on a single Sunday each year and McDonald's.

Medusa rolled her eyes, shushing the boy before pointing to their left. Understanding came quick and Shirou ducked down, a foot long nail being thrown at full strength and sinking into its target with a sickening 'thunk'. A groan, the sound of rubble falling, and lastly the body hitting the floor. "And to answer your question, yes. Whether with movies, haunted houses, or games of some kind, people were very invested in experiencing terror."

Shirou flashed a look of confusion before going to grab her nail, shaking his head the entire time. There was something about the past that made the present feel much more possible, hearing the twisted mindsets and reckless abandon people had were a wake-up call in that sense. "Remind me, how old were you when the virus hit? Eight? How do you even know all this?"

"I saw a lot, and before grouping with you I was around others who talked about their pasts often. I remember one story particularly well. Someone was once an avid watcher of zombie movies, they loved planning out ideas for how they'd survive during such a crisis. His plans were very detailed and thought out, he just never calculated for one thing." A short pause to make sure he was still listening, judging off Shirou's expression it was safe to say she had all of his attention. He never was good at hiding what he was feeling. "He expected the undead to always be slow moving drones, when he realized he couldn't just outrun one it was game over pretty quick." In truth, she was thankful for the experience he'd given her. There's many times through the years that she'd needed the lesson 'everyone can die' and who better to teach her than some idiot with a complex.

When she felt the metal fall into her hand her gaze swept across the ruined road, wincing at what could've been familiar territory. Fifteen years just seemed too long a time. Too long to cling to any hope of salvation from it all, at the very least. "Now if you're done asking questions, we have a lot of street to walk before sundown, it would be best to keep going." Medusa turned from him and started forward, her mind a blur of memories. Some were good, others weren't, and those few that crept in just to cut deep were ever wishing to haunt her.

She swallowed them back, the good and the bad, focusing on what lay ahead of her and what the future would hold. Tonight she would find solace in another abandoned house, eating from whatever canned food they had left and sharing more stories of people long gone to pass the time. She would watch Shirou take count of their remaining food and supplies and help plan out their next day, making sure he didn't try to make light of their ration issue just to continue his foolish mission of finding a working radio. He'd undoubtedly take first watch, and she'd let him with minimal resistance. After a few hours they'd swap places and Medusa would waste the next few hours by watching him and triple checking their ammo. Tomorrow... She hadn't the slightest idea what it holds. That was the worst part of it all, never knowing which day would be the last. Who you'd last see, last talk to, last laugh with. Thinking of it was bad for her, but she couldn't help where her mind went sometimes.

It all made her wonder, was anyone she once knew still alive? Hopefully. She didn't want to think that anyone she once cared for ended up just like that nameless corpse that'd be left to rot here on Bakers street.