Mein Liebling

Untitled Part 1

The distant whispers trace along the edges of your subconscious, dancing through the clouded dreams and blurred visions. You want to call out to her, though you cannot make out her words, the girl's voice seems desperate. But... your voice catches in your throat. A barely opaque figure begins to shift and form in the fog around you, and the little girl reaches her hand toward you, offering to lead the way... somewhere...

You reach for her...

Her fingers are so close, you can feel the tendrils of fog licking at your skin as-

You jerk awake, sitting upright to be met with a pounding chest and sweat drenching your sheets.

This wasn't the first time you'd had dreams like this, but this was the first time the voice had taken a shape, the first time you had seen her face. Oddly, your hand still feels ... cold?

Before you have time to ponder further, a loud knock raps at your door.

"Yes?" You call out.

"We're out in 5." You recognize the voice of your friend Zack through the door.

With a groan, you stand and move to open the door, squinting at the blazing light it unleashes into your dark room without time to adjust. "I told you I'm going alone today."

"No." He pushes the door aside, moving further into your room and starts gathering your things. "You're not going alone, not since you lost..." He trails off, sensing you stiffen slightly, and shoulders your bag slowly.

Without meeting his eyes, you nod curtly. The memory of losing your dog, Gaius, still a fresh wound in your chest. You had looked for him for days, and Zack had seen the deterioration in your mental and physical state; the lack of sleep, the crying... the dreams... had all taken their toll on you. But you needed to be alert out there, especially with more sightings of larger zombie groups in the area, and Zack just wanted to watch your back.

Though you know you should eat, you just don't have the stomach for it this morning, opting instead for a rushed shower, fresh clothes, and packing extra food in your bags. Even if you have to force yourself to eat, you know your body needs it to stay spry; your life and the lives of those around you depend on it.

The day goes relatively smooth, the odd single zombie here and there, but no hoards and no bandit scavengers – they had gotten more bold as time wore on, attacking citizens and attempting to break into the compound's barriers.

The sun begins to set, and you've found no supplies, no other innocent survivors to bring back... nor any sign of Gaius. Zack doesn't say a word about heading back, but you know it's the smart move rather than stubbornly staying out for the night to continue to search.

A sigh parts your lips as you look out over the empty landscape, the breeze tugging at your stray hairs and offering a cooling reprieve from the heat of the day. As beautiful as the sunset is, you can't shake the gut sinking feeling that eats at every fiber of your subconscious.

You turn to Zack, meeting his eyes for the first time that day, and open your mouth to give the ok for heading back, but something freezes you in place. Mouth slightly agape, your breath hitched in your throat, and the icy hands of dread coiling their way up your spine – you must look worse than you feel, as Zack quickly rushes to grab you by the shoulders.

"Hey," He calls your name, trying to find answers in your distant stare, but you can't focus on him, there's something... in the distance. "Hey, stay with me. What's wrong?"

Brushing past him, you move closer to the source in question, feeling a strong pull that intensifies with every step. Pausing even briefly to turn and look at Zack takes every ounce of willpower in your body, but you try to portray the sense of urgency, and hope it doesn't come across as madness. "Do you trust me?"