Realistic or Modern [private for dmgink and snowdrop]

[dmgink]

The night was dark. Dark, except for the stars and the moon that hung overhead. Many years before now, the world was changed. A deadly, truly wicked plague swarmed Earth and threatened humanity's very existence. Every person who had died from it was reanimated weeks later with one distinct hunger- human flesh. Ninety-nine percent of the world's population was thought to be wiped out from the disease, leaving only a few hundred people left on the planet.

Michael and Julian were just two of these people. As far as they knew, they were the only two people left in the country. Maybe even the world. The two young men, eighteen and twenty respectively, had been travelling together for months. So far, they'd managed to do well for themselves; building makeshift shelters, managing to get what little food they could find, and managing to keep themselves somewhat hydrated as well. Though not in the best shape physically, and likely mentally, they were alive. For now, that's all that mattered to them. They would get through this, they always told each other, and so far, it was proving true.

Tonight could have been their saving grace. As the two continued to roam, they came upon a building. A tall one, a grand one, even. It stood very sturdily, and was very imposing upon the horizon it lay against. This building was in suspiciously good condition, considered how long it must have been abandoned by now. Its windows were even intact and the door was left untouched as far as Michael and Julian could see. Julian looked back to Michael with a characteristically sly grin as they stood a few feet away from the entrance.

"Let's go in there." He said quietly, going to step forward. He lead the way towards the door, reaching his hand out towards the doorknob. He was most certainly the less cautious of the two, and this was most certainly a bad idea. Regardless of that, he went for it anyway, hoping Michael was following.

Little did they know the surprise that would await them next.​

 

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Michael took a sharp breath. It seemed like Julian never thought before speaking. If it was a different situation, Michael would have argued that bursting into random building in the middle of the night, with no weapons probably wasn't the smartest idea. However, at the moment, a shelter was something they had been looking for the past few days, so instead of making a comment, Michael kept his mouth shut.

Following Julian and trying not to make any loud noises, he took a better look at the building. It seemed in surprisingly good condition. Michael hoped that it was a good sign; he didn't want to bump into any zombies tonight, well, at least that how he called the monsters, who hid in the shadows.

"This looks sketchy," Michael whispered when they stepped inside. His eyes running around like crazy, trying to spot something or someone. There were barely any light. It was quite hard to see. "I think we shouldn't be exploring this at night," He added, afraid to move or go further inside. Michael hopped that Julian will change his mind and for once listen to him. However, deep inside, Michael knew that it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

 

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"Come on, man." Julian said, sounding disappointed in his partner in crime. The ginger frowned, looking back at Michael before taking another step closer. He knew, somewhere, probably very deep down, that this was a really sketchy situation and a bad idea. Despite this, he pressed on. It was a wonder he survived this long. Probably Michael's doing.

"We need shelter, don't we?" The older of the two pointed out, turning the doorknob as he spoke. "We can't be out here any longer. Zombies could get us."

With that, Julian opened the door. He stepped inside, pale hands already curled into fists. If he didn't have a weapon, the scrawny man was ready to punch his way out of trouble as best as he could. The door creaked behind him as he walked in.

A loud thud could be heard on the next level.

Someone, or something, must have been here.

 

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Michael's heart dropped and he stopped breathing when his ears reached sound of something moving. He froze and quickly looked behind him before lifting his head up. Michael wasn't the bravest guy. At first, he thought that maybe his head was messing with him, but when his eyes met Julian's, Michael quickly realized that it wasn't.

"We have to leave," He continued whispering, but only because he was afraid to talk louder, in case his voice would start trembling. "We are not alone," His eyes kept moving from one dark corner to another, waiting for someone or something to jump out and attack them.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the building, Greta tried to think straight and catch her breath. Running upstairs and trying to find a place to hide wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. "What do you think is down here?" She asked Christian, trying to focus on him instead of the thoughts that they won't stay alive until the sunrise.

 

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Julian himself jumped slightly at hearing the thudding noise. He stepped back, side to side with Michael now. He now was a little hesitant to move forward. He was impulsive, sure, but he was not suicidal.

"What the hell is that?" Julian asked Michael, even quieter now as he was looking around. He was looking around for something, anything, but he wasn't going to confront it first. Better to have the edge in case someone did decide to jump out, he figured.

"I don't know." Christian whispered back to Greta. He stepped out from the shadows, and towards the stairway that lead downstairs to Julian and Michael. "Hopefully not any zombies."

Christian, to be quite honest, wasn't sure whether he should go downstairs or not. He lingered in the doorway, hesitant as well. Though, he soon got an idea. He ran his hand along the wall beside him for a moment, before knocking on it firmly. He waited to see if their company would scream, or if there would be no reaction at all. That would give them their answer- zombies never really screamed, or really even talked, in his experience.

 

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Michael tried to remain calm and think straight, but it was a little hard to do, knowing that someone or something was upstairs. It couldn't be zombies, could it? They wouldn't wait and prey on them, they would get straight to business and attack them. However, Michael didn't think it was a person either. He and Julian hadn't seen any more people since the time they met each other.

"Did you hear that?" Michael asked, his voice barely audible when another sound reached their ears. His feet were glued to the ground. Maybe it was animal? However, if it was, how the hell it did end up here when all the doors were closed and windows tightly shut.

Greta's eyes followed Christian. She carefully watched his every move, not daring to say a word. "Maybe there isn't no one?" Greta blurted out when the knocking didn't receive an answer. After all, they had been behind the walls and closed doors, hiding in the shadows and not daring to leave this building, which seemed like heaven compared to outside, for who knows how long. What if their heads started messing with them?

 

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Julian nodded in response to Michael, stepping further back. He looked to Michael, unsure of what to do. He thought for a moment it could be an animal, but that made no sense to him. How would an animal make a distinct sound like that? How would it have gotten inside, and how the hell would it have been alive? There were too many questions without any answers, and he didn't like it one bit.

"We need to find a weapon, Michael." Julian whispered to Michael. He squinted, walking around the bottom room as he did. "And fast."

Christian shook his head. He stepped away from the doorway, and back over to Greta. He hid with her. He was going to wait for them to come to him.

"It has to be zombies." Christian concluded, keeping his voice low. He held an old, likely dull pocket knife in his hand. He'd found it days earlier, discarded inside of a dumpster. It was really his only weapon, at this point. "We'll wait for them to come to us. We can't risk anything."

 

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Michael's hands were wet, as he quietly started walking around the room. Trying to spot something at least similar to weapon. In the dark, trying to find something was nearly impossible, however, he managed to stumble upon something that looked like long metal bar when he accidently kicked it with his feet. It wasn't exactly a weapon, but Michael was sure that if really needed could smash someone's head with that.

"Can't we just leave?" Michael stopped walking and turned back to Julian, his hands tightly clasped around the cold metal. Why they were putting themselves in danger when could have just ran and found another place to stay for a night? Yes, the building was in surprisingly good condition and maybe even had some food hidden somewhere, but was is really worth it their lifes?

Greta slid down the wall, bringing knees to her chest. Sitting and waiting was worse than just dealing with problem right away. However, Greta knew that Christian was right; they had to wait. Deep inside, she hoped that the noises will just die down, anything that is down there will leave and won't bother to wander around the building.

Not wanting to close her eyes even for a second, she focused her attention to the doorway, waiting for someone or something to show up. Her fingers fiddled with the tiny necklace on her neck. It was the only reminder of the family, that she once had. "Maybe they left?" Greta quietly whispered and straightened her back, turning to Christian. A quite a lot time past and it's been awhile since any sounds came up from the downstairs.

 

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"We need this place," Julian said to Michael with a shake of his head. He perked up at the sound of the metal bar being kicked. Julian walked towards the sound, picking up the metal bar into his hands. "We can't just leave now."

Julian then wavered back towards the stairs. He began to ascend the stairs. They slightly creaked beneath his sneakers as he went.

Christian frowned and looked towards Greta with wide eyes as the stairs started to creak. He quickly ducked down behind an abandoned desk in the room. Christian waved Greta over to him.

"It sounds like someone is coming." he said to her, waiting for whoever it was to peak their head out from the door way. This wouldn't happen for a few more moments.

 

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"Fine," Michael spat out when Julian walked towards the staircase. "But you will see, this will end badly," He angrily added and caught up with Julian, not wanting to stay alone in the dark. Michael tried to move quietly, but every time ended up stepping on something or missing a step, which kept ruining their cover and making much more noise than they would have liked.

He didn't like that Julian didn't want to leave, but as far as he knew, they were the only two people left, and Michael wasn't planning on dying any time soon. And if he wanted to stay alive, he had to keep Julian by his side.

Greta stopped breathing for a second, making her body freeze. It looked like she spoke way too soon. She couldn't move for a moment, as kept her eyes glued to the doorway. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, ready to jump out. Suddenly, another quiet thud reached her ears, making her realize that she can't keep sitting on the ground, if doesn't want to get caught. Greta quietly crawled next to Christian and curled into a ball.

"I don't think hiding behind desk is our best option," Greta whispered, her eyes moving from corner to corner. They were trapped in a room and if someone would come, they would have no where to run. Jumping out of the window didn't seem like a great solution either. Fighting wasn't something they were prepared for as well. "By the sounds coming from downstairs, it looks there's only one zombie down there, if... if we would time everything correctly, we could outrun him," Greta was trying to think of better solution than hiding, because waiting for the death and doing nothing didn't seem like the most fun activity to her.

 

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Julian seemed to ignore Michael as he continued up the stairs. Every time Michael missed a step and made noise, however, Julian whipped his gaze around to look at him. It was a sort of a silent shut the hell up before we die, and while he didn't say this out loud, the message was clear. He pushed forward until he reached the top of the staircase, slightly in view to Christian and Greta now. He turned the corner, and they were able to see his face. That, and the weapon he carried with him.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Christian whispered to Greta, swallowing hard when the sound of footsteps continued. "They're already here."

Christian braced himself, knife still in hand. He only hoped Greta was as ready as he was to run past the threat and out of the building. It was no longer safe for them, or so he thought.

 

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Greta tried to come up with a solution, she tried to think how to escape without running into the zombie. But there wasn't enough time to do so. She pressed herself onto the floor, her eyes peaking trough the tiny gap below the desk. The window behind them, lit up the whole room, making everything glow in dusty blue light. Greta was able to spot two pairs of legs, which only made her even more anxious. That meant there was more than one zombie.

Michael put his hand on Julian's shoulder when saw a shadow moving. They were standing in front of the door way. He froze on the spot, pointing at the desk in the room, as if trying to say that someone was there.

 

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More than one, Christian would mutter to himself in thought. Talking to himself was a habit he'd picked up over the past several months. Maybe not a great one, but a habit nonetheless. He waited. He was going to get the jump on these two. He'd done it before; with Greta's help of course, but he'd done this before.

Julian kept on walking, though his pace was more halted now. He raised the metal bar slightly, as if in preparation to attack. He crept towards the desk, raising it higher, to the point where the bar was almost above his head. He was about to strike, when something became very clear to him, and most likely to Christian and Greta as well...

They weren't alone anymore.

 

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Michael wasn't the best partner in crime. When Julian started slowly walking towards the desk, he stood like was glued to the ground. He was ready to turn around and run, but when Julian stopped, confusion washed over his face. What the hell he was doing? He hesitantly took a step forward. Wanting to know what stopped Julian from attacking their prey.

Greta was ready to flee for her life when two feet started walking towards the desk. However, instead of doing so, her blue eyes widened and wave of relief washed over her body. She turned to Christian before jumping on her feet. Her mouth was open, but Greta found it hard to form a sentence. Her eyes running from one to other guy, who now stood at the other side of the desk.

"We thought you were zombies," Finally, Michael broke the long silence. His words barely audible. He couldn't believe that there were other people alive beside him and Julian.

 

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"We thought you were zombies!" Christian said back, sighing in relief. He got to his feet and stood beside Greta. He hesitantly closed his knife, putting it back into his pocket for safekeeping.

"This doesn't make any sense." Julian spoke up, lowering the metal bar in his hand. He looked to Michael, then to Greta and Christian. "We were the only ones left before now." He said to them. He was waiting for someone to explain everything to him. He wasn't sure if this was real or not. The thought of seeing not one, but two other human beings after everything that happened was inconcievable to him.

 

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Greta had many questions, but it was hard to form them into sentences. It has been so long since she talked with someone else than Christian. "Well, the more the better," She spoke, but her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure, if her statement was right or not. For the first time in awhile, Greta had actual hope that they will be able to survive this.

"She's right," Michael nodded, not wanting to miss a chance to strenghten up his and Christian's little team. "I'm Michael," He introduced himself, deciding it's better to make friends than enemies.

 

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Christian and Julian both hesitated, but after a moment, figured their teammates were right. It was definitely better to be friends rather than enemies. So, they got to it. They started to introduce themselves.

"I'm Christian." he spoke up after a moment, holding out his hand to Michael. He wasn't sure if he could trust these two, but it was better to make an effort to trust them than to just attack them on sight. Not that Christian would. He was more docile than that, for sure.

"Name's Julian," the flame haired man introduced himself next. "Nice to meet you both."

 

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After all the introductions, Michael looked around the room before settling his eyes on Christian. "Is there anyone else in this building?" He asked, walking around the desk. He stepped closer to the window and peeked outside. The night was calm. Michael couldn't see any zombies wondering around the empty streets.

"No, we are here alone," Greta answered, her eyes following Michael for a moment before looking at Christian. "How did you end up here?" She asked, wanting to know the answer. The day before the streets outside the building were full of loud and hungry zombies, so it was miracle that the guys managed to even reach the front door without being eaten.

 

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"We were looking for shelter." Julian replied, looking to Michael for help in explaining. He wanted Christian and Greta to trust them. He was thankful for the calm night outside, thankful that no zombies were out. But he knew that wouldn't last, at least not for long. The world as they knew it was over. Might as well get to know the people he'd be spending his last few moments with. And so, he spoke up again. "How did you guys get here?" he asked, looking to Greta and Christian finally. He gave them a slight smile, and tapped his foot slightly. He was definitely nervous, and it showed.