Coyote Hart
Misguideful Moniker
The full moon basked everything under a mythical white light. The grass on the hill was dark, overlooking thousands of tiny dots of light of the town. Lights of red and yellow streaked past the streets.
In a way, it felt so refreshing to be out of the town, especially with the commotion that had been ensuing on the streets of Blade’s new home. After the mysterious triangle between three South Carolina towns was formed, Blade’s hometown had been overrun with a sort of zombie apocalypse. It wasn’t just in a movie. It was true and dangerous, leaving Blade less human after he had managed to escape. The zombie virus had infected him, though fortunately, Blade discovered that it targetted the brain to force it to produce a neurotoxin. In a lesser extent, the heart was also affected, but Blade just found that it manifested itself in the fact that Blade couldn’t feel anything anymore.
So it made the moment on the hill much more powerful. It had been almost a year since Blade was able to feel relaxed. Each day was in its own monotony, made interesting only through Blade’s feigned enthusiasm. The feeling of Blade’s muscles unwinding, the rush of dopamine that flowed from Blade’s head all the way down to his tailbone, the feeling that things were at peace if only momentarily-- it was all so foreign. And Blade basked in it.
With a sigh, Blade closed his eyes. He could still relax, although he found himself still unable to sleep. Perhaps the constant barrage of chemicals he had pumped into himself in a desperate attempt to make himself more human were succeeding.
“Monster. Are you friend or foe?” Blade peeked open one eye to gaze upon a boy, around Blade’s age of sixteen or seventeen. His hair was dark and tangled, his hazel eyes harsh and wary. He had a bow, the string cocked back, the tip of the arrow pointed right at Blade’s chest. In all honesty, Blade thought that he looked incredibly handsome and much more badass with the bow and arrows.
“Shoot me,” Blade said, closing his eye. Though he was expecting it, Blade still jolted as he felt the arrow strike through his chest in a resounding thump. It didn’t hurt, although it did knock Blade out of his almost euphoric mood. He made the motion to sit up, only to find that the tip of the arrow had struck through Blade’s entire body to stick into the ground. And the arrow’s fletching only made it impossible for Blade to free himself from the ground.
“Uhhh… can you help me, please?” Blade asked as he attempted to tug the arrow out of his body. It refused to budge, likely because of the awkward angle Blade had to reach. He looked up to the boy’s handsome features, “I promise to not bite you. I mean unless you want me to.” He ended his last sentence with a mischievous grin, showing his sharp canine teeth.
“So you’re praying on the fact that I’d want this to get bit?” the boy dangled his arm teasingly right above Blade’s face. He moved it closer to Blade’s face, then at the last moment, retracted it, “Nope. No way.”
“Aww, com'on,” Blade said, laying back on the ground in surrender, “Who are you anyway?”
They traded introductions, all the while stuck in the uncomfortable positions of power with Blade stuck on the ground and the boy standing above him with his bow. It was then that Blade met Grayson, or Gray as he preferred to be called. They exchanged small talk, mostly about who they were.
“So you’re a zombie?” Gray asked, leaning on his bow. It seemed to Blade that he had finally calmed down. His hazel eyes had relaxed into a more kindly expression.
“Well, half a zombie. I still have independent thought,” Blade nodded as he attempted to remove the arrow once again, “Seriously though. A little help please.”
Gray sighed, then cautiously approached Blade. He tore the arrow out of Blade’s body and grabbed his hand, helping him to his feet.
“Huh,” Gray said as Blade got to his feet, “Your hands are warm.”
“What? Didn’t expect that from someone whose heart is cold and dead?” Blade asked with a chuckle. He nudged Gray playfully.
Gray echoed Blade’s chuckle. For a moment, the two of them awkwardly stood staring at each other. Blade was surprised at how much more handsome Gray was up close. His brown hair, while tangled and mussed, almost radiated with health. There seemed to be several layers to Gray’s hazel eyes. The beauty mark below Gray’s left eye only made him look cuter.
For Gray, the feeling was mutual. Blade’s dark black hair, swept back, was well-kept despite the almost apocalyptic conditions they were living in. His face was littered with moles, which only made his unique eyes stand out even more. The irises were topaz gold at the outside, which slowly turned to green as it got closer to his pupil.
“You’re staring at me,” Blade commented.
“No, you’re staring at me,” Gray shot back.
“Well I for one don’t mind,” Blade said, giving a marvelous smile, “You can have the honor of seeing my beauty firsthand.”
“Oh shut up, zombie,” Gray said, letting go of Blade’s hands. His face was just the slightest pink.
“So what brings you here?” Blade said, sitting back down onto the ground and looking at Gray.
Gray also sat down, though he used his arms to prop himself up to look at the city below, “I was tired of the violent city. I came out here to get a break.”
“Did you? I’m sure you probably had quite a name for yourself,” Blade said, poking Gray’s bicep, “You’ve got the strength to do it. I bet you fight bears in your free time?”
“Are you complimenting me on my ability to shoot an arrow through you?” Gray asked, giving Blade an incredulous smile, “That’s a first.”
“No, I’m just complimenting your muscles,” Blade said, giving Gray’s arm a squeeze. For some reason, Blade felt as if he was much more energized than usual. None of the sluggishness of a zombie. It was a new feeling altogether.
“I’m letting a freaking zombie feel my muscles,” Gray said, rolling his eyes, “What has gotten into me?”
“So you are just a softie on the inside, huh?” Blade asked.
“I always am,” Gray said, “Though I’m not used to feeling such openness with a monster.”
“Really? You’ve never hung out with any supernaturals?” Blade asked Gray. It was common knowledge that there were only a few places where the supernatural and the “normal” population could live in harmony. In all the other parts, it was as if a line of prejudice was set between the two factions.
“Yeah no, I’ve always been in that type of household that was wary of these types of people, and therefore we avoid them,” Gray said. He suddenly started chuckling, and added on, “Which reminds me. I came here to get away from the supernatural population. And wouldn’t you know, instead a zombie ends up feeling my muscles.”
Blade chuckled, just the slightest embarrassed, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine...” Gray said, trailing off at the end, “I dunno why though.”
“Oh, did you enjoy it?” Blade said, nudging Gray slightly.
Gray blushed and covered his face with his hands, “Do you always flirt with everyone you meet?”
Blade realized that he never really properly thought about that. After rummaging through his memories of everyone he had met after becoming a zombie (there weren’t much), he replied, “Yes.”
“Oh my god,” Gray said. He took a deep breath, uncovered his face, and asked, “So what brought you here?”
“Oh I came here to get away from everyone,” Blade admitted, “As you can see, it didn’t work out too well.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Gray said, falling silent.
They continued to sit for a few extra minutes, simply gazing at the stars. Blade personally never really found the stars that interesting until now. The constellations were all a mystery to him, and it was only because he had to flee his hometown and give up the science experiments that allowed him to truly recognize the beauty of the stars.
After a moment, Blade realized that the silence was just too unsettling. He had to say something, anything, but silence wasn’t an option.
“Y’know what, this is overrated,” Blade said, rising to his feet and brushing off the grass from his clothes, “Wanna go get something to eat? I know a really good burger joint around here.”
“Sure,” Gray said, rising to his feet as well, “My car’s parked around here, we can take it.”
The car ride was short and brief, and before Blade knew it, he was back in the midst of a slowly crumbling civilization. Asphalt roads lined with yellow streetlights, neon lights illuminating the streets to be as bright as day. With the amount of supernatural activity around and the trend of everyone becoming more isolated, the streets were covered in graffiti. In a way it was colorful, meshing well with the neon lights. The burger joint sat at the end of a block, almost hidden in the darkness without neon lights.
“So this is where zombies hang out,” Gray commented as they walked in. There were only a few people left in the midnight hour.
“Hey, Blade!” one of the two people at the front counter waved towards Blade.
“Hello, Jasmine, hello Jasper,” Blade acknowledged the two twins before he took a seat. Gray sat down across from him and immediately began staring at the shoddy menu that was posted above the front counter.
“I’ll have the usual,” Blade said to Jasmine when she walked over to the table, pen and notepad in hand.
“Beef hamburger cooked extra rare with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, coming up!” Jasmine said, jotting down a few notes on her notepad, “And what would the young man behind you like?”
“I dunno,” Gray said, his eyes wandering over the menu, “I suppose I’ll get what Blade’s getting.”
“Alright, two of the beef hamburgers,” Jasmine said, jotting a few extra notes down before walking away.
“You know, I never really came to this part of town before,” Gray said, fidgeting visibly in his seat.
“Really? You’ve never seen any of the light shows?” Blade asked. He couldn’t believe that Gray was deprived of literally the best attraction in town, “Do you want to join me tomorrow? I could show it to you.”
“Really? Would you?” Gray asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement.
“Of course. We could probably meet up here two hours earlier than right now, then we could walk over,” Blade said. He felt excited-- he hadn’t done anything with anyone he had liked for well over a year. Nobody really wanted to be around a zombie.
“Sounds like a date!” Gray beamed. Then his face blushed red as Blade assumed that he realized what sort of wording he used, “Uhh… I mean… I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s okay,” Blade said, chuckling.
Thankfully for Gray, Jasper, the other twin who always looked exhausted by his eyebags, brought over the two plates of hamburgers.
“Wow… I didn’t expect the steak to be that rare,” Gray said.
“Eh, you won’t die, I promise,” Jasper said from behind the counter.
“Alright then,” Gray said, taking a bite of the burger. He chewed and swallowed, then commented, “If this is what zombies eat on a daily basis, I wouldn’t have any problems being a zombie.”
“Hey, you’re starting to warm up to dead bodies!” Blade said in delight as he bit into his burger.
“Yeah, I suppose I am, strangely,” Gray said before he began to laugh. “I didn’t think I’d be talking to a zombie tonight. But I’m okay with that.”
For some reason, Blade felt as if a warmth had spread over his chest. Perhaps this was what people knew as love. There was no doubt about it, Blade felt as if he was in love with the handsome boy right in front of him.
“Hey, after the light show, how about I treat you to dinner near my home?” Gray asked, “It’s somehow still completely functional despite this apocalyptic mess-- and you know how hard it is to even keep a kitchen running.”
“Sure, I’d love that,” Blade replied with a smile.
They continued to talk for more than an hour, going from topic to topic. Their favorite movies, what they did before all the supernatural stuff took over the town, their favorite types of music-- Blade discussed all of it.
And when Blade finally waved his goodbyes to Gray, he felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him and anticipation for tomorrow and the light show. Gray made Blade feel almost more human, more alive and full of love, even though he didn’t know for certain if Gray returned those feelings. But Blade knew that a relationship with Gray might just be what he needed in order to wipe away the scars left by the zombie virus.
In a way, it felt so refreshing to be out of the town, especially with the commotion that had been ensuing on the streets of Blade’s new home. After the mysterious triangle between three South Carolina towns was formed, Blade’s hometown had been overrun with a sort of zombie apocalypse. It wasn’t just in a movie. It was true and dangerous, leaving Blade less human after he had managed to escape. The zombie virus had infected him, though fortunately, Blade discovered that it targetted the brain to force it to produce a neurotoxin. In a lesser extent, the heart was also affected, but Blade just found that it manifested itself in the fact that Blade couldn’t feel anything anymore.
So it made the moment on the hill much more powerful. It had been almost a year since Blade was able to feel relaxed. Each day was in its own monotony, made interesting only through Blade’s feigned enthusiasm. The feeling of Blade’s muscles unwinding, the rush of dopamine that flowed from Blade’s head all the way down to his tailbone, the feeling that things were at peace if only momentarily-- it was all so foreign. And Blade basked in it.
With a sigh, Blade closed his eyes. He could still relax, although he found himself still unable to sleep. Perhaps the constant barrage of chemicals he had pumped into himself in a desperate attempt to make himself more human were succeeding.
“Monster. Are you friend or foe?” Blade peeked open one eye to gaze upon a boy, around Blade’s age of sixteen or seventeen. His hair was dark and tangled, his hazel eyes harsh and wary. He had a bow, the string cocked back, the tip of the arrow pointed right at Blade’s chest. In all honesty, Blade thought that he looked incredibly handsome and much more badass with the bow and arrows.
“Shoot me,” Blade said, closing his eye. Though he was expecting it, Blade still jolted as he felt the arrow strike through his chest in a resounding thump. It didn’t hurt, although it did knock Blade out of his almost euphoric mood. He made the motion to sit up, only to find that the tip of the arrow had struck through Blade’s entire body to stick into the ground. And the arrow’s fletching only made it impossible for Blade to free himself from the ground.
“Uhhh… can you help me, please?” Blade asked as he attempted to tug the arrow out of his body. It refused to budge, likely because of the awkward angle Blade had to reach. He looked up to the boy’s handsome features, “I promise to not bite you. I mean unless you want me to.” He ended his last sentence with a mischievous grin, showing his sharp canine teeth.
“So you’re praying on the fact that I’d want this to get bit?” the boy dangled his arm teasingly right above Blade’s face. He moved it closer to Blade’s face, then at the last moment, retracted it, “Nope. No way.”
“Aww, com'on,” Blade said, laying back on the ground in surrender, “Who are you anyway?”
They traded introductions, all the while stuck in the uncomfortable positions of power with Blade stuck on the ground and the boy standing above him with his bow. It was then that Blade met Grayson, or Gray as he preferred to be called. They exchanged small talk, mostly about who they were.
“So you’re a zombie?” Gray asked, leaning on his bow. It seemed to Blade that he had finally calmed down. His hazel eyes had relaxed into a more kindly expression.
“Well, half a zombie. I still have independent thought,” Blade nodded as he attempted to remove the arrow once again, “Seriously though. A little help please.”
Gray sighed, then cautiously approached Blade. He tore the arrow out of Blade’s body and grabbed his hand, helping him to his feet.
“Huh,” Gray said as Blade got to his feet, “Your hands are warm.”
“What? Didn’t expect that from someone whose heart is cold and dead?” Blade asked with a chuckle. He nudged Gray playfully.
Gray echoed Blade’s chuckle. For a moment, the two of them awkwardly stood staring at each other. Blade was surprised at how much more handsome Gray was up close. His brown hair, while tangled and mussed, almost radiated with health. There seemed to be several layers to Gray’s hazel eyes. The beauty mark below Gray’s left eye only made him look cuter.
For Gray, the feeling was mutual. Blade’s dark black hair, swept back, was well-kept despite the almost apocalyptic conditions they were living in. His face was littered with moles, which only made his unique eyes stand out even more. The irises were topaz gold at the outside, which slowly turned to green as it got closer to his pupil.
“You’re staring at me,” Blade commented.
“No, you’re staring at me,” Gray shot back.
“Well I for one don’t mind,” Blade said, giving a marvelous smile, “You can have the honor of seeing my beauty firsthand.”
“Oh shut up, zombie,” Gray said, letting go of Blade’s hands. His face was just the slightest pink.
“So what brings you here?” Blade said, sitting back down onto the ground and looking at Gray.
Gray also sat down, though he used his arms to prop himself up to look at the city below, “I was tired of the violent city. I came out here to get a break.”
“Did you? I’m sure you probably had quite a name for yourself,” Blade said, poking Gray’s bicep, “You’ve got the strength to do it. I bet you fight bears in your free time?”
“Are you complimenting me on my ability to shoot an arrow through you?” Gray asked, giving Blade an incredulous smile, “That’s a first.”
“No, I’m just complimenting your muscles,” Blade said, giving Gray’s arm a squeeze. For some reason, Blade felt as if he was much more energized than usual. None of the sluggishness of a zombie. It was a new feeling altogether.
“I’m letting a freaking zombie feel my muscles,” Gray said, rolling his eyes, “What has gotten into me?”
“So you are just a softie on the inside, huh?” Blade asked.
“I always am,” Gray said, “Though I’m not used to feeling such openness with a monster.”
“Really? You’ve never hung out with any supernaturals?” Blade asked Gray. It was common knowledge that there were only a few places where the supernatural and the “normal” population could live in harmony. In all the other parts, it was as if a line of prejudice was set between the two factions.
“Yeah no, I’ve always been in that type of household that was wary of these types of people, and therefore we avoid them,” Gray said. He suddenly started chuckling, and added on, “Which reminds me. I came here to get away from the supernatural population. And wouldn’t you know, instead a zombie ends up feeling my muscles.”
Blade chuckled, just the slightest embarrassed, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine...” Gray said, trailing off at the end, “I dunno why though.”
“Oh, did you enjoy it?” Blade said, nudging Gray slightly.
Gray blushed and covered his face with his hands, “Do you always flirt with everyone you meet?”
Blade realized that he never really properly thought about that. After rummaging through his memories of everyone he had met after becoming a zombie (there weren’t much), he replied, “Yes.”
“Oh my god,” Gray said. He took a deep breath, uncovered his face, and asked, “So what brought you here?”
“Oh I came here to get away from everyone,” Blade admitted, “As you can see, it didn’t work out too well.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Gray said, falling silent.
They continued to sit for a few extra minutes, simply gazing at the stars. Blade personally never really found the stars that interesting until now. The constellations were all a mystery to him, and it was only because he had to flee his hometown and give up the science experiments that allowed him to truly recognize the beauty of the stars.
After a moment, Blade realized that the silence was just too unsettling. He had to say something, anything, but silence wasn’t an option.
“Y’know what, this is overrated,” Blade said, rising to his feet and brushing off the grass from his clothes, “Wanna go get something to eat? I know a really good burger joint around here.”
“Sure,” Gray said, rising to his feet as well, “My car’s parked around here, we can take it.”
The car ride was short and brief, and before Blade knew it, he was back in the midst of a slowly crumbling civilization. Asphalt roads lined with yellow streetlights, neon lights illuminating the streets to be as bright as day. With the amount of supernatural activity around and the trend of everyone becoming more isolated, the streets were covered in graffiti. In a way it was colorful, meshing well with the neon lights. The burger joint sat at the end of a block, almost hidden in the darkness without neon lights.
“So this is where zombies hang out,” Gray commented as they walked in. There were only a few people left in the midnight hour.
“Hey, Blade!” one of the two people at the front counter waved towards Blade.
“Hello, Jasmine, hello Jasper,” Blade acknowledged the two twins before he took a seat. Gray sat down across from him and immediately began staring at the shoddy menu that was posted above the front counter.
“I’ll have the usual,” Blade said to Jasmine when she walked over to the table, pen and notepad in hand.
“Beef hamburger cooked extra rare with sauteed onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, coming up!” Jasmine said, jotting down a few notes on her notepad, “And what would the young man behind you like?”
“I dunno,” Gray said, his eyes wandering over the menu, “I suppose I’ll get what Blade’s getting.”
“Alright, two of the beef hamburgers,” Jasmine said, jotting a few extra notes down before walking away.
“You know, I never really came to this part of town before,” Gray said, fidgeting visibly in his seat.
“Really? You’ve never seen any of the light shows?” Blade asked. He couldn’t believe that Gray was deprived of literally the best attraction in town, “Do you want to join me tomorrow? I could show it to you.”
“Really? Would you?” Gray asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement.
“Of course. We could probably meet up here two hours earlier than right now, then we could walk over,” Blade said. He felt excited-- he hadn’t done anything with anyone he had liked for well over a year. Nobody really wanted to be around a zombie.
“Sounds like a date!” Gray beamed. Then his face blushed red as Blade assumed that he realized what sort of wording he used, “Uhh… I mean… I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s okay,” Blade said, chuckling.
Thankfully for Gray, Jasper, the other twin who always looked exhausted by his eyebags, brought over the two plates of hamburgers.
“Wow… I didn’t expect the steak to be that rare,” Gray said.
“Eh, you won’t die, I promise,” Jasper said from behind the counter.
“Alright then,” Gray said, taking a bite of the burger. He chewed and swallowed, then commented, “If this is what zombies eat on a daily basis, I wouldn’t have any problems being a zombie.”
“Hey, you’re starting to warm up to dead bodies!” Blade said in delight as he bit into his burger.
“Yeah, I suppose I am, strangely,” Gray said before he began to laugh. “I didn’t think I’d be talking to a zombie tonight. But I’m okay with that.”
For some reason, Blade felt as if a warmth had spread over his chest. Perhaps this was what people knew as love. There was no doubt about it, Blade felt as if he was in love with the handsome boy right in front of him.
“Hey, after the light show, how about I treat you to dinner near my home?” Gray asked, “It’s somehow still completely functional despite this apocalyptic mess-- and you know how hard it is to even keep a kitchen running.”
“Sure, I’d love that,” Blade replied with a smile.
They continued to talk for more than an hour, going from topic to topic. Their favorite movies, what they did before all the supernatural stuff took over the town, their favorite types of music-- Blade discussed all of it.
And when Blade finally waved his goodbyes to Gray, he felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him and anticipation for tomorrow and the light show. Gray made Blade feel almost more human, more alive and full of love, even though he didn’t know for certain if Gray returned those feelings. But Blade knew that a relationship with Gray might just be what he needed in order to wipe away the scars left by the zombie virus.