Bloodshed (DrTrollinski & Sinister Wolf)

[DrTrollinski]

(1x1 RP between myself and Sinister Wolf)

 

[Sinister Wolf]

"Alice!"


Alison Liddell lifted her head drowsily, blinking against the sharp sunlight that poured inside the window. Distantly, she could hear the voice calling her name, urging her to get up. Five more minutes, she thought to herself, happy with her decision. But, just as she had laid her head back on her pillow, the voice called again. This time it had an edge to it: irritation. Alice mumbled, half asleep, before slowly propping herself up on one arm. "What?" She called back, her voice cracking and slurring at the end. "Get up and go to school! You don't want me coming in there!" Alice yawned, rubbing her eyes before pulling the blanket up over her disarray of onyx hair and pressing her eyes shut. A few minutes ticked by, and when no one came into her room, Alice sighed, stretching out her legs and cracking her back. She slid out of bed, slowly, starting off her usual morning routine of covering up bruises with foundation and curling her hair.


Fifteen minutes later, Alice was by the door, her backpack slung over one shoulder, earbuds propped in. Her 'plastic' mom had gone to work, and there was nobody but the dog in the house. "Bye Sammie," Alice said softly, stroking the Pomeranians fluffy head gently. The dog barked once, twice, then skittered off into the living room. Alice slipped out the door, twisting the lock behind her and hopping onto her bike, taking off to school. She had a feeling today was going to be a good day. But oh, how wrong she was.

 

[DrTrollinski]

April 15th, 2014.


Fort Smith, Arkansas.





"Okay, buddy... You gotta' get going now, you don't want to be late, do you?" He asked with a smile. God, if anything, it was he who was running late, let alone his brother. His 'mother' and father both worked busy jobs, so he had the duty of taking Jack to school. He honestly didn't mind, though. He was old enough to get a restricted driver's license, so his parents chipped in and got him a car seeing as they sort of needed him to be able to drive for the 'benefit of his own and his brother's education and well-being.' Yep. Sometimes Jack had to do the shopping, too. He made dinner for himself and Jack when their parents were working, but did he care? No, of course he didn't. He loved his brother more than anything, and he'd do anything for him if he had to.


"Nuh-uh, Chandler..." He smiled as he unclipped his seatbelt and slung his backpack over his shoulders. Chandler looked down at his watch and took a deep breath. He was going to be late. Jack always rode shotgun, too. It was sort of breaking the law, but it wasn't like it was anything deadly. Chandler was a safe driver, and he passed his test with flying colors, so he wasn't going to be getting into any accidents unless someone came and drove straight into him - he had a fair amount of money on him so he could do some grocery shopping on the way home from school after he'd picked up jack.


"Okay, buddy... Big hugs, and I'll see you after school, okay? Remember, if I'm not here, wait by the office until I get there, okay?" He said. He always worried about Jack wandering out of the school looking for him and getting snatched up off the street, or something. Jack flew to his side and have him a nice big hug like he did every morning, and then smiled a little as he reached over and opened up the door at his side. Chandler smiled and then gave him a kiss on the cheek whilst hugging him back - once he let him go, he gently ruffled his hair and nodded. "Okay, Jack. Love you, alright? See you after school."


"Bye, Chandler!" He squealed, and then hopped out of the car and dashed off into the school. Chandler watched him and made sure he got there okay, every single morning. Once he disappeared into the school, he quickly pulled out and made his way towards his own school.


God, he hoped he wasn't going to be late again.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

Alice was late. It wasn’t the fact that she was going to fail her class that worried her, but rather having to walk into the classroom with twenty or more pairs of eyes burning into her, judgmental thoughts whirring around in their stupid little heads. I’ll skip it, she thought decisively, parking her bike in the rest of the clutter in front of her school. Looking up at the muddy brown building with it’s sheer black windows, Alice couldn’t help wondering once again why on earth her ‘mother’ was paying for this university. It was obvious to everyone that Alice had never been motivated to go to school, let alone to finish University. And this. A wine red badge was painted onto a sign in front of the school, reading University of Louisiana, Monroe. Alice sighed, running a hand through her black mane. A breeze was in the air, which was unusual for typical Louisiana weather during mid-April. Let’s go, Alice thought to herself firmly, pulling her earbuds out and stuffing them into her jeans’ pockets.


Inside the school, it was nice and cool, but this didn’t change Alice’s opinion on education. She headed for her class, which happened to be History. And indeed, she was late. When she pushed the door open, the whole aula was nearly filled to the brim with students. Quiet as a mouse she tip-toed to the closest row of seats, sitting down and pulling her laptop out of her schoolbag.


Eighty minutes, and the class was over. No one had looked at her funny thus far, but you could never know. As soon as the Professor was finished with his lecture, Alice was on her feet, throwing her bag over her shoulder and slipping out the room, swift as a shadow. “Hey Alice in Wonderland, did you get lost again?” Alice didn’t stop. She walked as quick as she could, elbowing her way past students. Once she was at her locker she grabbed her jacket and hurried outside, circling the school and heading for the lacrosse field. There, she slid under the bleachers, crawling to her usual spot and sitting down there, pulling out her lighter and pack of cigarettes. Leaning her head back against the underside of a plastic chair, it didn’t take long before she was carried away into her dreamland.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Saw something weird earlier, dude." A voice called out from behind him, right before sitting down on the step beside him. Chandler was surprised. It was just their time for a break between the next lessons - he had a packet of potato chips and a bar of chocolate to eat before the break was up. He usually went for healthier alternatives, but today he was feeling like having something different. Something a little more adventurous.


"What?" He said as he looked at his friend. His best friend, even. His name was Alex, and he was a complete rebel, and a complete nutcase, too. He was funny, though, that was the main thing. "You see a mirror, or something?" He asked with a grin. He promptly got a punch on the arm while he was busy laughing to himself.


"Fuck off. No. It..." He leaned in closer. ".. I saw some guy eating a dog in the middle of the street." He whispered. Chandler frowned and then looked at him, giving him a dirty look as he shoved the last of his candy bar into his mouth. He didn't believe a word of it. Alex always made up stuff like that.


"Get fucked did that happen. You're so full of shit, man." He laughed and shook his head, and then brushed his hands off.


"No I'm not! I'm being serious, dude! It was ripping the thing apart - I called the police to that area so they could deal with it!"


"Yeah, okaaaaaaaay." He said sarcastically with a grin. He got a slap across the back of the head, but it was a playful one. He and Alex always did stuff like this. "Now, now... I'm pretty sure that there's some elementary school kids that you can go and frighten with that story. I can give you directions if you want, dumbass." He laughed out loud but was put into a headlock by Alex, and then he got some knuckles rubbed against his skull, but he couldn't stop laughing. He didn't know why he found it so funny - probably because the story was so damn absurd.


The truth was, it actually wasn't.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

Alice woke from the sound of a growl. She'd heard it in her dream first, but now she realized it was actually coming from somewhere above the bleachers. Yawning, she put away her lighter and pack of cigarettes, zipping up her bag. She assumed the growl was from some stray dog that had wandered onto the school property, and didn’t really think much of it. It was only when she started crawling towards the gap that led away from the bleachers that she realized what had been nagging her from the back of her mind. The growl. It sounded...human. Weirded out, Alice crawled faster, deciding that this was definitely a prank some of the students were once again playing on her. Nothing more, nothing less. As she reached the exit, the scalding hot sun beat down on her eyes, causing her to blink multiple time before she could somewhat see what was in front of her. The sight was...peculiar, to say the least. A person (she couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman) was knelt down in the grass, eating something, from the looks of it. The weird thing was that whoever it was was making gargling, growling noises that drifted up into the spring air. Alice sniffed. Disgusting, she thought, pulling her bag onto her shoulder and crawling up, out of the bleachers. She didn’t particularly like the idea of going anywhere near this person (most likely a druggie), so she started making a large loop around him/her, holding onto her bag and looking straight ahead of her. Everything was fine until she had reached the side of the building. This was when he/she noticed her. It made a sound, like something mixed between a yelp and a snarl, and when Alice glanced back over her shoulder, her knees wobbled and the air was knocked out of her lungs.


The person was a woman. She was dressed in a red, flannel shirt with a pair of baggy jeans. Alice assumed this was why she hadn’t been able to identify if it was a man or a woman. Either way, the woman...Well, she was eating...A child. It was a small boy, with lemon blonde hair and a tanned face. Alice recognized him, faintly. But the worst part was that the boy’s entire stomach had been torn open, his intestines laying strewn across the supple, green grass. And the blood. Alice wasn’t one to get frightened or nauseous at the sight of blood, but this. There was so much of it. Most of it, however, was drenched across the woman’s mouth and cheeks, dribbling down her chin like tomato soup. Alice stifled a scream, her eyes filling to the brim with tears. She had to get away. Fast. Spinning around, Alice started running, taking large leaps, as if she was fleeing from Death. Which, even though she did not know it, she was.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Please remain in your classes and do not panic. We've had a critical incident occur in the gymnasium." The school intercom boomed. Chandler sighed and set his head down on the desk in front of him. Alex was sat down on the desk to his right, and to his left, there was a girl that he actually quite liked, but he'd never mentioned anything to her. "We need all staff to report to the gymnasium immediately. That's all staff to the gymnasium. Thank you." The voice said again. It was the receptionist of the school talking - she had a really dull voice, and it fit the typical intercom voice stereotype nearly perfectly.


"For fuck's sake." Chandler said out loud.


"Language, Barnes!" The teacher snarled. The teacher was a right bastard - Biology. Chandler hated him, and he was certain that he was hated back.


"Yes, sir..." He groaned as he slowly lifted his head off of the desk and looked at him. He got a death stare for a few moments, but before he said anything, he just left the room and started strutting off down the hallway. Eh, what can I say. The teacher didn't really care all that much. Chandler looked across at Alex, bounced his eyebrows, and then rolled his eyes. Chandler soon looked around the class, and then turned to the person on the other side of his desk - Beth - and gave her a half smile. "Do they honestly expect us to stay here and wait for hours until the teachers come back? This is all a bit of a panic, isn't it?" He asked.


She simply shrugged. "I don't know, Chandler... I won't be staying here all day, I know that much." She laughed a little. He laughed with her.


"Yeah, I know what you mean, the only thing I could do if I left is drive around and wait for my brother to finish school, though." He smirked and shrugged.


"Well, maybe you can give me a ride home if we both leave at the same time, hm?" She smiled a little. "That'd give you something to do, at least." She said.


"I might just do that." He laughed. Well, was that some sort of invite, maybe? Who knew. He'd give her a lift home, even if she didn't ask for one. It'd certainly be better than driving around and doing nothing by himself for the whole day, that's for sure. Before he could even think of anything else, though, the door busted open and nearly everyone in the class let out a scream. A figure that was as tall as most of them - it was probably a normal schoolgirl, but now she was cut to pieces and half of her face had been torn away from her skull. She was covered in blood, and she came into the classroom letting out hisses and shrieks.


".. What the fuck...?" Chandler muttered, his jaw dropping in horror.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

Breathing seemed impossible now. Everything around her was just a blur of existence, and all she could hear was the drumming of her heart. The entrance, the entrance, the entrance, the... It was all she could think, the only coherent thought that could be made in this moment. And there, like the gates of Heaven, was the entrance to the school. A wave of relief washed over Alice as she sprinted the last few steps to the heavyset wooden doors, shoving them open with her elbow, putting all her weight into it. She didn’t look back, not once. As soon as she was inside, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against it and doubling over. She had resorted to breathing in short, panicked gasps, and she found herself gulping down air as fast as she could. When she finally managed to stand up straight, there was a small crowd gathered in front of her, watching attentively. A teacher, she recognized her as the French professor, stepped forwards and came over to Alice, laying a hand on her shoulder. Alice jumped slightly at the touch, and looked up at the professor with pleading eyes. “A woman...She’s...Blood...Eating child…So much blood...” Alice panted, wiping her brow with the sleeve of her cardigan. The professor gave her a confused look, and Alice knew she didn’t understand. “This is just a misunderstanding. Everyone should go back to their classes.” When there was a mumbled protest from the crowd, the professor gave them a hard glare. “I’m sure all of you have something better to do.” It was settled. All the students cleared out, walking away, but not without giving Alice long, curious stares as they left. The professor turned back to Alice now, smiling gently. “Now, why don’t you take some water and go sit down for a bit?” But Alice shook her head, standing up straight once again and giving the teacher a completely serious look. “Please. There is something strange going on out there. You have to believe me! There was a woman, and she was...Oh god, she was...Eating…” Alice broke off, tears forming in her eyes. The professor patted her on the shoulder. “It’s very hot out today, I think everyone is seeing things!”


Alice shook her head, saying in the firmest voice she could possibly make. “You have to call the police. Right now!” This time it was the professor who shook her head, starting to say something about that being ridiculous, but before she could finish there was a loud bang outside, and the wooden doors shook tremendously. Alice took a huge leap forwards, spinning around and staring at the door with wide eyes. Even the professor had shut up, and she for once looked puzzled. “Now what was that…” She mumbled, reaching out and grasping the shiny, bronze handle. “No-” Alice began, but it was too late. The doors swung open, and there, in all her bloody glory, stood the woman with the dribbling chin.


Now that Alice could get a proper, close up look, she saw that the woman’s skin was grayed, flakes of it peeling off. Her eyes were a filmy white, as if though she was blind. Something red and wiry was stuck in between her teeth, and it made Alice gag. A shriek rumbled out of the woman’s open mouth, and she stepped forwards, her thin arms wrapping around the professor as she sank her teeth into the side of her neck. Multiple screams could be heard ringing out across the school, and Alice found herself stumbling back, the whole world spinning around her.

 

[DrTrollinski]

The girl came lurching forward, and who did she grab first? She grabbed his best friend. Alex. She sunk her teeth into his neck, and he gagged and squeaked as he was taken to the floor and used a metal ruler to try and fight her off. It was no good. There was nothing left for him to do. He couldn't move or fight back, or anything like that... He...


He was dead.


Everyone screamed as they ran out of the room, leaving just Chandler and Beth there. Her actual name was 'Bethany', but no one called her that.


"Chandler, come on! We need to go!" She screamed, tugging him by his arm. He felt sick, literally, sick to his stomach. He was in a state of shock, just watching the girl tear into the flesh of what was once a living and breathing human boy - god, he was a dumbass, but he was his friend. His best friend. One of his only friends that he'd had in this school. It was sad to see him go like that - he may have been a troublemaker, but no one deserved to die like that, not at all.


"Okay..." He gagged, quickly standing up, grabbing his bag, and then dashing out of the classroom at Beth's sides. There were screams from right across the school - the intercom came on again after two beeps, but only a blood-curdling scream came through. Chandler then knew that he was going to vomit. He sprinted to the nearest bathroom - which thankfully was the Men's restroom, and ran straight to the first stall and near enough collapsed into it. A brown-yellow liquid that was made up of soda, chocolate, and potato chips all flooded into the toilet after coming up and burning his throat. He didn't go on for long, only ten seconds or so.


".. Chandler... Are you okay?" Beth asked as she heard the toilet flush. Chandler had no time to wait - he needed to find his brother. He made a dash for her, grabbed her by the arm, and then pulled out of the restroom and lead her down the hallway. They had people dive at them, lunge at them, and even try to bite them, but he made sure that she was safe and at his side - he didn't even know why he did it. He just cared for her all of a sudden - she knew that Alex was his best friend, and that's probably why she stuck with him.


"We need to get my brother." He said as he physically shoved her into the shogun seat of his car. He drove an old BMW model. Well, it wasn't that old, but it was old enough - it made a lot of people jealous, though.


What? His parents were saving up for him since he was ten years old, so they had plenty of time for it. It wasn't long after Jack was born that they started saving. They could afford this, and they had two very good jobs, so it wasn't a problem.


God, when Chandler sped off down the street, he suddenly became very glad that his biological mother wasn't alive to go through all of what he just went through.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

Someone grabbed her by the arm, and her very first instinct was to shove them away. “I won’t fucking hurt you!” She spun around, and came face to face with a girl who looked around her age. The girl had dark purple hair that was swept to the side, and heavy-lashed green eyes that reminded Alice of an elf, the way that they were slanted upwards slightly. How could she have missed her before? But there was no time for daydreaming or wondering. The girl tugged Alice’s arm, and this time, she followed.


The two of them made their way through the school, jogging through hallways that snaked past classrooms and aulas. Neither of them said a word, instead they kept quiet, moving swiftly. More screams were heard throughout the school, often followed by in-human shrieks and groans. When they reached the end of the hallway they were in, the girl pushed open the emergency exit door that was located in front of her. “Come.” She urged, and this time Alice didn’t need pulling. They rushed down the metal stairs, still holding hands, and once they were at the bottom, the girl pulled Alice along to the parking lot. The whole place was going nuts. People, their skin gray and rotten, were grabbing kids and professors alike, sinking their teeth into their flesh, tearing them open. Screams filled the air like the national song, and shivers ran up and down Alice’s back repeatedly. They approached a motorcycle, it’s shiny black exterior reflecting the scalding sun. “Put this on.” The girl ordered, tossing Alice a helmet painted with fire. She did as she was told, pulling the helmet down over her head. Whilst she did, the girl had hopped onto the bike and revved up it’s motor, backing it out of the parking space. “Hope on!” She yelled, but just as Alice was going to crawl onto the back of the motorcycle, someone grabbed her by the arm. She whirled around, and gasped.


Facing her was one of them. And it was trying to take bites out of her, snarling hungrily. “Watch out!” Someone shouted, and in the next second the thing was kicked to the side. A boy with wild brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes stood in front of her. “Get the fuck out of here!” He told her, and Alice didn’t hesitate. She got onto the back of the motorcycle, wrapping her arms around the girl as she watched the boy disappear into the distance behind them.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Shit, shit, shit..." Chandler muttered to himself, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked upon the once joyous Elementary School. Jack may have recently turned six, but he was still in Kindergarten, so he knew where to find him if he needed to go inside. It wasn't even lunchtime yet, and Chandler had seen so much death and destruction, and the schools were all filled with screaming children - it was horrific. He saw kids that couldn't have been much older than Jack, all running out of the doors, completely showered in blood or wounded. Jesus Christ. What was going on here?


"Chandler... You can't go out there..." Beth whimpered, he gave her a really evil looked and shoved his door open, tucking the keys into his pocket.


"That's my brother in there, for fuck sake!" He snapped, and then took a deep breath and sighed. He quickly leaned over and pecked her cheek with a kiss. ".. Please, stay in the car. Please." He begged. She looked at him as she gently reached up and rubbed her cheek and then nodded.


"Okay." She choked, and on that note, Chandler slammed the door shut and then sprinted off towards the school. He couldn't get in through the main entrance, he noticed. Those things were everywhere, a lot of them being children. It was such a horrible sight. He ran around the side of the school until he found the windows of the Kindergarten classes. He knew which one was Jack's, purely because he had to come to a parent's evening of some kind while his parents were working - The teacher only had nice things to say about Jack. Then again, that's what all Kindergarten teachers said about their students. He couldn't open the window, but he couldn't see any kids in there either. He picked up a rock and then launched it at the window, and there a loud crashing and high-pitched shattering as the window broke. There were screams of children, but they were quickly hushed. Chandler launched himself in through the window and looked around to identify where the screams were coming from - they were coming from the little 2x4 bathroom at the back of the class. He ran up and yanked the door open, only to met by screams and crying children.


"Christ!" He yelled as he jumped back. The screams actually did scare him a little.


"Chandler!" Jack cried out to him, and then shoved past all of the other students that were all squeezed into the little bathroom to fly into his arms.


"Jack!" He yelled back as he ducked down and threw his arms around the young child, holding him close. He was sobbing and crying like crazy, and he was shaking, too. Poor kid. He felt really bad for him - he was the last person that deserved to get caught up in all of this, that was for sure. He hugged him and gently hushed him, sighing a little as he looked into the bathroom that the teacher and the kids were now flooding out of. God, that was the teacher that taught him in Kindergarten. He remembered her too well. He looked up at her and smiled a little. "Sorry for charging in like that, I just... It's hell out there..." He said.


"I know, Chandler... I know." She said softly, wiping her eyes as she gently cooed some of the children and ushered them all out of the bathroom. Chandler sort of imagined himself as teacher, in a sense. Only for younger yeargroups, though.


"You can't keep these kids here... You need to get them out of here and somewhere safe." He said. "I can help you... You can take a school bus, or something..." He added, and then slowly rose up. "We can't go out through the front exit, though. The place is swarmed... You lift them out of the window, I'll help them down." He said, and then he went and dived out of the window again and stood underneath it. The first person to get lifted out was Jack, just so he could be with his brother.


Slowly, one by one, he was handed all of the children in the class, and it was his job to take care of them until they were all there and the teacher could finally climb out. He just wanted to get all of them out of there so they were safe and sound - he cared about his brother, but he definitely wasn't going to leave the rest of them to die.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

Alice tried to ignore the horrors that she saw when they sped down the street, but it was impossible. The roads and neighbourhoods that she had grown up around had plummeted into chaos. Those things, whatever they were, were all over the place, sinking their teeth into any living person they saw, man or woman, adult or child. She felt like crying, like bursting into tears, curling up into a ball and dying. But she knew that wasn’t an option. Now the most important part was to survive. “Where’s your house?” The girl in front of her yelled above the growling engine of the motorcycle and the screams of people dying. “Pippin Street, right at the end in the blue house.” Alice replied, the wind howling in her ears. A few minutes later they had arrived in front of her house. Her usually calm street was in turmoil now, with children and parents running all around, fleeing from the disgusting, twisted human monsters. Everyone seemed to be packing their cars, getting ready to take off.


The girl pulled up in front of Alice’s house, cutting off the engine and planting both feet onto the pavement. “Grab whatever you need.” She said glancing back at Alice, who stumbled off of the motorcycle, pulling off the helmet. “Where are we going?” She asked, her voice trembling with fear and worry. The girl gave her a look that meant, Really? and shook her head, laughing shortly. “Away from here, if that wasn’t obvious. It’s a fucking hellhole here, we need to get out of the city, at least into the countryside.” Alice shook her head too, walking towards her house. “But my mom...She’s at work, we can’t just leave her.”


“We have no choice. Now hurry, before they notice us!”


And Alice realized she indeed had no choice. Swiftly, she ran to the door, jamming her keys into the lock and twisting, shoving it open. She was welcomed by Sammie, who jumped up and down, yapping happily. “Shush, girl. You need to keep quiet.” Alice whispered, shutting the door behind her, tears welling up in her eyes again. She blinked them away, rushing up the stairs to her room and snatching up her olive green duffel bag. Five minutes later she had packed clothes that would last her a week, a photo of her, her ‘mom’, and Sammie, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush, her Swiss Army Knife, and the Heckler and Koch USP that used to be her adoptive dad’s. Once done she zipped up the bag, hurried downstairs and proceeded to pour out all the dry dog food onto the floor, as well as filling up three kettles with water. “There ya go, girl. You’ll be fine, I promise.” Alice swallowed down the clump that had formed in her throat and reached down to give the tiny dog a treat and a kiss on the head. She then slipped out the door, shutting and locking it behind her, before hopping back onto the motorcycle and wrapping her arms around the stranger that had saved her.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Go, you're safe to go now!" He yelled, now that they were all on the bus. The teacher was crying, but all the kids were safe on the bus at last, and the bus's engine was running and the teacher was ready to set off.


"God bless you, Chandler! God bless you!" She sobbed and quickly wiped her eyes. Chandler lifted George up onto his back and smiled at her, nodding a little, and then waving to the kids that were looking out of the window at him. He was glad that he was able to help them. He looked at the teacher and gave a slow nod as the doors slowly slid shut.


Chandler ran Jack back to the car and helped him into the back of the car, and then sighed a little. Jack was still sobbing and crying, but Chandler couldn't stop. He dived into the driver's seat after unlocking the door, and then started up the car's engine. He instantly sped off down the street, being as careful as he could to dodge the cars that were frantically driving out of other streets to get to some place safe. The cars were stuffed with families, couples, and even the singular people. He felt really bad that they didn't have people they loved at their sides, but there was nothing to do about that.


He kept going until he got back to his own nice little middle-class house, and instantly helped Jack and Beth out of the car and then lead them in through the main door after shutting the gate of the house. God, he couldn't put up with this. This was all too much. Better yet, his mom and dad weren't home just yet. He took both Beth and Jack into the living room and sat them both there. He needed to make some calls.


"Beth, please, look after my brother." He said. "I'll take you home after, okay? Just... Please." He said, she gave him a sweet and sad smile, and then looked down at Jack. She didn't really know what to say, but saying something was better than leaving him there crying his eyes out. Chandler ran through to the kitchen where there was a phone mounted on a wall and quickly took the phone off of the hook, dialing a number. It was his dad's number.


No answer.


He dialed his the phone that his 'mom' always carried with her.


No answer.


What was he going to do? He couldn't stop trying... Could he?

 

[Sinister Wolf]

She would never forget the things that she saw that day, that she was sure of. When they drove their way out of the town, people; no not people, those things, lunged after them, growling and snarling. All of them looked the same, with the grayed, bloody skin and filmy, cream white eyes. Some had their jaws hanging open, unhinged, whilst others were missing an arm or a leg. All of them, however, were drowned in blood and dirt. Alice tried her best not to look, instead she stared into the back of the girl’s head, focusing on all the different strands of silky purple hair. All the roads in the town were packed with cars, the sounds of honking horns and screeching tires in the warm spring air, and it took them about fifteen minutes to get out. They were lucky, though, that they could snake their way between cars, whilst others had to sit in the traffic jam and wait. Once they made it out of the thick of it, the girl navigated the motorcycle through a series of neighborhoods before coming to a smaller road that led completely out of town. She drove straight ahead, following the road for nearly ten minutes before pulling up by the edge of the forest and cutting off the engine.


Once the two girls were off the bike, the stranger turned to Alice and flashed her a brilliant smile. “I’m Ophelia, by the way. Strange name, I know, so you can call me Felli, or just O if you prefer that.” Alice nodded, unsure of what to say. The girl- Ophelia, had saved her from the chaos at school, and taken her out of the thick of all the death, right here to safety. A few cars zoomed by, one honking the horn at them. Alice watched it disappear into the horizon before turning back to Ophelia. “I haven’t seen you in town before.” And she hadn’t, because she was sure that she would remember such a girl, with her slanted, green eyes, silky purple hair, and the eyebrow piercing and multiple tattoos that she had splashed across her arms and chest. “Yeah, well, truth is I’m not from here. I was actually born and raised in Shreveport.”


“Oh, so you have family here?” Alice inquired, pulling off the helmet and attempting at fixing her sweaty and messy hair. “No, I came to rob the university.” Alice froze, looking up at Ophelia with wide eyes. “What?” “Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but I heard you guys had some pretty cool trophies over there so I decided to give it a shot. Don’t take it personally though.” Ophelia gave out a short laugh before rummaging around in the leather shoulder-bag she carried with her. She pulled out a bold, red lipstick, and started smearing it over her lips, smacking them together noisily. Alice had to take some time to digest what she had just been told, and only then could she move again. “So you were just robbing it when everything happened?” She asked, her voice trembling for no reason at all. Ophelia nodded, putting on a last click of lipstick before shoving it back into her bag and closing it up. “Shall we get going, then?”


They were going to Jonesboro. Not the one in Arkansas either, just the one further down south. Alice had never been there, and had only faintly heard of it. Apparently it was a bit smaller than Monroe, and therefore a more suitable place for them to stay for the moment. Really all that Alice wanted was to go back to her house, hug Sammie and have dinner with her ‘mom’. No matter how much that woman had abused her, she was still the only family that Alice knew, and therefore all she had. Leaving her like that...It was hard.


“-one hour!” Alice woke up from her daydream, sitting up straight and shaking her head a little. “What?” She yelled back over the howling wind. She heard Ophelia laugh, before she shouted. “It’s one hour from Monroe to Jonesboro!” Great, Alice thought bitterly, leaning her head against Ophelia’s back. She wished they were there already, so that they could stop somewhere and eat or she could curl up in a bed and sleep. Now wouldn’t that be nice.


With these thoughts Alice slowly drifted off to sleep, the wind and the roar of the motorcycle as her lullaby.

 

[DrTrollinski]

An hour later and the phones still weren't being picked up. One could only assume.


Chandler felt sick again. He didn't know why... Well. He did. It was because he thought that his parents were dead, dead and gone. This would be the second and last time that he lost a parent, and he wasn't sure if he was able to cope. When they stopped picking up after half an hour, he did give up. He told himself that it wasn't even worth trying anymore. Fifteen calls, all missed, no returned. It was like a child's cries for its mother or father - they were so desperate, but usually, there was nothing happening that was overly concerning.


This time, however, there certainly was.


He didn't know what else he was going to do. He felt so dreadful and cold. He felt empty now that his brother was safe and at home. It didn't even feel like there was anything else to do other than curl up in bed and wallow in self-pity. And that's exactly what he did.


He was just lying there.


He heard a lot of movement while he was there in bed, but not enough to indicate that there were more people in the house. It was only enough for two people - Jack and Beth. He heard them going to the kitchen, and then he heard at least one of them going into the bathroom (judging by how fast the footsteps were, he could tell it was Jack). After a while, he heard two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs again, and then heard them go into what he assumed to be Jack's room.


Ten minutes later, his door creaked open. He didn't know who it was, but he only heard one person leaving Jack's room just down the hallway, so one could only assume that it was the young boy who wanted to go and check on his brother - He was surprised when he found out it was Beth. Seeing as he was facing the wall, he didn't know right away. When he felt more allocated weight sit down on the side of his bed - it was a double bed, and he was on the side against the wall - he quickly rolled over to see Beth sitting right there. He gulped quietly and then offered an uneasy - and slightly sad - smile.


"Hey, Beth..." He greeted her, his voice close to a whisper. ".. Where's Jack?"


"He wanted to take a nap after he had something to eat... Your brother's a big sweetheart, Chandler." He laughed a little under her breath and smiled at him. Chandler couldn't help but pick up his smile a little bit, too. He was even more surprised when she lied down on the pillow beside him and then took a deep breath while looking him in the eyes.


"I guess he is, yeah. He's never really been a 'sweetheart' to me, though... He's only ever been cute and cuddly." He smirked. She chuckled again and then took a deep breath, her smile soon fading.


"Do you mind if I stay here for a while, Chandler...? I don't want to go back out there yet, I--.. I don't know what's going on out there." She gulped, Chandler reached out and took hold of her hand, rubbing the top of it soothingly with his thumb while smiling.


"Sure. That's fine." He said. ".. I've got a feeling that my parents won't be back, anyway." He sighed softly and gave a sad smile. He was trying to hold back the emotion.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

When Alice woke up, it was from Ophelia’s shouts. At first fear overtook her, gripping her whole body, until she realized that Ophelia was shouting at her because they were nearing Jonesboro. A wave of relief washed over her as she sat up straight, letting the wind whip over her face and tug at her hair. She smiled, despite everything that had happened that day, and leaned back and actually enjoyed the moment.


Ophelia pulled up in a pebbled driveway of a farmhouse, that was neatly surrounded by a white washed fence and rows of beautiful flowers. As soon as she cut off the engine, Alice jumped off of the bike, stretching out her arms above her head. There was a big, red barn beside the house, painted white on the edges. It all seemed very surreal after everything that Alice had witnessed earlier on, but at the same time she was almost delighted to see the scene in front of her. It was almost as if she had stepped into a painting, and was wandering on the canvas, watching it unfold beneath her. “Always was a country gal at heart.” Ophelia said, stepping off the bike and pulling a hand through her wind matted hair. “Animals never fail to fascinate me.” Alice nodded, faintly, starting off towards the barn. She didn’t much care for the house, except maybe to collapse into a comfortable bed. But then again, sleeping on a bedding of straw seemed quite alluring too.


The doors of the barn were pulled shut, but all Alice had to do was give them a heave and they gave way, rolling open. A warm smell of hay, farm animals and leather filled her nostrils, enveloping her in a cozy blanket of happiness. There were at least six stalls inside the barn, a wide hallway running through the middle of the barn. A ladder was placed at the end of the hallway, presumably leading to the loft where all the hay and straw was held. Alice smiled to herself, slowly walking inside the dimly lit building, disappearing into her own little world of harmlessness and happiness.


A stunning bay horse stuck his head over the side of one of the closest stalls, pricking his ears curiously. “Hey, boy.” Alice murmured, reaching out with her hand to stroke his nose. She stood there, like that, stroking and scratching the horse for at least ten minutes. When she finally snapped out of her daze, it was only to climb up the loft and throw down hay that she then divided up for the horses. They were all as equally beautiful as the first one, most likely thoroughbreds. Once each and every one of them had been petted thoroughly and fed, she left the barn, heading up towards the house. Ophelia had moved the bike closer to the building, but she was nowhere in sight. Alice didn’t think much of it though, as she hopped up the porch steps and pushed down the door handle.


All she had time to do was to open her mouth and form the words ‘I’m back’, before something, or rather someone, slammed into her with full force. It let out a terrified shriek that pierced right through Alice’s ears and shook her brain. “What the fuck!” She exclaimed, shoving the person away from her. But whoever it was clung to her like their life depended on it, and it was only when Alice managed to focus properly that she realized the person was Ophelia. “Ophelia? Oh my god!” The front of Ophelia’s navy blue t-shirt was splattered with blood, as was her tattoo covered arms and even her jeans-shorts and legs. But the most shocking thing was the huge, gaping hole in her arm. It looked as if someone had taken a big chomp of her flesh, and left a wound that was spewing out blood. “There was..five-them..bit me..oh god..” She panted, doubling over. Alice stepped back, instinctively, and it was good that she did, because in the next second a tsunami of mushed up toast pieces and what looked like chocolate came belching out of Ophelia’s mouth.


But that wasn’t it. As if things could get any worse, one of them came lumbering out into the hallway, waving it’s arms through the air in an attempt to grasp Ophelia. “Come on, let’s go.” Alice urged, tugging at Ophelia’s good arm. It caused her to step in the vomit, which made her feel sick to the stomach, but she ignored it and instead slammed the door shut in the thing’s distorted face. She wasn’t sure of what to do next, or where to go, so she dragged Ophelia all the way down to the barn, and pulled the heavy-set doors shut behind them. The horses seemed unnerved, moving around in their stalls and rumbling, but Alice ignored it and helped Ophelia into the tack room, setting her down on a bale of hay.


All she had to do now was to figure out how she would tell Ophelia that she would be forced to ditch her.

 

[DrTrollinski]

One thing lead to another, and they were kissing, they were all over each other. How did it happen? Was it that weird crush that Chandler had had on her since Elementary School? Was it because she felt the same way? He didn't know, but he knew that he was lucky... If you could ignore the fact that his parents were probably dead - right now, that isn't what mattered. His little brother was napping, and he was having the time of his life. Teenage love, eh? What could be better? He just hoped that his brother wouldn't suddenly walk in on what happened next. Yeah, before you say anything, Chandler had condoms in the drawer of his nightstand, so his newly found girlfriend wasn't going to end up being fifteen and pregnant, or anything crazy like that.


But still.


How in the fuck did this happen?


Once the half an hour mark had hit, that was it, they were laying in bed rather peacefully, facing each other. Chandler was still questioning how this turned into some sort of teen romance chick-flick-ready scene, but... You know, it happens, right? He took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He was actually curious to how all of their clothes ended up on the floor, too, but what did it matter. He was upset, and he'd just had his day - no, year - made for him. He felt her arms curl around his body, and she inched closer to him and kissed his lips, but he didn't even respond to it at that scale. He just put his arms around her and then set his forehead down against her own.


".. I love you." She muttered, he smiled a little and then cracked his eyes open halfway, looking into her own.


"I love you, too." He said. "But... I need to pee. I'll be back." He chuckled softly and climbed over her, slipped on his underwear, and then wandered down the hallway - the first thing he did was poke his head into his brother's room and check he was alright. He was fine, and he was still fast asleep, but they were going to have to wake him up soon. If he napped for too long, he'd be awake all night, and that wouldn't convenient at all. He was happy to see that he was okay, and hadn't been woken up by anything.


Now, it was time for the bathroom, because he was bursting. He locked the door, did what he needed to do, flushed the toilet, and then washed his hands. While he was doing it, though, he heard screams in the distance. He went to the bathroom window, unlocked it, and then creaked it open and peered out across the neighborhood. In the distance, he saw people walking slowly towards one man, at least five ten of them - They were torn to shreds, from what he could see. And then the man started shooting. He was shooting an AR-15, but they were just tanking the bullets like it was nobody's business.


".. What the fuck...?"

 

[Sinister Wolf]

“It hurts.” Ophelia whimpered, clutching her arm like it was a baby. “I know. I’ll fix it up in a sec.” Alice was rummaging around the tack room for anything that could be used to clean the wound. In the end she found a first-aid kit in another room, which contained a whole packet of sterile gauze swabs that she used to clean the wound. Once the bite was as clean as it could get, Alice grabbed a roller bandage that she wrapped tightly around the injury, making sure it was at least five layers around before cutting it off the roll and tying it up. She then proceeded to feed Ophelia two tablets of aspirin, helping her to climb up the ladder to the loft. Once up there Ophelia lied down on a bedding of straw, and Alice covered her with one of the horses’ winter blankets. “Stay here, and sleep. I’ll come up in a while, to give you some food. Okay?” Ophelia nodded, weakly, before closing her eyes and curling up under the blanket. Alice sighed, crawling down from the loft. What in the hell was she supposed to do now? She knew without doubt that Ophelia was going to turn into one of them, sooner or later. Every single person she had seen be bit had turned, so there was no doubt about that.


In the end, she decided to be brutal. She was going to leave Ophelia. But not without resources, of course. The motorcycle had two leather side bags, which both contained some useful things. In one, there was a plastic shopping bag filled with food. In the other, there was some more...surprising items. First of all, there was a black hood, with cut out eyes and a mouth. The other items included a cellphone, a small knife, a lighter, and...a gun. The gun looked like a standard .44 Magnum. Of course, Alice herself had a gun tucked away inside her backpack, but somehow this made her feel nervous. Whatever, she thought, stuffing the gun back into the bag. All she took was the food, cellphone and lighter, mostly because she didn’t feel like carrying two guns.


Once back in the barn, Alice divided the food up into half. Only the halves weren’t the exact same size, as one was slightly smaller than the other. The smaller half she carried up to Ophelia, who was soundly asleep. She laid out the food right beside the sleeping girl, as neatly as she could, before climbing back down. Dusk was falling, and she had decided upon staying in the barn for the night. She had closed the latch that was at the loft, as well as having taken away the ladder and thrown down three bales of hay. She fed one of the bales to the horses, who all seemed extremely happy about their dinner. The other two she carried into the tack room, creating a bed with the third one. Once that was done she popped open one of the yoghurts from the shopping bag, spooning the meal out with her fingers. Like an animal, she thought bitterly, but she quickly pushed the thought away and finished her meal. It was a meek dinner, but it would have to do. She didn’t want to waste all the food away on the first day. Besides, it was highly unlikely that she would be getting into that farmhouse anytime soon.


After eating, Alice stuffed a few apples and carrots into her backpack, as well as the lighter, cellphone, bag of food, and a horse’s blanket. When she had been outside by the bike, she’d seen a screwdriver lying on the grass, and when she had tried to start the engine, it had made a popping noise, followed by a weak purr that quickly died off. The motorcycle was broken. Typical. The only way she was going to get into Jonesboro was by horse, then. She’d ridden before, as she had taken riding lessons up until she was thirteen. So she knew how to take care of a horse and how to ride, the only problem seemed to be the fact that those things might want to take a bite out of her ride.


We’ll deal with that in the morning, Alice though decisively, curling up on the bales of hay and closing her eyes slowly. It didn’t take long before she fell into the deep abyss that was sleep.

 

[DrTrollinski]

He'd gone back to the bedroom after making his way downstairs and making sure that all the doors were locked up properly. That was the most important thing. He made sure all the blinds were down, and all the curtains were closed. The back door was locked, the front door was locked, and he knew that his father's gun was upstairs. He wasn't exactly a fan of walking around in his underwear, but it as better than being butt-naked. He knew that Beth was bound to be hungry, so he got two pots of insta-noodles, chicken flavored, and quickly prepared those with some boiling water. It wasn't much of a dinner, but it was definitely better than going hungry.


He carried them both upstairs into his bedroom and put one down on the nightstand beside Beth, and then set himself down on the edge of the bed. He instantly forked some of the noodles into his mouth and chewed and swallowed them. They were hot, but not as hot as he felt. He felt so warm, and his stomach felt like it was having knots tied out of it whenever he was around Beth now - love was a funny thing for him, and love towards someone outside of his family was something he'd never experienced before.


"I hope you don't mind this." He said.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

She woke up from the growls.


The sad thing was that she recognized the sound too well, so as soon as her brain realized what it was hearing, she practically flew off of her makeshift bed. The growl was coming from somewhere above her head, which instantly made it clear what the source was. Ophelia, Alice thought, and a sadness washed over her, leaving her feeling empty and almost depressed. Was she supposed to go to Jonesboro anyway? Or should she return home? Or maybe stay here for a few more days? All these thought whizzing around in her mind made her head hurt, and she was forced to sit down for a moment and take a few deep breaths. Even though she had barely known Ophelia for a day, she had felt that they had gotten quite close, and losing someone that she could at least trust was hard. Especially since she never really had had anyone to trust properly. Sighing, Alice stood up again, brushing the hay off of her jeans and wandering out into the hallway of the barn. The horses didn’t seem too relaxed about the growling, but they did seem happy to see Alice again. She smiled to herself, despite everything, and walked over to the bay that she had taken a liking to. He nuzzled her hand and nickered softly, a sound deeply appreciated for Alice. After giving him a kiss on the nose, she went back to the latch of the loft, gazing upwards. There was a dull scratching, and she knew that Ophelia, or whatever was left of her, was trying to get out. I’m so sorry, Alice thought, gulping down the lump in her throat and blinking away the tears that were persistently welling up in her eyes. She knew what she was going to do.


It took around half an hour for Alice to first feed all the horses, pack up all the necessities, and then to tack up the bay stallion. It had been a few years since she had last visited a stable, but considering, the tacking up went quite well. She chose a western style saddle, as she felt this would be the most comfortable for both her and the horse. Once the horse was ready to go, all she had to do was to let out all the other horses into the pastures behind barn. It took a while, but once it was done she felt much better about herself. At least outside they wouldn’t starve to death, and if there was a threat to them, they could easily jump over the fence.


Now came the slightly harder part; actually riding the stallion.

 

[DrTrollinski]

The next morning, and things were alright. There were three in the bed since last night, because after they'd gotten Jack tucked into bed, he came running in with tears pouring down his cheeks. He'd had a horrible nightmare, but once he was snuggled up between Chandler and Beth, he was alright again, and he was quick to fall back off to sleep. That was the main thing. Chandler felt really bad for him - he knew that this kid was so expectant to see his mother and father again, yet the chance of them both being dead was so high, and that was painful to think about. At seven o'clock, when he woke up bright and early, his body clock telling him that it was time to get ready for school, he knew that his parents weren't home, and that brought tears to his eyes.


He looked at Jack.


He looked at Beth.


They were both still tucked up and fast asleep, and now Jack had managed to shuffle right out of Chandler's grip in his sleep, and was now snuggled up to Beth, his arms wrapped around her. Chandler thought it was the cutest thing he'd seen in forever, and it sure was nice to see something so innocent after all of the chaos broke out earlier - He was glad that they got through the night without trouble. No one or nothing broke in, and the house and streets were quiet - he was hoping that this area of the neighborhood had died out a little, and there wasn't too much going on.


Ah, well, at least this area of Fort Smith had some benefits to it. Quiet at first, and even more quiet now.


He needed to pee, though. That was the first thing on his morning schedule. He carefully climbed over Beth and Jack and then made his way out of his room, wearing only his underwear from yesterday. He didn't care about that, though. He just needed to get to the bathroom - once he'd closed the door over (he didn't lock it. He didn't think he needed to.) he went straight to the toilet to take care of what he needed to do. While he was standing there taking care of business, he glanced around the bathroom for a while. He had an idea, so as soon as he'd flushed the toilet and washed his hands, he went straight to the bathtub and turned the hot water on. He figured that it would help get Jack into better spirits if he could have a nice hot bath soon, and once he was all cleaned and dressed, he could take him and Beth downstairs for some breakfast.


Seeing the hot water run really tempted him to take a shower. He looked off to the individual shower in the corner and contemplated whether or not he'd take one now, or later. Nah. Later worked just fine.

 

[Sinister Wolf]

The bay horse was calm enough, for now. Alice had swung herself onto his back easily enough, quickly sticking her feet into the stirrups before gathering up the reins in her hands.


“Alright, boy, are you ready? Say bye to your friends, you might not be seeing them for a while…” Alice trailed off, gazing out into the pasture where all the horses went and grazed, oblivious to the havoc around them. Out here in the countryside, it didn’t feel like the apocalypse. It felt like the world was back to normal again, and everything was good. At least up until Alice remembered Ophelia’s rotting body up in the loft, and a wave of nausea hit her.


“Come on, let’s get out of here,” she urged, pressing her heels lightly against the stallion’s belly. He nickered, tossing his head up as he started down the tarmac road. Apart from the muffled chirps of the birds, the day was still, drenched in a blanket of silence. It was almost eerie, but somehow Alice still managed to appreciate the calm, for she wasn’t sure for how much longer it would last. They rode and rode beside the countryside, watching forests and fields pass them by.


The sun was drooping down behind the horizon when they finally stopped. The bay was exhausted, Alice could tell. He hung his head low and his eyes were already half closed before they pulled up by the side of the road.


“C’mon, just a little further and we’ll set camp.” But the horse wasn’t going anywhere. He planted his hooves deep into the soft soil, and snorted. Alice sighed miserably. She didn’t need this, not right now. Yet at the same time she knew that the stallion was right. She needed a break. Both of them did. Giving up, Alice swung herself off of the bay, landing heavily on the ground. Her knees wobbled and the world spun around her for a second. She needed food. Glancing back at the stallion, she saw that he had started grazing off of the yellowed grass by the roadside. Smiling, Alice tugged on the reins, leading him slightly into the thicket where she then tied him up and unsaddled him.


The rest of the night was spent collecting firewood, setting up a fire, and having a pleasant dinner. The summer’s night had a cool breeze to it, wonderful after a long, sweaty day in the saddle. The bay seemed happily content with living off of the grass that was provided, although Alice knew what they both wanted was water. She’d had some left in her bottle, but had drank it herself, knowing fully well that if she didn’t, she would pass out. Finally, once the night was completely black except for the splatter of stars, Alice made a makeshift bed for herself, wished the horse a good night, and went to sleep.

 

[DrTrollinski]

The rest of the day was quite good, I guess. Chandler couldn't exactly complain, not one bit - He woke Jack and Beth up after a while and sat there with Jack and bathed him. He had a nice long talk with him, too. He explained what was going on, how something bad was happening out there and they needed to stick together. He didn't tell him that mommy and daddy wouldn't be coming back, though, it was too hard to do that. How could you tell a little boy that he wasn't ever going to see his parents again? It just wasn't that easy, nor that simple. It was near enough impossible to say it without upsetting yourself, and even more so the boy that was listening to you. You know, it's strange, the woman they called mom might not have been their real mother, but it was still their mom. It didn't matter if she wasn't the biological parent.


He couldn't tell him, not yet.


He had to make the food last for the day, so for breakfast, he just gave everyone a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl and left it at that. He'd cook something up later on in the day, but for now, he just needed to make sure they were all fed and suited for the rest of the day. He felt really anxious about his parents, but for now, all that mattered were the two people he had left. The little six-year-old brother of his, and his newly-found girlfriend that he didn't expect to come along any time soon. He didn't view himself as a lady's man, or anything like that, but I guess that he was wrong. They were good for each other, especially in this situation, because it meant that neither of them would be alone during any of this whatsoever, just as long as they didn't give up and stayed together to ensure that no one got hurt.


Chandler took a shower not too long after breakfast, and after him, so did Beth. The rest of the day was quiet, and Jack refused to leave Chandler's side at all. He stuck to him like glue, hugging his leg whenever he walked, and snuggling right up under his arm whenever he sat down. Chandler couldn't even get a minute away from him, and even if he went to the bathroom, Jack would be standing right outside waiting for him to be done and come back. That part made Chandler a little uncomfortable, but at the same time, he didn't care too much. As long as Jack was happy, for all he cared, he could be in the bathroom with him if he wanted to be.


As the day went on, Chandler and Beth made the brave decision to skip dinner that night and let Jack be the only one eating instant noodles. I suppose you could say that that's when things took a bit of a turn, because it was painful to not eat anything - Chandler wasn't that hungry, though. He was so worried about his parents that he felt like if he ate, he'd just throw it all back up again ten minutes later. That was the last thing that they needed to happen, for now, so the best thing for them to do would just to... let it move on, I suppose. You know how it goes. Still, though, even thought there'd been a lot of change, Chandler wasn't getting rid of the old standards they had in this house. He carried Jack upstairs, helped him get changed into some PJ's, took him into the bathroom so he could pee and give his teeth a bit of a scrub, and, finally, sent Beth off to get him a glass of water while he was busy tucking him into bed.


Jack was looking up at him with big wide eyes as he tucked him in, his little head set down on the pillow with his soft teddy bear held tightly in his arms. Chandler could usually tuck him in without effort, but tonight, he was tired (and now hungry) and couldn't do it without looking down at his hands. He knew he'd just mess it up if he tried to do it blind.


"Chandler...?" Jack squeaked quietly. Chandler shot him a soft gaze once he was done getting him all tucked into bed.


"Yeah?"


"Why ain't mommy and daddy come home yet?" He asked. Chandler was silent for a good long while after that question, and he just didn't know what he wanted to say to it. Beth came in a moment later and handed him the glass of water, but soon saw that they were talking about something so she quickly retreated out and made her way to Chandler's room.


"Because, buddy... I..." Chandler sighed and bowed his head. After a few moments, he climbed into bed with the young boy and looked him in the eyes. ".. They... They might not be coming home. You know the bad thing that happened that I told you about, well... That might have--." He had to pause for a moment just so he could gulp down the sadness that had welled up inside him. "They might have been caught in it, too, so I need you to be brave for me, okay? Me and you are the men of the house from now on." He explained.


And typically, as expected, and very much undesirably, Jack burst out into tears.


Chandler had to sit there and cradle him for over an hour until he sobbed himself to sleep.


They all slept in that room last night, with the door locked.