Lone wolf

He squints as a building grows nearer, and with a silent chuckle of relief he walks towards it, hands still gripped firmly around his friend’s legs. “I found it because I like traveling around the city, or what’s left of it at least. There’s a quiet air that I like. It’s surprisingly relaxing,” he replies. His lips adopt the mirth that emerges again as his head tilts to the side to rest atop Minseok’s. “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault and no amount of sadness will bring anything back. What we should be doing is making the best of what we have, plus we have free merchandise from every store that might still stand. Imagine that, wasn’t that everyone’s dream at some point?” Lu Han stops his words before his statement becomes useless blather and instead he uses his breath to maneuver through the torn front door and into the small, cozy motel. At least that’s what it used to be before it was swallowed up by debris and destruction. The once charming lobby was now buried under dust, the leather couch strewn across the front desk. Every time he’d walked in there he’d wondered what type of destruction could’ve caused even the interior of architecture to quake in fear as if terrorizing humanity wasn’t enough, but he was glad he could never decipher anything; the result could prove too powerful, traumatizing even. Just like every time he shifts the focus of his thoughts to something else, but unlike those instances, that something else was clearly easy to find.

With a smile he listened to the other talk, new spirits found in him as the older kept walking towards a new place that's supposed to be inhabited by others just like them, and perhaps for the first time in two years he wouldn't have to be alone and he could have friends and company and not just any company, but one with his most important and special being, his beloved LuHan. He was so happy that when the other spoke, he nodded quickly, thinking that perhaps even if things were bad, there were still little things to be happy about. It might not be much but in the current time even the smallest things could lift your mood up unlike the quite simple life one could have in the past. Now it was all about surviving and finding a reason to want to survive. "Yes. I guess you're right. But it's hard when you can't see, you know? So for my next birthday if you go to a shop and steal something for me make sure it's really special and pretty and then tell me all about it in details!" He snickered, hiding his face some more against the other's shoulder. The idea of celebrating birthdays or even getting presents was something he couldn't even think about for over two years and yet suddenly everything looked possible again. "I promise if I go to the shop and take something for you, I'll at least try to make sure it feels pretty. I wouldn't bring you some rotten fish! That's for sure!"

He felt the other walking with a bit more care, his brows knitting as he wondered where they were going through. He was so sure that if LuHan had to be careful in his step, he'd surely have fallen on his step for at least five times by now. He was always a clutz so adding blindness to that role failed to add him much more grace. 

With the new philosophy he was quietly creating with each step he took towards the promised shelter—a half destroyed hotel he’d found with a comfortable room surprisingly free of much debris and ruin, necessitating only the slightest of cleaning—he ran his tongue over his drying lips, formulating his words carefully. “I was at a job interview,” he began with a less than hopeful tone, but definitely brighter than the one he would normally use to recount his tale, “I was finally going to work as a gym teacher—remember I would tell you I’d be the world’s best soccer player? I still thought I was the best, but I’d long shelved my dreams of fame for a much simpler and comfortable life in Seoul as a gym teacher at the local middle school near my apartment. But just as I was shaking the principal’s hand—of course everything went well—I heard a loud crash, and then even more sounds followed. They were horrible, deafening, each one followed by more screams—and that was the good part. It wasn’t until the screams started becoming less frequent that I realized I missed them—I mean, that meant people were alive, right?! But when they stopped they were dying, not that I noticed. All I could see in my eyes was the image of my parents—my sister, Minseok! She was only fifteen. I could see them still at home, laughing over a TV show. I was so sure they’d be safe, but I still ran as fast as I could. I was out of breath when I finally reached them, I—”

His lips quivered as his eyes became moist with tears, his vision becoming a blurry mess. He could feel the way his heart beat with an elevated rhythm, the acrid taste of imagined smoke in the air. It felt like he was back there, with the symphony of people’s screams, the wailing of sirens, the distant crashing of buildings. They had all formed together to sing the most cruel song that ever rang through his ears. Helplessness was what broke him down and made him aware of the cuts on his legs, the way his shirt had ripped with the pieces of debris that were sent flying through the air. Even then it had all been a dull mockery of his senses, all he could truly feel was the wood under his fists and the way it burned him, teased him with the knowledge of the strong fire forcing his past into the flames. But he couldn’t mention that, no. It was a new life, a new day, and he’d convinced himself that he’d gotten over what happened—that it hadn’t been his fault. “The house had burned down with them inside after a nearby gas leak and explosion,” he finished after his voice had regained its composure and he felt the heat against his face. Not of the fire but of the uncovered sun, the crude reality dragging him back to the present and what his thoughts should have been preoccupied on.

It's when the story began taking its' ugly turn did his smile fail him and his brows furrowed as he kept listening. His heart kept racing over the description of fading screams, something familiar to him as well and by the time he reached to the part of his home burning in flames did tears begin forming in his eyes again, this time they streamed down his cheeks without the ability to stop, his breath hitching and arms tightening around his now... only friend.. only family.

"I..I'm sorry. I.. I wish you could have gotten the job. I wish you could have become the best gym teacher in the world with all the girls in your class being head over heels over their attractive gym class teacher. I wish your parents and sister were still alive.. they were my family too, just like you. I wish this never have happened. Oh God how I wish I could just see again!" He buried his face against the safety of the other's neck again, nodding subtly with a shaky breath passing past his lips. He still wasn't quite sure where they are heading but the idea of finally not being alone and having someone around to busy his mind and perhaps help him get used to the world he can't even see, was a bit comforting. Not by much but by enough to help him calm down quite quickly.

It’s been so long since she had seen a stable human, lately the only thing occupying her vision was walking corpses and disgusting creatures. This government was useless, everything would never bring peace. Lim couldn’t understand why this world came to be but then she was also part of the darkness. She engulfed those into complete black as her shadows made them disappear. It was something that has only been new to her the last few months. Instead of just creating darkness, she could trap them, make them feel what she had all along. She wasn’t proud of it but it kept her safe, kept her alive has more creatures came up and showed themselves.

But something changed in her plans of ‘fun’. For the last few days she has been following a creature that looked like an overgrown werewolf, seeing if it led to more. It fed on the recent dead of anything that moved, and it seemed to had found its next meal. Lim did nothing to help the human, even though she knew the danger he was in. Luckily he was smart and got away, and she decided to follow him, realizing the creature has his scent so they will be meeting again.

He barely slept the past few days as it seemed that the world had gone loony and everything suddenly went a hell lot more crazy than it already was, he could barely eat because every time he reached somewhere he thought he could find a decent, or maybe not so decent but enough for him to survive, of a meal, something chased him out. He barely drank. He was tired, cold, dehydrated and hungry and using energy for such tasks seemed to be beyond his reach. With sadness coating his thoughts and minds he realized that perhaps this was indeed the end. It seemed cruel, he survived so long, most of the time on his own, a blind man in this cruel, cold world that only little to none people he met on his journey actually stopped to help him, will now die because he couldn't eat a damn tomato or drink a miserable glass of water as he should have. 

He had his parents die, everyone die, and he was left with glassy, blue eyes that could see nothing, not even see his parents and bid them a firm farewell, and yet he survived all along to die in an unknown place because of an unknown source. Life sure were too cruel sometimes.

He wanted to protest at the older's offer. He knew LuHan was always a bit taller and much stronger than his and he was sure nothing changed about that but he was bigger now and carrying him on his back won't be as easy as it used to be but even so, he couldn't even protest before he found his chest pressing against the other's back and his arms forced to wrap around his shoulders while his knees were held but a pair of firm arms. With a huff he found himself sinking against the warmth, his face finding comfort against the other's neck as he muttered hs words "Always so macho? Ge is mean, I don't want you tired and yet you're going to carry me around.. what if we stumble upon danger? I don't want to be a burden, you already know me." He closed his eyes, a needless act as he couldn't see either way but it was nice just to rest himself against the familiar warmth. If he is delusional from the heat or perhaps sick and running a fever or maybe this is just all a big nice dream, he wished he'd never have to wake up from it.