Moon, a hole of light
Running, that was the only thought in Remus’ head. Just running, over and over. One foot in front of the other. He could hear the screams behind him, the strangled cries he was so used to hearing. Not quite human, but just enough for someone to mistake them as such.
He glanced to his side, to see James’ face scrunched tight, as if he could almost make the sounds go away if he willed hard enough. They always affected him the most, such a pity, such a kind soul born into such an unforgiving world. He felt his foot slip on a piece of debris, he needed to focus, one more rock under his foot and it could be the end.
Deciding to concentrate again he focused his attention on his feet, moving like a blur under him. He caught flashes of the muddy trainers he wore every day, stolen out of a store on their daily raids. A reminder of better days, when he would get nice trainers for Christmas was his biggest worry. He hears a noise, unlike the screams of the rotten. Looking up he sees Sirius screaming words at the rest of them, patting the side of his leg. Grab their knives, fight. He sees nods of approval from everyone else and brings his head up and down to agree as well. There were only a few, they could take them.
Turning a sharp corner they reversed, facing the rottens head-on. Remus winced at the sight of them, even after all these years he was still disgusted by them. These weren’t too far gone yet: their faces still slightly resembled humans, with eyes, mouths and noses in the right places. But these body parts were rotten and turned colours of death: greys, purples and greens. Eyes bloodshot and mouths missing teeth. Now they were standing still, momentarily whilst they were still confused, though they would have been running fast, almost as fast as Remus and his friends if not the same. That was what got people a lot in the start, thinking these things could not possibly be as fast up they were.
He glances to his side instead of straight at the 5 horrific creatures in front. He saw Sirius tossing his knife up again and again like he always does before a fight, next to him Lily also held her knife but not with the same familiarity that Sirius did. He could tell she was itching for her bow and arrows resting on her back, but they were not meant for short-hand combat. He focused back on Sirius and saw a quick nod from the man as he ran forward. Remus was aiming for the middle one, probably the most recently turned as the thin strands of golden hair still clinging to its head implied. He charged at it, knife in left hand whilst the creature barrelled forward, teeth bared showing a gruesome interior mouth, with bloody gaps and black mould.
Remus plunged his knife into the top of its shoulders and dragged it down, severing the arm from the body. The monster momentarily looks at its arm but continues on its rampage at Remus. It clawed at his face and arms, probably creating new scars where there were already tons. He switched his knife the the other arm and stabbed it through the neck of the rotten where it stayed as the creature finally fell to the floor, dark blood forming a puddle around its neck. Remus pulled the knife out and stabbed it in the heart, ending its pain. He stood up and surveyed the scene. James and Peter were both finishing off a rotten between them as were Mary and Lily whereas Sirius and Marlene had one each. Marlene was just stabbing hers repeatedly in different spots on its chest, its quick moves denying it a clean kill. Sirius on the other hand seemed to be struggling with his not even having cut it yet.
Remus was just about to go over to help when he heard an arrow flying through the air and landed in the head of the monster Sirius was fighting and it dropped to the floor. “Cheers Lily, maybe next time don’t shoot when I’m so close though, you could cut my hair off!” Sirius called across to her. “That would be a good thing, it’s one giant knot at the back of your head at this point,” she said back walking over to them and pulling the arrow out of the rotten, wiping it clean on her trousers and putting it back into the supply on her back.
“We need to be quieter next time, if there were any more that could have gone very differently” Peter’s voice piped up.
“Oh chill out we’re alive aren’t we, now how far away from base are we?” Marlene asked, walking over to the rest of them from where she had been fighting a few steps away. “Not too far, maybe half an hour walk” Remus concluded and Sirius cleared his throat before James interrupted “Right then buddy up!” Everyone groaned. “Really? After what just happened?” He asked
“Yes James, because as we’ve said a thousand times, we do not need to buddy up every time we go for a stroll” Sirius protested.“Yeah come on James, nothings gonna happen, we’re not even that far now” Mary said. James sighed but nodded “Fine but if you all die, I’ll be laughing” Lily chuckled
“James if I’m dead, you’ve been dead for weeks” James began to splutter a retort but Sirius slapped him on the back and whispered “James, we both know she’s right”
They gathered their weapons and started waking, Mary and Marlene ahead, Peter, James and Sirius next and he Lily forming the back line. Despite the dark setting and previous circumstances, they all settled into an easy if whispered conversations. Remus looked ahead at Mary and Marlene, the strongest woman he knows (except Lily). Mary was in long shorts, stained with blood, mud and unnamable grime. Her white top, though cleaner, still sported similar marks. Marlene however, was wearing so much black you countless stains. Her cargo were loose fitting but contained many pockets for knives so she liked them. They were laughing with each other as something resembling a Sirius impression judging by their dramatic hair flips and Remus spotted Lily narrowing her eyes at Marlene. If only she knew how infatuated Mary was with her maybe she wouldn’t be so jealous. Sirius had just noticed they were mocking him and how now planted himself in the middle of their conversation to prevent further bullying.
Sirius. Oh Sirius with his tight-fitting green tank top and way too short shorts that Remus had almost fainted when he saw this morning. Sirius seemed to prefer fashion over comfort despite Peter's constant reminders that this was an apocalypse, not London fashion week. Not that Remus was complaining. In front of them, James slung his arm around Peter's shoulders so that in this light you couldn’t tell where one body needed and the other began due to the same coloured long-sleeve tops. Sirius grew bored with Mary and Marlene and returned to the boys, also throwing his arm around Peters shoulder. Lily nudged him “Still staring at Sirius?” She asked. He quickly shook himself out of his trance. “What? No.” He protested but she glared at him with her signature disapproving look. “Ok maybe but-“ she interrupts him before he can finish “Yes I know I won’t tell anyone don’t worry” he sighs with relief.
“Still staring at Mary?” He retorted, desperate to move on and she frowned at him.
“No I’m not, and don’t change the subject!” Ok, ok sorry,” he said raising his hands in admission. She chuckles at him, then softly smiles “You know you might have a chance? Has he ever said he didn’t like boys?”
“No but I think the way he recounts his first kiss in vivid detail every time he is allowed to I think it’s safe to say he’s pretty straight” He tells her, “Hey you never know, at some point, he’ll run out of people in this desperate world, then maybe he’ll turn to men!” She exclaimed in happiness. “Yh maybe” he laughs and Sirius turns around to look at him.“Moony keep it down!” He tells him but smiles as he does. Such a dazzling smile Remus could stare at it for hours. He shook his head. Oh god, he is fucking screwed.