Nowhere Land

Chaos.
Chaos broke out around them.

People were screaming in despair, those who were looking for shelter, those who were searching for their loved ones, those who were gathering a few things to leave far, far, far away.
And most importantly no one could understand anything.
There was panic.
Only panic. The situation seemed like a fever dream, like one of those films someone decided to watch at night, with family and friends, under tons of blankets and a hot chocolate in one hand and the pop corn in the other. But it wasn't a dream, it was the reality. This was happening around them and no one knew what to do, no one was ready, no one had been able to keep their calm, not when you assist to- to- to this.

Something was infecting people. And rather quickly.

It all had started some days before, strange news on the newscast about people who had gone crazy all of a sudden, it was spreading fast and still no one knew how or when. And most importantly no one ever expected to see it in front of his very eyes.

In just over a week, half the world was infected with it, and restrictive measures had already been taken in countries that could afford it, not much, not enough-.

The rest of the world was in shambles.
Everything was burning.
Everything was collapsing. This was the fucking end of the world, the land of no one had come to them, right now there was no place with borders or limitations.

The only thing for sure was that people were out of themselves.
They were going crazy.
They began to attack and bite anyone in their range, running away in fear from whatever their eyes formed.
From whatever shadow of their past they could see.

The houses were being depopulated.
The windows were being smashed.
The cars were crashing into each other.
People fighting each other.
Fathers and mothers against their children.
Brother against brother.

Only fear hovered.
Uncertainty.

"James!" Sirius shouted in despair.
They had been separated by a stream of people who were trying to escape.
He had to find him.
James.
Please not James.
Not his James. Please James couldn't not be infected, please, please, please- "James! James! Where are you? Are you okay?" Just some minutes before they were going to the sport center together to play football and now- now everything seemed so far, gone, slipped away.

Sirius found Remus running towards him, grabbing him by his arms and keeping him still by his side. "Thank god I found you, Sirius." Remus whispered low, over the scream and the crying. Sirius just wanted to collapse in his arms but they weren't done. They still had to look for their other friends. They finally saw James, standing next to his parents, scared, trembling, hugging his mother tightly, the only comfort he could have in that time.

They were only 15 years old and living through the apocalypse.
The one you see in the movies.
The one you saw in your worst nightmares.

They got together with Effie and Monty, when Sirius heard something more chilling.
A scream.
That was calling his name.

"Sirius! Sirius please help me!"
Oh God. How? How did he forget? Oh God please. No. He knew that voice- but please, please, please no. "Sirius! Where are you! Don't leave me! S'il vous plaît!" Regulus.
It was him. He doesn't-
How did Sirius forget about him? "S'il vous plaît!"

Reg, Reg, Reg, where are you?
He turned frantically, brutally pulling Remus' hand from his shoulder.
His brother was calling him.
His brother needed him.

Regulus, where are you?
Sirius felt his breathing become labored, his eyes glazed over.
Sirius needed to find him.
He must find him.
His little brother.
Please, please, please just one more person- Sirius started begging to whatever God was listening to him.

Where?

"Sirius! Please Sirius!"
Another scream.

Where?

"Reg! Where are you I don't see you!" "Please Reg! I'm here! Help me Reg!"

Where? Where? Where?

Sirius ran forward blindly; he had to find him.
He had to find his Reg.
Reg- It doesn't matter, just Regulus, Regulus, Regulus- just him. Not anything else, just him. Run. Run. Run. Reg was waiting for him, was asking for him, was begging for him.

"Here Sirius here! They want to take me away, Sirius! Help me! Please!"

And Sirius finally saw him.
He opened his eyes full of fear.

a bunch of armed soldiers were dragging him away, a scratch running down his cheek, his feet dragging on the ground as he tried to resist them, tears pouring down his terrified eyes, his mouth open in a scream.
Regulus tried to break free from the grip of the two energetic men who were holding him against his will, but he could not.

Too thin and small, a scrawny little child, Regulus was only fourteen years old.
Fourteen years old.
Sirius couldn't lose him.
His little brother.
He was supposed to defend him and instead he forgot about him, they were dragging him away and Sirius didn't think of him, sure he was safe with his parents.

Sirius ran until his lungs hurt but by now they had loaded him onto the wagon along with about 30 other people who were already showing symptoms.
He nearly caught up with him and almost got into the wagon, but was prevented by those fuckers.
But it won't be for long- Sirius sweared to himself. They were not taking his baby brother. Not now, not never.
His brother was there.
A stone's throw away.

Regulus tried to jump down holding out his hands, but they held him still. "Sirius please! Help me!" "I'm here petite etoile, I'm here!"

"Sirius they say I'm infected! They say there's no hope, but I swear, I didn't do anything! I'm not infected please believe me, I don't want to die! I'm okay!" "Please! He's okay, he's alright! Can't you see him?" And then his brother's word ringing in his head.

Die.
No he wouldn't.

Die.
No they couldn't kill him.

Die. Die. Die.
One word.
His world crashing down.

They wanted to kill his brother?

Regulus was only fourteen for God's sake!
He wasn't even sick!
Sirius was about to throw up.
He doesn't-
He couldn't-
Regulus.
His little brother.

"No no Regulus you can't die, it was a mistake he was with me, he wasn't infected," he clung to the wagon again, Regulus trying to grab his hand to escape, eyes full of fear.

"I'm sorry but it's the rules, he was close to an infected person so we don't have a choice. We cannot allow it to spread any further," he said coldly, and Sirius felt a stone in his stomach when he realized there would be no salvation for Regulus.

He doesn't-
Sirius couldn't let that happen.

"Sirius, please," his brother whispered trembling, as if he were his only salvation and maybe right now Sirius was his only salvation, but at the end of the day Sirius could do so little for him. He always took fault for him, the anger of his parents, their wrath but at the end Sirius couldn't do the only thing that mattered. And Regulus was crying so much.
Regulus was so scared.
And so was Sirius.

Sirius could not lose him, didn't want to lose him.
Not his Reg.
He started crying, he had to get in that wagon.
With him.

Sirius would have died with Regulus.

It's both or nothing.

He wouldn't have lived without Regulus.
Him and Regulus.
Always together.
His little brother.
His family.

But just at that moment the wagon took a hole and he slipped away, unable to hold on. He fell on the ground, tears forming in his eyes. He had lost.

"Sirius! Sirius!"
"Please! Please! Take me with you! Take me in! I'll die with him, please! S'il vous plaît!" "Sirius! Non-" Regulus tried for the last time to break free.
But he couldn't. He had no strength left in him.

Regulus abandoned himself in his seat, between the two armed guards.
As if life had already left him.
As if he was hopeless.
As if he was desperate. And probably Regulus was. There was nothing else to do anymore.

And Sirius couldn't get up.

So he saw the wagon go away.

His brother went straight to his end.

His last look that would haunt him forever. "I'm sorry Regulus."