vienna
The screaming has started back up. Ear splitting screams that stop as suddenly as they began. Sirius feels tingles down his arms every time another voice cries out. And every time, he prays it’s not Regulus.
He wants to help them. He wishes there was something he could do.
Sirius still isn’t sure exactly what has infected them. On the lady from the woods, her neck was clearly bitten. Still, Sirius wasn’t ready to jump to the conclusion that it’s what has caused her death.
It was nearing nightfall: not that you could tell. The sky was a blood orange still. There were no clouds. If you squinted, you could see the moon hanging in the sky. Ironically, the moon was the only thing that reassured Sirius he wasn’t dead. Sirius is still alive.
In the backpack taken from the lady, there was a blanket, of course. Sirius emptied the contents of the bag onto the spread blanket. At first glance, you could see a flashlight, a few granola bars, plenty of face masks, and an old ID card.
Sirius put the food and masks back into the bag and brought the facemask up into his hand. He flipped it over, interested in who the woman was.
Pomona Sprout. Head of Deadly Security at the Phoenix. Specializes in Herbs and Botany.
The plump woman was smiling in the camera. Her face was full of color and her eyes were shining. She looked five years younger than the lady Sirius saw before. This is the first death Sirius had witnessed first-hand. Sirius felt sick. Sirius was scared. Sirius was still alone.
Even trapped in the falling leaves, Sirius was shaking. He had run after his brother, not so far behind. He was nowhere. Sirius wishes now he had paid more attention to the bodies he was running past. He should have checked.
But it’s too late.
He just needs to hope that Regulus is okay. Just hope that he’s safe.
Regulus and Sirius had a chance to escape. A chance to leave the torture and find solace in a family that wanted them. Saw them as their own. They were too cowardly. Sirius was too cowardly.
James. James Potter.
If there was any peace of mind, it would be in knowing James is safe. James is safe and he’s with Marlene and Peter. They are all safe.
He doesn’t care about his own safety. He cares for Regulus.
Sirius grabs the bag and the blanket, bringing himself over to the nearest tree. He will get back up soon and continue looking for Regulus. He plops himself into the dirt, putting the backpack in his lap and draping the blanket over himself. His leans his head against the tree, scraping his hair against the bark.
Sirius was standing in his bedroom. His hair was soft and fell perfectly on his shoulders. His clothes were tailored just right- fitting exactly around his chest and falling just at his ankles. He was a Black. There was a scar on the left side of his face, leading from the cheekbone down to his jaw. It used to be red and gushing blood, then turned pink and textured.
When Sirius looked in the mirror, that was all he could see. The Blacks were notorious for their elegance. Everything from their eyebrows to their fingernails were perfect. Not a single blemish in sight. Now, the scar was a permanent reminder of how Sirius stood out from the family. How different he was.
And he always will be.
That’s when it started, really- being left out. At one point, Sirius was included in his parent’s blood meetings. Family from all over the city met in the foyer; discussing what they know. Ranging from deranged ideologies on the unfortunate to the absurd plans for the future
When Sirius had stumbled into Regulus’ room to find it empty, he crept down the stairs as softly as he could. His socks slipped on the steps, only making noise when the boards creaked. At the bottom, he could hear the hushed whispers of his family down below. Sirius strained to hear, hoping to hear nothing from Regulus.
“It’s here sooner than we expected.” Orion’s voice had a rumble that accompanies it. It’s gruff and octaves lower than anyone else they know.
“Do you know when?” The voice was not immediate family, but was recognized as his cousin, Narcissa. There was complete silence, just for a moment. A brief, uneasy moment.
“Within the next months.” More silence followed. Everyone, including Sirius, let the information settle.
“Do you have a plan? What are the-,”
“Sirius?” the hushed whisper comes from right behind him, and Sirius nearly jumps out of his skin.
“Jesus, Reggie. You scared the shit out of me. I thought you with them downstairs.” Sirius looks up at him through the banister and walks up the stairs softly to meet him.
Regulus looks confused. “Who’s downstairs?”
“Not sure, I didn’t really get to look. Heard Cissy though.”
“Hm, Well I suppose her sickly husband is here, then.”
Sirius scoffs, a smile on his face, “I suppose you are right, Mr. Black. Astute observation.”
Regulus straightens his shoulders, “Ah, Mr. Black, I deeply appreciate that.”
“But seriously, they are talking about something. Something big.”
“What, like bad?” Regulus’ smile slips from his face and he stares into Sirius’ eyes.
“Hey, woah. No need to freak out. We got each other’s back. We’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course. You’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
-
The three had found themselves in the living room. Peter’s eyes were periodically closing, his blinks becoming slower and slower, until they just closed completely. Marlene had been watching him begin to doze off and got up slowly from the couch. She went to the woven basket in the corner of the room, picking up a blanket and softly placing it over him.
She stared at him an extra moment longer, hesitant to take her eyes off him. “Night, Pete.” If you weren’t listening for it, it might have gone unheard. But James heard it, and he felt himself get a little choked. There was a lump in his throat, and his eyes were starting to burn.
James just kept breathing. Now was not the time to cry. “You think Sirius is alright?”
Marlene looks solemn, “I don’t know.” There’s the same quiet, delicate tone she used just moments ago. “His parents have never liked him. Beaten half to death- you’ve seen it. Who’s to say they didn’t just chuck him out?”
“God, Marlene. Don’t say things like that.”
“You asked. And now isn’t the time to lie to each other. We need to prepare for the worst. You know- hold on to what we still have.”
“He’s not dead Marlene. He’s not.” His voice was hard like he’s never heard it. It almost startled him. But it didn’t. Not really, anyway. This was Sirius. He’s not dead. What a stupid thing to say.
“I miss my mom, ya’ know? Times like this, I just wish she could be here. My dad too, of course. But he died long before my mom did.”
James sighs and rubs his face, “She’s here, with you. Maybe it’s better, in a way, that she doesn’t have to watch the world go to shit.”
Marlene smiles a little, slipping her foot under her thigh. “Maybe you’re right. She’d hate stuff like this. She’d get all freaked out and probably dig a little bunker beneath the house.” She laughs fondly, as if she pictures her mother with the shovel. “My dad though, he’d probably think this was funny. He’d say something like ‘this is a big conspiracy theory created by the government.”
The impersonation of her father’s voice is cute in a ‘little kid copying her dad’ way. That’s the thing, isn’t it? They’re all just kids. This isn’t normal, it’s not supposed to end this way.
They sit for a minute, thinking of the people who aren’t here. James turns to face Marlene, who’s staring at the wall. “It’s weird to think that the three of us are gonna die together. You, me and Pete, facing our final days together.”
“It is weird, isn’t it? I wish Sirius was here. You have no idea.”
“Think I do, yeah.”
“He’d probably shower every ten minutes and never let his hair get dirty.”
James laughs, “He’d have eaten our whole food supply by now. Never full.”
Marlene slaps him. “No. Never full. He’d probably make me braid his hair, and he’d braid mine. Him and Pete would play cards. We probably would have a pillow fort in here.”
“He’s okay. He’s gotta be okay.”
Marlene exhales deeply, “He’s a fighter, that one. He can survive anything.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Marlene seems thoughtful for a moment, then exhales deeply. “Night, James.” The room is decidedly tense.
“G’night Marles.”
James lays back against his pillow and doesn’t say another word as he begins to fall asleep; hopeful; it will be over when he wakes.
“It wouldn’t be that bad, would it? You know- if you stayed here.”
Sirius smiles sadly, taking James’ hand into his own, “Would be great, really. But you know I can’t leave Regulus.”
“Bring him with you! Mom loves Regulus.”
Sirius rubs his thumb over James’ knuckles. “He’d never leave. Kreacher- you know.”
“Still can’t believe that’s his real last name.”
“Poor guy.”
James smiles and pushes Sirius’ shoulder. “I mean it though. I worry about you.”
Sirius smiles and punches James softly in the leg, “Ah, no need. I’m- I’m alright.”
“Yeah. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Sirius smiles sadly and lays flat on the bed. “When Reg’s a little older- maybe a few years, I’ll get a flat. Just me and him. You can live next door and Pete can live with his mom nearby. Marlene will bring whatever girlfriend she has over. We’ll be a happy family.”
“You mean after this?” James scans him skeptically.
Sirius scoffs, “Who knows if this is even real? How can you plan the end of the world? Isn’t that like… a suicide mission?”
“It’s real, Sirius. Mom and Dad have been talking about it too. Plus, I mean- the higher ups probably have some escape plan, ya’ know?”
“What, like a ticket to Mars?”
“Ooh, Life on Mars.” James pokes Sirius in his ribs.
“You don’t even like Bowie.” Sirius laughs manically as he gets tickled by his brother.
“Who says?”
“You, dumbass.”
James sticks his tongue out and moves to lay next to Sirius on the bed. “I still worry about you. Both of you. All the time. Reg is only a year younger than you, but you are all he has. He is always welcome here.”
“I worry for him too. He doesn’t get hit though. They love him.”
“Their version of love is not real love.”
“Yeah well,” Sirius shrugs, “It’s all we got.”
-
Lily was on a mission.
No one in the neighborhood had any idea what was going on, and she was going to figure it out.
She packed a bag. She knew once she left her home, she’d be fending for herself. Lily was ready to fight to survive. Kill to make it out. It had started simple. Walking the trail to the other side of town, intent on seeing what the upper-class neighborhood looked like. How it compared to the neighborhood of her own.
She had walked on the sidewalk, intentionally ignoring the alarming number of lifeless bodies on the floor. It had been silent then. No more ringing alarms or rustling of the wind. No patter of footsteps. It seemed like anything that came down this path met the same fate. The neighborhood looked as though it was any other day.
There was no blood, as if the sidewalk couldn’t possibly be tainted by it. All the lights were off. Most of the houses she had passed looked empty, hopefully not cleared out by something else. There wasn’t a single car in anyone’s driveway. All of it was unnecessarily nerve wracking. Why isn’t there any sign of life anywhere? Where are all the cars?
Why is there no blood?
Lily stared at the giant living quarters- housing the exceptionally fortunate. She was just about to continue her path when she heard a groan from behind her. The groan seemed loud in the deafening silence. Lily, resourceful as she is, couldn’t place where the sound was coming from. She turned around, looking in the direction where the noise came from. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
She heard another grumbled moan, and saw that just down the sidewalk, one of the bodies had begun to shift. One of them wasn’t dead yet.
She didn’t hesitate to run back down the street, yelling her concerns down the street. “Are you alright?”
“I’m almost there!”
“I want to help you!”
The body hadn’t moved since she saw it shift the first time, and she wondered if she made the whole thing up in her head. “Sir? Are you okay?” She leaned down next to the still body, face up on the pavement. Lily kept her hands away from the body, searching with her eyes for the usual rise and fall of a breathing chest. Up close, she could see the eyes, iris and pupil gone, pure white. Dark, black veins trailing from the eyelashes to the center of his cheeks.
Lily had never seen anything like it. She could have screamed from pure disgust alone. But it had nothing on what she saw next. Stepping around the body, she made her way to the other side. She let her knees hit the ground, extending her neck to take a closer look.
On his left arm, was a gaping hole. There was no dried blood around the area. In fact, it seemed as though it hadn’t disrupted the body at all.
The wound itself was just as pulsing. It revealed the muscle and tendons hidden beneath the top layer of skin. Said muscles and tendons are just as black as the veins under his eyes. The man shifts again making lily jump back in surprise. “H-hello?” It wavers as she speaks, and it comes out softly.
This time, the groan comes out more as a gurgle. Red mucus spits out of the man’s mouth, as he lays there lifeless. Lily begins to back away slowly; cautiously. He isn’t breathing, his chest isn’t moving, he’s dead.
Lily’s eyes are wide, unmoving. She’s watching, waiting for something to happen. She can hear her heart thrumming in her ears.
He blinks.
She watches his eyelids close then reopen. There is nothing in his eyes but pure white. She hears another groan, this one, coming from ahead.
Lily startles, wasting no time. She grabs her bag from the floor and runs backwards from the groaning noises of the undead, and straight into the woods.
Step after step. Branches and leaves crunching under her boot. She runs until all she can see are trees, not another person in sight. She’s tired, she knows it’s night, but the sky still glows an eerie orange color, letting her know that it’s not safe yet, she can’t let her guard down.
Lily continues trudging her way deeper into the forest, only hearing leaves crunch under her feet, only hearing silence. Being oblivious is what gets people killed, not the forest itself.
She almost forgot why she came out here in the first place. Being friends with only one other person creates a lot of codependency. Especially in her connection with her best friend, Remus. She hadn’t seen him this last week. She hasn’t gotten a phone call, text message or a knock at her door. She considered dropping by his house but decided against it for fear of freaking out the Lupin’s.
In a trance-like state, Lily continues to put one foot in front of the other. Crunch after crunch after-
Crunch
Lily felt it before she saw it. The sound of the snapping bone. The squelching noise that accompanied her boot braking through the flesh. Lily squeezes her eyes shut, her head still facing the sky. She knows that if she looks down, she’s not going to like what she sees.
She’s standing on the arm of a body, a woman. She is round and short. Her face is contorted in fear, not pain. Lily lifts her boot slowly off the woman. Chanting phrases of apologies in her mind. I am so sorry. I am so sorry. The arm twitches from the wrist down, just below where she had stepped.
Once again, Lily noticed that even though she broke skin, there was no blood. Not on her neck or on her arm. Realistically, if the woman was dead, she wouldn’t be bleeding. But if she was dead; She wouldn’t be moving.
Her clothes are covered and dirt. Her hair is caked and matted. It looks as though someone had moved her, as her arms lay in an unnatural position. The woman is dead. Lily is certain. But she is alive.
Lily isn’t interested in being around if the woman moves. She just wants to turn around and continue walking, find out what caused this. Find someone, anyone that is breathing and real. Lily is starting to miss how simple her life was. She used to hate the same routine with the same people, going to the same place. If she could, she would pretend her and Remus are walking to school, like they always do. Remus’ arm around her shoulder, sharing an earbud.
But she can’t pretend, the woods won’t let her. Every step is another reminder. She continues walking as the treetops start to close in casting shadows onto the grass, making it darker and harder to see. She knows it’s going to be more difficult to navigate where she’s going soon, but right now she doesn’t have time to stop. She doesn’t even have an end destination, her only goal is to help herself and those who are still alive.
Lily starts to slow her movements; she needs to pace herself. Nothing is after her, she is alone, but she can’t let her guard down. Whatever is happening to these people is happening fast. She needs more supplies; she can’t live for long off what she has. She’s going to need water soon, then food, then shelter.
Every path in the woods looks endless. She can’t see any city lights peeking through the trees or any sign of life. There aren’t any streams for water. Animals for food. There was nothing. She must be deeper than she thought. But she trudges on through whichever direction her feet take her, trusting her intuition to guide her.
As she walks, Lily starts to become hyper aware of every sound near her. She desperately strains to hear the hoot of an owl or focus the crack of the leaves she is stepping on, the sound of the wind in the trees. There’s nothing to hear besides her own panting breaths That’ll do. Anything but the grunt or crack of another body; there’s already been too many since the sirens ended.
Lily keeps walking. When your alone, with nothing to bore your senses, your mind starts to play tricks on you. She swore she could hear the laughter of her mother just moments ago, a few strides before that, she thought Remus was walking along next to her.
She quickly snaps herself out of it. She must stay focused.
I miss home.
Lily thought she was imagining the bird in the sky. Imagining things again. The owl stopped high on the branch, dangling just feet ahead of her. She can tell it watching her; she is the only thing to watch. Lily looks right back at it, daring it to make a noise, to come closer.
The owl turns, almost signaling her to look to her right.
Against the tree, lays a young boy. Poor thing.
The boy looks around her age, if not younger. He was leaning against the tree, blanket in his lap. Daring as Lily is, she decides she will take the blanket. Not like he’s using it. She approaches slowly, cautiously.
Her hand goes down to grab the blanket.
She hears the breathing before she sees it.
They’re not dead.
Lily almost cries with glee. This person is alive. He’s breathing.
They’re alive.
The boy on the grass is beginning to stir, and Lily is beaming.