breezeblocks
Dorcas knew more than most. They knew exactly what the alarms meant. She knew what was out there. And they knew what it wanted. They hadn’t been scared, not really. She believed that everything happened for a reason: believed that when it was your time to go, you know, and you must face it head on. So, they locked themselves in, preparing for the worst, allowing their mind to wander as far as she wished, only reeling themselves back in when it was time to focus on something else.
Every scenario she played in her mind was different, but none of them included Mary. She had come round to Dorcas’ door, rhythmically knocking in a way that only Mary would. Dorcas wanted to send her away. Tell her to get to safety and leave them here to die. She didn’t.
The first siren had just finished, and Mary was standing at her door; tears trailing down her cheeks. “I’m scared.”
That was enough for Dorcas. Not caring about your future does not inhibit your sympathy for those you love. Mary has always done the same for them; putting Dorcas’ safety and protection above her own. And if this is their last time taking care of each other, Dorcas is going to go big. They didn’t have a plan. The duo had scarcely talked, as Mary packed some of her own things out of the spare corner of Dorcas’ closet. Fleetingly, Dorcas imagined saying goodbye to her apartment, not knowing if she’d ever see it again. The only thing they knew was that Mary had a car and they needed to leave. So that’s what they did.
“Where are we going?” Dorcas doesn’t know why they asked. They didn’t really want to know. Mary drove with this unnatural confidence. Her head was raised, and she controlled the car as if the road was pathed for her.
“I am trusting my instincts, I guess.” Her voice, unlike before, was sturdy and unwavering. Ominous, Dorcas thought. She did wonder what changed for Mary. Did deciding to leave mean that much to her? Did being in the car with Dorcas provide some security for her? Dorcas didn’t know. The two didn’t speak much after that, and neither of them reached to put on music. Perhaps, they were too focused on where they ended up, rather than the ride there. The only sound was the gentle roar of the engine, as they accelerated down the unlit streets.
Dorcas didn’t know what they were supposed to expect; bodies, signs of life, boarded up windows. There was nothing. It looked as though the town was abandoned long ago. Dorcas watched the houses and buildings. The lights were off, the windows were closed. There weren’t any cars patrolling, no matter how far they drove, it was fend for yourself. And every single gas station was empty, once you ran out you were done.
Her thoughts began to wander again, and she let them. They imagined the car beginning to slow to a stop, blocked by some supernatural force. In their mind, they could see the fear slowly resonated over Mary’s face. “What’s happening?” Mary whispered, voice shaking again. Her hands were gripping the steering wheel so intently that her knuckles were blooming white. Dorcas didn’t respond, only stared straight ahead, towards the empty streets, lit by the orange-hued sky.
The thoughts that followed were not as innocent, if you could consider the first lighthearted. She didn’t flinch when she imagined the snap of their own neck. Didn’t feel fear when she pictured an oozing bite on the center of her torso.
Real fear only came when she pictured a gruesome end for Mary. Flashes on red were all she could see on Mary’s clothes as she struggled to take a breath. Dorcas imagined being crouched next to her, gripping her hand as she watched the light fade from her eyes.
They drove like that for an undocumented amount of time, Dorcas thinking too much and Mary not thinking at all. They were in a new area—only noticed by the welcome sign posted in the grass. It was just as lifeless- if not more so: the trees were decaying, almost as though the town hadn’t seen rain in months. The sky was darker here, and Dorcas wondered foolishly if they had entered a new time zone.
“Dorcas,” Mary’s voice came a shock, and the tone was unnerving. They looked in the direction of Mary’s gaze and felt bile stick in their throat. Just off in the distance, a boy, just about their age was huddled in the corner, laying on an old blanket. He had a bag of stuff just off to the side. His knees were drawn up to his chest, and his eyes were bulging out of his head. He was alive, that much was certain. Besides the obvious that this was the first life source they had seen in days, it was chilling to realize he wasn’t alone.
On each side of him, was the slow shuffle of human figures. Their hair was matted, and their clothes were caked in dirt. The boy on the ground was frozen in fear. He was outnumbered. “Stop the car!” Dorcas hissed, and Mary slammed on the break. “Stay here.”
Mary hit the child lock button on her side of the car in a panic. “What the fuck are you doing?” Her eyes were scanning back in forth between Dorcas and the unprotected boy.
“Mary, unlock the car.” Dorcas’s voice was clipped in a way they were sure Mary had never heard, and she heard the click of the door unlocking. “Stay here.” Dorcas said again, before practically jumping out of the car. Dorcas tapped her pocket, making sure her pocketknife was still there, unsure of how trusty it could be against the unknown.
The boy on the ground had to have heard the slam of the car door, but he didn’t look up. Whatever coming his way couldn’t make his current situation worse. “Hey!” They yelled, but the bodies didn’t turn around. Finally, she met eyes with the boy on the ground, and thought they saw the look of hope cross his features.
Up close, the smell of death was so strong it almost knocked her back. All Dorcas knew was that she had to put space between the two. She didn’t know what would happen if she touched them, but her natural instinct was to protect. She grabbed the blade from her pocket, and flicked it open quickly. They reveled in the satisfaction of the flip from the blade and ran head strong towards the scene. Dorcas didn’t process cutting flesh till she heard it. The thick squelch of tearing skin. When she removed their blade, there was no blood. The figure turned towards her, and they hadn’t been prepared for the look of them. Their faces were unlike anything human: it was almost purple, with deep, dark blotches of black, rotting flesh. Their eyes, probably once lifelike and real, were now fully yellow, rotted from the pupil outwards. Their skin had raised pustules filled with something moving: it rolled in the pocket, almost as if it was filled with bugs. It was sick. It was inhumane.
The boy, with the attention off him, quickly stood up and ran to stand next to them. The other three bodies began pushing their legs to move. It was as though they had lost full control of their muscles. Next to her, they saw him step forward, kicking his foot into the knee of the undead. Instead of falling over, the leg simply snapped and the damage point. They heard him gasp, and suddenly Dorcas knew what they had to do. Quickly, she tossed the boy the blade and ran towards the one at the front. It growled low in its throat, almost demonically.
Her blood went cold: from the nape of their neck to the tips of their toes. The growl was foreign in her ears. They took another step forward anyways and tried to remember what her aunt had taught her. Grip under the chin and behind the head, twist up and to the left. Wait for the snap. So she did. She moved behind the one sectioned off from the rest and placed her hand on the nape of his neck and the other on his chin. They almost hesitated before in one quick movement, the neck snapped. Snapped off. There was a lifeless head in her arms. Dorcas was so preoccupied with keeping her adrenaline under control, she forgot about Mary in the car.
Mary. Stubborn, kindhearted Mary. Of course, when Mary watched what happened, she threw caution to the wind, and hurried to Dorcas’ aid. Perhaps, in another life, Dorcas would have turned around in a fury, demanding Mary to get back in the car. It would be for not. Mary was capable of making her own decisions, and nothing Dorcas could say would change her mind.
“Dorcas, we need to go.” She was out of breath from running- Dorcas could see the lack of color in her face and the way her hands were gripping the bottom of her shirt. “Please, please.” She repeated it like a mantra, and Dorcas looked to make eye contact with the tall boy.
“He’s coming with us.” Dorcas said it with so much authority, he would have been foolish to say no. He looked at the corner with his stuff, then back to the two of them.
“I have nowhere to go.” He whispered, “I was prepared to die.” Dorcas realized foolishly that he had been living here. Mary startled hard and grabbed their hands, pulling them to the car quickly, checking behind them at the undead.
The monsters didn’t seem to be a threat. The question was where they came from, and what their purpose was.
The car had a quarter tank left when Mary turned it back on, the only options to drive on was the straightforward for as long as the road would let them.
Mary looked over at her, panicked, “Cas, what was that?”
Dorcas couldn’t answer, the boy behind them piped up. “Zombies I heard. The bites, the slow movements, fragile bones… Makes sense, don’t it?”
“Zombies? What’s your name?” Mary turned around the face him in the back seat.
“Remus. What about you two?”
“I’m Mary, that’s Dorcas. We drove here from Channel Side.”
Remus lets out a puff of air. “Channel Side. Far drive. You’re in the Hallows now”
Mary doesn’t have anything to say to that. She looks at Dorcas for a few seconds before putting the car in drive and taking off towards the road very quickly. Remus and Dorcas shared a look of surprise, and Remus quickly put his seatbelt on. “Mary, where are we going?”
Mary turned to her suddenly, jerking the car slightly. “Peter.”
Dorcas looked out the windows of the car, checking all their surroundings, but it was just them. There wasn’t a single other person out there, no one jumping up and down to stop them. “Mary what, I don’t see anyone.”
“No, no.” She repeats a bit manically. “I have an old friend Peter. He lives in Hallows. I know how to get there when I can find a street I recognize. I promise.”
Dorcas looks back at Remus again, sharing the same look of confusion.
Dorcas took a deep breathe, “Trust your instincts.
-
-
-
-
-
Even though the sky was still orange, he knew it was morning. James could always tell; it was one of the perks of being a morning person. He used to love the sunrise, watching the morning colors shift from purple, to pink, then to an orange. This time was different. His schedule was ruined; no morning runs and making breakfast. No tiptoeing through the house, careful not to wake his parents. Things were different- very different. He couldn’t go outside and watch the sunrise, he couldn’t go on a run, he couldn’t even say good morning to his parents. But James still knew it was morning.
Marlene and Peter were both passed out on the couch, slightly snuggled together, neither of them had been able to make it to a bed last night. Their heads were filled with ‘what ifs?” and worries of their future. James had heard them awaken last night. He heard them talk and comfort each other. He just listened. His mom always called him a listener, a mediator. He always thought that was one of the better parts of him and he knew he got it from her. James absorbed the comfort as if it was made for him, but it wasn’t.
They were both still sleeping, and that was fine. James is grateful they are sleeping. Glad that they could. In the meantime, he let himself think. His family, his friends, his future. The world would never be the same. Too much damage had been done. All that was left to do was wait.
James never liked waiting.
He was standing in the kitchen; the view of the couch was just visible. The room was quiet, but James’ thoughts were loud.
His parents hadn’t contacted him yet. He had no idea where they were or what they were doing. He had no idea what was happening outside these walls. No idea if Sirius was okay or if his parents were ever going to make it home or-
Three hard knocks sounded at the door. All the blood in James’ body went cold. He was holding his breath, hoping that the sound was in his head; no one would be stupid enough to knock on a stranger’s door in the middle of panic. Especially not now. Especially when he knew what could be out there. What could be knocking.
James knew it was real, when a groggy, but shaken, Marlene and Peter walked into the kitchen.
“What the fuck was that?” Marlene whispered, clutching onto the collar of Peter’s shirt.
“Open it and find out-,”
Another hard set of knocks came, and all three of them jumped with the rasps. James stood up off the counter, making his way towards the front door. Marlene and Peter trailed behind, grabbing onto each other tightly.
“I’m going to open it now.”
Marlene kicks him in the shin. “Ask who’s there first.” Her voice was shaking but her face was impassive.
“Um, who’s there?”
There’s a pause before they answer. He shouldn’t have even asked; they should have just left it. Someone could break in, something could break in. What if they got hurt, what if they di-
“It’s Regulus.”
It was a whimper, almost a cry.
It was Regulus.
James was rushing to the door before Marlene and Peter could even react. He didn’t care that it might not be him, that someone could be lying, that maybe this could all be in his head. His hand was on the doorknob before he knew it, he started twisting and pulling all their locks open as quickly as he could, he was too impatient for this. Marlene grabbed his shoulder to pull him back right as he tried to open the door, they were saying something, but he couldn’t tell what.
He ripped open the door and it was almost like he was looking at Sirius. His eyes went to look behind Regulus for Sirius, but he wasn’t there. And that’s when it hit him. Looking at Regulus Black, bruised and scraped, it was a long journey from his house, but he wasn’t with Sirius. He wasn’t with Sirius.
But he couldn’t say that because Regulus was here.
He looked at Regulus and under normal circumstances Regulus wouldn’t hug, he wouldn’t touch, he avoided contact at all costs. But this wasn’t normal circumstances, so James rushed forward, and he hugged Regulus. Regulus was hugging him back and that wasn’t normal, the only person Regulus would ever hug was Sirius. Sirius wasn’t here.
“James let them inside and lock the door.” Marlene was still huddled next to Peter when she said it, still unnerved by the original knock.
James looked up and noticed there was a figure behind Regulus at the back of the porch. There was a tall, older looking man standing there, he stayed back but he looked defensive, almost protective. And that’s when James recognized the man as Kreacher. The Back brother’s had Kreacher through everything; to give them dinner, to drop them off at school, to help them with homework. To do everything their parents wouldn’t. James had only met him once before, but he’d appreciated him.
He didn’t realize how long he was lost in thought for before he remembered they were outside and that they weren’t safe behind a door. “Okay, erm- please come inside.”
They both stumbled inside and James went through every precaution to lock them in. Marlene and Peter still looked wary. They knew Regulus, they knew him as Sirius’s brother. They had seen him at school, but never really met him. Right now there were two new people in a house that had only been occupied by them and a man that only James had seen before.
“Have you heard from Sirius?”, “Where is Sirius?”, James and Regulus asked in synchronicity.
The air stilled- James let out a shaky breath. No one knew where he was. “Was he- was he not at your house with you when it happened.”
Regulus’s eyes were wide in horror, like slowly processed what James gut was telling him all along. No one knew where Sirius was. “We were both together when it happened. We didn’t fully know what it was, but we got separated I guess.” He took a breath, “Well I don’t know if we fully got separated, he ran after me, but I didn’t stop. I don’t know if my parents let him back in.”
“Regulus just start from the beginning, why he wouldn’t be at home?”
Regulus looked around at them, everyone was looking at him. Marlene and Peter sitting close to each other, unsettled, and Kreacher standing in the corner but kept Regulus in his immediate line of sight. James and Regulus in the middle.
“Well, we heard the first sirens you know, and my parents tried to make Kreacher leave. I don’t know why- you know he’s always been there, I knew he had nowhere to go. I didn’t even realize how far out I’d run. I think I saw Sirius behind me for a second. Then he wasn’t there, and I was with Kreacher.”
He paused for a second to catch his breath, when no one said anything, he continued. “We tried to knock on the door to the house, but no one answered. But if Sirius was there… if he was there, he would have made them open the door. So, me and Kreacher kept going and we tried to find somewhere to stay but it’s an absolute ghost town out there an- so we ended up here.”
James didn’t have anything to say. If he wasn’t at the house, then where was he? He hoped Sirius was on his way here. Peter finally spoke up, “We are glad you’re here. Both of you.”
Regulus needed to stay here, he would be safe and James knew that’s what Sirius would want. He wouldn’t want them risking their lives to go out and find him, James knew he would come to them or at least find a way to tell them he’s okay.
“Yeah, that sounds good for now Pete.”
Regulus’ presence made James anxious. If Sirius was home, there was no one there to keep him safe. If he wasn’t, he was out there somewhere. He selfishly wishes Sirius had shown up instead.
-
-
There was a light fog spreading through the trees as Lily and Sirius walked, determined to reach some sort of checkpoint or indication that they were making progress. They had yet to run into another infected person or whatever they became. It was quiet, other than Sirius kicking a rock as he trudged along, the lack of other human life made the solitude eerie but overall peaceful. That was until Sirius lit up in the silence, “Do you hear that?”
All she heard was the crunch of leaves and Sirius’s rock, “Hear what?”
He stood there for a second, completely still, not making a single sound, just listening. And that was when Lily heard it too, a soft rustling sound. No not a rustling sound, the sound of running water. It was distant but it was there.
Sirius was smiling when Lily looked at him and her face mirrored his; smiling ear to ear, eyes full of hope, “It’s a stream.”
They both started walking again, picking up their pace, not being able to contain their excitement. It was a short walk when they finally saw it. It was a small creak, but it was fresh running water, and it would be enough.
When Lily looked over at Sirius though, he had a strict look on his face. “Is something wrong. This is good right? Like really good.”
Sirius stared at the water for a second, clear and uncontaminated, before letting his gaze drift up and through the trees, thinking about something. When he suddenly looked back at her, a grin split his face, “I recognize it, where we are!”
“Do you thi- does this mean we can get somewhere; do you know somewhere near here?”
“Yeah, I think I do. I mean it’s a bit of a walk, it’ll probably take us a while, but I know where we are. We’re not completely lost.” His smile didn’t drop once as he spoke.
Lily stared back at him for a second, trying to leave the state of shock she’d been in since they heard the water. A place to go, maybe a house, people, living people. She was hesitant when she spoke, not wanting to upset him, “I don’t mean to be blunt but are you sure their still…there?” She tried to phrase it decently, not wanting to ask the obvious question, Are you sure their still alive.
But Sirius didn’t take offence, he didn’t even seem to be hurt at all by the question, if anything he looked more confident. “I’m sure James is still kicking it. Positive.” He smiled, “Nothing could put him down if they tried.”
“What about Remus? What about your brother?” Sirius’ smile did faulter then. He stared down at the stream.
“I don’t know.”
The odds of finding their missing counterparts was a shot in the dark. Was it worth the risk.
Anything for Regulus Black.