Similar Shadows

Regulus didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into, but he knew it wouldn’t end pretty. Taking a kid across some of the most infected parts of Texas was the most daring expedition yet, and it made him question if Dorcas and him had already lost their minds before the age of 50. They had lost it years ago, what was he kidding? This trip was just like the rest Regulus thought, except they were taking a boy who Regulus couldn’t look at without collapsing inside. He regretted agreeing with Dorcas the second he saw the boy again after their conversation in the hallway. Every time he looked at Harry, he froze up. It was like standing next to a time travel device and every time he looked at him, he was taken back 16 years ago.

It was after the initial outbreak, after the first couple of years when the infection spread like wildfire and no place was really safe. Regulus never stayed in one area for too long back then. Nobody that needed to live did. Everybody lived from place to place and if you didn’t watch where you tread and whose land you tread on, you got infected or had a bullet lodged in the back of your brain. It had been a few months after Pandora’s death when he had stayed with Narcissa.

After Pandora’s death, Regulus was left with her daughter Luna and if it wasn’t for the fact that Luna depended on him Regulus wouldn’t have made it to Narcissa’s camp or even 10 feet away from where Pandora had died. Pandora was taken down by a group of raiders if they even deserve that title. They were more of a group of drunks and addicts who wanted drugs or alcohol anybody had. They had jumped Pandora and Regulus after one of their trips, they had managed to chase the two into one of the city's closed-off areas where they robbed them of their cargo and of their lives. After Pandora’s death, Regulus stopped dealing, he couldn’t have Luna lose the last person who loved her.

They moved back to Regulus’ first home, Texas where they camped anywhere away from the infected til they made it to the FEDRA camp.
Regulus was foolish for ever thinking there was true safety there, but for a few months, he did. He was given a one-bedroom apartment and got random jobs to keep Luna fed. He even bought a flower painting of a poppy that Luna picked out when they went out to look at the street seller’s shops. But that one-bedroom apartment with the poppy painting never got to be truly lived in. It was never decorated with decor collected over the years or Luna’s drawings.

The apartment was never stepped foot in after June 25th, 2007. Regulus had gotten home late that night, he took extra hours on the trading ports, they had been running low of money for the past couple of months and a few extra hours couldn’t hurt.

He slowly walked into the apartment and set down his bags, Luna got out of the camp’s school in the afternoon and usually helped babysit the littler kids while Regulus was still at work. He walked past the apartment's small kitchen to the sofa the blond-haired girl was sleeping on. Regulus gently grabbed one of the blankets that lay throughout the apartment and placed it upon Luna. He, then slowly walked to the other room to check the radio. He should have checked the radio at least. As he went to turn the switch, he heard a rustling from the main room.

“Uncle Reggie?” a small tired voice called.
“Luna, what are you doing up?” Regulus replied back, turning away from the radio and walking back into the main room.
“I need to give you something, come here,” she mumbled back, yawning as she patted the spot beside her on the couch.
“You can show me tomorrow Luna,” Regulus said, as he sat next to the small girl.
“Oh, cmon give you your birthday gift after your birthday? You know I won’t allow that!” Luna said, as she reached over to the side table and pulled something out from under it.
“When did I- how do you know it's my birthday?” Regulus said, already knowing that Pandora probably told her.
“Mom Duh, she always made sure our birthdays were celebrated and now it is my job to make sure yours is,” the girl exclaimed. Regulus would never tell anyone but in that moment his heart melted. He didn't know how he managed to get so lucky to be able to have lived and loved Pandora and Lun
“Hm, you have a point but I don’t know if you’ll be able to top her gifts,” Reg teased back, leaning in to look at the brightly packaged present. Luna had covered it in colored-over newspaper.
“Open it,” Luna impatiently said as she handed the small package over to Reg.

Regulus neatly peeled away at the paper before revealing a green locket. Regulus’ breath stopped, it was his father's necklace from years ago.He had given it to Regulus on his 16th birthday. It was the first and last time his father appeared at one of the parties his mother threw. His father was a distant man and was rarely home, too busy sleeping with other women to be able to sleep at home with his kids Regulus had always thought. Of course, the necklace had broke years before, the chain had snapped in half and Regulus didn’t have the time or money to fix it at the time.

“You always carry it with you and I thought you might be able to finally use it if I got it fixed for you,”

“Really? I mean I think the chain might have disconnected from the-” Regulus said,squinting at the locket’s chain.
“What! I paid for Silveria to fix it!” Luna exclaimed before grasping the locket, trying to find the break.
“Oh that is so not funny Uncle Reggie!” the girl finally said, throwing the necklace back at him after realizing Regulus was only joking. Regulus chuckled as he unclipped the locket and placed it around his neck.
“How’d you even find the money to get this fixed?” Regulus asked, after putting the locket around his neck..
“By selling hardcore drugs of course,” Luna sarcastically joked back.
“Wonderful, now I can stop working and rely on my niece's drug dealing,” Regulus said back, “But you can be a drug dealer tomorrow, you need to sleep tonight,”
“Fine, only if you promise tomorrow I can make you pancakes?” Luna mumbled, nearly asleep without even trying.
“Deal,” Regulus whispered back before kissing her on the cheek and carrying her to bed.
It was around 11 at night when the sirens started going off, and Regulus nearly fell off the couch when he heard them. Regulus knew this sound far too well, it wasn’t the normal alarms played when phoenix members were running rampant or when it was a curfew, it was the alarm that played when there was a large infection outbreak.
“Uncle Reggie, what’s going on?” Luna called from the other room groggily.

“Luna, we need to go now. Grab your shoes and your backpack in the closet,” Regulus urgently yelled back, as he got up. He needed to grab the emergency backpacks and supplies he packed just in case an outbreak occurred. Regulus was trying to think of the best way to get out of there when Luna ran toward him, her backpack in hand.
“Uncle Reggie, what’s going on? What’s with the alarms, they aren’t the normal phoenix ones” Luna asked, confusion and concern filling her voice.
“Luna it means we need to get the hell out of here, get your shoes on and run down to Aunt Narcissa’s apartment and tell her to meet me down near Stan’s okay?”
“ but-” Luna started to say
“Just trust me okay? I’ll tell you everything when we have the time to talk about everything, now go find Aunt Narcissa,” Reg interrupted, cradling the girl in a hug before watching her run out the apartment door.
He knew Luna would be safe with Narcissa. It was the plan they had already formed if anything like this was to happen, send Luna down to Narcissa while Regulus gets the supplies. As soon as Luna exited the door, Regulus got on his knees and crawled into the closet, searching for the panel which they stored the guns under. Regulus felt around until he found the loose board and propped it open. There wasn’t a lot since FEDRA had confiscated most of his weaponary but there was enough to get them out of here if Regulus and Narcissa’s aim was good.

Regulus dashed down the apartment building stairs as frantic families ran into him, trying to collect all their belongings and find their aunts, cousins, and uncles. Regulus exited the building and ran down the street. The infection was worse than Regulus hoped it to be, infected were running around the streets tackling any person they could. Regulus continued running, ignoring the screams and pleas of those who were less fortunate. He ran past the FEDRA ration station which was ablaze, like many of the other buildings, and turned the corner. He saw Narcissa and Luna standing in front of Stan’s, Narcissa’ holding her arm out protectively over Luna.

“Finally,” Narcissa called out, as she saw Regulus.
“We need to get in the truck and from what I’ve seen we should head off-road and north,” Regulus answered back, “Did you get the keys?” He asked as he led Luna to the back of Stan’s.
“What do you think?” Narcissa replied back, as she reached for the covering of the truck.
Narcissa and Regulus had come in ownership of a gray pick-up truck a few years back and were able to sneak it into the city. They had paid one of the FEDRA soldiers to sneak it over the borders and cover it up with a tarp behind the run down diner, Stan’s.

“When did you get a car?” Luna gasped, as Narcissa pulled off the covering, revealing the beauty.
“Get in,” Regulus said as he opened the backseat door. Narcissa turned on the engine as Regulus climbed over the seat, into the passenger seat.

Narcissa pulled the car forward and drove through the burning streets. Infected and the fleeing were packing the streets, leaving nearly no room to drive and causing Narcissa to have to turn and jolt the car every few seconds to avoid hitting a person.

“Just drive through them,” Regulus said, as Narcissa had to stop yet again, as a group of people ran from a building.
“If only it was that fucking easy!” Narcissa argued back, pressing her foot upon the gas pedal and bulldozing threw a group of infected.
“The fucking road is blocked up, bloody FEDRA,” Narcissa grumbled as she reversed the vehicle and started heading down towards the alleys.
“Go up the south side alleys and cut through FEDRA’s military fields,”

Regulus said, as Narcissa turned into another packed street.
“Let’s hope the alleys aren’t this bloody bad,” Narcissa grunted, as she had to quickly jolt the wheel again to avoid a falling lamppost.
She drove the car threw a group of infected, as they gripped along the car, trying to latch onto anything they could.
“Luna, are you doing okay back there?” Regulus asked
“Yeah, I’m doing okay, are we- are we going to get infected like them? “ The girl asked, her voice quivering.
“No sweetheart, your aunt won’t let that happen,” Narcissa said, as she harshly turned the car down an alley and drove through the infected wandering the streets.

Narcissa turned onto the military street, only to find it was packed with others who had the same idea,
“Shit, go right, go right!” Regulus yelled as an infected tackled a man standing beside his car.
“I can’t go fucking right or I’m gonna hit the people behind us!” Narcissa yelled back, as she attempted to reverse.
“Hit the people behind us Narcissa! We just need to get the hell out of here!” Regulus spat back, which seemed to convince Narcissa to jam straight into whoever was behind them and make a sharp turn into the right alley. Narcissa pressed the gas as she tore through the infected on the street and the occasional garbage can or street sign.

Narcissa turned onto the street, only to be met again with herds of people.
The sirens were still going off as groups of infected and people trying to flee ran through the streets. Those who were fortunate enough to find or steal a car were trying to steer through the streets but to no avail.
“We need to go on foot,” Narcissa finally said
“We won’t make it on foot!” Regulus argued back
“Well we won’t make it at bloody all if we stay in this car!” Narcissa yelled back just as a car jammed straight into them.

Regulus regained his consciousness as screams filled the street. His vision was blurred as the street poles reflected the flames surrounding the truck. Regulus slowly sat himself up as he came to terms with what just had happened. Luna.Where was Luna. The car had flipped over and Regulus was laying on the truck's smashed windshield.
“Luna!” Regulus yelled urgently, as he scrambled to get up and find her.
“Uncle Reggie!” He heard a small voice squeak out, she was beside him with a nasty cut on her forehead. She must have been pushed forward on impact, into the windshield.

“I’ll get us out of here, okay? “ Regulus reassured as he pulled himself up and tried to kick the windshield through. He hit the glass with his foot several times before it gave way.
“Can you walk?” Regulus asked as he pulled himself out of the truck and then Luna .
“My leg really hurts,” she said, wincing in pain as Regulus tried to help her stand.
“How bad?” Regulus asked.
“Real bad,” She said back, as he picked her up in his arms.
“Regulus, we need to leave now!” Narcissa yelled behind him, holding the gun Regulus grabbed in her hands as she fired at the infected.
“Alright, Follow me,” Regulus yelled back, as he picked up Luna.

Regulus ran with Luna in his arms past mothers with children in their arms as well as children whose mothers were no longer mothers anymore.
Narcissa ran behind him, shooting at any infected that tried to tackle him.
Regulus ran past burning buildings and down a smaller alleyway. The fences bordering the city were just behind the alleyways.
Regulus turned into another alley and was met with a group of infected, they ran up and were about to tackle Regulus before Narcissa shot its brains out.
“Keep running, you have Luna! I’ll stay back and cover you guys and catch up when I can!” Narcissa shouted back before turning and firing at more incoming infected.

Regulus ran through the alley and turned to where the fences were. Narissa and he had made a hole a few months prior in case of any emergencies. Regulus ran down the fence line until he found the gap they had made. He gently placed Luna down for her to crawl through the gap. After she had fully made it through, Regulus followed her and picked her up once again.
Regulus didn’t know where they were going to go but they would go somewhere. They would make it out of this somehow.

Regulus ran at a slowing pace through the fields surrounding the fence, searching for something or someone that might help them.
A bright light flashed on Regulus and Luna’s faces.
“What's going on?’ Luna whispered to Regulus, as she used her hand to cover the light. Regulus squinted, trying to see who the light was coming from, it was from a FEDRA soldier.
“Hey, Hey!,” Regulus called, waving his free arm to get the women's attention, “I’ve got a kid with me, we need help!”
There was a pause as the soldier lowered their flashlight and reached for their earpiece.

“ I’ve got a man and a girl in the back fields,” the FEDRA agent said into her earpiece, then she paused as “Sir, she’s- she’s a kid,” The soldier said back after a pause, “yes Sir,” The agent finally said back. Regulus hear the sorrow in her voice before she even apologized and raised her gun.
“Please, Please I’ll do anything, take the girl and not me!” Regulus pleaded back, knowing what was about to happen.

As soon as the bullets fired Regulus dove to the side, barrelling down the field’s hill. He felt a growing pain in his right arm, he had been shot. He tried to pull himself up but a pain shot threw his body. He heard the soldier walking toward him, his heart froze. This was it wasn’t it? He could only pray that Narcissa would be okay and find Luna.
But before the bullet could find a home in Regulus, a shot was fired into the soldier, causing her to collapse to the ground.
“Regulus!” Narcissa shouted as she ran down to him.
“Where’ s Luna!” He yelled back, still regaining his balance.
He could hear Narcissa open her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Regulus turned his head to where Narcissa was standing. Luna was lying on the ground, blood pooling around her. Regulus staggered over to her, grasping her tiny head in his hands.
“Mon bébé,mon béné, Tu vas bien, To vais bien,” Regulus cried out as he stroked her baby hairs. Regulus removed his hands from her face and firmly pressed them into the wound on her stomach. Luna screamed in pain as Regulus pressed his hand into the wound.
“souffle, souffle, je sais que ça fait mal, je sais bébé” Regulus said, his voice weak, “Nous avons besoin d’aide bébé, je vais venir te chercher d’accord? ça va faire mal, ça va faire très mal, mais tout ira bien” Regulus panickly said, as he reached to pick up Luna. Luna continued groaning and screaming in pain, even more when Regulus tried to pick her up.
“Regulus,” Narcissa said, her tone softened and full of sorrow and pity.
“quoi? Nous devons partir et obtenir de l’aide, nous devons…” Regulus argued back. It was not until he looked at Narcissa’s face did he realize why she sounded so pitiful. He looked back down at Luna, only to find her breath thinning.
“Reste avec moi, reste avec moi petite fille,” was all Regulus could work out in between his silent sobs. He moved his hand up to the pale girl's face, continuing to stroke her baby hairs as he held her head in one hand. Slowly, she inhaled her last breath before her eyes flickered shut for the last time.
Regulus was overtaken with grief at that moment. His sobs were not silent, for there was no little girl around for Regulus to make sure she didn’t hear him. There was no little girl to give him birthday presents or pick out poppy paintings. His little girl was gone. She was gone and all Regulus could do was scream over her dead body.
He hoped his screams reached whatever cruel god that was watching over him, to let them know that when Regulus died, vengeance was the only thing he would seek after them for.

Regulus regretted everything, he regretted not turning on the radio, he regret not thinking to take a different route, and he regret not memorizing the way her chest rose and fell when she slept. Oh, how he missed living in those memories because there was always a comfort, in knowing that his little girl was alive.

The sky set as they walked down the South highway and headed toward the outer ends of FEDRAS territory. Regulus didn’t expect anyone to find them but his guard was still up. “How far away is the camp thingy?” Harry asked, filling the quiet that Dorcas and Regulus usually shared.
“We’ll be there around tomorrow late afternoon if the plans goes as it should,” Dorcas replied. She had walked beside the boy the entire time, and Regulus could tell Dorcas every time she looked at him she was comparing him to Marlene. She did that with most if not everyone she met. Regulus had done the same for many years until he couldn’t bear to do it anymore. Regulus has found when you love someone, you find them in every little interaction. He found Sirius in glass-stained windows and hanging glass bottles when he walked through the city. He found Dorcas in deserted buttons and the flames lit each day for the infected to be thrown out.

Soon they had made it off the highway and at the outskirts of the city's borders. There would be few offices patrolling and even fewer out this far so they should be safe, but should is not will . Flashlights found the three of them, and in front of them stood one of the patrolling officers, who had ambushed the three of them.
“Who the hell are you!?” the guard shouted at them. Regulus knew the voice, it was one of the soldiers he sold to.
“Marty,” Regulus said. He had bought a bag from him not even a day ago.
“Regulus, I told you to stop crossing over, We’ve gotten new orders and it's killing on sight,” Marty said back. He was new to the job. Anyone would be able to tell that he had never killed before from the way his finger didn’t fully rest on the trigger.
“Marty, let us cross and I’ll give you 25% of the profits from this trip,” Regulus replied back firmly. He knew Marty didn’t have it in him but he also knew you didn’t need to have the goal of killing to kill.
“I’m sorry. You know I can’t do that,” Marty said, raising his gun towards Harry.
“50%, 70% anything, just don’t shoot the kid,” Dorcas bargained. The panic in her voice was clear. It carried the same type of mercy he begged for years ago.
Regulus turned to look at Harry but it wasn’t Harry’s face he saw, it was hers. The blonde, lighthearted girl who called him uncle Reggie and braided his hair was standing there across from him. But when the FEDRA agent shot her, it didn’t sound like her screams, but Harry’s.
Regulus lunged at the man, throwing his full body weight atop of him. The world got fuzzy and all he could see was the little girl in his arms, gasping for air. All he could feel was his hand hitting raw flesh. He knew this wasn’t real, he knew the man he was beating didn’t fire a single shot and maybe that was why Regulus stopped punching him. He slowly lifted himself off the ground as the world seemed to rush back to him. Harry was behind Dorcas as she aimed her gun down at Marty.
Regulus picked up his bag of the cold ground, it most likely fell off his back when he lunged at the man. Regulus’ fists were bruised and bloody, the skin peeling off. Regulus looked down at Marty who he wouldn't have been able to recognize if he had not talked to the man before. Regulus leaned down and grabbed his gun before turning back around to Dorcas and Harry.
“You okay Reg? Dorcas finally asked, filling the quiet noise of quick breaths.
“Yea,” He answered back,trying to find a comfortable position for the gun. While he stood there rearranging his belongings, he heard Dorcas question Harry.
“Harry, what's- what’s the scar on your arm?”
“I’m Immune I promise, I’m- I’m not-” Dorcas cut off the dark-haired boy with her yelling “REG!REEEG!” Regulus looked up to see Dorcas' gun aimed at the boy as his right arm sleeve was rolled up, showing a healing bite mark.
“He's infected, he’s,” Dorcas said, gun still pointing straight at him.
Regulus marched forward, grabbing Harry’s arm. The wound was definitely a bite but it seemed to be healing. Oh shit.
The kid was immune, that's why Alice was so dedicated to getting him out, why she and her men were willing to die for the boy.
“Dorcas put the gun down, the bite is healed over.” Regulus finally said, after examining the cut.
“You-your kidding? The kid’s,” Dorcas paused, face full of shock, “he’s immune,” Dorcas finally said, lowering her gun and running her hands through her hair.
“Harry, stay right there, Regulus over here now,” Dorcas said.
“Great, leave the unarmed child alone next to a dead body!” Harry exclaimed.
Regulus walked over to where Dorcas had heard back turned and said,
“He's immune, Dorcas. I saw the bite, it’s healed over.”
“Regulus, what the hell are we doing here? This isn’t-this isn’t what we do, we've never“ Dorcas paused, choking on her words, “this kid, he could save the whole world. I thought this was some travel mission because he was someone's kid, but it's not. What the hell was Alice thinking?
We haven’t done this in years and now we’ve got to transport one of the most valuable cargo ever” Dorcas rambled on.
“Dorcas,” Regulus spoke after Dorcas had calmed down, “one last time.” He promised the dark-eyed woman.
Dorcas sighed, clearly exhausted and in distraught, “One last time,” She finally murmured back.
The two walked back over to Harry after their conversation.
“So, decided I’m not an infected psycho yet?” the boy asked as he rolled down his sleeve.
“Yes, let's continue walking. Once we find a safe place, we can settle for the night,” Dorcas replied, as she started walking forward, passing the lifeless body of Marty, as if it were another rock or broken pole in the road.