#mysterious backstoryyyyy oooh

[pluckygreen]

Chombie Zomwich

No warnings for this one guys. Mostly exposition and dialogue. Was a pleasure to write though.

1k ish words yet again

-

Chapter 2 - …until these guys showed up.

The old gang, back together again. It was a tearful reunion, as one could imagine. Tucker had told you about his wife, his old friends, and his colleagues. You went out looking for them together, for years. Tucker had finally agreed to a funeral service last fall. Yet, here they were, practically risen from the dead.

Bad choice of phrasing.

Tucker introduced you as his friend, and second in command. It would be a lie to say that being called a friend didn’t warm your heart, despite how obvious the label seems. 

You finally got to put a face to the names. Ted, the forwardmost man, was a looming presence. Tall (very tall), muscular, with a wide and sharp jawline. His brown, tearful eyes sat behind a pair of cute glasses. A wide smile was plastered on his face, clearly ecstatic to be seeing his friend alive. He reached out to give you a handshake. 

“I don’t want to cover you in gore, it's nice to meet you though.” You gave him a polite smile. He gave you a nod, processing the view in front of him. 

God, you really need to shower right about now. 

To his left, and closest to you, was a much smaller man, dirty blond hair cut into a choppy mess. He also had glasses, but one of the lenses was shattered. It made him look like a beat up nerd in a bad 2000’s movie. He was swaying gently, as if he could fall over at any second.

“Tucker, you gotta help Charlie,” The man furthest away from you began, his voice was rough and thick, like gravel mixed with honey. “He’s sick. We don’t know what it is but I promise you it isn’t a bite. I swear. We’ve been-”

Any second had arrived, and Charlie fell over. Two vultures helped lower him gently to the ground, and Ro dashed out of the room to get some help. We had no doctor, but we had someone who took a year of pre-med. That’s going to have to work. 

-

After Mari, the pre-med student, gave the okay, you took your leave. There was no reason to stay in the medical area, Ted wasn’t leaving Charlie’s side, and Tucker wanted to catch up with his friends. You left the boys all together as you found your way towards the locker room.

The highschool you settled in was big, but useful. You, Tucker, and your friends had spent months getting it completely cleared and secure. The benefit of a Texas high school was the Ag barn in the next lot over, where abandoned stock show projects had been locked in, ensuring their safety. Now there was a small army of goats, sheep, and rabbits. Dirt was brought over and planters built to turn the football field into a garden, and the classrooms were converted into living spaces. It was far enough from town to have a limited number of undead, but close enough to make supply runs easy. The only real problem with it was that it was an enormous maze, and all the hallways would begin to look the same if you were tired enough. 

You got there, eventually. 

You unlocked your locker, and grabbed your provision of soap. Something about being in a highschool while the world falls apart felt right. Poetic justice for how highschool feels, made manifest in the events outside.

 You left the locker room looking like a living human again. 

-

You went back to the nurses office to check on Tucker. His friends would need rooms, supplies, and a tour. That was your job. Everything here was your fucking job. You had the list of available rooms, you had the list of provisions. If there was a list, you had it. This community was your baby, and you knew everything about what it has and what it needs.

Tucker and Ted were sitting on some chairs, laughing, as you walked in. Charlie had finally drifted to sleep, Mari sat in the corner, pouring over a stack of textbooks. The third man sat by Charlie’s bed, rubbing his temples. He was clearly stressed.

You glanced around the room, deciding what to do next. Nobody seemed ready to leave yet. You decided to chat with Mari.

“Hey, how’s he doing?” You asked, taking the chair next to her. 

“He’s resting. He’s… I don’t know,” Mari said, sighing. She slumped down in her chair like a piece of thin paper leaning against a wall. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s just… sick. No bites anywhere, no infection. It could be a million things. It’s not like we can do a blood test.” 

You nodded solemnly, glancing at the notes on her clipboard. It was full of question marks.

“What’s next?” you asked.

“Next he sleeps for as long as he can, we feed him, and I try to figure out what’s wrong. I don’t want to drain our medicine supply but the only way I know how to do this is trial by error. I just wish it was Kayla and not me, for Charlie’s sake.” 

You agreed, Kayla actually had a degree. Emphasis on had. Now she doesn’t have much of anything.

Tucker spoke up from the other end of the room. 

“How many rooms are in the 300 hall?” 

“None in 300. All of hall 400 is open, but it’s not prepped.” You said.

“Let’s just put them down our hall.” Tucker said.

You felt a flash of an intense blend of emotions, something between panic and anger. You don’t put people down that hall. It’s the hall next to the library, the most isolated area in the building, and the only people who have ever stayed in it are you and your family.

Now, it’s you and Tucker’s hall. Nobody else’s.

“What?” You asked. You knew it was pointless, he’d just rephrase.

“Our hall. Just in the rooms next to us.” You breathed a sigh of relief. The rooms directly adjacent to you and Tucker have never been filled. 

You were grateful you didn't have to go clear out your family's stuff. You were grateful you have never had to go into their rooms at all.