RUN AND HIDE
THE BLACKBIRD CHRONICLES : INTERLUDE (INSPIRED BY THE LAST OF US)
TO P, M & J - for all the love, nights and zombie hunting we spent together
The world of Ravenwood and more is created and written by Paddy, with his permission I am bringing the story of Joaquin, Esthia and Seth to live ♥
TW: 18+ , Zombie Horror, Blood, Swearing, Mentions of Sex
The giant metal door closed, relaxation falling on to Joaquin shoulders. His pulse was still high, adrenalin crawling underneath his skin.
“Where are we?”, the soft voice of Helen asked.
“It's a church, open your eyes”, Jason hissed.
“Don't be an asshole, we just escaped-” but before Joaquin could finish his sentence, Jason had grabbed him by his collar and pushed him against the near wall.
“You fucked her, and now you're giving me commands?”, Jason hissed. Joaquin glanced towards Helen, whose guilt was written all over her face. They both had been stupid, drunk and craving for closeness.
“I think we should focus on trying to survive the night”, Joaquin mused quietly. The cruelty however wasn't leaving Jason's face, despite him letting go off his brother a moment later.
“Fuck”, Jason grumbled and walked away from them.
“Where are you going?”, Helen asked.
“Searching”, was all that Jason said and left the main hall quickly.
Joaquin sighed in frustration. Jason had never liked him in the first place. Sleeping with his now ex-girlfriend had only made things worse. Not to mention the situation they were in.
“Do you think we are safe for the night?”, Helen asked.
“Safety is a Teenage Dream, Helen”, was all Joaquin said before he started to look around. A part of him wanted to leave the two of them behind. Jason was blood, but they had never got along and as much as he had his fun with Helen, there was no emotional connection, nothing that held him close. But the detective in him, the seeker for justice and protection, was the one glimpse that kept him around.
He had to find the root, the cause, the understanding for all of this.
“Go and check if you can find some food in the right wing, I will take over the left side”, Joaquin said and made his move.
A couple of corpses, infected by the virus, were lying around. Blood was spread over the floor of the church, an indication that something had happened here before. The cross on the altar was shattered. Not that Joaquin was necessary a believer of any religion, but seeing the cross into pieces was another realization that the world would never be the same again.
Moving forward, the church didn't give much, until he came to a door that was locked. Just before he could grip the handle, an unpleasant clicking noise appeared from behind the door. Joaquin hesitated. Looking closer, a stream of blood was leading towards the inside of the door.
“Found something?”, Jason snarled behind Joaquin and almost made him jump.
“Shut up”, Joaquin hissed, but it was too late.
The noise appeared again. This time louder. Followed by hammering against the door.
“The door is thick enough, we have nothing to worry about”, Jason shrugged. Joaquin had the urge to punch his arrogance away.
“We need to leave this place. If something isn't quiet dead yet, the chances are high that we aren't safe here”, Joaquin said.
“Or we could stay and get sleep for a night. We have been running since this whole thing happened. This might be the best shot we have-”
“Jason, we're in the middle of a city. Where do you think these things will come once the night vanishes over us?”, Joaquin hissed.
“Guys!”, it was Helen interrupting them. Joaquin looked over to her.
“I found something that you need to see”, Helen said. Joaquin ignored Jason and followed towards Helen. At the end of the right wing, the last room broke off and into an area full of grass and flowers. In the middle of the field, a corpse was placed.
Joaquin looked towards the open end. The sun was slowly lowering, soon introducing the night.
“I think it's still alive”, Helen whispered.
That's when the door behind them slammed.
Joaquin looked back.
“See ya later losers, or should I say lovers?”, a strange voice cackled. It wasn't Jason.
“Oh my god”, Helen whispered and grabbed Joaquin arm. The detective didn't have to ask to know that this was a trap, and they were screwed. Funny enough, there wasn't a single worry about Jason. As much as he despised his brother, he had been in the army for a reason and since their escape, he had seen the bloodlust of his brother, especially for anyone that came across him and tried to kill him first.
Scanning the area, Joaquin noticed two possible ways. One along the broken side of the room and towards the grass, and one that would lead back inside the church.
“We need to leave this place”, Joaquin whispered.
“We can't leave Jason behind”, Helen hesitated quietly.
Now is not the time to be in love, you foolish child.
But could he blame her? Wouldn't he do the same? Trying to save his partner – hell, Joaquin was the type of man that would search a whole island if it was necessary.
The corpse twitched, and so did Helen.
“Fine. If you want to look for Jason, go ahead. But you'll be on your own”, Joaquin quietly answered. “We can move at the same time, I'll distract the corpse, you go inside the church. But be careful, whoever trapped us here, is responsible for whatever is going on here”, Joaquin whispered.
Helen nodded. Love was a strong medicine.
Joaquin slowly began to move, trying to be as quiet as he could while walking towards the grass. But coming closer to the corpse, he also realized that this wasn't any type of grass alone. Helen moved slowly towards the other side before she quickly vanished back into the walls of the church. Joaquin knew at that moment that it was the last time he would see her and despite their night together, there was nothing he could feel at that moment. He couldn't allow himself to do so.
The corpse twitched again. Joaquin had tried to not give it a look, being as quiet as possible, but when it once again twitched, he glimpsed.
Holding back a breath in shock, another realization hit.
The corpse wasn't only twitching, because it was somehow alive. Something underneath the corpse was moving.
Fuck.
Little stalks, underneath the corpse, moved towards the mouth of the corpse.
Fuck.
The stalks connected to other stalks on the inside of the mouth.
Fuck.
The corpse opened its eyes.
Run.
Joaquin didn't hesitate and moved as fast as he could. An ugly, screeching sound followed. He wasn't sure if it was the corpse, or something else, and he didn't think to turn around either. He ran as fast as he could, leaving brick, stones and whatever came his crooked path, behind.
A scream, sounding too familiar to be ignored, interrupted his mind too.
Helen.
Don't turn around.
Don't turn around.
Don't turn around.
Joaquin managed to move around the corner, just to full on smash into his brother. They both fell to the floor. Blood, sweat and a chemical smell greeted Joaquin, but before he could say something, Jason pulled him towards the nearest brick wall, pushed his hand-over Joaquin mouth and gave him an intense stare.
Despite being out of breath, Joaquin didn't flinch and for the sake of his own life pressed himself against the brick wall as hard as he could. The scenery that followed, scared him even more.
Clicking sounds, walking as if they owned this place and fearing enough – hunting.
Three clickers made their way past them, but a fourth one stopped, a metre away from them. Joaquin knew that the sounds would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Carefully, Jason grabbed a brick right next to him. This was it. They would either make it or break it.
Jason threw the Brick in an opposite direction, making the Clicker move away from them. He grabbed Joaquin, and together they ran as quickly as they could before they made it into a different building. Jason closed the door behind them. It was a flat block, a flat that no one had used any more since the outbreak.
“He worshipped them”, Jason said, now pulling off his shirt. There was no bite, Joaquin sighed in relief.
“What? Did you really think a religious motherfucker can take me down? Think again, you scaredy-cat”, Jason scoffed. His arrogance would follow him until his death, Joaquin was certain about that.
“They communicate. This thing it communicated”, Joaquin finally said the worst out loud and vanished on to the ground.
“Don't be silly, it was the sounds”, Jason grumbled and walked towards the bathroom. “Get some rest, we will stay the night before we keep moving. If we don't slack this time, we are out of town by the end of tomorrow. I've heard of a camp outwards, remember? That's where we are going.”
Joaquin didn't argue. At least not tonight. At least not after Helen. He was tired, exhausted, frustrated and drained. For the first time in a long time, Joaquin was controlled by fear. Each cell of his body could feel it.
There was no better tomorrow.
This was the world they had now.
This was their life.
Joaquin closed his eyes.
No Saint would listen.
There was no Heaven or Hell.
The Saints walked among them, and so did the devils.
It was the first night Joaquin didn't dream at all and was only greeted by blackness.
-
“JOAQUIN!”, Seth shouted, as he woke up his best friend.
The detective looked around, trying to realize where he was.
“You fell asleep over too much whiskey again. I got a kick you out, buddy”, Seth said and helped Joaquin to get up.
“Shit. Really? What time is it?”
“2am. Want me to call you an Uber?”, Seth asked
“Uber?”
“Yeah. Taxis. The cars that get you home save for cheap. I know it's Ravenswood, but Ubers do exist-” Seth stopped, when he saw Joaquin expression.
“Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, just a bad dream. Helen has been missing, I'm still trying to solve the case”, Joaquin said.
“You need to get some rest. Besides, you know my thoughts on Helen, give that case to someone else. She was trouble from the moment she walked in”, Seth said.
Joaquin sighed, before he grabbed his cigarettes and lighter. Sometimes the smoke inside his lungs, was the only sign of reality check he had between his dreams and hunting for murder.
“I'll walk. But thanks Seth”, Joaquin said, patting his best friend's shoulder.
Joaquin walked out the bar and into the autumn night. When he glanced over to the other side of the street, he saw Helen waving at him. Drained of blood, eyes hollow and a grotesque smile. Joaquin closed his eyes, only to be greeted by the familiar clicking sound. As he left the bar behind, stepping into the night, he knew that not only his demons were following him, but that something was coming.
Something that would change the world forever.
