"What?"
Immediately,
A hand erupted from beneath the ground and latched onto Lucian's foot. Grip, tight and strong.
Before he could comprehend. He was pulled in, buried to his waist.
The boy was gone.
Lucian didn't have time to scream as the soil in front rose then fell off to the side to reveal a corpse.
The corpse of his dead partner.
Spine hooked. Terrified, cold sweat lingered.
The corpse's eyes were still closed. With shaking hands, Lucian put his hand behind him and pushed against the ground, trying to pull himself out.
Soil embedding in his nail.
His arm stained, struggled like he was lodged in cement.
But he wasn't just going to stay here. No way.
Twisting his body slowly to loosen the soil around him. He was able to pull himself inch by inch.
Which was excruciatingly slow.
Lucian groaned silently.
Unaware. The corpse's face, though a dull colour from a living person, began wilting. The skin turning a disgusting grey-green
_Open_
Its eyes had opened. Dead eyes distant before it rolled unnaturally to look at the person before it.
Lucian was still busy trying to get himself out. Half his thighs were out of the ground.
Just as he was about to continue, a static electric rippled across skin as he sensed danger. His hair stood at its end.
'This can't be happening. Please let it not be true' Lucian prayed.
His eyes slowly turned to look at the corpse's face.
His breath hitched.
The veiny eyeballs of the corpse started at him so intensely that Lucian thought it might pop out. Its mouth moved
… Die…
Lucian must have misheard. Fear played jokes with his rationality.
You let me die.
He didn't hear wrong. It was talking to him.
You left me to die… why… Why? A high pitch wail cut through the night. Its eyes rolled back then dropped into its skull like a ball on a pool table, rolling into one of the holes making a plop noise.
The terror was so great that Lucian's body shook like it was going into epileptic shock.
The corpse skin peeled off its face in different chunks and sizes.
Lucian twisted his body quickly as he tried to hurry to get out.
Above the knee. He was almost out.
_Rawr_
It shot out.
Broken hand grabbing onto clothes, its head partially attached to the severed neck blobbed up and down like a cover on a teapot nuzzle that creates a whistle when water has boiled.
Why… Why… WHY?
Lucian screamed at the top of his lungs. Flinging his hands as he tried to push away the boy.
_Slick_
_Shleik_
_Squash_
Loose skin flew everywhere. Lucian had nearly skinned the corpse to the bone when he finally pushed it.
Lucian dug the remaining part of his body and ran.
Destination, unknown.
WHY?...
The wails echoed behind him.
The soil around the corpse went loose, falling like grains as its mangled body completely rose from below the earth.
Standing upon its twisted legs. It gave chase. speed unnatural
Sometimes changing into a four legged run by using its hands. Its partially severed head scraped across the ground.
I didn't care. When it bashed a stone, creating a dent, it continued.
Looking back was a mistake.
Lucian stumbled, rolled, scraped his knees. Blood gushed out, he got up and continued running.
It was behind him.
_Rawr_
It jumped, ready to pounce on him.
On instinct, Lucian swiveled out of the way to the side. Skidding. Then ran
The Corpse missed, part of its body collided with the tree Lucian used as cover to mislead it. Its body crashed to the ground.
_Crack_
Breaking what was left in his body.
Lucian continued running, air burned his lungs, his legs began to stiffen as he ran, burning out energy.
Enraged. The corpse got up. Bones sticking out from its body like a porcupine.
It roared.
A combination of indescribable voices and eerie wails tore through the night.
It called.
Lucian eyes bleed. So much that his vision was already swimming. His running, zigzag. His feet still carried him forward.
And in response.
Eerie wails surrounded him in all directions.
As Lucian passed paths. Behind him, soils began loosening and out came crawled out more grey creatures.
Battered, sliced, torn and missing parts that made it naturally unable to run.
But they still did. Like a swarm.
Lucian not only had to run but he had to dodge.
When was it going to end?
_Scratch_
"Argh" Lucian cried out as the creatures who he was unable to escape had their nails tear at his skin.
The leader, the corpse, was already gaining on him. Speed unmatched.
Lucian was at his end, lungs lacking the ability to take in air. His body was shutting down.
He forced his legs to carry him further.
When his legs were about to call it quits, the scenery changed. It rushed at him like a gust of wind. The forest disappeared as he ran into this newly formed place.
Found freedom.
Hehe. Or was it?
Lucian run came to a halt
His heart dropped. He remembered this place. He had been here before.
_Rawr_
The corpse had followed along.
Lucian turned, didn't run. As there was nowhere too. He had to accept that.
Eyes tightly shut.
The corpse's hand was about to graze him when it suddenly dropped hard to the ground like gravity had increased. It struggled but it couldn't stand. up
When Lucian didn't feel any pain, he hesitantly opened his eyes and saw the corpse on the ground before him.
He was shocked. But more shocked and the loud wails came from behind the corpse.
The grey skinned creatures who had followed him, were stuck like they all tried passing through a door. Squashed together
Their wail echoed but it was different, Lucian seemed to feel like they were in agony.
And right on cue, before his eyes the creature began dissolving like they were hit with a sandblaster.
Lucian stepped back in horror.
_grab_ The corpse's hand on his leg stopped his retreat.
Lucian looked down at the corpse. It forced its head up to look at him, then it began to dissolve.
Why…
M-or-ar-c-h
Were its last words before it became dust.
Lucian looked around
Dark sky. False clouds and rolling black sands all around.
He was all alone.
Alone?
_Rrr_ where the sound heard as tears appeared, cracks on the ground he stood. And in those tears, different sizes of red eyes all stared at him.
Like a cacophony of different voices, pitched, reversed, inhumane.
We meet again. The Living among the dead.