Apocalypse in Bonds

Apocalypse in Bonds

Maybe it was the way X looked at me, but something in his eyes said he was amused. When you know someone who's been through so much, so much horror and pain, seeing his eyes glimmer was something else, as his deep voice with his heavy German accent slowly said “You’re such a good kiddo, Tobes.” His voice cracked a bit, as if he were going to too. 

Maybe it was when his strong scarred arms wrapped around me tightly. Every ruffle of cut skin against my fragile body, as if testing my bones. You could have sworn he had a heart of pure snow, but oh, how warm he could be when he wanted to. The chilly weather stood no match for him and his height, as it felt like I was now in the warm embrace of a bear, and now that I look back, I can safely assure myself that he was. 

Yet I too, stood no match to his height, because as he stood up straight, still in the embrace, I ended up getting picked up like a little baby. Little baby Toby, in the middle of a hell hole with who used to be a stranger he met in an abandoned mall. As people say, “From strangers to friends.”

My heart ached a little at the act. When you were in the situation us two were in for 3 years now, a simple kind gesture can break someone. When someone takes you in and finally treats you like a kid, it hurts so good. After so much lost time for being a kid like I am, for not being able to be happy and experiencing hanging out with my friends, it's like your glass, and instead of being thrown at the wall like the missfit you are, you put it on a shelf where no one can reach or damage you. You just…sit there. 

Before I knew it, I was crying like a baby, sobbing even, and before I knew it again, I was tired. Cool crystal tears ran down my cheeks like a lake that hasn’t seen rain in years, like a drought so limiting and powerful kept it from running free again. My mind was swirling with the light of day, then black. Then the light of day, the black, again, and before I knew it, there was no light of day anymore.

I woke up startled, springing up a jack-in-the-box, only except the box is the bed, and my names not Jack. I looked down at myself, my vision blurred and clogged, but I could tell I was still in the same outfit as yesterday, or atleast, what I assumed was yesterday, dark jeans and a blue “Beetles” T-shirt, which both were a little dirty and torn. 

For some reason, my vision sent me in a panic, as my head screamed to me “Where did you put your glasses before you fell asleep, Toby?! Where-” but something snapped me out. The sweet savory smell of german pancakes and thick fresh hot chocolate made an aura around me. I stood up, but just stayed in the mist of the scent, giving my knees time to unlock and wake up. Once they did, I dragged my skinny hand across the cracks and bumps of the stone wall, feeling the goose bumps drive along my arms as I felt its cold smoothing paint. I knew the layout of our hideout enough to know how to get where, and then found myself standing in what we had made the kitchen. The aura was now no mist, but a whole shower of flavor, cracking a small smile upon my face. I saw a tall layout of a figure in the kitchen, at least 6’3, when it chimed.

“Guten Morgen, Kleiner!" "Schlafen gut?” He sounded mean when he spoke English, but when he spoke german? It was almost as soft as the pancakes he was making. 

“Morning, X. Indeed, I estimate…6 hours of sleep.’’ I said as I leaned in the doorway for support on my snoozing legs. If legs could make noises, mine would be snoring right now, loudly, like how a dad would snore in a hotel.  

“Gut, Gut.” He replied in German. “I got about 30 minutes, better than Monday night.” He stated out loud as he grabbed a warm cup of the thick chocolate. But before he handed it to me, he added “Your glasses are on the desk.”

So I dragged myself back down the hall and reached to the desk, feeling for the slick black plastic lenses. Once my finger caressed the rims, I quickly snatched them and enlightened myself with the gift of sight once more, sighing in relief as I was blessed. I looked down at my slightly scarred pale skin, and thin arms. I wasn’t deadly skinny, but wasn't exactly…buff. Eventually, I trudged back, finding my seat in the kitchen when X placed a plate of german pancakes in front of me, and the cup. He found his way to a chair beside me, with the same materials as I, and began to eat.

X was a tall and bulky man, who held himself up like he would crush you with one stare. He was 6’3, all scarred up, and had bags under green, somewhat glowing eyes. His skin was a bit tanner than mine and he had medium length, curly, brown hair that you would sometimes find in a man bun. He usually rocked a tank top, combat pants, and the Star of David that always hung down from around his neck. 

“Cried yourself to sleep last night.” He added a chuckle at the end of his sentence, making me flick a piece of pancake at him. 

X taught me a few things in life, one being that you actually can trust people. You are gonna meet people and you are gonna be able to let your guard down, and they aren't gonna hurt you. He also taught me that you don't really know how much you love someone until they're gone. He taught me that the hard way, and it's now amputated into my mind for the rest of this horrible lifetime. He taught me what love and care was, and how one mistake and a fault can just end it in all. One mistake can take anything away. 

We ran down the dark, eerie, old, abandoned McDonalds that, unfortunately for us, still had an old statue of Ronald still standing. X hopped over the counter like a spy, and I ran through the door to the back. X hopped out of the window that already had no glass and we were both now in the back of the McDonalds, being together, side-by-side, as the team we are. We found ourselves in an alleyway with a huge fence, even taller than X. 

If you didn't know X, you would've thought he was muttering gibberish, but I knew better than that. He muttered curses and swears under his shaky breath in German. His veiny hands began to shake as he heard the groans filling the short space.

Tracks of pale green and pale purple turned the blank scene into a colorful pit of where our story ended. The blank page of our story was filled with shades of death, and now, it was our last. Tears clouded my eyes as I knew this was it, and my gut agreed.

Just like before, X cradled me in his arms, like a bear again. I couldn't help it, I started to cry into his shoulder, and for a second, I looked up to him for the last time. This stranger, this friend, my…well, I didn't know how to describe him, I do now though.

Maybe it was the way tears seemed to so naturally fit X’s eyes. The way they looked like they belonged there, as if his eyes were their home. I think that's what made me realize he wasn't a grizzly bear, but a soft man who's been through a hard time and simply wanted someone to shield. I realize now he wasn't tearing up due to the fact it was his end, but mine too. He was tearing up because he couldn't save me.

His arms stayed, until he lifted me up once more. Yet, instead of him holding me and cradling…he pushed me. 

He shoved me over the fence as I hit the ground, making dirt arise. I felt my breath shoot up as I let out a painful gasp, making my eyes widen. My vision was blurred, my glasses were gone, I couldn't see. In a panic,I squirmed around and tried to reach for them, until I heard this blood curdling scream. No more curses, just tries and please and begs in German for them to back up. His voice was the loudest it had been, I could swear his vocal cords would snap if he didnt stop. My tears shed as it went silent, gore growing closer, groans getting louder, the sound of biting and harvesting making the silence from him so loud. What mortified me even more is when he began to stand once more once they had feasted, pale…beyond my level of pale. Bloodied, bruised, and vile. I now saw what X was, he was a stranger, a friend, and my savior. Maybe what knocked me out of my thousand yard stare was the look in X’s now soulless eyes through the cracks in the fence, blood thirsty. Blood thirsty towards me, who he now claimed as his prey. Or, perhaps, it was the sound of the fence falling…

(End narratoin)