No Mother -- part 2

With a final burst of adrenaline, Hobe seized an opportunity. As their mother lunged forward, he deftly sidestepped her attack once again.

Using her own momentum against her, he planted a swift kick to her back, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Now, Mom," Hobe said with mock sympathy, his voice laced with dark amusement, "it seems you've hit rock bottom. Quite literally."

Their mother lay on the ground, momentarily stunned by the impact. Hobe stood over her, his expression a mix of triumph and sadness.

Deep down, he still held a glimmer of affection for the woman she used to be, but the twisted reality of the present had extinguished any hope of reconciliation.

"You had your chance, Mom," Hobe sighed, his voice tinged with regret. "I told you to leave earlier, but you and your poor decisions just had to stick around, even after turning into a zombie."

Hobe took a step back, maintaining a safe distance, then grabbed the nearby window curtain and wrapped it around his right hand.

"Is it your boyfriend who turned you into a zombie?" Hobe taunted.

She didn't answer and once again attempted to attack Hobe. The baseball bat still lodged in her shattered face, oozing blackened blood and emanating a putrid odor.

Hobe swiftly dodged her feeble strike, the makeshift cloth-wrapped hand acting as a buffer against her decaying grasp. He couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

"You know, Mom," Hobe said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, "this whole zombie thing really suits you. It brings out your best features."

With each failed attempt to harm him, their mother's frustration grew. She snarled and lunged again, her decaying muscles straining to reach Hobe, but he skillfully evaded her every move.

"Come on, Mom," Hobe jeered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're so close! Just a few more inches, and maybe you'll finally get that bite you've been craving."

The grotesque image of his mother, reduced to a mindless, flesh-hungry creature, both saddened and angered Hobe.

But he refused to let those emotions overpower him. Instead, he used sarcasm as his weapon, a shield against the heartbreak and absurdity of their situation.

Hobe's heart raced as he desperately fought off his own mother, who had succumbed to the zombie transformation.

Despite his efforts to subdue her, she possessed an unnatural strength, fueled by the infection coursing through her veins.

With a surge of adrenaline, Hobe mustered all his remaining energy. He swiftly disentangled himself from her grasp and stumbled backward, creating some distance between them.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as he assessed the dire situation before him.

His mother, now a grotesque version of her former self, lunged at him once more. Her blood-stained teeth gnashed together, hungering for his flesh.

Hobe's mind raced, searching for any means of self-defense within his reach.

His eyes fell upon the nearby window adorned with tattered curtains. An idea sparked in his mind. He dashed towards the window, tearing the fabric from its hooks in haste.

With nimble fingers, he skillfully twisted the cloth into a makeshift garrote, securing it tightly around his right hand.

But he forgot that humans turned into zombies also gained increased strength. His mother struck him once again, and although he managed to silence her by covering her mouth with his hand wrapped in the cloth, Hobe staggered and was pushed back until his back hit the wall.

While his mother was busy trying to break free from the cloth binding her hands with her sharp teeth, Hobe took the opportunity to pull the baseball bat from her face and delivered a powerful kick to her abdomen.

The force of impact sent her sprawling backward, crashing onto the unforgiving floor.

She struggled to regain her footing, her eyes burning with a primal hunger. But Hobe knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.

Gripping the bloodied baseball bat tightly, he swung it with a vengeance towards her head, aiming to shatter the remaining fragments of her skull.

Time seemed to stand still for an agonizing moment as the bat collided with bone.

The sickening sound of impact echoed through the air, followed by the sickening splatter of brain matter and shattered skull fragments decorating the surrounding area.

Hobe's body trembled as he stared at his mother's lifeless form, sprawled on the floor in a grotesque display of death and decay.

Her kneeling position had been frozen in time, a haunting reminder of the anguish that consumed her.

Half of her head was crushed, with one eye ripped from its socket, while the other eye flickered intermittently, as if still clinging to a semblance of life.

And then, with a sickening thud, her rotting body collapsed, the final vestiges of her existence extinguished.

The weight of what Hobe had just done crashed upon him like a tidal wave. His heart ached with a profound sense of loss and guilt.

He had promised himself that he would protect Hari, shield her from the horrors of this new world. Yet, here they were, caught in the midst of a grim reality that no child should ever have to witness.

Hari stood frozen, her innocent eyes wide with shock and confusion. The realization slowly settled upon her fragile shoulders, burdening her with a darkness that no child should bear.

The image of her mother's lifeless body seared into her memory, forever etching a scar upon her tender soul.

Hari's mind raced with fear and uncertainty, her instincts telling her to flee from the impending danger.

As Hobe approached, still clutching the baseball bat in his hand, she couldn't help but wonder if he, too, would succumb to the darkness that had claimed their mother.

Her heart pounded in her chest as Hobe's voice broke the silence, calling out her name. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, her gaze meeting his.

The tears staining her cheeks mirrored the trepidation in her young eyes.

"Hari," Hobe called softly, his voice filled with a mix of compassion and determination.

Hari peered at him cautiously, her body tense, unsure of what to expect.

Her mind wrestled with conflicting emotions, torn between the desperate need for reassurance and the fear that resided deep within her.

"I will not harm you," Hobe reassured her, his voice steady and resolute. "But you must promise to trust and obey me from now on."

Hari nodded solemnly, her tiny form trembling with a mixture of fear and newfound resolve. "I promise," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

***