Caress the dark

Darkness

Only darkness

Darkness and death

There is only darkness and death

No life, just... an end

TO EVERYTHING!

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Lesley woke up with a gasp and shot out of the bed, his hand grabbing the knife under the pillow. In the darkness his eyes searched for any threat but there was none. There was only a bed, a discarded sheet and him in his boxers and a white vest. A deep sigh fell from his lips as he calmed down a bit. He wiped a hand across his face in frustration.

Lesley Woodsman was an eighteen year old teenager, with red hair like a flaming rose and a handsome freckled face. His body was lean and muscular, with years of combat training making it a deadly weapon. He was a sharp, quick and outspoken person with a clear and focused mind.At least it was supposed to be clear and focused. Right then it was stressed out and worn thin.

And there was a good reason for that.

This was the fourth time now. His nightmares were getting worse by the day and even the ones back in the safezone were better compared to this. He got back onto the bed with a sad moan and then the door across from the bed opened with a long squeak. His eyes shot towards it and he drew his hand back and threw the knife with precision, aiming for the chest of whoever dared to open the door.

Mel felt a foreign object in his chest and looked down to see the hilt of the knife sticking out of his left lung. He reached down and pulled it out like he was pulling out a splinter, except splinters are painful.

He felt no pain.

" What are you doing in here? " Lesley asked, as he moved quickly and took the knife from the guy's hand.

" I came to see if you are okay." Mel said in a low but pale voice.

Which made sense, he was undead and had only started speaking properly less than a week ago. Mel stood tall, with a head of blonde hair and with blue eyes, paled by death. He was muscular but not grotesquely so and his figure held a nice and lean structure to it, one only achieved by models. He also had a wound on his chest from the knife and was bleeding out, but he didn't seem to mind.

Then again, he was a zombie and had seen plenty of blood before. So maybe it was just a natural sight to him.

" I'm fine. You can go back to your corner. OUTSIDE." Lesley said curtly.

Lesley was not very fond of the zombie infront of him, despite his model like looks. Zombies had killed most of his family and his hatred of them was chiseled deep in his heart. But then one would wonder why he is with one.

The reason was because with this zombie he was safe from the other zombies. Mel had a way of stopping the undead hordes outside the apartment building they were in, from ripping Lesley to pieces. So it was with reluctance that Lesley stayed with the...monster.

But then one would wonder again how he got there and met the zombie. But that was a long story and the present situation was more interesting.

" Are you sure? You were screaming again." Mel said softly and his blue eyes locked onto Lesley's deep green eyes.

Lesley immediately looked to the side before looking back. Damn those eyes, he thought. He'd been ensnared in them when Mel took him into the apartment. But Lesley told himself it was only because that day he'd been emotionally exhausted and having a very hard time. That was why he'd stared into those eyes until he reached the second floor and that was the only reason. Anybody who told him otherwise would get a knife in their chest.

" Yes, I'm sure. Now leave. I want to rest." Lesley said with a frown and Mel relented.

" Good night." He said as he closed the door but Lesley did not even reply.

As soon as the door was closed Lesley huddled his kness together and placed his head between them. Soon, soft sobs could be heard in the bedroom like the weeping woes of an aggrieved orphan who had just seen his parent's death.

" I want to go home." Lesley sobbed to himself.

.......

Mel stood outside, he was facing the door and his ears hearing each sob that Lesley made. His eyes held a strange look inside them and one would have said it was remorse but that would have been difficult to prove, since his eyes were dead.

He turned around after a few minutes and went to his ' corner '. The other rooms besides the bedroom was the kitchen and living room. He slept in the corner of the living room,next to the door. This had been Lesley's idea, it protected him from incoming zombies and made him feel safer with the Mel around. So it was there that Mel went to sleep, or well technically he didn't sleep, since he was undead and didn't need it.

Instead he lay on the cold floor, not even feeling cold, and his eyes stared at the wall. His mouth formed a grimace as he remembered the sobs of the human staying with him. Slowly, his hand reached out to the wall and touched it, but in his mind he was touching Lesley's cheek.

" I'm sorry. Please don't cry. Please...I'm sorry." He whispered gently and only the cold darkness of night heard him.

......

The sky was pristine and orange as the sun rose from the east. Birds would have sung to welcome the dawn but such creatures were hard to find in the outside world and nearly non-existent in zombie infested cities. Instead a loud groan and growl from below the street by a wandering zombie was the replacement for the old rooster call.

" Hey."

Mel got up from the floor and looked at Lesley. The red head stood by the bedroom door, his arms folded and a frown on his face. He wore a blue and red uniform jacket tied around his waist, with a dirty white vest and had messy bed hair.

" I need to find a place to clean myself. Nearly four weeks without bathing is making me... temperamental." He said as he walked into the living room," Do you know where there is water?"

Mel frowned as he tried to recollect if he'd seen any water. His mind was very scrambled, his memories a mixture of when he was more savage and bloodthirsty. Back then he'd barely had coherent thoughts and didn't pay too much attention to his surroundings.

Then he remembered.

" Yes. I know a place." Mel said with a smile, one that Lesley ignored.

" Okay. Let's go." Lesley said and he walked out of the apartment and Mel followed behind.

Little did they know that they were about to have a very eventful day.