//------------------------------// // Nightmare // Story: Afterworld: Dead Days - Volume 1 // by Ribe_FireRain //------------------------------// Tap, tap, tap... My feet clicked and clacked as I walked up the stairs of my house, the one I shared with my family. The time was late and it was dark and the house was more silent than death at this time, nothing too unusual. My mother and father and my younger brother, James, who had just recently turned six I presumed were getting ready for bed. Everytime I walk upstairs, my attention is always focused on the pictures that hung from the walls in their frames, ones that displayed the whole family. My favourite picture had to of been the one with us all hugging at James's birthday, each with smiling faces. It brought a smile to my face every time, just being able to see myself with my family the day it was taken at the local bowling alley. Truth be said, it wasn't something I could say I enjoyed, but being there with my family made up for it. Continuing upstairs, I myself was planning on getting some sleep. Today's activities sure have taken it out of me and my body felt like a dying car, about to shut down due to lack of energy. Making my way to my room, I noticed my little brother's door as well as my parent's door were closed, giving me the indication that they were already in bed. My room was a mess to say the least. I know I should of gotten around to cleaning it some point earlier in the day, but with a tight schedule for work and other things that need to be done, it has been knocked from my list. Clothes littered the floor, in desperate need of cleaning and the air was thick with the scent of old socks, almost similar to the smell of a footballer's changing room after a long, sweating match on a hot day. However, before I could get ready for bed, a faint sound caught my attention. I couldn't hear what it was at first and after a short while it became slightly louder, being easier to make out where it was coming from. Leaving my room, I made my way towards where I presumed it was coming from. My parent's room. Slowly approaching the door, I leaned in close and gently pressed my ear onto the doors body. I heard it again, although this time, it was a bit more like a scream, muffled slightly by the thickness of the door. As it became louder, I became more worried and carefully and slowly puched down on the door handle, opening the door just a crack, allowing me to see inside. Oddly, the room was dark and something seemed very off about it. Pushing the door open thurther, I could feel something wrong in the air, something eery. With the door now fully open and with the light from the corridor in which I was standing in illuminating it the slightest bit, I still couldn't see properly and when I reached for the switch on the left side of the wall inside the room and flicked it on, I froze and all my nerves turned to ice while my heart thumped wildly in my chest. The bed which my parents shared was caked in thick, fresh blood and my mother was laying over the majority of the beds width in her nightie with a huge chunk bitten out of the side of her neck, the blood still oozing from it. She was gagging and choking on her own blood as she struggled to get air to her lungs. And on top of her was my dad, with my mother's blood staining his once white teeth a slik red while most dripped from between his lips. Dad was also wearing his night wear and what was meant to be in a dark blue colour, it was not stained with red, matting it to his body. His gaze met mine and mine met his and I saw no life in his icy stare while his saw the fear within me. He growled, clumsily getting off of the bed and onto his feet. On his right arm, I noticed a bandage that was smeared in blood, turning it dark red in colour. My heart was thumping like the engine of a steam train now, almost like it was going to burst straight through my ribcage while my mind raced with horror and shock. Not thinking, I took the slightest step backwards, the floorboards creaking beneath my weight. At the sound, dad launched towards me, charging at me and barely giving me enough time to retreat downstairs. On the way down, dad slipped on the landing and slammed into a wall, knocking loose the picture of the family I was looking at not so long before. As he tried to rapidly get back up, I raced into the kitchen and grabbed a large carving knife from the drawer, weilding it in my hands with a tight grip. Dad came back at me, causing me to jump back as he made an appearance in the doorway. He wasted no time in taken a lunge at me, and when he did, I sealed my eyes shut and instinctively held the knife with the tip towards him and I heard a sickening slash before a groan of pain followed by a dull thud. Opening my eyes again, along with a few tears, I saw dad lying on the floor with a slash across his throat and running the a small fraction of his cheek. I don't know how long I stayed there and stared at his body, watching the blood flow freely from the new gash on his body and pool on the floor. I knelt down and let a sob escape me as I shakily placed a hand to his right forearm. The only thing my mind was focused on besides the fact that I had just killed my own father was the bandage wrapped around his arm. Ever so carefully, I pulled it off, revealing a sight that made me gasp in horror. It was a bite mark. *** *** *** ''M-Matt? Matt, wake up.'' A soft and gentle voice said as I felt something gently poke my body. ''Matt?'' ''Gah!'' I awoke with a jolt, my mind fully aware and awake in a snap. Sweat rolled down my face and I could feel cold tears beneath my eyes. Looking around, I calmed myself a little at knowing I was safe. We were back in that house from earlier, all the ponies and Scarlet watching me in worry. I looked next to me and saw Fluttershy whom seemed to of backed off a little bit at my outburst of fright. ''F-Fluttershy?'' Is all I managed to utter, still feeling quite rattled. ''Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep.'' Fluttershy said quietly, her voice like a whisper, though soft and sweet. I could only feel the fright and not much else. Flopping back down on my back, I rested my head on the arm of the couch on which I was occupying and rubbed my eyes and face with my hands. ''I...I don't want to talk about it.'' I said, my voice quieter than Fluttershy's. ''You kept mumbling someone's name. 'James' I think.'' Twilight said, looking cautious to wheather she should of said it or not. She should of been. I turned my head from my laid back position and looked at her, a serious glare within my eyes that made her step back a few paces. ''I said I don't want to talk about it.'' I stated pretty bluntly. ''What's done is done and there is no changing what has happened, so I just want us all to forget about it.'' Taking the hint, they all held understanding expressions on their faces. Scarlet, however, didn't. Scarlet's expression remained the same yet in those gorgeous eyes of hers, I could sense something that told me she knew what I felt like but if not, gave her an idea. If she wanted to say anything, she was wise not to. Whenever I have a nightmare, which is nearly every night, it always revolves around the one I have just had. The night I lost my entire family in a matter of minutes. Getting up, I trudged into the kitchen, a strange feeling like the night I slashed my dad rising in my mind, sending a chill down my spine. All the eyes of the ponies were stull fixed upon me and I could feel their stares behind my back, watching my every step as if they were scanning me over. Mindlessly, I leaned over the counter weakly, seeing my miserable reflection in the black marble surface. I could see the bandage that was placed on the far left of my forehead, slightly hidden by my black-brown hair. I took it off, seeing a still-healing gash underneath. It looked horrid to say the least and would more than likely leave a scar. ''I know how you feel.'' I heard Scarlet say from beside me, her back pressed softly against the marble as she had her smooth, white hands on the surface. ''Do you?'' I said with no hidden anger or annoyance in my voice without even looking up to make eye contact. ''We barely even know each other and you're saying 'you know how I feel'?'' I snorted softly. ''I doubt that.'' For some reason, it seemed to amuse her the slightest bit. ''I don't. We all heard you, Matt. You kept mumbling in your sleep about someone called James and you were crying.'' She motioned to my eyes and when I touched a hand to it, I felt a wetness on my palm. I didn't even realize I was until now. ''Look, Scarlet, I'd really rather not talk about this now or ever. I just want to drop it completely and put it behind me, regardless of how it makes me feel.'' I looked away for a brief moment and then fixed my eyes on hers with seriousness. ''Don't bring it up again.'' And then I walked off, exiting the kitchen and headed upstairs, the ponies all watching me before I disappeared from sight and into the previous owner's bedroom and slammed the door shut. *** *** *** ''James!'' I exclaimed as I heard him scream from his room upstairs, causing me to break my running into a sprint, nearly making me fall down on my way up the stairs. Within a few moments, I came up to the door of James's room and was alarmed to see the door smashed open and a bloody hand print smudged on the white paint and smeared to the left, entering the room. I held the carving knife in my hand, ready to strike but when I got around the door frame, my blood chilled to a temperature that matched ice. My mother was biting her teeth into James's neck on the side, that sickening, gut-wrenching sound of flesh being grinded between molars being audible yet slightly covered up by James's screaming. Without thinking, I charged at my mother and plunged my knife into her throat, slashing a clean opening in the side with the tip of the knife sticking out of the other side. She gagged and choked on the blood that followed and when I pulled it out, blood spat on my face and she fell to the floor, trying to breath with rapid breaths as the blood flowed freely onto the floor and pooled around her shoulders and head, dying her blonde hair a goopy red. Wasting no time, I grabbed James and supported his head with my hand whilst I used my other hand to support his back. He had tears in his eyes and I could see that they were screaming with pain. His neck bled uncontrollably and went partly on the floor as well as my arm. ''James! Breathe, just Breathe!'' I commanded him, knowing that it wouldn't do that much good as I removed my hand from his back and held it onto his heavily bleeding wound, applying pressure. In seconds, I could feel his breathing slow down and gradually cease. With disbelief, I shook him, hoping that he wasn't dead, even if I didn't want to admit it. His eyes were still open and instead of their usual life-filled, blue colour, they were dull and icy, as cold as stone. With tears now pouring out of my eyes and down my cheeks like mini waterfalls, I closed his eyes before I hugged him tightly, holding him close to my chest. *** *** *** I awoke with a jolt, sweating fiercly for the second time in the same night. I wiped my brow with my hand, coating it in a thin layer of sweat. Downstairs, I could hear thumping, clearly audible through the thickness of the bedroom door. Curious but cautious, I took my pistol from my holster and climbed out of bed after turning the safety off. Heading downstairs, I could hear what sounded like cheers or applause. Coming to the landing, I had my pistol at the ready, slightly raised but lowered it as I saw that Pinkie and the rest of the ponies were sat in a circle all giggling at something unknown to me. However, it wasn't long before they saw me standing there with my pistol in my hand. Quietly, I slowly walked towards them and since none of them said anything first, I did. ''Hey.'' I said slowly. ''What're you all doing?'' ''Oh, hey, Matt, darling, we were just having a little girly fun.'' Rarity said with a warm smile. ''Care to join us?'' ''Are you saying I'm a girl?'' I asked, feeling a little embarrassed yet with a weak smile on my face, to which the group burst into laughter, including Scarlet who I didn't realize was at the back of the room, watching the fun and torment take place. ''N-Not at all, darling, just a little game of truth or dare.'' ''No, thanks, I'll pass.'' ''You're loss.'' Applejack said briefly before turning back to the game. Walking over to the back of the room, I joined Scarlet and took a place on the wall beside her. ''Hey.'' She greeted me. ''Feel any better?'' ''No, not really. Couldn't sleep.'' I kept it plain and simple, not wanting to go into the conversation about that night I lost my family. ''Hey, Scarlet?'' ''Yeah?'' ''I've been meaning to ask, what were you doing at that building when we found you?'' Unlike I expected, Scarlet just gave me a soft, left-sided smile. ''Surviving. It didn't really go to plan as I found out when I finally got into the building. It was filled with those...things.'' She cringed internally and her smile faltered. ''I don't know what would of happened to me if you didn't come along.'' The smile returned to her lips, a thankful smile. I could only smile back. ''Don't mention it.'' For a short while, we both watched the ponies carry on with the game they were playing, seeing them laugh as it unfolded. However, the sound of laughter must of been able to be heard, as I could hear something outside. Scarlet took notice of this and unholstered her own pistol, flicking off the safety. The sounds outside sounded like groaning and moaning, that flesh-hungry sound that made hairs stand on end. They started scratching at the windows, the sound of wood being scraped against fingernails becoming audible as more and more of the undead joined in. ''Everyone, get away from the windows, now!'' I instructed, the ponies hurriedly getting onto their hooves and gathering towards me and Scarlet, fear plastered on their faces and in their eyes. I had no idea how many undead were outside but I could tell it was a high number. I was too busy focusing on all the other windows that I forgot about the one behind me until a dead, dull-grey arm managed to punch through and wrap itself around me, taking me by surprise. I struggled for a moment, Scarlet quickly reacting to shoot it in the arm so it would release me, the blood splattering onto the wall before I could get mself out. ''T-Thanks, Scarlet.'' I said, my voice a little shaky and fear visible on my face to her eyes. She gave a simple nod. Moments passed and we watched as the wooden barricades were torn from the nails that held them in place, allowing the undead to clumsily crawl their way inside. All we could do was run upstairs, so we did, locking ourselves in the bedroom I had slept in not so long ago. I had Scarlet help me move the bed, moving it so its weight kept the door shut, hopefully heavy enough to keep the walkers back. ''W-W-What d-do we do n-now?'' Fluttershy asked, her voice shaky and her body trembling slightly. Rainbow Dash stood beside her to place a comforting hoof over her back. ''Relax, Fluttershy, I'm sure we'll be able to think of something.'' Rainbow told her, smiling warmly even if she knew that it probably wasn't true. The room had two windows in the area we were standing in now, and in the onsuite that was to the left of us, there was only a small vent, so it left us with the option to either try and escape or just sit and wait to get eaten. Annoyingly, the glass had wooden barriers protecting it and looked like it would be hell to get off. I looked around to see if anything would be able to help break it. Even more annoyingly, the room was that tidy that it didn't really have much furniture in it, only a single dresser that had some old clothes in it and not much else besides junk. Gritting my teeth, I approached the window and used the handle of my gun as a hammer to strike it a few times before it finally gave in, the glass shattering making everyone flinch. Now the undead were at the door of the bedroom, pounding and scratching to gain entry, the bed being the only barricade between us and them. ''Move aside.'' Twilight said before lightly using her hoof to push me aside. She braced herself by tensing her muscles in her legs and a faint, purple glow appeared at the tip of her horn before engulfing the whole of it, sparkling before it turned a hot-looking white in colour and released a devastating beam of energy towards the wood, shattering it into many shards and splinters. Wasting no time, I looked out of the new exit and saw that, luckily, it wasn't a steep drop. It went down a couple feet and onto a sloped room that was a garage, by my guess. Looking back to the group, I ordered that the ponies get themselves out first, and they did. Just in time too, because the undead had broken past the door and the bed, yet the bed was now pressed against the wall of the room, allowing only a small gap to be made in which the door could only let around one or two in at a time. Scarlet went out next, me being held back by a walker that got through. I put a bullet through his head, pinning it right between his eyes that caused him to drop like a ragdoll in an instant. Then I moved for the window and climbed my way out of it, landing on the sloped roof and losing my balance a bit before rolling down and taking a final drop to the floor where everyone else was waiting. ''Oh, my...'' Fluttershy murmered softly as she saw the hard landing I took. ''Are you alright?'' ''Peachy.'' I grumbled softly as I got myself to my feet. ''We can't stay here any longer. We have an option to stay here and wait to be killed or to go and find someplace to stay or at least hide.'' ''Matt.'' Scarlet said, nudging my shoulder. ''I think we should just leave town and try to survive. It's all we can do now. We can't just hold out in any house, they are bound to find us. At least we know that they are attracted to noise, so if they hear us, we're gonna need someplace heavily reinforced to stay.'' Okay, she had a point there. When the ponies were having a good time and laughing, they caught their attention and so they were drawn to us. Though they are pretty much mindless, they are still a very big threat to everything. ''So where do we go, then? 'Cause right now, we're just standing in the open!'' Rainbow said, her eyes scanning me up and down. ''I don't know. I guess we just leave town and survive the best we can.'' At that, I slipped my pistol back into its holster and lead the group out of and away from town, hopefully to someplace safer. The roads ahead were going to be tough but as long as we stick together, we should do just fine.