Two Friends (With Icystorm)

[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey followed behind Seth, mostly lost in his own thoughts. While he was meant to be on alert, he had a feeling that this area was also clear of any zombies. Besides, one or two were easy enough to take out. They would probably just be target practice at this point. While they made their way around rubble and vehicles, he thought about the jobs he would give to the other. It was only the second day of their journey, and he needed to prepare enough supplies for two people. He also needed to give the other a gun, though he was unwilling to give up his own. They were as precious to him as the photo in his bag.

Looking up when Seth spoke, Bailey narrowed his eyes at the broken windows. It usually wasn't a good sign, but the scarred male had become very good at finding things other's had missed. Stepping around the other, he headed in to the store and began to look around. Almost everything had been taken, and there were bullets lying on the floor. Gun stores had been one of the more popular places to be raided, as people wanted something they could defend themselves with. Others, just wanted a way out. Not everyone had the mental fortitude to deal with friends and family becoming monsters, and that the world they had known had fallen in an instant. A gun was fast and simple, and something Bailey had considered many times before.

Heading for the back, he hoped there was some sort of safe that had been untouched. What he found, however, was even better.

Under a tarp, Bailey found a trap door. It hadn't been opened in ages, clear from how the hinges had rusted. No one had thought to look here, and he had high hopes for what would be inside. "Over here," he called to Seth, before leaning down and grabbing the rope handle. Grunting, he pulled hard but it seemed like it was stuck. There was also the faintest smell of something in the air, but he couldn't place it just yet. "Might need a little help."
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Following Bailey inside, Seth began to push around the junk with his foot, staring in confusion at the bullets on the ground. Telling if a bullet had been fired or not was not something he knew how to do, but by the way Bailey ignored them all, he took a guess that they were useless. In order to get a better understanding of what he was going to be working with, he picked one of the bullets up and studied it. Now they he could see it better, he could tell that it had been used. He may not understand bullets, but he could tell when something was wore down. It gave him hope that he would be able to quickly learn about guns. He still didn't care for them, but a gun would be useful against zombies or getting food.

Noticing a similar looking bullet to the one he held, he grabbed it off the ground and held them next to each other. From what he could tell, they had a similar shape, but there were differences to them since one had been fired and the other hadn't. He had no idea what kind of gun they went to, but that was a lesson for another day. He looked around for any other useful bullets, but his search was quickly ended when Bailey called him over. The search would have been useless anyway, so he dropped what he was holding and made his way to where his companion was attempting to get a trapdoor open.

"Looks like you might have struck gold." And he had been the one to lead them here. While he let himself enjoy his pride filled moment, Seth grabbed the rope below where Bailey held it, but before he began pulling he looked at his injured shoulder. This was not going to do well for it. Pushing that thought aside, he gave a quick nod towards the other guy. "Alright, pull hard." If his shoulder wasn't injured, he would have opened the door himself, but he didn't want to hurt himself more than was needed, so when Bailey began to pull so did he. It only took a moment for the pain to become noticeable. Clenching his jaw, he continued to pull and thought he heard a creak and feel the door begin to give. With one final tug, the door opened, and he released it as quickly as he could to give his shoulder a break.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
"Yeah. I'm hoping there's guns in this, but what would be even better is some kind of doomsday shelter. People put them in the weirdest of places, so I wouldn't exactly be surprised. Maybe there'll be more useful shit down there." Bailey could hope, but he was expecting the usual. Most times he found a trapdoor, it was just an empty cellar with maybe some useful things, but rarely. Bracing himself, he pulled at it again and with Seth's help, the trapdoor came free. It was pitch black inside, but something else had triggered the warning bells in his head. There was a horrible smell of rotting flesh coming from the hole in the floor, and that could only mean one thing.

"Take the flashlight out of my bag," he ordered Seth, setting the other bag down on the floor and swinging his rifle into his main hand. The sound of moaning began to rise. "Poor bastards," Bailey muttered, already aiming the end of his rifle down the hole. "I think there's 2. Zombs can't climb for shit, so if they're not near the entrance then I'll climb down a bit. Really depends on how far down it goes." While they couldn't climb, they could definitely pull him off the ladder if it wasn't high enough which was why he needed the flash light. He also needed to see the state of the ladder, but by the glint of the sunlight it appeared to be metal. He wouldn't fall of his own accord in that case.

Bailey wondered for a moment how they got in there. The trapdoor had rusted hinges, and there was had been a tarp pulled over it. It was possible one had got bitten and then went in, once turned, bit his companion. There were only 2, so it was unlikely that someone was using this as a zombie storage place of sorts. It didn't matter though now, he just needed to kill them. Destroy them. Whatever word worked. He had high hopes for what would be inside, as luckily zombies couldn't really contaminate anything.
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What Seth was really hoping to find, along with a gun or two, was food. Even if they could not carry much more, it would be helpful to have a good meal before they had to leave the city. Once they were away from the building and the little left they held, who knows when they would have a chance to gather more to eat. Bailey sounded pretty confident that he knew what to do and that they would be able to kill animals to eat so long as they had the right supplies, but what if there ended up being no animals to shoot? It wasn't a pleasant thought, and like most unpleasant thoughts, he pushed it to the back of his mind, planning on pulling it back forward if the need arose.

Doing his best not to gag on the smell of rotting flesh, he did as his companion asked and took the flashlight out of the bag. He put the straps over both his shoulders before looking into the dark hole and pointing the flashlight down. Flicking it on, the light revealed a metal ladder, and it also lit up a zombie that moved out of the way a moment after the light shone on it. He guessed that if he followed it with the light, it would only move away again, but at least it's outline could be soon. As for the other zombie, he could not see it, but he could hear that it was there.

"It is a bit of a ways down. You might be able to shoot one of them, but you will have to climb down some to get the other." They also had to hope that more were not hidden in the shadows. It was likely they would have heard them if there were, but there were no guarantees in this world. If Bailey was going to climb down, then he would have to be prepared in case anything happened. To jump in from this height would hurt, but he didn't think he would get seriously injured. He hoped he wouldn't have to jump, not because of the risk of injury, but because if he were to get injured then it would only give Bailey another reason to complain about him since he would slow them down.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey was a good shot. He hadn't always been, and hadn't had much practice, but shooting came naturally to him. It helped him become a good hunter, only needing one bullet to take down a deer. Or a zombie, for that matter. He already had his rifle up when the flashlight was shone, and although the zombie moved out of the light, it wasn't out of his range. As soon as Seth stopped talking, Bailey pulled the trigger. The shot was loud, but luckily didn't echo. There was a thump, and the zombie dropped to the floor. The scarred male had a wide smirk on his face as he lowered the rifle, satisfied about the shot.

"I'll climb down, but it might be dangerous. Might be easier just to lop it's head off," Bailey shrugged, gesturing to the machete hanging at his belt. He would be unsteady on the ladder, and the recoil might've made him fall. Thinking about it now, Bailey probably had more weapons than he needed. Along with his rifle, he had another two handguns in his actual bag as well as the machete. They were heavy, but he couldn't bring himself to let them go. Shaking his head to rid him of those thoughts, the male looked to Seth. "Or you could go down, and I could cover you with the rifle."

That was the safer decision, but he wasn't sure the other would see it that way. Because Seth would be the one in danger. Though Bailey had a feeling that it wasn't something out of the norm, and that he was likely confident in himself. He definitely didn't want to do it the other way round; Seth didn't even know how to hold the damn gun. The scarred male looked at Seth calmly, knowing it was his decision, yet hoping he would make the right one.
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As he watched the zombie drop, Seth had to admit that he was impressed by how quickly Bailey took it out. The zombie stood no chance, and it chilled his heart to realize that could have been him. His eyes dropped to his shoulder and wandered over to his heart, the short distance all that stopped him from being dead on the ground. A new respect came over him as he looked back up at Bailey. He had been aware that the guy could have killed him, but he only now realized how easily it could have happened. Yet the other male had chosen not to -he still chose not to- and that was a decision he could respect.

Wetting his lips with his tongue, he turned away from Bailey in order to again look into the hole, not even needing to think about what Bailey said. "I'll go down." So long as there was only one more zombie, it would be over with quickly. If there was more than one, then he would be glad to have Bailey covering him. Plus, this would give him another chance to show his companion he was not worthless. Too bad it wasn't going to be more of a challenge, because he would love a chance to better show off his fighting skills.

Flashlight in hand, he nodded to Bailey and began to climb down the ladder. It wasn't an easy task while holding the flashlight, but once he was low enough to see but high enough not to be grabbed, he shone the light around the dark. There was only one other zombie that he could see, so he climbed down a few more rungs then jumped down, landing in a crouch and setting the light on the ground. As he stood up, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and darted into the shadows where the creature that was once human stood. Was running into the dark the smartest idea? No. Did he care? Not one damn bit.

Using just a knife was also not the smartest idea, but the machete would have caused his shoulder to hurt more than it already did. Just as he had thought, it was over with quickly but messily. His knife hand was covered in gore as he stepped back into the light and looked up. Like with Bailey after the shot, his face was lit with a grin. He needed more action like that, it helped him feel alive.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey watched the other male scale down the ladder, his rifle back up. Oh how easy it would've been to just shoot him there; one bullet, and both their pain would've been over. However the scarred male shook his head, knowing it would no longer simply be that easy. As much as he disliked Seth, there wasn't a big enough reason to kill him. And despite what Bailey told himself, he wasn't a cold-hearted killer. Instead, he simply kept watch as the other descended, itching to pull the trigger on another zombie. Killing those things always gave him a small feeling of satisfaction.

When Seth dropped to the ground, Bailey wondered if maybe he was going to get himself killed. It sure seemed like it, the way he had lunged straight into the dark void, apparently with no concerns for his own safety. Sure zombies were dumb, but just one bite and you were a goner. The scarred male had been prepared to yell a warning, but it was over quickly. Pfft. Since when had he started caring if the other lived or died? And to think he had been worried about that, even for a moment. He had seen the balls on the guy, seeing as he had run at him despite a gun in his face, and he should've known a zombie was nothing to him.

As the other stepped back into the light, Bailey simply rolled his eyes. There was no way he was going to congratulate him on that, not after how risky it had been. He'd even done it with a knife, yet Bailey wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. It no longer mattered. Sighing to himself, he began to climb down the ladder, rifle in one hand. When he got to the ground, he stepped off and looked at Seth. "Find a light switch?" He asked, not even caring to mention the dead zombie.
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Seth could instantly tell that he was not going to get a positive reaction out of Bailey. His decision to run headlong into danger had either been a stupid decision to the other male, or else it was not enough to impress the guy. Or else Bailey did not want to be impressed by him so he kept all his feelings to himself. That was an annoying thought and one that he quickly pushed aside. He wasn't going to let thoughts like that take away his good mood, especially not when it would no doubt drop later on. They still had a long day ahead of them.

Shrugging his shoulders, he wiped the knife clean on his jeans, pocketed it, then proceeded to wipe the blood off his hand. "Nope, but I haven't looked for one." He had been too busy killing a zombie and feeling good about it, not to mention that looking for a light switch never crossed his mind. Would a light even still work? He had no clue how all the technology had been affected since this whole ordeal. He was used to no electricity or running water or any sort of luxury like that.

"If you don't find one, we can always use the flashlight." It still lay where he set it, so he picked it up and began to scan it around the room in order to be helpful. He already did not want to seem too lazy, so not even helping to find a light switch would only set him farther back in that goal. He wasn't actively looking for one, though. Instead he let his eyes land on the dead zombies and wondered how the world had gone to hell so quickly. At least unlike most people, when the apocalypse started, he didn't have much to lose. In fact, he lost nothing in the years this hell had been going on.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
"If this really is a doomsday shelter, they probably have a backup generator or something." Pausing for a second to listen, a frown crossed Bailey's face. "Or not. I can't hear anything running." They would just have to rely on the flashlight then. Since there was only one, it made the scarred male a little annoyed, but he made no mention of it as he reached out to one of the shelves that lined the walls. The room wasn't very big, four metres long and five wide. There were four shelves against the walls of the room, with different items on each. Bailey couldn't see very far into the darkness, but he walked along the wall to see if there was anything useful.

"There's canned food on this one," he called out to Seth, picking one up and trying to see if he could discern anything from the limited light coming from the trapdoor. Canned vegetables, however each one seemed to be different. Instead of wasting his time looking through all of them, Bailey moved to the next shelf instead. As he did, he almost stumbled over another body that had been hidden in the darkness. Crouching down next to it, he frowned. It was close enough to the light that he could make out some features, and it definitely wasn't a zombie.

"I think... This was a kid." Bailey's voice was low as he spoke. The body wasn't any longer than a metre, and there was a round hole through his head. A teddy bear was lying next to his hand, covered in the dirt and grime that was covering everything else. "Hasn't decomposed yet. This must've been recent." It only made him feel worse. The kid couldn't have been older than 10, and yet was dead because of the hell that had taken over their world. There were no bite marks he could see, and Bailey couldn't fathom the reason they would shoot a ten year old kid. Glancing up, he tried to make eye contact with Seth to see what the other thought of it. His own eyes were dark, the usual iciness replaced by something akin to sadness and disappointment.
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They would be fine without an above light, so Seth was not to broken up about the lack of generator. They were not going to be down here long, so they could just grab what they needed quickly and leave. He realized it would help if he had the light pointed where Bailey wanted to go, so he located the other male and lit up the wall with the canned food, his mood growing even happier. That was the one thing he had been hoping for, so they really lucked out. Now they could stock up with what else they could carry and have a quick meal before leaving. Or so that had been the plan in his head until Bailey spoke up again, throwing that plan out the window faster than it had been created.

Turning, he shone the light on the body that his companion was crouching over, his blood running cold at the sight of the young boy. Dead bodies were nothing new to him, neither were dead kids, but it had been so long since he had seen such a young body, an innocent life cut short far before his time. It made his stomach churn, and suddenly the thought of food wasn't as great as it had sounded a moment ago. It wasn't right. This whole damn world wasn't right, and it was moments like this where he wished that everything could go back to the way it used to be.

Without a word to Bailey, Seth crouched down next to the other male and stretched out his free hand to brush his fingers along the dead kid's forehead and through his bangs. The sadness in Bailey's eyes was reflected in his own, along with a dull pain that seemed to spread through his whole body. His fingers having finished their path along the boy's forehead, he grabbed the stuffed bear and set it along the crook of the arm, curling the arm around the bear to hold it in place, the boy's hand now resting on his chest. He then leaned forward so his forehead nearly touched that of the dead's. "I'm sorry." His voice was a whisper, but he knew that if Bailey was listening he would have heard the two words he spoke to the boy. Right now, he could care less what Bailey thought. In fact, he could care less about much of anything at the moment. What he cared about was wishing he could trade places with the boy.

Sighing, he stayed like that for another second before lifting his head and standing up. "Let's grab what we need to and get out of here." Their good luck had turned to shit, and he just wanted to get a move on.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey could only watch as the other knelt down next to the kid's body, brushed his hand through the kid's hair and move the teddy bear. He wasn't sure what he said next was a good or bad thing, but he hoped it would be of some comfort. "It would've been over in a second. He wouldn't have felt anything," the scarred male said softly, looking at the gunshot wound in his head. "At least, he felt no pain."

Standing up, his eyes were still full of sadness as he dragged them away from the body. Taking a deep breath, he headed over to another section of the basement. There were guns on this shelf, and Bailey began to pick and choose what he thought they would need. A handgun for Seth, more bullets for the both of them, and an automatic pistol if he ever needed it. It would be a little heavy, however he would've been happy to hold the extra supplies.

After finishing with the guns, he headed back over to the canned food and took as many as he could carry. He shot a glance towards Seth, trying to gauge how the other was feeling. It had been a hard emotional blow, and even he was feeling a lot less happy after finding the trapdoor. There was nothing he could say, nothing he wanted to say that could possibly comfort him. As he finished with collecting supplies, he headed for the ladder. "Let's go."
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Bailey was right, the kid wouldn't have felt anything, but it still shouldn't have happened. If only the world hadn't come to this fucked up disaster, and god knows why it did. Was there people out there trying to find a way to reverse what had happened, or were the people capable of finding a cure already dead? There was no way to find the answer to that question, not unless one traveled all around the world in a search, so he looked at the boy again. He and Bailey could have stopped the death of the kid. If only they had come sooner...

Pulling the backpack off his shoulders, he unzipped the largest pocket as he approached the shelf with the food. His shoulder was going to start hurting one way or another, so he filled the bag up with as much as he could and put the straps over both his shoulders again. It was easy to tell that it was heavier, but right now his heart was the heaviest thing he carried so he could care less about the weight of the bag.

While he waited for Bailey to finish gathering what he needed, Seth moved to stand next to the ladder. In order to be helpful, he shone the flashlight in Bailey's direction, and when his companion was finished he shut the light off, shoved it in one of the backpack's side pockets, and began to climbed. He reached the top quickly and waited for the other male to join him. Words had left him, but it was Bailey's turn to lead the way.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey climbed up the ladder after him, his thoughts weighing him down. He didn't know if Seth wanted to talk about it or not, and if he did, he had no idea what he wanted to say. The scarred male wasn't good at comforting people, especially as he hadn't spent much time around them. He sent a probing glance at Seth, trying to decipher what he was thinking. His own eyes were dark, trying not to dwell too much on what had just happened.

Eyes darting up, Bailey thought back to the map. If anything, they just needed to keep going. There was no point in sticking around, as it would only hurt the longer they did so. Without a word, the male began to walk, expecting the other to follow. Was it better to keep quiet? Or should he say something? Bailey shifted uncomfortably. Deciding he had nothing to say, he simply continued to walk in silence.

The sun was looming overhead now, the rays burning into Bailey's neck. He hadn't noticed it yet, however it would only get hotter the longer they walked. The bag was heavy, and so his strides were a little smaller. With their current pace, they would be close to the other group within the next day. Bailey grit his teeth at the thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. Their bags would definitely slow them down if they had to run, but at least the other group were terrible shooters. Sighing to himself, he just hoped they wouldn't get caught. Even getting killed was preferable to what would happen if they were to be caught.
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Instead of trying to push away the heavy thoughts like any sane person would want to do, Seth let the sight of the dead body completely take over his mind while also partly blaming himself for what happened. It took him a few seconds to realize that Bailey had joined him up top. He followed, but not right away. First he took the time to close the door to the hidden room in the floor, not wanting any zombies to stumble across the room and make a meal of the dead boy.

Giving one last glance at the door in the floor, he turned and followed after his companion, his pace quick but slowing down once he caught up to the other male. His eyes took on a dark appearance along with the sadness. He hated the world for what it had become, for all the lives that had been torn apart thanks to the virus. His own had been destroyed before people began to change into zombies, but as he watched the man in front of him, he felt that it had been different for Bailey.

Looking away, he didn't voice his thoughts since Bailey did not seem the type to talk about himself. There were no doubts hints to the guy's past in the bag that was slung over his shoulders, but he also wasn't about to go snooping through someone else's belongings. He settled for now trying to push away the negative images in his mind, having tormented himself long enough, and instead focus on the path they were walking. He recognized a few broken building. There was nothing too exciting, at least not until he heard footsteps coming from the direction they were heading towards. Taking a few quick steps so he was right next to the other male, he glanced over and gave his companion a look that asked if he heard it too.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
There were footsteps. Bailey had been under the impression that there was no one in this area, save for Seth's group. Shooting a glance at his companion, a frown crossed his face. So he had noticed it too. The scarred male slipped his rifle off his shoulder, the strap hanging loose. While he wasn't going to shoot on sight, like he had almost done with Seth, it was just better to be prepared. He kept the rifle in two hands as the footsteps came closer, slowing down himself.

Finally the footsteps turned the corner. It was a man and a woman. The woman looked thin, her eyes sunken and her dark hair a mess. The man didn't look much better, almost as thin as the woman, with his hair grown long and the same look in his eyes. They immediately stopped once they saw the two males, both putting up their hands as Bailey raised the rifle. "Don't shoot!"

Lowering the gun, the scarred male looked suspiciously at the two. They didn't look like they belonged in this kind of place. One was dragging along a trailer of sorts, with various supplies sitting inside. There was a space in the middle that Bailey didn't know what was for. Looking back up at the two, Bailey kept the gun close in case they decided to attack. "What are you doing here?" He asked them, his voice cautious and low.

The couple lowered their hands. Glancing at one another, they seemed to silently debate on whether or not to tell these two strangers. The man wrapped an arm around the woman before he spoke. "Have you seen a kid around here? He's short, ten years old, holding a teddy bear. We got separated earlier on, and we're worried sick about him." The man's voice sounded hoarse, as if he'd been crying, and tears seemed to appear in the woman's eyes. She spoke up after the man. "He's our kid. Name's Ben. If you've seen him, please tell us..."

Bailey felt sick. He thought back to the gun store, the trapdoor, everything. Looking to Seth, it was as if his eyes grew even darker. What were they going to say to them?
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Bailey had heard the footsteps also. That was good, so Seth focused his attention on the path in front of them, waiting to see what would appear: zombies or humans. Part of him hoped, even more so than usual, that it would be zombies so he could take out his pain and anger on something that need not be in the world in the first place. It wouldn't be long until he learned which it would be, and he prepared himself to attack.

Muscles relaxing, he was disappointed to see that the footsteps came from a couple that looked like hell. He felt bad for them as he took in their disheveled appearance. He and Bailey also had a disheveled sort of appearance, but they were nothing like the two that now stood in front of them. It was saddening, but the man and woman would at least be able to tell them if there was any danger the way they were heading, and they could do the same for them.

That did not happen. In fact, the worst imaginable scenario was thrust at he and his companion, and he looked at Bailey the same time Bailey looked at him. For the second time that day, he wished he had the power to turn back time so he did not have to face this moment. To turn back the clock would be just like running from his problems, and when emotional problems arose, being a coward is what he did best. He ran away from his parents instead of facing his attitude problem, he continued to stay on the streets instead of going back for fear showing his parents what a worthless son they had, he let the person he loved walk away without a fight. Now was the only time he was running forward instead of back, so he would be damned if he was going to run again.

Lifting his head, he fixed couple with a sad, apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry." Those two words matched with the sorrowful look he was giving would be answer enough.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
The woman gasped in shock. The man simply stared, as if not believing what Seth had said. "No... No you're joking... We only got separated hours ago, he couldn't have..." The woman choked on her sobs, burying her face into the man's shoulder. He pulled her closer, the agony clear on his face as he didn't know how to handle the news of his boy no longer alive in this world.

Bailey stared at them, his heart wrenching. While he didn't know the pain of losing a child, he damn well knew the pain of losing someone extremely close to oneself. Something pricked at his eye; dust? No, of course not. Bailey forced his eyes to the ground, almost as if he was scared of Seth seeing the tears gathering at the corner of his eye. None fell however, and he tried to think of something to say to the distraught couple.

"H-How-" The man began, before he was cut off by a wail from the woman. She was on the ground now, tears streaming from her eyes. "Why?!" She cried, almost a scream, and the man knelt next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to sooth her. Bailey stared, his mind going back to a time 3 years ago that he never wanted to relive again, but the people in front of him seemed to be going through it for the first time.

The woman was still crying loudly, however the man turned his head to look at the two males. Tears were falling from his own eyes, but he was trying to keep his composure for the sake of his companion. "How... How did he die?" He asked quietly, doing his best not to break down like the woman. Bailey hesitated, then to spare Seth further pain he answered.

"He was shot in the head. We found his body just a few minutes ago. It... Would've been painless." Bailey said quietly. Apparently that was not the answer they wanted, or hoped to hear. The woman's cries suddenly stopped, and her eyes narrowed in on the gun Bailey was carrying. "Was it you?!" She shrieked, about to rise from her position before the man stopped her. "It wasn't them. You can see it in their eyes." The man murmured to her quietly, his arms still around her except now to prevent her doing anything rash.

With a sob, her sudden strength left her and she sunk down to the ground. The scarred male stared, the tears wanting to fall but at the same time, he didn't want them to. "I'm sorry," he added quietly, lowering his eyes to the ground.

"Can... Can you lead us to his body? If anything, we want to give him a proper burial," the man murmured. The woman beside him was still crying. "He was only ten... Why did this have to happen to him... If only we had kept a closer eye on him..." The tears were pushing harder to fall from Bailey's eyes now, but he stayed strong. "Of course." He barely shot a glance at Seth as he turned around, waiting for the man.
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Pain tearing through him, Seth had to turn his head away and down from the agonizing sight, but he could not block out the sobs and cries. He could not even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a child. A son or daughter was something he would have wanted eventually, but now that would never happen since he wasn't about to bring a new life into this world. Witnessing what the couple was going through only hardened that resolve. The risk of loss was not worth it.

Risking a glance over and up, his eyes landed on Bailey just as the other male dropped his eyes downward. This action was enough to cause Seth to look away again so not to stare at his companion. Now was a time for everyone to drown in their own memories, as he was sure Bailey was doing. It made him even more curious about the guy's past. He realized the other male might have been through his own experiences as the one that was now happening.

Seth was about to look at the couple since the man was starting to speak, but the sudden wail from the woman killed that plan. His eyes ended up widening. The woman's cries turned into those of his mother, and he could picture her making that sound after he ran away. By the time his parents gave up searching, they both probably thought he was dead, or worse. And what about his family now? Were they still alive?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he tuned back in to the world around him in time to hear Bailey explain what they saw. He was grateful to not be the one to tell it, but he did not expect the reaction the woman had. His muscles tightened in preparation in case the woman decided to attack, but thankfully the man had sense in him and was able to control his wife. Still, after something like that, he would be on guard in case sadness drove either of them into madness.

As he followed Bailey back the way they had come, he stepped closer to the couple. "I know it probably won't help, at least not now, but don't blame yourselves. I don't know how you got separated, but no one can control a child all the time. Believe me, I know." Giving them a sad smile, he quickened his pace and caught up to Bailey, speaking in a low voice. "I don't think they will try anything, but grief can make people unpredictable, so be ready just in case." Preferably to run. He didn't want to fight these people, but once the couple caught sight of the body, all sense of reason might fly out the window.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey looked to Seth, making a small noise of agreement. He knew all too well that grief, something he didn't ever want to feel again. He honestly didn't want to be there when they saw the body, however it was their duty to lead them to their son. They deserved the right to bury the boy. To say their last goodbyes. More than he would ever get.

They were nearing the gun store when Bailey heard another sound. This was different, and it set him on edge. It didn't sound natural. "There's something wrong," he murmured, looking to Seth then the couple. He raised the rifle to his shoulder, his eyes and ears alert, but the grief of the situation had clearly dulled his senses. A scream was heard, as a zombie came hurtling out of the side of the shop, heading straight for the woman.

Everything seemed to slow down. How had he not realised this? The scarred male had seen movement earlier, but it hadn't registered in his fogged mindset. And now, someone was going to be hurt because of his mistake. He had already begun aiming, however the zombie was far too close for him to get an accurate shot in time. And he didn't want to risk shooting the couple, but it was quickly becoming a lose lose situation.

Just the smallest of hesitations. That was all it took. He didn't pull the trigger in time.

The zombie had been after the woman, but the man threw her aside and took the brunt of the attack. Teeth sunk into his arm, and he yelled out in pain just as a shot rang out and the zombie dropped dead. But by then, it was too late. The virus had already begun to spread, and another wail from the woman confirmed it. Bailey rushed over, knowing in his heart that it was too late, but he had to see.

"K-kill me," the man gasped, kicking the zombie off and showing the bite to them. "Before I become one of them."

"Darren... Please, you can't leave me too..." The woman was distraught, the thought of losing her husband and son on the same day too much to bear. Bailey couldn't watch. There was a horrible expression on the male's face, as if he'd gone through the same thing before. Almost exactly the same thing. But he still raised the gun, trying to force an emotionless look but failing. He didn't want to do this, it was clear, and it was his own mistake that had cost the man's life.

Darren, the husband, looked up into his wife's eyes. "I'm sorry hon, I love you, but I don't want to hurt you... It's better to make this fast," he whispered, bringing a hand up to her face which she clasped to her cheek. Tears were streaming down both of their faces, the woman looking even more broken than before.

"I'll say hi to Ben for you. I'm sorry hon, I really am, but keep strong for me, okay?" The man was trying to keep a positive tone in his voice, but she wasn't having any of it. With a sob, she closed her eyes and hugged him, forcing Bailey to put down the gun. At this point, he no longer thought he could shoot him. All of the memories he had tried to lock away for so long came flooding back, and he nearly cracked under the pressure.

Then Darren looked up, and locked eyes with Bailey. He knew what the other had to do. Gently, he pushed his wife away, smiling at her for one last time. It almost gave her hope then, that maybe everything was going to be okay.

And for the third time that day, a shot rang out.

The woman watched as the light faded from her husband's eyes. Slowly, agonisingly, she watched as his body fell.

Everything became too much to bear.

A heartfelt, broken scream echoed throughout the store as she collapsed to the ground, and it tore the male's heart in two. It was a scream he recognised all too well, one that had come from his very own mouth, something he had never wanted to hear again. Why had it come to this? Why had he been so distraught over the boy, that he let his father die too? It all could have been avoided, and yet it hadn't. Bailey stared with blank, empty eyes at the body of a father, a husband, a friend, and he wondered what had made him commit such atrocities. If only she could see him now, doing the same thing to someone else that he had done to her.

And then something snapped. The woman had spotted something, was leaning over for it, and Bailey wasn't sure what was going to happen. He didn't want to know. But as she grabbed a gun that had been hiding under the bottom shelf, he found himself taking a step forward as he knew what she was going to do.

But there was no stopping her.

And for the final time that day, a shot rang out and blood painted the shelves.
[/fieldbox]
 
Seth was glad that Bailey agreed with him, and it went to show that they could get along and were even similar in ways. It was a funny thought and one worth thinking on, but not now. He would save it for later when he wasn't suppose to help keep an eye out. They had just come from this way, though, so what could go wrong? Too bad they were soon about to find out that the answer to that was everything.

It all happened so fast. One minute they were nearing the store and the next thing he knew the man was on the ground with a dead zombie next to him. Seth hadn't been paying attention like he should have, and he should have been standing closer to protect the couple instead of walking with Bailey. He should have had a clearer mind, but since he left home, his state of mind had been gradually getting worse.

There was nothing to do but watch the scene play out in front of him, and he was glad Bailey was the one with the gun, although he could tell the guy wished he were anywhere but here. He tried to harden his heart as he watched the last exchanges the couple would ever make to each other, and somehow managed to not look away when Bailey pulled the trigger. Seeing the bullet strike the man was nothing compared to the scream that came after. It was chilling in a certain way because once before he had heard a similar sound. This was before the disease, the moment right before his life began to spiral down.

He turned around to give the woman a little privacy, and because he could not bare to watch any longer. It wasn't even a minute later when he turned back around, the sound of another gunshot ringing in his ears. He blinked in surprise at the body of the woman, but it was really not all that surprising, after how she reacted to her son's death no long before. That didn't make it any less heartbreaking. Three dead and all from the same family. While the first nothing could have been about, he could not help but feel that he and Bailey cause more harm than good.

Fixing his dark blue eyes on the other male, he slowly walked over and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. Nothing was ok right now, but it would do them no use to stay here. "We should go." With a failed attempt at a sad smile, he turned away and began to walk in the direction they needed to go.
 
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