❤️💜7KkkkKkKkkkkkKkkKKkk💜❤️

---Nightmare's POV----

I woke up to the sound of shuffling outside. I groaned softly, moving to pull my blanket further over my head, only to find that it wasn't there. That's when I remembered, I wasn't at home any more. I sat up, looking around quickly.

The small fire was now just a pile of softly smoking fire and ash, the grass around it slightly scorched. I was still half in my sleeping back and I immediately scrambled out of it, looking around for Cross.

He wasn't there. His sleeping bag lay discarded in the corner of the hollow trunk, wrapped up in a messy ball.

"Cross?" I called.

The shuffling from outside rang out again and I immediately scrambled out, looking around for any sign of the smol skeleton.

"N-Nightmare..."

I whipped around, only to freeze.

Cross was stood stiffly, his eyes wide with terror. He was shaking, his hands gripping onto each other tightly.

Next to Cross, was a zombie. It was human, male. Clumps of hair had been ripped from its skull, leaving bleeding and pus covered bald patches. His face was a horror, bits of skin torn and hanging off, while the rest looked festering.

They sniffed Cross, running a bloody hand over his shoulder. Another hand was resting around his neck slightly.

Cross was full on shaking, his eyes staring at me desperately, silently pleading for help as I stood there frozen in shock.

The zombie moved its face up to Cross' neck and sniffed it, drooling slightly as he bared his yellow, rotten teeth.

I growled softly, reaching into my pocket for the pistol I had kept there.

Cross saw what I was doing and squeezed his eyes shut. He was probably terrified that I could shoot him by accident, but also terrified that the zombie would suddenly attack him.

It looked as if it was going to bite him. It didn't seem sure if Cross was a zombie or not. He was sniffing him to check, and I'm assuming he smelt a bit like a zombie, but he wasn't acting like one.

I aimed the gun at it, gulping as my hand shook a bit. I was terrified that I'd shoot Cross. But if that zombie bit him in the neck, the virus would double and surge through his body, almost immediately destroying the last bit of sanity inside of him and turning him instantly.

Gulping, I pulled the trigger.

---Cross' POV----

I jolted as the zombie leaning against me let out a screech, stumbling away from me before collapsing to the floor.

Suddenly I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me, and a face press into my neck.

I opened my eyes, looking down at Nightmare for a second before hugging back tightly.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Nightmare asked, fussing over me.

"N-No Nighty...he didn't..." I mumbled, pressing my face into his chest. "Sorry..."

He sighed, keeping me close. "I panicked when I saw your sleeping bag empty..."

"Sorry..." I whispered. "I-I don't know what happened...I-I just remember waking up next t-to you and my arm was starting to burn up horribly...I-I knew I wouldn't have enough time to warn you so I got outside as quick as I could...a-and then I can't remember what happened next...a-all I know is that it was dark when I went out, a-and morning when I suddenly gained back control of my body to find myself i-in the grips of a zombie..."

"So you changed..."

I nodded, gripping onto him tightly. My arm was already on fire, the pain making my mind go fuzzy already. "I-I don't have long l-left..."

Nightmare hissed softly before kissing my cheek. "Wait here, please stay safe."

I nodded, watching as he ran back over to the hollow tree, ducking under it.

He took about a minute before stumbling back out, having packed everything away.

He instantly hugged me, shivering slightly. "I'm going to get you that cure Cross..." He murmured, kissing the top of my skull. "We can make it, I promise..."

I nodded, forcing a smile as my arm flared up in pain again. I winced slightly, and Nightmare frowned.

"You okay?"

I nodded my head, but stopped as I saw the serious expression on his face.

"Don't lie to me Cross."

I looked down, rubbing my arm slightly. "I-It hurts..."

He sighed, hugging me tightly. "How much..."

"A-A lot..." I whimpered softly.

Nightmare growled, gripping onto my hand tightly as he started pulling me along, setting off in the forest again. "We better go quick then. Just try to fight it, okay?"

I nodded, staying close by his side as he led me along through the dark trees, weaving through tangled roots and hanging vines.

About two hours into our walk I started panting softly, wincing as my arm started really hurting. It was as if it was being stabbed by hot red knives. My mind was constantly slipping, and my vision had gone slightly blurry.

Nightmare noticed, immediately turning to me. "Do you need to rest?"

I shook my head, ignoring the sharp look he gave me. "I-I might not come back from this one...m-my mind is already f-falling apart..."

I could see the fear in Nightmare's expression as he said that, and he instantly pulled me closer to me, looking down into my eyes.

He looked slightly fuzzy in my vision, not as clear as he normally did. I could feel myself falling apart rapidly. Like a piece of string unraveling, soon there would be nothing left to unravel...

"L-Lets keep moving..." Nightmare muttered, stuttering slightly. His voice wavered, cracking a little as he looked at me.

I smiled weakly, continuing to walk with him. Every now and then a sudden wave of the virus would hit my body, nearly making me collapse. But I forced myself to keep going, ignoring the worried looks Nightmare kept giving me.

"Nighty..."

He immediately looked over at me, his complete attention on me. "Yes?"

"H-How much l-longer till we...get there...?" I asked, my voice weak and strained.

"N-Not long Crossy...I promise you won't have to go through this for much longer..."

I leant against him, sighing weakly as my legs gave way beneath me.

"Cross?!"

I clung to Nightmare weakly as he picked me up, my vision going dark and splotchy. I could feel him running, begging for me to stay with him, saying that we were nearly there, I just had to keep fighting.

But I could feel myself slowly slipping, the last of my sanity and control being swallowed as the virus took over my body.

----Nightmare's POV----

I ran as fast as I could, keeping Cross close to my chest in my arms.

The city was in sight now, its tall broken buildings coming into sight over the tops of the trees.

I sped up, glancing down as I felt my feet go from grass to concrete. I was officially inside the city boarder.

It was in even worse condition than when I had last been here. Buildings had collapsed, roads were splitting and cracking, street lamps and telephone poles were strewn across the streets and fires flickered amongst rubble permanently.

I slowed down slightly, scanning my surroundings as I continued to walk down the empty road.

The windows of houses were smashed, doors had been broken down and the brickwork was starting to crumble.

Old belongings were strewn across everywhere. When the news came out about the apocalypse everyone panicked, trying to run as far away as quick as possible. But the original hoard hit them quicker than they could ever have expected. Almost the whole town was infected within a few hours.

I recognised a few buildings and instantly sped up, looking down at Cross momentarily.

His eyes had rolled back in his skull as his body twitched, the virus rapidly destroying him from the inside.

"I-It'll be o-okay Cross..." I stuttered, continuing to walk quickly. "Y-You'll be cured, I-I promise."

He didn't respond, just gasped and gulped, as if breathing was becoming difficult for him.

"J-Just hang on..." I whispered, hugging him tighter to my chest. "W-We're nearly there..."

Sprinting once more, I weaved my way through different alleyways, looking around desperately for any signs of the old building those scientists had made their base at.

"Come on come on come on!" I yelled, looking around frantically as I continued to sprint.

I spent five minutes running around frantically before I skidded to a stop, looking up at the old, crumbling hospital building.

There it was.

I walked over to a nearby bench and set Cross down on it, frowning as he let out a strangled groan. "W-We're here Cross..." I whispered. "Y-You're gonna be okay."

He didn't respond, simply curling up in a limp ball.

I was panicking on the inside as I turned to face the hospital. "HELLO?! ANYONE THERE?!" I scanned the buildings windows desperately, looking for any signs of life in them.

A sudden movement in a lower window made me look over, waving frantically as I saw the outline of a person visible in one of the few windows that weren't smashed.

A second later and the main doors unlocked, swinging open slowly to reveal a man and a woman, both of them holding guns.

I raised my hand to wave again but paused as they raised their guns, aiming them right at me.

"N-NO WAIT!" I called.

Two shots rang out and I tensed, shutting my eye tightly.

But the impact never came. Instead I felt myself get grabbed by two pairs of hands that quickly started dragging me towards the hospital.

I opened my eyes, struggling. "W-Wait what are you shooting at?!"

The woman fired again, glancing at me briefly. "Zombie!"

I froze, lashing out of their grip and spinning around.

There, stood back at the bench, was Cross. He was swaying slightly on his feet, his eyes dull and glassy, his mouth dripping blood.

"NO DON'T SHOOT HE'S WITH ME!" I called desperately.

But they only shot again, and I watched in horror as Cross screamed in pain, a bullet hitting him in the chest.

"NO STOP!" I cried, thrashing in their grip.

But the two of them were surprisingly strong and dragged me into the hospital.

The last I saw of Cross before they slammed the doors shut was him stumbling away into an alleyway, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

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Longest chapter so farrrrr

And nooooooo my babies snnsndsuxhggs

Whyyyyyyyyyyyy

Sob

T^T

-Jess-