The sun is sweltering hot; it's the kind of hot that's not soothing, just makes you sticky and flustered. I hate it. But as I lie here, semi-conscious, I can't find the willpower to move. Then, I hear a familiar voice penetrate my cloudy, dazed mind. "Derp! You gotta move! They're coming for us!" My eyes snap open and I see Ian looking down at me, panic in his bright blue eyes. "C'mon!" I sit up, light-headed, and my jaw drops when I see the hoardes of zombies trying to fight their way over our garden fence. I swear and get to my feet, following Ian who was already running to the house. I remember seeing the sky turn red, remember watching Sky and Tyler fall to their knees, their teeth bared in agony as their skin rotted away. The apocolypse was upon us, and at the moment, it seemed only Ian and I were still alive. I find myself in the kitchen, the knife-block to my right and Ian disappearing off upstairs to my left. I grab the two longest, most deadly looking knifes I can see and sift through the kitchen drawers, taking out two elastic bands. I bend over, wrapping the bands round my leg and slotting the knifes beneath them. Ian reappears with a shotgun in hand. We'd known this was coming for a while, but we'd need some more supplies in order to survive. Terror and adrenaline races through me as the zombies crash into the room, jaws agape and crammed with blackened molars. I yell in shock as Ian calmly brings the gun to his shoulder and cocks it, pulling the trigger a dozen times. I run backwards, grabbing Ian's arm and pulling him with me as the zombies pile into the house. Ian's eyes widen and he turns round as I do, sprinting with me. "We have to head for the hills! We'll be safe there!" I yell to Ian who nods and follows me as I run through the now deserted village we live in.
***
Ian walks beside me, panting for breath. We'd just half-trekked, half-jogged our way up a steep hill. We were surrounded by other hills, with thick forests covering them like coats. As we clamber up the slope rocks slide out from under our feet and cascade downwards; the clouds drift over us and the sun is beginning to set. Ian stops and ducks beneath a bay tree. I follow him and we emerge onto a small, flat ledge that overlooks a steep drop. I pull the longest knife from my leg and start sawing at the long, thick branches on the nearest trees. Ian sits down and puts his head in his hands. I pause, gazing at him. His shaggy brown hair fallls over his face, completely concealing the beautiful blue eyes beneath I know so well and love so much. The setting sun casts oranges and reds over him, bringing out his visible features in a vivid light. I sigh wistfully. If only I could tell him how I felt about him. Ian raises his head and steeples his fingers, resting his chin on them and gazing out thoughtfully at the horizon. I turn away and hit my forehead lightly against the tree trunk, trying to get up the nerve to tell him how I felt about him; how much I love him and always have done. I close my eyes and grit my teeth in irritation. I'd never get up the courage; I had too much fear of being rejected. Ian realises I've fallen silent and turns round, looking at me with a questioning gaze. "You ok Derp?" I sigh. "What if, hypothetically, you really want, no, really need to tell someone something, but you can't because you're scared they'll never trust you again?" Ian stands up and walks over to me, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I shiver at his touch; intimate thoughts about him flying through my mind. "Is there something you need to tell me Derp?" I bite back my fear with difficulty. "Look, for a while now...I've-" I'm cut off by a wild, piercing shriek echoing throughout the valley. Ian jumps back in fright and it takes all my willpower not to wrap my arms round him and draw him close to me. It's nearly dark now and we can barely see a few feet in front of us, let alone pick our way down a crumbling hillside. "They've found us." Ian whispers hoarsely and I swallow hard, moving away from the noise. The scream comes again, closer this time. Ian whimpers and I clench my fists, fighting the near-overwhelming urge that kept coming to lock him in an embrace and kiss him passionately. These thoughts instantly dissipate though as Ian's scream rings in my ears; at least 10 zombies are crawling towards us. I yell at Ian to run. I follow him, making sure he doesn't fall behind me. Branches and rockfaces whip past as we sprint; pebbles and stones dislodge from beneath me, affecting my balance and speed. The zombies are still gaining on us, I catch up with Ian and he slips; he's too close to the edge! Without thinking, I reach out and grab his hand, entwining my fingers with his and pulling him back towards me. He regains his balance but doesn't let go of my hand. My heart thunders in my chest as we keep running; he's gasping for breath and I'm stumbling more often. We round a corner and I skid to a halt. The hill falls away suddenly and I yelp, pulling Ian back away from it. His feet nearly slip over the edge and on impulse I slip my other arm round his waist, securing him back on the path. He's so close to me now; I can feel the vibrations from our pounding hearts going through both of us. The zombies have fallen behind for now, but we need to keep moving. For a moment we both just stand there, my arm still tight round Ian's waist and my hand in his. Ian stops trembling and shuffles awkwardly. "Uh, Derp...would you, um...?" "Oh yeah, sorry." I let go of him and step away, my face bright red. To my surprise, he flashes a shy smile at me before checking behind us and walking onwards. As if in a dream, I slowly follow behind him, the darkness swallowing up the space behind us.
***
I sit up, bleary eyed. The morning sun is shining in my eyes and Ian is still asleep beside me. My stomach growls and the memories of yesterday come back to me. The apocolypse. Zombies. Running for our lives. My heart beat speeds up at the memory of holding Ian close to me; nearly getting up the the courage to tell him how I felt about him. I gently shake him awake and he sits up, narrowing his eyes against the sun. "Hey." I smile half-heartedly. "Hi." An awkward silence falls over both of us. I stand up, picking up my knives. "We need to venture back into our village for supplies Ian, or we'll starve up here." He nods and swallows hard. "So thirsty." "Me too. Lets go before we become too dehydrated to stand. It won't take long." He goes to stand up, but had been sleeping on his leg, cutting off the blood supply. He sits down again suddenly and I can't help but laugh. I offer him my hand and he takes it; I pull him to his feet and he shakes the pins-and-needles out of his leg. I turn and check the hills around us hopefully for signs of other human life. The hill opposite's tip is pinkish from the sunrise; a pine forest slopes downwards on it; I look down the one we're on. A zig-zagging trail leads down to the base; my eyes follow along the river flowing past it and I can see our village. "C'mon Ian, it's not far." "Ok Derp." As we make our way down cautiously to the trail, I can see what's left behind from a devestating flood our village recently suffered. Dirt and rocks were washed down from the hills, trees were uprooted and the river had retreated into the deepest depths of the riverbed when it had been bursting it's banks only a few months previously. Ian too was surveying the damage and steering clear of huge precarious rock formations with their foundation rock washed away. A few yards in front of us a ruin of a pigeon-house was perched on the edge of the hill. Ian strides up to it, curiosity burning in his blue eyes. "So, what did you want to tell me yesterday Derp?" I blink. "Uh, well, I...Ian...that thing doesn't look stable." Ian was leaning against the crumbling entrance wall, sticking his head inside the building. "It's fine Derp." My eyes widen as a loose brick by Ian's elbow falls out the wall and the structure begins to fall over him. "Ian look out!" He looks up too late. Without thinking I run forward and grab him, pulling him backwards as the entire ruin collapses in a pile of dust and decaying stone. Ian yelps and turns towards me, burying his head in my chest. On instinct I wrap my arms round him as huge stones hit the ground all around us with loud thuds on the dry earth. A few moments after the last stone rolls and hits the ground a few feet away, Ian still hasn't moved. I figure it's shock more than anything; if I hadn't been there to save him he'd be buried underneath a ton of rocks. I can feel him trembling and I run my fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm him down. Finally, he draws away and coughs, breathing in the billowing cloud of dust. He looks up at me, a strange look in his eyes. I blush at his proximity and find myself once more fighting the ridiculous urge to kiss him hard on the lips. I look away and start walking. He catches up and walks beside me. "Thanks." "Don't mention it." I say quickly; my voice an octave higher than normal and shaking, giving away how I really felt. Ian brushes his fingers against mine. "You ok?" I swallow hard. "I-I'm fine." I give him a small smile and he returns it, but I know he can still tell something's up. He lets it slide though. "Ok." We remain in silence until the dirt track we're on melts into tarmac. Ian takes the shotgun off his back and I draw both knives. Without speaking, we creep back into the village we grew up in, now a death trap. Everyone we knew now was trying to kill us. I look at Ian. Well, not everyone. I follow Ian into a corner shop and he dives over the counter, checking for any cowering survivors behind it. I find a backpack hanging up on a shop rack and take it, stuffing as much food and drink I could inside it. I sling it up onto my back and Ian disppears into the back room, reappearing with a loaded revolver in hand and a butcher's knife in the other. "I guess these people were more prepared than others. Too bad knives can't protect you from The Virus." I nod sadly and leave the shop, Ian right behind me. Suddenly, something grabs my shoulder and I cry out in fear. I whip round and come face-to-face with a survivor. They've been bitten though, and their face is rotting away even as I stare at them in horror. Ian raises the revolver and fires a shot straight through their head as they open their mouth wide, about to sink their poisoned teeth into my neck. They fall back and I stumble away from the body, straight into Ian. I stand there for a moment, staring at the zombiefied victim. Then, I feel his arm slip round my waist. "You ok?" I tremble slightly, unsure if that really happened. "I-I think so." I tentatively lay my hand over Ian's and he doesn't flinch away. My heart beat speeds up as he rests his head on my shoulder. I wonder if he's playing with my emotions deliberately, or even more far-fetched a theory, if he actually returns my love for him. A zombie's shriek echoes throughout the village and I notice it's growing dark. "We should find shelter." Ian moves away from me and I feel cold. "We can't go back to our house though now the back door's busted in. Follow me." I start walking and I hear Ian's footsteps behind me. "Derp...I'm scared." I turn to look at Ian and I can see the fear in his eyes. I stop and reach out to him, entwining my fingers with his and bringing him closer to me. "I know we're just friends, but-" Ian smiles. "It's ok. I don't mind." I'm taken aback, but I cover it up with a shy smile and start walking again. We find a house not far from our old one and find the door unlocked. Suspicious, I push it open and lead Ian into the house, shutting the door behind us. It's pitch black and I wait until my eyes adjust to it. Ian moves closer to me and I can hear his quick breathing in my ear. "Shh, it's ok." I walk forward and run my hand along the wall, avoiding sharp objects and trying to find a light switch. I find one and click it on, turning to Ian. I freeze, seeing his face centimetres away from mine. His blue eyes are wide and all I can think is how close his lips are to mine. I step back a bit, knowing if I don't I won't be able to control myself. I take Ian upstairs and turn another light switch on, revealing the next level. I run a hand through my hair and look at him. He's struggling to stifle a yawn and I know he's tired. I let go of his hand and he looks at me. "You should probably go find a bedroom. You look exhausted." He nods sleepily and disappears off into another room. My stomach aches from hunger so I go back downstairs and go through the backpack, taking out a pack of biscuits. I smile. Never thought I'd be eating Custard Creams during an apocolypse.
***
I quietly open the door to the room Ian's in. I see him curled up on the bed, fast asleep. I shut the door behind me and lie down beside him on the bed. He's in a deep sleep, so I play with his hair absentmindedly. I move closer to him and rest my forehead on his. I'm scared, even more so than he is. I don't know how much longer we can survive for, and I don't want to die. I can't picture Ian being alone, always in danger. Being eaten alive by zombies; slipping off a cliff. I close my eyes and block out these horrible thoughts. Ian's alive, and so am I...for now. "Derp." I open my eyes. Ian's still asleep, but I swear I just heard him mutter my name in his sleep. He's not sleeping as peacefully now; his face is slack in fear and he's trembling. "Derp...I'm scared. Where are you?" I frown. He did just say my name, twice. I get up all my courage and dare to give him a soft and lingering kiss on the forehead. "I'm here Ian, I always will be." He was silent again, but I can see a small smile on his face. Satisfied, I wrap my arms round him and close my eyes. If he rejects me, so be it. I might not be alive in 24 hours, so it was time to stop being scared.
***
"Derp...wake up. Derp SSundee. C'mon dude." I open my eyes tiredly and see Ian's face inches away from mine. I start and my lips graze his for a second. My heart is pounding as he jumps back, blushing fiercely. I avert my eyes and sit up, stretching. I sneek a glance at Ian and I see him touch his fingertips to his lips, as if confirming if that had been a kiss or not. I swallow hard and get up off the bed. "We, should, probably get moving." He nods, his face still bright red. I go into the bathroom and splash my face with cold water, attempting to wake myself up. I dry my face off and swirl some toothpaste and water round my mouth, spitting it out and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. That would have to do. I went downstairs, trying to push the earlier incident out of my mind. Ian was already downstairs, drinking from the bottle of water I grabbed from the shop the previous day. He looks up at me and my cheeks burn as I hesitantly stand beside him and zip up the backpack, before slinging it onto my back and forcing myself to look at him. "Ready?" He nods. "Yeah." We sneak out of our village again, averting our eyes from the occasional corpse and always keeping an eye out for zombies. I had never been so relieved to be back amongst the trees, struggling up the hillside and helping Ian when he slipped and lost his balance, which was more often than I did. I look up at the blue sky and see a pair of birds fly overhead. They twist and dart throughout the trees, one waiting for the other when it fell behind. Eventually, they both perch on a branch together and I watch as they touch beaks in the same way an intimate couple would kiss. I realise Ian's stopped walking too and has stood beside me. My heart skips a beat as he entwines his fingers with mine, holding my hand in his. "Derp...I need to tell you something." I sigh. "Me too, but you." "You wanna go first?" I turn to him and slip my other hand into his, bringing him closer to me. "Ian...I love-" I falter, having seen movement out of the corner of my eye. Ian looks at me, his blue eyes soft in the sunshine. "What is it?" Suddenly, something leaps put of the bushes at us, jaws open wide and claws extended. "Zombie!" I let go of Ian's hands and go for my knives, but it's too late. It's already sinking it's teeth into his leg and raking it's claws across his chest, leaving deep gouges behind. Ian howls in pain and I grab my knife, stabbing the zombie viciously in the head. It makes a choking noise and blood spouts from it's head. I take it's head and yank it's mouth open; Ian falls backwards, tears of pain trickling down his face. I pick him up bridal style and half jog, half stumble up the path till I reach a flat area. I lay Ian down gently on the ground and get down on my knees beside him, fighting back the tears threatening to overwhelm me. "Ian, can you hear me?" He nods and I run my fingers delicately over the horrible gashes in his chest. I look over at his leg; the fabric on his trousers is saturated in blood and Ian is growing paler by the minute. I know it's a bite and so does he. Tears well up in my eyes and I rest my forehead on his. "I-I can't l-lose y-you Ian!" Ian coughs weakly and attempts a smile. "It's ok Derp. I knew this wouldn't last." I shook my head. "No, no, I-I...oh screw it." I kiss him hard on the lips, tangling my fingers in his hair and deepening it. To my surprise, he kisses back, his lips moving in sync with mine. I pull away and let our noses touch, my forehead still resting on his. "I love you Ian Stapleton. I always have done." Tears wet Ian's eyelashes as he blinks, the salty water brushing against my cheeks. "I love you too Derp SSundee. I wanted to tell you...but I couldn't-" I break him off by fitting my lips to his again, kissing him passionately. His lips had a salty taste to them; the tears still pouring down our faces. The blood was drying on Ian's chest and leg, but it smelt bitter and sickening. Therefore I tried not to lean on his wounds too much as I shifted closer to Ian, breathing hard through my nose, trying to stay strong for him. He pulls away and I gaze into his beautiful blue eyes. "I-I'm sorry." I kiss his nose. "It's n-not your f-fault. We k-knew this wasn't going to l-last. I just w-wish we had more t-time t-together." He closes his eyes and I kiss his lips softly. "I know Derp. I do too." He tries to sit up and tears of pain mix with the ones of fear and anguish. I hold him close to me and he wraps his arms round me as I kiss his neck. "I don't think I have much time left Derp." Tears blur my vision as a strangled sob tears free from me. "D-don't s-say that. I-I need y-you." He sighs and kisses my nose. "Promise me you won't blame yourself." I bite my lip, my shoulders shaking from the sobs wracking my insides. "H-how can I n-not?" He strokes the side of my face, tears trickling down his face. "Promise me Derp...please." I blink slowly, feeling the tears run down my face. "O-ok." He nuzzles into my neck and I can feel his shaky breaths on my skin. "I love you. I wish I h-had been able to say it more." I kiss his head and swallow hard, withholding the worst of my misery. "I l-love you too Ian. I never thought I'd b-be able to say that." Ian moves back, resting his forehead on mine. "How l-long do you think I h-have left?" I rest my hand on the side of his face, touching my nose to his. "I don't know, but I'm gonna make the most of it." I fit my lips to his, my heart beating faster as he slipped his arms round my neck, deeping the kiss. He ran his tongue along my lower lip and we explore eachother's mouths for the first and last time. Then, I feel Ian cringe in my arms and I pull away, looking at him in concern. "What is it?" I ask fearfully. Ian's teeth are gritted and his face is twisted in agony. "M-my leg." He doesn't have enough strength left for anymore words. I take a deep breath and tear a jagged strip off his trouser leg, revealing the ravaging bite on his leg. My eyes widen as I realise the skin has been rotting away this entire time; the poison from the zombies's teeth infecting Ian's nervous system, slowly and painfully making it's way to his brain. He looks at me, suffering clear in his watery blue eyes, tears still running over the previous ones on his face. I kiss his lips softly and tangle my fingers in his hair, bringing him closer to me. His heart beats in unison with mine and I take a shuddering breath, knowing soon it never will again. "Derp. Can you do something f-for me?" "Anything." "W-when it h-happens...s-s-shoot me." My eyes widen. "Ian! I'd never kill you in cold blood!" Ian draws away and kisses me gently. "You won't be shooting me Derp." He says softly. I hold him against me, sobbing. "Ok, b-but after I d-do, I'll shoot m-myself." Ian's eyes are filled with horror. "Why?! Why would you kill yourself when you can live?!" I kiss his forehead. "I can't live without you Ian. Life would be cold and empty." Ian's silent as I raise his head with my thumb and forefinger underneath his chin and press my lips to his. Ian takes the loaded pistol out of his back pocket and places it in the dirt beside us. I ignore it, knowing I won't need it yet; part of me hopes I'll never need it, though I know I will. Ian's lips move in sync with mine and I can feel him trembling in my arms as waves of agony pass through him. I wrap my arms round him tighter, knowing the precious seconds we have left together are wasting away before my closed eyes. I can feel every breath, every heartbeat, every thought and emotion passing between Ian and I. I can hear our heartbeats pounding in my head, the same air being breathed between the short distance seperating us. I never thought I'd have so much love in my heart and soul for one single person; my soulmate. I can taste the tears running down our faces, the salty tang reminding me of the bitterness of our shared fate. I pull away as Ian whimpers in pain, knowing he doesn't have long. "I'll find you Ian. Not even death will part us. I love you too much to lose you forever." A frail cry of hurt issues from him and I hold him as close and tight as I can. "Shh, it'll be over soon." I can hear him sobbing into my jacket as fresh tears run down my face. "It's ok...I'm here for you. I always will be." "I'm sorry Derp...I'm s-so sorry." He draws away and looks up at me, his blue eyes full of pain and sadness. "Derp...I-I d-don't want t-to die." I grow choked up with emotions and entwine my fingers with his, kissing him passionately. "You won't be alone Ian...I promise." "Goodbye Derp, I will always love you." "N-no Ian, please, please don't leave me!" Too late. He raises his head and a strangled scream escapes me as the zombie snarls at me, Ian's once blue eyes now pitch black and menacing. I backpedal away from the savage creature and grab the pistol, cocking it and aiming it at the zombie. I tighten my grip on the gun and take a shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry Ian." I pull the trigger and the zombie jerks back, hitting the ground. As I watch, the rotting skin heals over and the bite turns into a thick scar; I crawl over to Ian's dead body and hold my head in my hands, sobbing. "Why did it have to be you?! Why?!" Tears stream down my face as I sob uncontrollably. A wail of despair escapes me and I don't even sound human. I lower my hands, the pistol still in one, and lie over Ian, crying till my throat is raw and my eyes are bloodshot. I fit my lips to his, wanting desperately for him to kiss me back, for warmth to flow through his cold lips and for his heart to beat with mine again. But he can't; neither will ever move again. My stomach aches from crying, but miserable whimpers and uncontrollable hiccups and wails of misery keep issuing from me randomly. I want to cry, but I don't have energy or tears left to do so. I'm tired...and cold. I'm alone. Instead, I cock the pistol again and sit up slightly, staring down at Ian's deathly pale, still face. His eyes are closed but I can still see his mesmerisingly blue iris' ever imprinted on my memory. "I love you Ian, and I'm sorry it had to come to this." My strangled voice is even hoarser than usual, my throat ravaged by my cries of misery. "I'm so, so sorry." I whisper. I raise the pistol; place it against my head. The birds have ceased to sing and the sky looks grey now Ian's gone. I see the two birds from earlier sitting together on a mountain oak branch, watching me sadly. Their vibrant plumage seems faded now, their beady eyes filled with sadness. I gaze up at the sky, the sweet scent of flowers and grass surrounding me. I breathe for the last time, my heart pounding in my chest. Soon it will cease to beat. I lean down and touch my nose to Ian's. The tears on his face still haven't dried. "I will find you Ian. You won't be lost in the darkness, forever alone. I promise I'll reunite us somehow, in a better place." I press my finger against the trigger. I see one of the birds tuck its head beneath its wing, the other looking on sadly. I can feel the cold metal biting into the side of my head, the frigid touch of death seeping into my mind, into my soon to be ever still body. I rest one hand on the side of Ian's face, brushing my lips against his. "I love you."

I pull the trigger.

Not all stories have happy endings...