Hello! 2nd day of The 30 Days Of Quarantine, today's prompt is hurt/comfort!

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Joe ran through the forest, dodging thick vines and fallen logs. He was running from a horde of zombies, which were seemingly faster than usual. They trudged on, fingers often swiping the back of Joe's shirt. He knew that a friend's house was near, he would be safer there...

He saw a glimpse of sand to his right between the tree trunks, and he bolted that way. It was a thin beach, if you could even call it that. Joe looked behind him, smirking as the closest zombies started to burn in the sunlight. What wasn't as pleasant was the unearthly wails they made, and that some had other plans.

A small selection of the undead beasts had thick helmets on, made of iron, leather, even gold. Some stumbled towards the water, a nice safe zone. They drowsily waded through the shallow water, grabbing at Joe's ankles.

But one zombie, the fastest of the bunch, had a plan in its undead mind. It quickly ran after Joe, swiping at his shirt. As it fell, the lime fabric caught fire.

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Joe ran, the sun setting to the right of him. He would have marveled at it, but he knew what it's deeper meaning was. He patted his burning shirt as he ran, not daring to touch the zombie-infested waters.

Night meant the zombies couldn't burn. Drowned could stay overwater. Worst of all, more undead creatures could crowd after him.

As he noted this, an arrow shot by his head. Soon after it, a skeleton archer ran out from the nearby trees.

Pairs of red glowing eyes came from the forest, teal ones from the water. Undead behind him, Hollow before him. There would be a slim chance that he would survive.

As if on queue, a sharp pain hit Joe's shoulder. He turned through blurred vision to see a skeleton before him, a flash of red, then black.

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"Joe?"

He woke up to a small room with sandstone walls, and a dark prismarine ceiling.

He moved his head, seeing Cleo at a table nearby, dying her hair a neon red. She wore a sad smile on her face, still relieved that he was alive.

"W-What happened?" he said weakly.

"You got shot by a skeleton, mauled by zombies, jumped on by spiders," Cleo explained. "And yet, you survived. With a few health and regen potions, of course." She gestured towards a small cluster of empty glass bottles in the corner.

Joe pulled himself up to look before collapsing back onto the bed. He looked down to see most of his torso in bandages.

Cleo shot up. "Let me get more pillows!" She quickly opened the door to the small building, running off to find some comfy things for her friend.

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In no time at all, Joe was covered in thick, fluffy blankets, propped up against billions of pillows.

Cleo sat on a chair close to him, reading fairy tales. "Then, Grandma shot up from her bed! Because actually, it was the wolf the whole time! How stupid is this Little Red, she has to be at least 7! She's got to know the difference between a vicious creature and her grandma."

Joe chuckled. "Maybe she needs glasses?"

"No, because she could see the wolf down the path at the start. She's just an idiot."

"Well, just keep reading. The best part is coming up!" Joe laughed, not truly minding his injuries.

"Joe, I'm pretty sure that you're healed."

"I know, just keep reading!"

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(592 words)

Hope you liked it! Shorter chapter this time, because I'm tired and not allowed my computer in bed again :'(