The land was dark and desolate; a barren field with the only evidence of humanity being the rubble and debris of buildings as far as the eye can see. That was all the world was now; just shattered remnants of what once was. Humanity destroyed itself. It all started with the Gloom; it changed humans and made them evil and attack one another. First came the panic. Then the riots. After that the wars broke out and the anarchy until most of the humans were wiped from existence along with everything else which was blown to bits. Now, there's only few humans left who are struggling to survive.

 

A young boy of age five with markings of bones on his body and a sugar skull on his face was searching through the ruins of what once was a two story building. The Gloomified wildlife was too busy trying to kill another poor soul so the boy had time time to search for supplies. He needed some kind of medication for a dying man he called his father. With nothing but tattered pants and a satchel the boy was on his knees searching through the rubble for some kind of item he could give to his father so he could feel better.

"Por favor..." The boy sniffled, wiping away thick tears that ran down his face as he searched. The tears dampened the ends of his scruffy brown colored hair.

"Por favor... Por favor... Mi Papa..."

Edited March 17, 201510 yr by Awuwa7KH

Miguel silently sat down next to Grim. He didn't speak for a few minutes. He was deep in thought. Finally, after a little bit of time opened his mouth to speak.

"I... I just... I feel bad for him. I never heard someone scream like that before... He was screaming at me in the beginning. I didn't do anything did I?" He asked with worry. He feared maybe he has hurt Nicholas in the past. Miguel couldn't have had. Miguel took the fish he caught with his teeth and started to skin it. He wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing, for he was just staring at the fire for a while. "Do you think we could get him to tell us what happened to him?"

"You didn't do anything bad, Miguel. You didn't harm him. The snake just triggered a bad memory. So don't worry about guilt." Grim assured as he finished getting the crustaceans on a stick by the fire to cook. "He could...eventually. things like that require time and trust. He'd need to feel comfortable enough to tell us and not be judge by it. Maybe if he wakes up calmer, and has his stomach full. We can try to ask him over dinner." Grim said with a sigh and looked up at the sky with somewhat dead eyes, remembering the things he wanted to forget. "He mentioned a name I don't recognize. Most likely someone from his past. Sibling maybe. As long as we don't rush him he should tell us eventually." Grim said as he let himself drop on the sand, staring at the sky. "We all eventually run out of time."

Miguel nodded, listening to what his brother had to say. He was quiet for a while as he tried to let all of this sink in. He felt even worse for Grim. He could only imagine all the suffering he had to go through. Miguel laid the fish meat on a stick against the fire, letting the meat start to cook. Even if they did find solace in New Dystopia, or if they just stayed here, would it really make things better? Could it heal all the pain? Miguel placed his hand on Grim's chest and tried to smile. "Just don't think about it sí? Por favor Guada. We're together now, and now we can make los niños' lives happy. We can heal them."

Grim looked at Miguel and analyzed his words, smiling at them. Miguel was right. After so much time they were finally back together, by each others' side where they seemed to belong. They've been living in this world longer, and it was their responsibility to heal the children. They could do it. With time and effort, but it was possible. "Right." Grim said as he held Miguel's hand that rested against his chest. "We're still alive, even though the odds told us otherwise. We should be dead by now after so much that has happened. But we aren't. Either destiny has a plan for us or we're quite lucky sons of a ***** don't you think?" Grim asked with a smile, laughing as he held Miguel's hand tightly. "Thank you. If I were to be separated from you again, I don't think I'd be able to escape from the upcoming depravity. You mean a lot to me. Do know that, ok?" Miguel said as he then proceeded to give Miguel's hand a light kiss.

"Hell yeah hermano! You mean the world to me." He put his forehead against Grim's, looking down at him with the biggest smile. "I haven't felt this happy in so long. Guada, without you I was so empty. All these years. And as soon as I knew it was you I wasn't empty anymore. You give me a will. You give me a purpose. Haha... Remember that day when we first met? I think maybe there is a plan for us..." He kissed Grim's forehead. "I don't think it is luck. After all I basically pounded you in the fishing game~"

Grim groaned playfully. "You only won because you used this totally weird animal technique with your teeth! I bet raw fish tasted pretty bad huh!" Grim said, trying to sound annoyed, but laughing right afterwards. "The first day we met you were lucky i didn't pull the trigger, considering how trigger happy I was back then. But then...I'm glad that we were the ones to find you." Grim said. Truthfully it was a filled void to even hear his voice. It was now a death due them apart, nothing less. "Hmmm~ The food is almost cooked. Better get the kids. Maybe Nicholas will be waking up soon too." Grim said as he slightly turned and picked up one of the sticks. The meat was cooked up from the heat as steam and smoke came out of them. "Oh yeah it doesn't even need extra salt."

Miguel chuckled softly. "I'm glad too... It was probably the best thing to ever happen to me. Imagine if it was anyone else? And raw fish doesn't taste too bad~!" He playfully shook Grim's shoulder and laughed. "Please don't mention salt to me ugh... The Wolves have access to a saltwater lake a long way down the coast. They used salt to keep the meats fresh and trade it to other camps. I ate so much salt I was practically a fish in the sea!" He chuckled and got up. "I'll go get the kids."

 

Meanwhile Nicholas was sleeping, he suddenly whined a tiny bit and sat up. He put his hand to his head. "A-Ah...."

Ash blinked as he watched Nicholas waking up slightly, or at least responding to pain. "I think he's waking up!" Ash yelled, pointing at him. Grim smiled at Miguel as he turned back to the fire. The thought of the black blood came to mind as he scoffed a bit."(A fish huh? If only we could be as free.)" Grim thought as he picked up the sticks with cooked meat on them, walking over with Miguel to the kids. "Here you go, Ash." Grim said as he handed her a stick, Ash taking it and eating the meat gleefully. Grim knelt down where Nicholas was laying. "Nicholas, are you awake yet? How are you feeling?" Grim asked.

Nicholas looked up to Grim, appearing very dazed an confused. He felt very calm in a very strange way. He felt that he was dreaming right now.

"O-Okay..." He muttered. "Did something happened...?"

Miguel sighed softly and sat down in front of the kids. He was still worried, but thankfully Nicholas looked like he was completely fine.

"No, niño." Miguel said. "You... You just fell asleep that's all. You were very tired from all the playing earlier!" He smiled. "It's dinner time. You're going to have to eat alright?"

Nicholas frowned and looked up at Grim. "Can you sit next to me?"

Grim nodded, sitting down next to Nicholas as he then offered him a stick of sea food. "Here, it's pretty good compared to the nutrient bars, so,I think it wouldn't be much problem dealing with the flavor." Grim said as he proceeded to take a bite out of his own stick. It did taste pretty tasty compared to other food he had eaten recently. Ash was absolutely delighted of how it tasted. "This is much better than those nasty vegetables!" Ash said smiling. "Hey those vegetables were pretty good!" Grim laughed as he looked over at Nicholas, hoping his appetite was better than earlier.

Nicholas looked down at his food with a sigh. He really didn't want to eat. "But..."

Miguel looked down in thought for a second. Suddenly he had an idea. Miguel began to sniffle, and dramatically wiped his eyes. "But niño if you don't eat I'll be so sad..."

Nicholas frowned and looked rather conflicted. He looked again at his food in minor panic and began to nibble at it a bit. "O-Okay.... I don't want you to be sad..."

Grim smiled. "See? It isn't that bad." Grim said as he rubbed Nicholas' head slightly. He then looked over at Miguel, muttering something about 'you drama queen' as he gave a small chuckle. The sun started to set. They had been walking for part of the day, at the beach for the rest of the day. The day was coming to an end. Grim ate his fish, enjoying the flavor of it. Soon enough he had finish all of his fish. "Hm...~ I'm going to start picking up the bed sheets for the night." Grim said as he went ahead and started to pull down leaves from the palm trees. They could use these to cover themselves up if they got cold. Not much but it was something. He glanced up at the sky as the stars started to come out. "Hey Miguel, remember the time, you, dad and camped in a clearing and we spent the night looking at the stars?"

Miguel practically inhaled his food; he was basically finished after three bites. He loved sea food with every being in his body. "Delicioso~~~" he leaned back into the sand and looked right into the stars. "Sí." He said. "I'll never forget looking at the stars with you and Papa. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw..."

Nicholas kept nibbling on his food, only eating a small portion of a piece of clam meat. He didn't want to eat the crab especially because of the fact that it was a crab. He liked crabs. "I ate a lot..." He muttered. "Can I stop now?"

Grim pulled down the leaves and settled them in a pile. He turned to Nicholas. "Well you did ate. Don't want to force you into eating more than what you want." Grim said with a smile. Ash didn't hesitate to take Nicholas' stick. "If you won't eat it I will!" She sung. Grim sat down and quickly distracted Nicholas so he wouldn't have to see Ash eating the cooked up crabs. "You know, they said that before this whole thing started, it was very hard to see the stars. You could barely see one or two if any at all. But the whole situation has given the earth a chance to reclaim what it's theirs." Grim said as he looked up. "They say that sailors used the stars to guide themselves across and not get lost. I don't see how cause I would definitely get lost. I mean, they all look alike!" Grim said with a smile. "But the sickness is also dangerous right?" Ash asked in between bites. "Of course. However it appears that those born with it might have been born with antibodies to live with it and not suffer side effects." Grim said as he played slightly with his fingers.

Nicholas smiled. He was perfectly okay with Ash eating up his stick. He looked up into the sky and studied the stars as he listened to Grim's story. If really gave him a different look on the sky. He wish he would be up there, in one of those stars. He wished he could be sitting down on one of them, looking at Earth from above. "They're really pretty..." He agreed. "Has anyone tried to take one? Or make one?"

 

Miguel stared up the sky and allowed the salty breeze consume his worries for the moment. He thought back to the fond memories of Grim and his father, gazing up at the sky with him. "Maybe the sailors talked to them." He said with a chuckle. "They could have said 'here I'll tell you where to go instead of that idiot Guada who doesn't know his left from his right!" He said, mimicking a little girl voice as the star. He looked to Ash, then to Nicholas. "Children immune to Gloom... That's amazing."

Grim thought about it. "There have been some attempts. According to history mankind has created ships to reach the stars, but they're much further away than they seem, so they settled for the moon." Grim said as he tried to remember a story. "There was one story of the man who wanted reach the star. He was ambitious, and was determined to gain it. So be built this big tower made out of items. Eventually he took more and more items, until the had made a tower out of everything there was in the village to take. He was so close yet so far in reaching it, and asked to have a chair removed from the bottom so he could use it and reach the star. But through that the tower crumbled, and the man fell. He never tried to reach the star again." Grim explained. "That man obviously didn't play enough puzzles!" Ash said, which made Grim laugh. He the turned to Miguel, nagging at him. "I know where to go, it's you who never asks for directions!" Grim laughed. Then a sharp pain. He stopped and felt his stomach, somewhat playing it off as he looked at the stars. "You kids have nothing to worry about."

Nicholas listened to this next story with great interest. He was beaming. "Wow!" He said. "That's amazing! One day, I'll build a tower that's even bigger than the one that man made. I'll build it so high it'll reach past the stars! When I do we can all go to the stars together and look down at this place from up there." He absolutely loved building things, and the idea of building such a grand tower made him excited.

 

Miguel laughed along with Grim. "You and your silly little tales Guada~ and I don't need directions! I always know exactly where to go!" He noticed Grim's sudden pain for a second, especially when Grim held his stomach. He was happy the kids didn't notice. Miguel decided not to say anything... For now. "Absolutely nothing to worry about." Miguel agreed.

Grim smiled and rubbed Nicholas' head. "Then let's help you make it one day!" Grim said. He looked around and sighed. "Alright! Time for bed!" Grim insisted. "Aw already? Five more minutes!" Ash pleaded. "It's late and after a whole day of fun I'm sure you two might be in need of some good night sleep alright?" Grim said as he picked up the giant palm leaves and got them around. "Here we go, in case we need to cover up." Grim said. Internally he was in a conflict. He had been showing signs of sickness since a few days ago. Was he sick or was the Gloom started to affect him now after so long? Such sickness was so tedious and cruel. He would have to note it down on a piece of paper later. If he started to show physical signs, he knew he wouldn't be able to enter New Dystopia. "Right Miguel? Even heroes need sleep!"

Miguel was deep in thought, which was very rare of him. He was only in such deep thought when there was something troubling him. "Huh? Oh sí, Guada is right!" He said with a small smile.

Nicholas nodded and curled up into a little ball on his 'bed.' He loved to sleep and the entire day made him very tired and exhausted. "Goodnight." He said quietly.

Miguel looked at the two children. After a while, Miguel pulled Grim to the side making sure the children weren't going to hear anything of what he was going to say.

"... It's killing you, isn't it? You're dying..." Miguel muttered.

Grim blinked a few times as he hummed and looked back up at the stars. "I wouldn't say I'm dying just yet. That's morbid to say. I may be named Grim but doesn't mean I apply to the adjective." Grim said jokingly. "I've been infected for over 3 years. I'm surprised I haven't shown a single symptoms until now, and even so they're so small they haven't affected me that much." Grim said as he rubbed Miguel's head. "Don't worry about it bro. Just a few coughs here and there. Nothing major. I'll be sure to keep clean so I don't infect you either ok?"

Miguel crossed his arms with a firm stubborn pout. "I don't care about you infecting me!" He said. He suddenly tackled Grim in a dramatic hug. "I care about you being safe and alive! I know when you're lying Guada! I know everything! It's more than just a few coughs..." He looked down at Grim while he was on top of him. "Every bad illness starts small. I don't want to wake up one day and have you barely able to walk or to speak... I don't ever want to see you like that Guada. I can't bare to loose you again, for good."

Grim looked up at Miguel's sort of surprised, but smiled and rubbed his head gently. "Come on Miguel, we've seen our own fair amount of gloom infestation. Gloom spread varies from person to person. Some it takes them a week to die, others a couple of years. The Gloom hasn't even stopped me from being energetic and silly with you!" Grim insisted. He was fine. He knew he was infected, but he felt fine. "Listen, I've been noting down the systems. So far the only ones ice developed are coughs and the fact that my blood has turned black. Other than that it should be fine. Not like there's a cute anyway, right?" It took Grim a moment to realize how morbid that just sounded. "Hey no being sad ok? We've been through worse. Maybe there will be a cure in New Dystopia. Until then, I have way more years ahead to annoy you."

Miguel was very comforted by Grim's words. It made him feel much better. He snuggled next to his brother, happy that now he was at least not that sick. Maybe there is a cure for Gloom out there somewhere. Miguel closed his eyes and let the soft sand provide relaxation and safety.

"Alright..." Miguel said with a sigh. "I believe you. Just promise me you'll tell me if something happens okay?"

"I promise." Grim said, making a pinky promise. Miguel was the only family he truly had left. He would make sure that his safety was before his own, but he also wanted to make sure that he was happy. "Now lets head to sleep. Its going to be a long day tomorrow." Grim said with a yawn. Closing his eyes with a smile. "Good night..." He quickly faded into sleep. He dreamnt actively throughout the night. The gloom apparently taking a shape of its own as it took Grim across his mememos, showing him different outcomes. It was terrifying...but comforting.

Miguel happily returned the pinkie promise. He went to sleep as well, however be couldn't sleep for long. He had nightmares about the people he killed. He shot up and ran a hand through his hair. He was panting and sweating. It shook him to the core. He looked to the children, relived to see that they were okay.

"Mierda..." Miguel whispered to himself, still panting heavily. "Mierda..."