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Viridian Mist

A Halloween Special

By Mantrid Brizon

(Written during the full moon of October, 2022)

Sitting by the steps of his modest apartment, Yuze waits with his bags packed, watching for his sisters. The twenty-two-year-old Asian-American was born of Chinese immigrants, and as a human in a diverse and populated city, his life in Los Angeles wasn't the most pleasant. Just before his senior year of high school, his parents made it worse by moving from California to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to be closer to his mother's family, their only contacts in the United States. It was a harsh adjustment and “Yu," as he is often called, struggled to adapt.

With no friends waiting for him and only a year to rebuild his social life, he fell back into a private world surrounded by the macabre. His parents considered it a phase, while his eldest sister, Yi Li, taunted him relentlessly for his fascination with horror films and gothic metal. Though she was twenty-years-old at the time of his parents' move, two years older than Yu, she followed them to Michigan because she didn't want to deal with living on her own, not without a man to take care of her.

As a thin and attractive woman with long, raven hair, it wouldn't have been hard for her to find what she was looking for, but she's an impatient and demanding woman and takes no chances. Within two months of moving to Michigan, she'd found her first of many boyfriends and promptly disappeared, dropping by occasionally for family events. Only Yu's little sister, sixteen-year-old Ling, was of any real comfort to him. Even now, a year after moving out of his parent's house, she's still the only one he even attempts to keep in touch with.

Perhaps his parents are right, and he should try to connect with the rest of their family? After all, what else does he have?! Of course, his parents couldn't be bothered to go on the trip themselves, being hardworking small business owners and whatnot. They will be sitting out their uncles Halloween party. As a cool, October wind blows through, Yu zips up his jacket and leans back against the railing beside the steps, his mind wandering. Perhaps this little trip might genuinely be fun?! If nothing else, he gets to see Ling again.

Turning the corner, Yu sees the beige GMC Suburban pulling up, his parents' silver Airstream travel trailer being towed behind it. His heart sinks at the sight of the SUV; it belongs to Yi Li's latest boyfriend, a snarky and vicious Voeldahn of the canine persuasion. To their parents' chagrin, Yi Li never could stick to humans; she has had a taste for “the furry ones" ever since she realized what boys had to offer her, money aside. The SUV pulls up to the stoop and stops, only for the tinted passenger's side window to roll down.

“Hey, Yu!" Yi Li exclaims in a mocking tone, resting her arm on the door.

“Geez, man! You pack enough stuff?!" The Voeldahn with the rounded ears and the colorations of an African Wild Dog remarks, looking past his human girlfriend.

“Oh, great... Trevor..." Yu mutters.

“What was that?" The canine cups a clawed hand over an ear.

“I said 'just what I needed!'" Yu replies with more volume.

Yu adjusts his backpack, collects his two duffel bags and makes his way toward the SUV, only for the rear door to suddenly swing open. To his delight, his little sister leans over the bench seat. The teenager lifts her head and smiles as she pushes open the door for her brother. Yu flips his long bangs from his eyes, the tips of his glossy black hair dyed a deep crimson. Ling brushes one of her colorful pigtails, which reaches to her shoulder, away from her neck.

“Hiya!" She chirps.

“Hey, Ling! It's good to see you!" Yu cheerfully replies, tossing his bags into the rear compartment as he slides into the SUV.

“Yeah! I was shocked when mom and dad said I could go!" Ling giddily replies before latching onto him.

Trevor makes a kissy face as he turns back toward the siblings.

“Stop it." Yi Li giggles, gently swatting his arm with the back of her fingers.

“She begged on bended knee. She missed you sooo much!" Trevor teases.

“I did not!" Ling whines. “I mean, I did, but I didn't beg! I just... Pleaded a little. Perhaps even groveled a tad."

“Whatever you gotta do." Yu smiles at his little sister.

“So, still doing that emo thing?" Trevor asks with a little snicker, his eyes scanning the slender, black clad human. “What, no snake bites?!"

Yu scowls and rolls his eyes.

“No harm, no foul! At least you look more presentable than Harley Quinn over there." Trevor points a thumb at Ling

“Hey!" She whimpers.

“Alright! We ready to get this freak show on the road?!" Trevor asks.

“Trev! You're so bad!" Yi Li giggles.

“I'm just playin', babe." He flashes a cocky smile before leaning in to French kiss Yi Li in front of her siblings.

“How can you breathe with that wriggling down your throat?" Ling asks.

“Does he taste like balls?" Yu quips.

“Hehe!" Ling laughs.

“Watch it, you little shithead." Trevor glares at Yu.

After a tense moment, Trevor turns back and presses a button on the GPS, shifts into gear and pulls away from Yuze's apartment.

“It's going to be a long trip..." Yu remarks, watching the building fading into the distance.

“Not the way I drive!" Trevor chirps.

“Trev, be careful with my parents' Airstream. They love that thing." Yi Li warns him.

“It'll be fiiine." Trevor assures her.

“I'm serious. If you fuck it up, they'll kill you, and then I'll need to find another stud to pamper me." She winks.

“Not a chance, babe. You're mine, forever." He assures her, draping an arm over her shoulders and pulling her closer.

“You aren't even going to stop for breaks?" Ling asks.

“Nope!"

“What if I have to pee?" Yu raises an eyebrow.

“Hold it."

“But-!"

“Wet yourself in my ride and I'll ship you back home in a pine box... 'Kay?!" Trevor looks into the rearview mirror and flashes a sinister grin.

“You're so bad." Yi Li giggles, nuzzling her beau.

“That's how you like me, though." He says, draping an arm over her shoulder.

“Mmm... Mhm." She coos, softly kissing the side of his snout.

“Ugh..." Both Yu and Ling wince.

The drive toward Amanita, Michigan, where their uncle Peter lives with his family, is long an arduous. Trevor was true to his word, and did not stop until the gas gauge forced him to. Yu and Ling were forced to race inside to use the bathroom and buy any drinks and snacks they wanted, only to find themselves chasing down the beige suburban. Trevor let them get as far as the door handle before pulling off, a trick he tried twice before Yi Li's pleading, through her amused laughter, made him stop.

As they approached the small town, reminiscent of many other aged villages like Dundee or Manistique, Yu could not help but notice the large Clarke Chemical Company plant. It was situated just before the town proper, away from the village and even further from the rural homes and farmland, where Peter and his family live. There is nothing untoward about the town and yet somehow it feels... Off... He cannot explain it. Perhaps it's the chilly October weather or the dead trees looming over the old brick and mortar buildings like wooden gargoyles?

They pass by a long stretch of nothingness, broken up only by the occasional manor. Most are quite old, dating back to the mid-1800s, including a particularly imposing, three-story Edwardian mansion situated on a hill. As they continue along, however, the homes become newer, smaller but more refined, though still larger than anything they could ever hope to occupy. Eventually, they pull into the long driveway of a manor that looks like it was built sometime in the 1940s or 50s, with a shape that immediately reminds Yu of the Maitland's house from Beetlejuice. It's a three-story manor with a fourth floor in a square tower.

“Damn, babe! This is where your uncle Peter lives?!" Trevor gasps.

“Yeah."

“So, why did we bring the trailer?"

“Privacy." She coos, leaning in and seductively groping his shirt-collar.

“Mmm... I see..." He flashes a sharp-toothed grin.

Both Yu and Ling roll their eyes.

“Still, that's a pretty big house." Trevor cannot help but remark.

“You'll see what I mean..." Yi Li quietly replies.

As they move along the quarter-mile driveway, they see no less than five cars parked. Three are generic family cars and hardly worth mentioning, situated in a row on a patch of gravel not far from the wraparound porch. Trevor's eyes widen, however, when he sees what's inside of the two-car garage on the west side of the house. A mint condition Mercury Marauder in midnight black and with large, aftermarket rims and dark window tint sits beside a brand-new Chevy Corvette with a traditional blaze red paintjob. The futuristic looking sports car draws his eyes with even more force than Yi Li's perky breasts.

“Uh, babe... What does your uncle Peter do?"

“He's an accountant." Yi Li replies.

“Oh..."

“A very successful accountant."

“Clearly! ... So, uh... He's not in a Triad or something, is he?"

“Hehe! Well... Not that I know of!"

As they pull up behind the old Camry, a battered Forester, and a relatively new Accord, a man springs from a chair atop the covered porch. He turns his head like an excited dog, looking between the SUV and the front door, then, after a pause, he shouts toward the house and dashes down the stairs to greet the visitors. Trevor parks his SUV and the group all but leap from their seats, eager to stretch their legs.

“Family!" The man exclaims.

“Hello uncle Chee!" Yi Li greets him.

The almost stereotypical looking Chinese man stops in his tracks. Dust floats around his pressed khaki slacks and white button-down shirt as he glares with deep brown eyes.

“No! No 'Chee'! No more Qianfan! This America! Now, I am 'Peter' or 'Pete'! No 'Chee'!"

“Okay." Yi Li laughs, embracing her uncle.

“When are you going to adopt American names, like your uncle Peter?!"

“I like my name!" Yi Li retorts, pulling away.

“I think mine is cute." Ling adds, texting on her phone.

“And I'm too lazy." Yu replies, to the amusement of Ling.

“Typical. You lazy!" Uncle Peter begins.

“I did say that..." Yu murmurs.

“Just like your father! That why you not live in big, fancy house like me! And you! Park my sister's ugly trailer behind the house! I not want neighbors to think I some redneck!" Peter demands, pointing around the corner.

“Yeah, alright." Trevor replies as he climbs back into his Suburban. “You better get your stuff out, unless you wanna walk it up!" Trevor calls out to Yu and Ling.

“What about me?!" Yi Li turns back.

“I got you, babe!" Trevor winks.

Yu and Ling scramble into the SUV and grab their bags, only for Trevor to teasingly release the brake a few times. Yu nearly falls from the SUV as Trevor suddenly takes off, the momentum closing the back doors as the rear wheels kick dust and debris in his face.

“Hey! No tear up lawn!" Uncle Peter shouts at him.

“What a dick." Ling remarks, helping Yu to his feet.

“What the hell does Yi Li see in him?" He thinks aloud, brushing himself off.

“I already said it." Ling giggles.

“Since when did you start acting like an adult?" Yu chuckles.

“Since you left and mom and dad had no one else to pressure." Ling lets out a somber sigh.

Seeing the frustration in his sister's troubled expression, Yu sets down his bags and gives her a hug. Moments later, they hear their names as uncle Peter calls them over. The rest of his family emerge from the manor; Peter's wife, Margie, a red-headed and fair-skinned human, walks with their five children, eighteen-year-old Vincent, seventeen-year-old Justin, sixteen-year-old Janice, fourteen-year-old Stephanie, and eleven-year-old William. They are accompanied by Margie's half-sister, born from an affair between Margie's father and a feline Voeldahn neighbor, who later became his second wife and Margie's adopted mother.

Gloria is a voluptuous thirty-eight-year-old, a single mother who never married. Beside her is her nineteen-year-old daughter, Macy, who shares her mother's breed, as all Voeldahn do. Yu is always happy to see her, which isn't often. However, after so long he finds himself surprised, in the worst ways. It's been many years since he has seen Macy, and if he didn't know better, he'd think they were sisters, not mother and daughter. They are not only both feline but slender and voluptuous, covered in soft and fluffy snow-white fur, and with long, ruby hair and reddish-brown eyes. He's taken aback by Macy's beauty and cannot help but gawk.

“Hey, your trailer park is showing." Ling whispers to him.

“Huh?! Oh, uhm..." Yu's cheek flush with embarrassment.

Gloria and Macy approach the pair and Macy's eyes swiftly scan the gothic looking Asian guy with the slim but vaguely athletic build. The human flips his dyed bangs away from his brown eyes in the cutest way, and she cannot help but nibble on the corner of her lip as she fights back a smile.

“Hi." She coos to the strange human.

“Hey." He flashes a shy little smile.

“Hello!!! It's so good to see you again!!!" Gloria embraces Ling and then turns her attention to Yu, her fluffy tail swishing.

“Again?!" Macy gasps.

“You don't remember?!" Gloria turns back to her daughter.

“Uhh..." Macy eventually shrugs.

“They're Pete's sister's kids, Ling and Yuze." Margie begins.

“Yeah. That makes you two cousins by marriage... I think? Something like that." Gloria explains.

“Oh!" Macy's expression changes to a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

The awkward moment quickly wears off as Trevor reappears. He moves around the house, having walked around it in the longest path back to the group. The Voeldahn peeks his head into the garage and eyes the Corvette before stepping inside.

“Hey, you!" Uncle Peter suddenly barks.

“Huh?" Yu turns to him.

“Not 'Yu'! You! No touch my car!" Uncle Peter rushes over to Trevor.

“Sorry!" Trevor raises his hands. “But, man, look at this ride!"

“You like?" Uncle Peter grins.

“Hell yeah!"

“This top trim, too, not the sissy base model." Uncle Peter comments, lovingly caressing the hood of his sports car.

“Who'd you have to kill to get one of these?!"

“No one important." Uncle Peter teases.

“He loves showing off that car." Margie rolls her eyes before glancing at Yi Li and Ling.

“Of course! Why bring family over unless you going to gloat about all your fancy stuff?!?! Come! I show you fancy house!"

At his behest, the group leave the yard and make their way inside. Margie returns to the kitchen while their children, Gloria, and Macy all disperse, leaving the visitors with uncle Peter.

“This my mini-bar! And here my big TV! I frame my first dollar, but now I have a million of them. You like? Oh! And here my priceless painting and vintage sofa! Keep your filthy shoes off it..."

On and on he rambles. The tour would be quite boring if it wasn't for his endearingly obnoxious personality. Trevor quickly understands what Yi Li was worried about; there is only one guest bedroom with two double beds inside, like a cheap motel. The other rooms in the mansion belong to his children, Gloria, and her daughter, or have been converted into a game room, library, gym, and what-have-you. There is no way they can have hot sex in this house! Thank God Yi Li thought to borrow that Airstream from her parents.

With the older couple making their own arrangements, Yu, and Ling each claim a bed. Before he leaves them to unpack, uncle Peter reminds them that dinner will be ready in only an hour. They had planned for it to be ready when they arrived but Trevor drives like a madman and somehow shaved nearly that much time off the drive. Left alone in their room, Ling sets down her bags and unzips them while Yu flops down onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

“Well, this is going to be fun!" Ling chirps.

“Yeah... Figures she'd be hot." He sighs.

“Who? Macy?!" She raises an eyebrow at her brother.

“Yeah. I hardly recognized her!" He lifts his head.

“Me neither. She got a lot bigger."

“Huh?! She's supermodel skinny!" He retorts, looking to his sister.

With a perverse wink, Ling reaches up and bounces her hands in front of her chest, then giggles.

“Oh... Yeah, she certainly did!" Yu exclaims, rolling off the bed and beginning to unpack.

“Think you two are going to try for some two-headed babies? Halloween is the perfect time for it." Ling remarks.

“Wow. You're becoming corrupted." He smirks.

“Yeah, but that's normal, right?!" She chirps, flashing an innocent smile.

Yu sets the usual things aside; clothes for the week, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant and more. Suddenly, he places a peculiarly shaped felt case atop the bed and looks toward a dresser, as if contemplating which drawer to hide it in.

“Ooh! What's that?!" Ling's eyes light up as she makes her way toward him.

“You know, most young ladies aren't interested in this kind of stuff."

“Since when am I a young lady?"

“Good point."

Yu unzips the case to reveal his first firearm, a blued Taurus model 94 revolver. The four-inch-barreled twenty-two-caliber weapon has been with him since a week after he turned twenty-one.

“Ooohhh!" Ling's eyes widen.

She grabs the revolver and opens the cylinder, checking to see if it's loaded.

“You got a real nice gun here, big brother. I always liked it." She coos, sensually stroking the revolver.

“I know." He replies, swiping it from her.

“Meanie... Oh! Is that a new one?!"

Removing a second felt case from his bag, Yu reveals a Taurus PT92 pistol. The black, 9x19mm semi-automatic is an older model, well-worn and with wooden grips that don't even have badges on them. It's nothing particularly special, but Ling eyes it like crown jewels.

“OOH!!!" She instantly swipes Yu's 9mm.

“It's new. I got it last month, and for only $200 at my local pawn shop! Figured I should have a nine, like everybody else on earth." He quips.

“Sometimes conformism is a good thing." Ling remarks.

The teenage girl with colorful pigtails and trimmed bangs checks the chamber like a professional mercenary before playing with the gun as if it was a toy.

“No, mom. I don't want to go to Harvard. I wanna be a cosmetologist. Pow!" She says, aiming at a throw pillow atop her bed.

“Heh."

“What's with the artillery? Were you expecting Trevor or something?" She asks, returning Yu's weapon, butt first.

“It's farmland, right? I thought maybe we could murder some cans. You had fun at the range the last time I visited."

“Yeah!"

“Although, now that you mention Trevor..." Yu flashes a sinister grin.

“Hehe! Say the word and I'll get the shovel."

Hearing footsteps approaching, Yu hastily conceals his weapons in the cases, moving them into a clothes drawer before burying them underneath his shirts and black jeans. Seconds later, Macy pokes her head inside.

“Hey." She flashes a shy smile.

“Hello, there." Yu waves.

“So... Done unpacking?"

“Do you need the bedroom?" Ling quietly teases her brother.

Yu shoots her a potent glare before returning his attention to Macy and flashing a boyish smile.

“Yeah, we're all set."

“Good! So, uh... You're here for the whole week?"

“Supposedly. We'll hang out for the week and the familial Halloween party and then go back on Sunday."

“Oh, okay!" Macy's smile widens before she tries in vain to hide it. “... Want to check out the game room?! Uncle Pete likes to call it a parlor but it's more like an arcade crossed with a movie theater."

“Sure!"

The red-headed feline leads the siblings downstairs and into a large room on the first floor, where she promptly challenges Yu to a game of air hockey. They take turns with Vincent and Justin, while Janice, Stephanie and William simultaneously entertain and annoy Ling with video games she doesn't particularly like. Yi Li and Trevor sit with Gloria on a fancy and very large sectional couch, enjoying small talk and watching a horror movie, critiquing the acting and special effects. It's a rather heartwarming moment that Yu is happy to be a part of.

The trio on the couch quickly notice Macy's shy yet presentable behavior; she clearly basks in Yu's attention. Though Gloria cannot help but worry, it brings Trevor and Yi Li particular amusement. Typically, Trevor would taunt them relentlessly over it, however, he has something else on his mind.

“So, Vincent, right?"

“Yeah."

“What's with those cars in the garage?"

“You like 'em?"

“Hell yeah!" Trevor chirps.

“Yeah, I thought so. The Marauder is mine. Isn't she sweet?! Busted my ass with my new landscaping business to buy and trick out that whip."

“Yeah, that's cool, that's cool... But, uhh... That Corv-"

“Dinner, everyone!" Uncle Peter suddenly barges in.

Everyone crowds out of the room, walking toward the dinning hall. Macy gently grabs Yu's forearm, leading him to a chair. Ling raises an eyebrow but says nothing, though she isn't the only one who notices. When they all gather around the table, uncle Peter follows the teenage girl and grabs the back of the chair beside Yu's, just as she pulls it out.

“You two no sit together! We not Japanese! No kissy cousins! Macy, sit with your mother!" He proclaims, to the laughter of everyone.

“The hell?!" She gasps, visibly offended and embarrassed.

The awkward moment is soon forgotten when the family sit down to a feast and Vincent and Justin begin hoarding much of the food.

“Hey, piggie, save some for everyone else!" Uncle Peter growls at his eldest son, who could stand to lose a few pounds.

“I work hard. I deserve it." Vincent retorts, piling the food high.

“You right. You make a lot of money now. I should charge you per plate."

“Aww, come on, dad!" Vincent whines.

Laughter and pleasant conversation become the order of the evening, and even after eating their fill the entire family stays together as they make their way back into the parlor. As the sun is setting, uncle Peter puts on a vintage horror movie in response to his two eldest sons debating the merits of modern reboots versus the originals. Margie heads to the windows. She pulls one down and latches it, then moves toward another only to pause.

“Hey, is that fog?!"

“What? No fog tonight. I check weather." Uncle Peter replies.

“Well, it looks like there's a fog or a mist out there."

Uncle Peter, Vincent and Justin head toward the window and are soon followed by everyone else. Even young William wants a peek. Margie is right. A strange, greenish-blue mist rolls slowly over the massive front yard and towards the house. William and Stephanie climb into the bay window, which overlooks a corner of the house and sees both the front yard to the south and the side lawn to the west.

“Damn. That probably pesticides." Uncle Peter sighs.

“What? But it's fall!" Trevor remarks.

“Vince! You the landscaper! You tell us!"

“I don't know. It looks like it could be lawn treatment." Vincent shrugs. “I never saw it float like that, though..."

“Kind of looks more like fog from a fog machine, to me." Ling comments.

“Well, better close all the windows. I not want nasty poison on all our expensive stuff!" Uncle Peter instructs.

His kids help him and their mother as they move from room to room, closing and latching all of the windows. Thankfully, it was a warm day and it'll be a warm night; uncle Peter won't need to run the heat or air conditioning. They return to the parlor and watch the movie, though Vincent and Justin are unimpressed.

“That's it? That was the original?!" Justin raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah! See how much better that was than the reboot?!" Uncle Peter insists.

“The severed head was clearly paper mache, and the blood looked so fake!"

“You suppose to imagine yourself in their place! That make it scarier! Use your imagination!!!"

“I don't wanna." Justin jokingly whines.

“You, with your bloody hair, you like it, right?!" Uncle Peter turns to Yu.

“It's alright." He shrugs.

“But it was lame!" Justin retorts.

“Well, what do you expect? It came out in the seventies. Things were a little different back then, believe it or not." Margie comments.

“And the story was really weak, too." Vincent adds.

“It was allegorical, about the alienation caused by McCarthyism." Yu casually explains.

“How you know that?!" Uncle Peter asks.

“I have the Director's Cut... The Alien franchise is way better."

Macy perks up at his words. With the movie over and most wanting to do their own thing, the group slowly disbands, beginning with the children, who entertain themselves with video games. Trevor and Yi Li sit in the bay window and whisper to each other, giggling and kissing as they watch the fog envelope the entire house. Ling helps Margie and Gloria clean up, and Uncle Peter disappears into his office to do some late-night work. Meanwhile, Macy makes her way to her bedroom, leading Yu away from the others.

He cannot help but feel awkward about it, given all the jokes made at their expense, but he simple can't not follow her. She steps into a room that's almost stereotypically girly, pastel pink walls with a lavender carpet. Her white bedframe has a floral pattern carved into the wooden bedposts and the footboard. In an odd way, her room compliments her ensemble, white Capri pants and a pink halter top. Yu pokes his head inside and looks around, only for Macy to stop at her closet and turn back to him.

“What's wrong?"

“I might be burned if I set foot in here." He jokes.

“Hehe! Come on! I wanna show you something!"

“Okay. Do I need to leave the door open?" He teases.

“..."

“Sorry. Bad joke..."

Macy motions with a hand, her claws drawing him in. He stands beside her, at her closet door, and after looking over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching, she pulls open the door and turns on a light.

“Whoa."

To his surprise, her walk-in closet is covered in posters from every metal band he's ever heard of, and some he hasn't. A built-in display case, likely once a humble shelving unit, has figurines of movie monsters; werewolves, vampires, Xenomorphs, Predators, zombies and more. There are even a few high-end costumes neatly displayed.

“You're a freak, too?!" He exclaims.

“A little bit of darkness is good for the soul." Macy says with a wink.

“Yes, I see..." He remarks, lifting a sexy black nighty with red trim.

“Hey!" She swipes her lingerie. “Ahem... That's not what I wanted to show you..." She murmurs, her face flushing beneath her sheet white fur.

For the next few hours, well into the night, Macy and Yu talk about their favorite horror movies and bands. It's nice to have someone so similar to talk to; despite her almost preppy appearance, Macy is certainly a kindred spirit. Their bonding doesn't end until Gloria pokes her head inside to tell her daughter that her and Yu should get some sleep.

“In separate beds, of course." She adds, cutely biting on the tip of her tongue.

“Mom!" Macy whines.

“I'm just teasing, honey."

“I actually didn't realize it was so late!" Yu exclaims, glancing outside. “Where'd Yi Li and Trevor go?"

“They went to the trailer as soon as the fog lifted, about an hour ago." Gloria replies.

“Oh... ... Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." Yu says to the mother and daughter before leaving the room.

“Goodnight." Macy smiles and waves with her fingertips.

He steps into the hall and makes his way back to the guestroom, his footfalls quickly fading in the large manor.

“So, when's the wedding?" Gloria teases.

“Mom!" Macy whimpers.

Yu steps into the guestroom and finds Ling texting on her phone, a little smile on her face. Finishing only seconds after her enters, she sets her phone aside and continues reading a comic book she'd left draped across her flat belly. She relaxes in night clothes, loosely fitting yoga pants and a t-shirt two sizes too big, one leg hanging over a knee as she kicks her foot.

“Nice to see you." She says as she turns the page.

“Having fun?"

“Mhm. You?"

Yu sits on his bed and takes off his shoes, then stretches out as he feels the exhaustion hit him like a Mack truck. He yawns and folds his arms behind his head as he makes himself comfortable. Ling turns her head and watches him.

“You gonna answer me or lay there giving me the silent treatment?"

“Yeah..." He finally begins.

“Dick..."

“No, I meant this has been a good trip!" He chuckles. “I'm glad I came."

“Hmm... I bet Macy is, too."

“..." He looks to his little sister.

“I hope you didn't get any in her fur." Ling giggles.

“Seriously, what's corrupted you? I don't remember you ever being this raunchy."

“School." Ling replies.

After a silent pause, Ling returns to reading her comic and Yu, still fully dressed and without having even brushed his teeth, falls asleep. He wakes up to his uncle Peter shaking him.

“Up!"

“Huh?! What?!" Yu jolts awake.

“Get up, lazy bones! Time for breakfast!" Uncle Peter chirps.

“Aw, shit..." Yu groans, groggily sitting up.

“No swear in my house! Now, get up, damn it!"

Uncle Peter takes his leave and Yu looks toward Ling's bed only to find it empty. He grabs a change of clothes and knocks on the closed bathroom door. There's no answer. He steps inside and hastily brushes his teeth while warming up the water in the shower. Yu washes in record time, in and out in all of five minutes. With a fresh change of clothes on, he tidies his hair, slips on his shoes, and makes his way downstairs only to find the dinning room empty. Margie and Gloria stand side-by-side in the connecting kitchen, chatting and laughing as they wash the dishes. They pause only when they hear Yu's footsteps.

“Oh, hey!" Margie chirps.

“Uh, where's breakfast?"

“Uh-oh... Didn't make it, huh?"

“What do you mean?"

“Dinner is the nice time of the day. Breakfast and lunch are a bit more ruthless." Margie explains.

“The platter is usually picked clean in about five minutes, then everyone sort of scatters." Gloria adds.

“Oh... Lovely..."

“Don't worry. You aren't the only one I didn't see."

As if on cue, Yu turns toward the sound of footfalls. Justin enters the kitchen, pulling on a jacket. Macy is only seconds behind.

“Sorry, guys." Margie says with a truly apologetic look on her face. “I didn't think Trevor could out eat Vince."

“He packed it away like a fat guy at a buffet!" Gloria giggles.

“Maybe he's an athlete?" Margie thinks aloud.

“Aww, man!" Justin grumbles, seeing the empty dinner table.

“The fridge is right there, if you'd like to make yourself something." Margie motions with her head.

“Make something? For myself?!" Justin complains.

Macy looks toward Yu, her eyes scanning him from head to toe as he looks toward a window, unaware of her gaze. Suddenly, her ears perk up.

“Hey, mom, can we borrow the car?!" She turns to her mother.

“..."

“Please?!"

“We going somewhere?" Yu turns to her.

“Yeah. I know a cheap place, but their food is really good!" Macy chirps.

“I can see if Trevor will let us borrow his SUV!" Yu happily replies.

“Okay!" Macy grins from cheek-to-cheek.

Yu doesn't even take two steps before he realizes how nonsensical that line of thought truly is. Why would he even make the offer?! Did he do it out of desperation or to impress his new friend and cousin, Macy?! Whatever the reason, he shakes it off and makes his way through the house and eventually outside, looking for Trevor. He doesn't find him and endeavors to check the Airstream trailer. He pulls open the door without even knocking and steps inside.

“Hey, Trevor, can I borrow the-" Yu begins.

“Ahh-yeah! Harder, baby!" Yi Li squeals.

“Rrrr-fuck!" Trevor roars.

Yu stops and stares in horror at the sight of Trevor's furry back and flexing glutes. Yi Li's dainty feet bounce in the air behind his buttocks, her body obscured as Trevor pounds away. Plop, slap, plop! An ear twitches and Trevor looks back, glaring at Yu.

“Dude, I'm, nngf, fuckin' busy!" He roars, never once slowing his pace.

“Yep! Sorry! See ya' later!" Yu hastily retreats.

“Oh god, Trev! AHH!!!" Yi Li squeals.

Yu stumbles out of the travel trailer and slams the door shut, only to clear his throat and zip up his coat before walking away. He pauses and glances back to see the trailer swaying from the power of Trevor's thrusts.

“How did I not notice that?" He thinks aloud.

“Yu?!"

“Ahh!" He jumps as Macy appears around the corner of the house.

“Sorry! I convinced my mom to let us borrow her car." The feline smiles, holding up the keys to the Subaru Forester.

“Oh, cool! So, where can we go to eat?"

“There's a diner in town that's cheap, but it's pretty good." Macy answers.

“Beekman's?" Justin looks to her as he zips up his jacket, only a few steps behind.

“Yeah. Their breakfasts are killer."

“Sounds like a plan!" Yu chirps.

The trio climb into the Subaru, Macy in the driver's seat, Yu sitting beside her and Justin in the back. The drive into town is quiet and Macy handles the car very cautiously, as if she's still learning. As they drive, Yu furls his brow, his eyes scanning the storefronts and the sidewalks.

“Is it always this quiet in your town?"

“Sometimes." Justin replies, playing a Nintendo Switch in the back seat.

“It can be a pretty boring place." Macy sighs.

“I would've said 'peaceful' or 'serene.'" Yu retorts.

“Oh? Ahem... So, what's it like in Grand Rapids?" She asks, trying to make small talk.

“Loud."

They pull into the nearly empty parking lot and climb out of the car. As they take their seats, the middle-aged human waitress apologizes for any delays.

“Half the staff called in sick today." She explains.

“Seems like half the town called in sick." Yu murmurs, glancing out of the window.

They place their orders, then sit and talk. Justin isn't nearly as personable as the rest of his family and is nearly silent as he plays his game, leaving Yu and Macy to continue to get to know each other in peace. She tells him about some of her favorite stores and places to see, and with time on his hands, Yu is more than eager to explore. When the waitress returns, he gladly pays their bill and leaves the tip, further impressing Macy with his generosity.

“Guys, come on! I just wanted to get breakfast, not go out on a date!" Justin grumbles.

“Hey, I've got the car keys and a license." Macy snaps at him.

“Ugh..."

Justin is forced to tag along as they walk along the nearly empty streets, moving from shop to shop. It's such a quiet and peaceful little town but something still doesn't feel right, something Yu can't quite discern. They visit a small occult shop, filled with smoke and the potent scent of a hundred different incenses, and even there the proprietor complains that his sister called in sick, leaving him to run the shop all day by himself. Yu buys a book detailing the history of vampirism and a gruesome comic book for Ling before returning to the car. Macy eagerly drives them around the town, something that doesn't go unnoticed by Yu.

“Are you alright?" He suddenly asks.

“Huh?!"

“Is something the matter?" He clarifies.

“W-why would there be?!?!" She turns to him with shy eyes.

“You just don't seem like you want to go home."

“Well... If I'm being honest..." She sighs.

“Please do."

“I don't really feel like I fit in at home, even with my mom. I'm the weirdo." She begins.

“That's an understatement." Justin snickers, his fingers clicking the buttons of his game.

“Hanging out with you... Well... We're so much alike that I feel kind'a normal!" She continues.

“Yeah, me too." Yu smiles.

“... You two gonna kiss, now?" Justin teases.

“Dude, knock it off." Yu growls as he glares at him.

“Sorry." Justin slumps back in his seat.

“Maybe he's right. We probably should be getting back. It'll be lunchtime, soon." Macy says with a heavy sigh.

“I'd like to make it this time." Justin adds.

She turns the Forester down a long and lonesome road, the two-lane blacktop pristine and covered in the orange, red and brown leaves of the shedding trees that sit in rows on either side. After roughly a quarter-mile, she takes a turn and then another, working their way back toward uncle Peter's manor. As they drive, listening to music and talking, they pass by a large and empty field. Tall grass is withering away, beige and sandy brown in color as it dies due to lack of rainfall that year.

Suddenly, Yu notices something strange. A person walks in the field quite a distance away, near a row of trees. Crows caw loudly, their voices echoing. As the car comes closer, Yu can make out more of their features. It's a man and a Voeldahn. He walks shirtless, his brown pants contrasting with the lighter colored grass. The canine moves with a strange gait, his body twitching and shifting. Even his bushy, wolf-like tail hangs limply behind him. The human wonders if that takes practice; he's never seen a Voeldahn keep their tail still whilst walking.

The fur of the man, who has a rather slender but not unhealthy build, is strangely colored. Voeldahn never come in wild colorations, though dying one's fur is becoming increasingly popular amongst the younger generation. This man has an odd blue-green hue to his fur, but his short dark hair is unchanged.

“Look at that guy, getting into the holiday spirit." Yu points toward the shambling figure.

“Hey, isn't that Mr. Barden?" Justin leans closer to the window.

“It looks like it." Macy replies.

Justin rolls down the window and sticks his head outside.

“HEY, MR. BARDEN!!!" He waves.

The man slows his already feeble pace and turns, taking shaky and awkward steps as he moves toward the passing car. From the way he moves, it's almost as if he's pulling his paw-like feet away from sticky mud or perhaps the hands of the undead, fighting to lift each leg in order to take the next step.

“That's some good acting." Justin remarks, rolling up the window.

“That's a pretty vintage costume, too." Yu remarks.

“What do you mean?" Macy glances at him, her brow furled in confusion.

“The color of his fur; whatever dye he's using, it looks like zombie makeup, but it's that weird pale-greenish-bluish color. Kind of like the Hal Roach Studios colorization of 'Night of the Living Dead,' circa 1986, or that blue chick from 'The Return of the Living Dead', circa 1985." He explains.

“Ooh!" Macy swoons, visibly impressed with Yu's knowledge.

“Nerd..." Justin mutters under his breath.

“You know, it also looks a bit like that fog we had last night." Macy remarks, glancing at Mr. Barden.

“Huh... You're right! It kind'a does!" Yu nods.

Macy continues the drive home and they soon pull into the driveway and park Gloria's car between the others. After already spending the day with each other, Yu and Macy continue to hang out, making their way into the parlor after first stopping in the guest room where Yu tosses Ling's new comic onto her bed. Justin, meanwhile, disappears into his bedroom after first discovering his mother didn't make lunch. Macy uses the sound system to play music as they talk, playing White Zombie at a comfortable volume and sitting exceptionally close to him as they occupy the space in the bay window, overlooking the grassy field that makes up the side yard.

The parlor was empty at the time they came in, and Yu was grateful for the chance to get to know Macy even better. However, as if sensing their presence, some of the others began trickling in, starting with Ling. Though he'd never disliked his little sister, Yu found himself resenting her sudden intrusion, though Macy appeared to be just as eager to spend time with her as she was with him. Ling came in, carrying the gruesome comic that he'd left for her. She thanked him for it and then immediately injected herself into their conversation.

To Yu's silent frustration, Macy turns away, no longer facing him but rather sitting between the siblings atop the large bench of the bay window. Meanwhile, the album ends and automatically changes to the next CD in the multi-slot drawer; it begins playing Powerman 5000.

“Ooh! I love these guys!" Ling chirps.

She slides out of the bay window and quickly turns up the stereo before beginning to dance to the punk tunes of one of the band's least popular albums. Moments later, William and his sisters, Stephanie, and Janice, enter the parlor, followed by Yi Li and Trevor, who appear to have been tasked with watching the youngest of uncle Peter's children. The couple sit in a loveseat near one corner while uncle Peter's son turns on the big TV and the PlayStation. Macy soon slides out of the bay window and joins Ling, leaving Yu by himself.

While eleven-year-old William and fourteen-year-old Stephanie verse each other in a racing game, sixteen-year-old Janice joins the older girls in a dance. It quickly draws amusement when she tries, and fails, to twerk, eliciting snickers and giggles from Stephanie and William. Janice stops, her cheeks flushing as her younger siblings tease her. Ling and Macy step closer, eager to comfort and advise her.

“You're trying too hard." Macy speaks very sweetly, comforting the thoroughly embarrassed Janice. “Don't force it."

“Yeah. When you feel the rhythm, just let it take you over, you know?!" Ling chirps.

“No..."

“That's okay. You will." Macy smiles.

“Maybe I don't have any rhythm?!" Janice pouts. “I mean, I'm half White and half Asian. I'm double-jinxed!"

“Shouldn't that cancel it out?" William teases, his fingers clicking the controller buttons.

“That doesn't matter!" Ling retorts and giggles.

“Yeah. She was doing pretty good, and she's like full Asian!" Macy adds.

“I know I've got rhythm." Yi Li coos, cuddling up to Trevor on the loveseat, a hand groping his crotch.

“Hell yeah, you do." Trevor says before French-kissing her in front of everyone.

The song ends and another begins. Macy's feline ears perk up, her reddish-brown eyes widening.

“Ooh! I love this one! Turn it up a little more!" She chirps.

Ling doesn't hesitate. As if she'd forgotten about comforting Janice, Macy begins to sway to the beat of the next song. She closes her eyes and moves from side to side and then does a little twirl. Just before the end of the first verse, she finishes the spin and plants her feet with cat-like grace. As soon as the chorus begins, her tail swishes and her hip tilts. It almost looks like she'd choreographed this dance and practiced it several times before.

“Now you're coming around, yeah, you're coming around and you found! That it's murder! Now you're slipping away more with ev-er-y day and they say! That it's murder!" Spider One's voice bellows from the speakers.

As the chorus plays, Macy sways her hips to the beat of the bass drum. Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right; she shakes her perky buttocks in the most alluring manner. Her slender arms raise and her clawed hands run through her long, ruby hair, pulling it away from the back of her neck before dropping it down as her upper body sways. She moves like ocean waves, rocking and crashing. It instantly hypnotizes Yu, who sits in the bay window and stares at the Voeldahn, his eyes moving up and down, from her shoulders to her buttocks and back again.

“You're drooling..." A frustrated Yi Li remarks.

Yu looks to his older sister only to find her glaring at Trevor who, for a split-second, was ogling Macy's perky buttocks just like he was! The older Voeldahn doesn't even attempt to hide his interest in Macy, instead looking to Yi Li and giving her ass a little smack as she leans against him.

“Look and admire but don't touch." He speaks quietly to her before leaning in to kiss her neck.

“Mhm..." She glares.

Macy looks back at the couple with a raised brow, her facial expression changing. Did she not realize how enticing her little dance was? As if possessed by the music, she resumes her dance, but this time she turns away from them. As the second chorus plays, her hips sway with the bass drum, her buttocks flexing. Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right. She peers over her shoulder and her eyes land on Yu, but this time her expression isn't one of surprise or embarrassment. Is this dance for him?! His heart beats faster as he feels a familiar sensation, only to clear his throat and silently pray that he isn't blushing or bulging.

“Hey! Turn music down!" Uncle Peter suddenly barges in and turns the knob back to the original. “You blow out my expensive speakers! They custom for this CD player, and CDs not in style anymore!"

“Sorry, uncle Peter. I got carried away." Macy immediately stops dancing and accepts the blame.

“It alright. It dinner time, anyway!"

“So early?!" Stephanie asks.

The teenager looks back at her dad while young William takes the opportunity to try and catch up to his sister, who had nearly lapped him in the race.

“Well, mom not make lunch today, so we eat dinner early." He replies.

“Huh! I didn't realize it was so late!" Macy exclaims.

“Come! See what we have for you!" Uncle Peter chirps, motioning for them to follow.

They all begin the march out of the parlor and into the kitchen, the delicious aroma hitting them as soon as uncle Peter opens the sliding doors leading to the main hall. As before, Margie and Gloria have prepared a true feast. The dinner table is covered in food of all sorts. Ham, turkey, fruit, steamed vegetables, potatoes, casserole and more. In the center are two pumpkin pies and even a large white cake.

“Damn." Trevor remarks, startled by the sight of the feast. “All this is for Halloween?!"

“Yeah. Uncle Peter's family have always been rather extravagant." Yi Li replies.

“I'm almost afraid to see what they do on Christmas." Trevor murmurs.

“Oh, on Christmas we have biiig feast! This feast is nothing! It the reject of our other feasts!" Uncle Peter boats.

It's a long and pleasant dinner, and afterward, uncle Peter takes his children outside to play a game of soccer. His wife and Gloria tag along, as it seems to be a family tradition. Rather then join them, Macy grabs Yu's shirt sleeve and pulls him toward the side. There, they sit in the grass a short distance away from the others, with Trevor and Yi Li closer to Margie and Gloria. Ling is beside them, lying on her side in the grass and reading her new comic book. Vincent gives the ball a swift kick and sends it flying, right past Justin, who dives out of the way to avoid being hit.

“I got it!" Stephanie exclaims, turning to chase down the ball.

“No! I got it!" William yells, racing to beat her.

The siblings have an obvious rivalry, and despite being three-years-younger than her, William is already bigger than his older sister. The ball rolls to the edge of the field, and bounces off a tree, rolling up the trunk before reversing course, away from the forest. William reaches it and gives the ball a kick, toward Stephanie, who stops it with her foot.

“Alright, you win this time! But next time!!!" She insists.

“Yeah, if you say s-!"

William stops when he hears a strange noise. He turns toward the forest to see the dense brush shaking. The tall bushes have not yet lost their leaves, and he cannot see through them. Suddenly, from around a tree, Mr. Barden appears!

“Whoa! Mr. Barden! You scared me!" William laughs.

“Uhhh..." Air puffs out of Mr. Barden's throat.

His sickly-looking fur unsettles the youth as much as the milky white contact lenses he appears to be wearing. His back makes a strange sound as he steps closer, like his joints are stiff.

“That's a good costume. My cousin says you look like you're dressed up like a zombie from the nineteen-eighties or something."

“Uhh!"

The Voeldahn extends his hands toward the youth, blood dripping from his claws.

“... Mr. Barden? Are you alri-AAAHHHH!!!!"

Everyone stops at the sound of William screaming bloody murder! Stephanie, who was watching, gasps as Mr. Barden lunges at her brother, grabs his right arm and bites him! She races toward him but trips herself; her foot was still atop the soccer ball. She falls onto her face just as William stumbles backward, landing on his back with a thud! She scrambles toward him, eager to rescue her little brother. Trevor, Vincent, and Justin all race toward the scene. They first thought it was an act, but William's screams are too real, his thrashing too dramatic.

Yu jumps up as well, but stops when he looks to Ling and Macy, both of whom rise to their feet and stare in horror. Macy covers her gaping maw and gasps into her palm. Yu looks across the field and watches as Trevor and Vincent reach the scene first, seconds before Justin. Stephanie has jumped onto Mr. Barden's back and tries to pull him off, her arm around his throat. The Voeldahn croaks and gurgles but never stops, his hands clinging to William as he pulls a chunk of flesh right out of his forearm!

“Mr. Barden! What the fuck?!" Vincent roars.

“Get off'a him, you son-of-a-bitch!" Trevor shouts.

“Uhh!"

Trevor tackles the man first, having no idea who he is and not caring. Vincent, though eager to help his brother, seems less inclined to attack the man. Once they fall to the ground, however, and he sees the damage done to his little brother's arm, Vincent doesn't hold back. With Trevor wrestling the man onto the ground, he places a knee on his tail, knowing just how painful that can be. To Trevor's shock, Mr. Barden does not so much as whimper! Vincent kicks the man in the side of the head just as he turns his attention toward Trevor, who scrambles to his feet.

The duo begins kicking and punching Mr. Barden as he struggles to stand, never once fighting back; he frantically tries to grab them while enduring the assault. Justin and Stephanie pull William to his feet before Justin joins the older males in the fight. Stephanie helps William run back home, the blood gushing from his wounded arm. Margie, Janice and uncle Peter meet them in the middle of the field, and Janice begins wrapping his arm with bandage wrap taken from a medical kit left in the garage, which she'd quickly collected at the sound of William's screams.

Trevor, Vincent and Justin beat Mr. Barden for what seems like an eternity, but the man never stops. His nose bleeds, a finger snaps, he loses a few teeth and his body becomes covered in cuts but still he tries to grab them. He doesn't stop until Vincent kicks him in the leg so hard that it crunches like celery stalks. The young men wince and step back, only for their disgust to turn into horror as Mr. Barden lay on the ground, a bone sticking out of his shin from a fresh compound fracture. He's still trying to crawl toward them!

“Man, fuck this. We need to call the cops!" Justin urges.

“Good idea!" Trevor agrees.

“Let's get back to the house." Vincent remarks, out of breath from the fight.

They turn back to see that William is being carried in his father's arms, who races him past Ling, Yi Li, Macy and Yu, the latter of whom tries to call 911 on his cell phone.

“Damn." Yu grumbles.

“What?!" Macy turns to him.

“I don't have service." He looks to her.

Macy checks her phone only to realize the very same thing.

“Huh?! But I always have service here!" She whimpers, fear in her voice.

“Hey, it's going to be okay." Yu assures her, placing his hands on her arms.

“Is it?" She asks, her eyes revealing her disbelief.

Macy pulls away, just as the others return and race past them. Yi Li joins her boyfriend and everyone goes inside, leaving Yu and Ling by themselves in the yard.

“Wow... Trevor didn't even hesitate... He just jumped right into the fray." Ling remarks.

“Shut up." Yu grumbles, overcome with guilt.

“Huh?!" She looks to him with surprise.

“Sorry... Let's just go inside." He says with a sigh.

Racing for the steps leading up to the small back porch, Yu stops only to look back at the spot where the entire incident unfolded. He can hardly see the discolored and misshapen form of Mr. Barden, still trying to crawl toward them, buried in the tall grass at the edge of the field. He gulps, familiar with these signs and fearing the worst.

“Hey... Hey, come on." Ling pulls at his shirt sleeve.

Entering the manor, Yu closes the back door and locks it, then reaches for the dead bolt only to stop himself. They hear the commotion as seemingly everyone panics. Inside of the library, a smaller room off to the side of the parlor and across from the kitchen, the family crowds around the writhing William who clutches his bleeding wound, now covered in blood-soaked bandages. Uncle Peter and Gloria both try in vain to call emergency services, even dialing the local police department's number instead of the colloquial 911.

“How I not have service?! I pay my bill!" Uncle Peter exclaims, panic in his voice.

“I can't call, either." Gloria turns to him.

“We need to get him to a doctor. This wound is too big. It won't stop bleeding on its own." Janice turns to her mother.

Her eldest daughter had recently begun volunteering at the local clinic, and took first aid training as required by her school before being allowed to watch over the younger students. Trusting her word, Margie nods and dashes into the hallway where she grabs her purse hanging from a series of hooks by the door, next to a coat rack.

“Alright. I'm taking William to the clinic." She begins, slinging her purse over her shoulder, car keys already in her hand.

“I'll come." Janice instantly offers.

“Me, too." Gloria volunteers.

“Mom?!" Macy gasps.

“It's okay, sweetheart..." Gloria turns to her. “I'll ride along and when we get there, I can dash over to the police station and tell them what happened. I'll be right back. I promise."

“You might want to tell them to send EMS for that nut-job. We kind'a messed him up." Trevor interjects.

After saying their goodbyes and promising to return very soon, the trio collect William, who appears to have fallen unconscious, and make their way to the door. A shell-shocked Stephanie cries, unwilling to let go of her mom as she and her step-sister carry William out to the car; uncle Peter is forced to hold her back. No sooner than the Honda Accord drives away, kicking up gravel and dust, Stephanie screams and falls to her knees in a rather dramatic display. Yi Li turns to her and tries to help her up, but when that fails, she wraps her arms around the teenager as she sobs.

Despite their apparent animosity, she loves William deeply and fears the worst. Trevor steps up and scoops the crying Stephanie into his arms, carrying her toward her bedroom where he and Yi L urge her to rest. Meanwhile, Yu stands by the door, silently watching. He turns to the others to gauge their reactions. Macy turns to him, her expression showing relief.

“Thank God Trevor stepped in." She remarks.

“... Yeah..."

With the chaos abruptly over, the house becomes deathly quiet. Uncle Peter pulls Vincent close and whispers to him. The pair then immediately tend to Justin and Stephanie, both of whom are clearly suffering from varying stages of shock. Vincent tries to console Justin, who keeps rambling about the fight and how badly they “messed up" Mr. Barden, only to start crying. Meanwhile, uncle Peter disappears into Stephanie's room, his voice speaking so softly and sweetly to her as she cries, assuring her that William will be fine.

Yu turns to Macy but she's already left the room, following Trevor and Yi Li, who return to the parlor and sit on the large sofa. Ling returns to the guest bedroom and Yu finds himself standing alone in the hall. After a moment, he decides to poke his head into the parlor where he sees Macy sitting on her legs, curled up on the loveseat as she tries to rest. Trevor and Yi Li cuddle on the big couch. Unsure of what to do or what he would say if he stepped inside, Yu quietly walks up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

Immediately upon stepping inside, he nearly steps on the discarded comic he had bought for Ling. He kneels to pick it up and takes a moment to look at the bloody young man on the cover, being torn apart by werewolves.

“I couldn't bring myself to read anymore..." Ling quietly remarks, lying on her stomach atop the bed and clinging to a pillow.

“It's okay."

Yu approaches her bed and takes a seat on the edge, near her legs. He tosses the comic atop the nearby nightstand, the cover facing down, and then gently rubs her back. He notices her cell phone atop the nightstand, trying and failing to send a text.

“Are you okay?"

“Yeah... Why aren't you trying to cozy up to Macy? You've been with her all day, already." Ling turns her head to the side and looks up at him.

“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" He teases her.

“Don't be stupid..." She mutters.

“To be honest... ... I don't think I'd be much help." He says with a heavy sigh.

“Why not?"

“I froze out there. I jumped to my feet but... I couldn't do anything. I was just... In shock, I guess."

“We all were. I mean, that was seriously crazy!" She assures him.

“Yeah, but I froze and Vincent and Justin and Trevor didn't... Fucking Trevor... That asshole was on my case the whole trip up here, teased the both of us and then saves the fucking day..." Yu grumbles, rambling to himself.

“I wouldn't go that far..."

“Macy even said we were lucky to have him here. Now, she's in the parlor, curled up within arm's reach of him and Yi Li, like she's scared to be away from him." He continues.

“Now who sounds jealous?" She remarks.

“..."

“You don't think she'd appreciate your company?" She continues.

“Would you?"

“That's different. I always appreciate your company. You're my brother and I love you." Ling sits up and embraces him.

“At least someone does." He sighs again.

“Don't be emo." She teases.

“Heh..."

Yu turns his head toward the window facing the backyard. Once Ling releases him, he rises to his feet and walks over to the window, pulling back the curtain and peeking outside.

“Damn..."

“What?" She slides off the bed and joins him.

“He's still down there. See that? He got a few feet closer." Yu points at Mr. Barden's small figure in the distance.

“That guy is on some serious drugs." Ling shakes her head.

“Maybe..."

“Maybe?! More like 'obviously!'"

After taking a moment to think, Yu hastily approaches his dresser and collects his pistol cases from where he had hidden them, beneath his clothes. Ling turns back and watches with an unsettled look on her face as Yu pulls a small stuff sack from his large duffle bag, which she had assumed was for things like batteries, phone cables and earbuds. Instead, Yu opens the little orange sack and pulls out ammunition for his pistols. He places four boxes on his bed, one large box containing 50 rounds of 9x19mm full-metal-jacket ammo, and three small boxes containing a total of 150 rounds of .22LR, lead-round-nose ammo.

He opens all the boxes and dumps the ammo into two piles, then loads his Taurus 94 revolver first before loading all three magazines for his PT92. He places the semi-automatic pistol back into its case, along with the lose cartridges that wouldn't fit in the magazines and zips it shut. With his revolver in his lap, he then loads more ammunition into four speed-loaders before slipping those into a double speed-loader pouch, one on top of the other. The remaining loose cartridges, over one-hundred in total, he scoops into a Crosman pellet pouch, before attaching the various pouches to his belt, as well as a cheap, nylon universal holster.

“Just in case." He says, slipping the revolver into the holster and hiding it beneath his hoodie-jacket.

“What about that one?" Ling points to the case with his 9mm pistol in it.

“We'll save that for a boss battle." He jokes, picking up the case.

“Uh-huh..." She raises an eyebrow but cracks a little smile.

“Here..." He presents her with the case. “I want you to hide it... Just in case."

Ling does as she's told, taking the case and waiting for Yu to leave the room before stashing the semi-automatic somewhere safe. Yu makes his way downstairs, stops in the hallway half-bathroom to wash the lead from his hands and then enters the kitchen. He finds his uncle Peter sitting down at the table, overlooking the pile of unwashed dishes and sniffling as he fights back tears.

“I should have gone with them..." He murmurs.

“They'll be fine, uncle Pete. Stephanie needs you, and so does everyone else." Yu assures him.

His uncle pauses for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. He jumps up from his seat to check on Stephanie and Yu follows, a hand in his pocket and keeping his jacket from opening and revealing his firearm. Stephanie isn't in her room. A hasty search of the house quickly reveals that she's in the parlor, sitting with Justin and Vincent and staring outside. Yu wonders if they're watching Mr. Barden slowly crawling toward the house, except that when he approaches the window to look for himself, he cannot see the man; from where the window sits, they're looking at the wrong corner of the field.

He looks back to see Macy sitting up, staring at her phone as she tries texting. Yu approaches her and takes a seat, only to see that she's trying to text her mom.

“Are you okay?" He asks.

“I'm just worried. The clinic is only a few minutes away and I haven't heard from my mom yet, and-" Macy stammers.

“She'll be alright." Trevor interrupts her with his assurance.

“Yeah... Yeah, you're right! I'm probably just worrying for nothing!" Macy breathes a sigh of relief.

Yu sits in stunned silence as she simply accepts Trevor's words at face value, even though none of them can say with certainty if it's true. Moments later, Ling enters the parlor and sits beside her brother, who slumps into the furthest corner of the sectional couch. She cuddles up to him and rests her head on his shoulder.

“Thank you, for before... For being there." She speaks softly. “I don't know what I'd do without you."

“Neither would I." He replies, playing with one of her colorful pigtails.

The entire family occupies the parlor, surrounding the TV which plays a comedy movie, though no one is laughing. They are all too busy trying to get their minds off what has happened, and uncle Peter does a poor job of appearing unphased. He is obviously worried sick about his son, youngest daughter, and his wife. Macy is similarly unglued, nervously trying to text and call her mom every few minutes. Despite the annoyance of her perpetually tapping the phone screen, everyone leaves her be, especially Yu, who already feels like he's failed her. Eventually, the movie ends and Vincent presses a button on the remote control.

“The hell?!" He furls his brow.

“What? What's wrong?!" Uncle Peter jolts up like a frightened rabbit.

“It's just that this thing isn't working."

“No signal?" Justin asks.

“No." Vincent continues to scan for channels.

“But we were just watching something." Yi Li remarks.

“Those all recordings. I save all film as files. Save money!" Uncle Peter chirps, only to immediately continue sulking.

“Huh?! Guys, the internet isn't working, either." Macy comments, frantically tapping on the screen of her phone.

Everyone stops to retrieve their phones. They try various things - uncle Peter tries to call his wife, Macy tries to call her mom, Ling and Yi Li try to access their social media accounts and even Yu tries to text his dad - but none of them are successful. All phone service and internet access seem to have vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving them starved for information. Vincent checks a wristwatch and notices the time.

“Okay, they seriously should be back by now." He remarks.

“Don't be foolish! William at clinic right now, and your mom would never leave him!" Uncle Peter retorts.

“But what about Gloria?" Justin asks.

“Yeah. Wouldn't she call or come back, even if mom and Janice were staying behind?" Vincent continues.

“She said she was going to get the cops." Yi Li adds.

Though he'd been trying to remain calm and collected, uncle Peter visibly loses strength as everyone points out the obvious flaws in his logic.

“M-maybe we go find them?" He nervously suggests.

“Yeah, okay!" Macy swiftly volunteers.

“We take my car." Uncle Peter pulls the keys to the battered Toyota Camry from his pocket.

“Whoa, slow down there!" Trevor suddenly speaks up, pushing Yi Li aside and getting up from the couch to stand before everyone. “You guys might not want to do that."

“Fuck you, dude! That's my mom out there!" Vincent growls.

“I get that, but we don't have any cell service or internet. Doesn't that strike anyone as odd?" Trevor begins.

The group sits in silence, looking at each other for a moment. Their expressions betray them, revealing their fear and uncertainty.

“I get that you want to bring her back and I would, too, but if we can't call or even get online to find out what's going on, imagine what it's like being in their shoes! If they come back, we need to be where they can find us, and if you all go gallivanting around town looking for them, they might show up to an empty house and then ask themselves if they should go out and find you! It's better, safer and smarter to sit and wait..."

The group remains silent, listening to Trevor speak.

“This is probably nothing too serious... Okay, it's serious but it's not the end of the world, right?! Gloria said she'd get the police and Margie and Janice are probably talking to a doctor about William's medical history right now." He continues.

“Well, the police station is only a block away..." Justin murmurs.

“Then why aren't they here yet?!" Stephanie whines, still fighting back her tears.

“Maybe Mr. Barden wasn't the only one? Maybe other people flipped out, too?" Justin suggests.

“Then they may be busy." Uncle Peter breathes a sigh of relief.

“Wouldn't that be a bad thing?" Ling raises her brow.

“Yes, but what place safer than a police station or clinic?! At least we know they okay!" Uncle Peter retorts.

They go back and forth for some time, theorizing and speculating but all of it based on Trevor's assertions that everything is or will be fine. When Stephanie bucks and insists that they do something, anything, to make things better, Trevor doesn't hesitate.

“If it makes you feel better, I can go out there and look for them." Trevor offers.

“Your SUV still hooked to my sister's ugly trailer. You wanna take my car?" Uncle Peter offers, presenting the keys to his Camry.

“We might need something quicker. Maybe something in torch red?" Trevor grins.

“HAH! You think you slick! You just wanna drive my Corvette!" Uncle Peter laughs.

“What?! Pssh! I'm just trying to help!" Trevor insists in a comically insistent tone.

Most in the room share a chuckle, and just like that their spirits are lifted. Now convinced that there's nothing to worry about and that all they need to be is patient, everyone gradually disperses, leaving to rest in the comfort of their rooms or otherwise entertain themselves until the others come home. Only Yu and Ling remain in the parlor. Ling turns to her older brother and eyes him as he sits in silence, staring at the bay window. She tries and fails to read his thoughts by his posture and facial expression.

“What're you thinking?" She finally asks.

“A lot of things..."

“Gee, that's real descriptive." She quips with an obvious hint of sarcasm.

“I'm sorry..." He turns his attention to her. “A part of me is thinking that they're all diluting themselves, that this is way worse than what they want to believe, and that I might be the only sane person here, but..." Yu suddenly pauses.

“... But, what?"

“But another part of me thinks that Trevor might be right, and I'm either too spiteful to trust him or too unhinged... When we were upstairs, looking down at Mr. Barden, I was actually thinking the Z-word."

“Wow." Ling blinks, her eyes growing wide.

“But just for a minute..." He quickly adds.

“Well, now I'm glad you asked me to hide that thing." She giggles, before leaning in to hug her brother. “I'm going upstairs to lie down. I think we could both use some sleep."

“You go. I'll hang out down here for a minute."

“You sure?"

“Yeah." He nods.

“Alright. Goodnight."

“Night..."

Yu waits for his sister to leave and then stretches out on the sofa, keeping his shoes off the cushion as his feet dangle over the edge. With his jacket pulled closed but unzipped and his body pressed into the back of the couch, his belt of gear is easily concealed. He lay there, staring at the window and watching the trees moving with the wind. The sunlight of the evening casts shadows from the bare branches and the few remaining leaves, creating pixelated abstract images through the glass and on the hardwood floor. It's serene and almost hypnotic, and before long he drifts off to sleep.

THUMP, THUMP! Jolted awake, Yu bolts up and nearly rolls off the sofa, only to see that the room is dark. How long has he been asleep? What little moonlight there is pierces the windows and makes traversing the room a minor challenge. The thumping continues, drawing his attention. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! It is not coming from upstairs or in the room, where he finds himself alone, but from the front door. He stumbles through the darkened room and nearly trips over the edge of a coffee table before making it to a window near the foyer.

He peers outside only to see two cars in the gravel lot, and Margie's Honda Accord isn't among them. A shadow moves to his left, right in front of the front door. Yu looks around for light switches and turns a few on. The first activates the light in the foyer and the thumping quickly resumes, startling him. He hastily flips the other switches and the porch light turns on, among several other outside lights. Looking through the window, his eyes grow wide. He races back into the parlor and climbs into the bay window to see the front porch more clearly.

“What the-?!"

He hears more thumping, but this time it's coming from inside the house.

“Momma?!" Stephanie exclaims, rushing downstairs.

She bolts for the front door, where a shadowy figure stands, pressing against it, a hand on the ornate, frosted glass window.

“Stephanie, wait!" Yu calls to her as he scrambles out of the bay window.

“Mommy?!?!" Stephanie whimpers as she yanks open the door.

“ARRGHHH!!!"

“EEEE!!!"

A man stands before her, blood staining the front of his shirt! The human lunges for the teenage girl, who jumps back and trips over her own feet. The man falls on top of her, and though briefly taken by shock, Yu quickly snaps himself out of it. He jumps onto the man as Stephanie's bloodcurdling screams awaken the whole manor. With an arm around his throat, Yu tries to pull the man off. He succeeds in bending the man backward, just enough to see something that horrifies him. Bite wounds on the man's shoulder and neck stretch open and ooze goopy blood!

“Urgh! Aarrhhhh!" The man makes strange croaking and growling sounds, like the air was merely pushed through his throat.

“Help! Get him off meeee!!!" Stephanie shrieks.

The man leans in to bite Stephanie's neck, her hands pressing onto his forehead and throat as she tries to keep him at bay. Yu acts fast, knowing that her life is in danger. Just as the others begin making their way downstairs, Yu pushes himself off the stranger, draws the revolver from his holster, takes aim and pulls the trigger. Bang! Their ears ring as the sound of a twenty-two gunshot fills the house. It's like a hammer being slammed onto a hardwood table by a very strong man.

The stranger falls limp, Yu's bullet having ripped into his brain through the base of his skull, near his spine. Stephanie cries and wriggles beneath him and the others stop in their tracks, watching as Yu pulls the dead body of a stranger off the crying girl. He drops the corpse at his feet and Stephanie doesn't hesitate, crawling backward before rolling over and pushing herself to her hands and knees, bawling like a newborn baby.

“What the fuck?!" Vincent exclaims, stepping up to the foyer.

“You have gun?!" Uncle Peter gasps.

“You're welcome." Yu grumbles, lowering his revolver and pulling Stephanie to her feet with his off-hand. “Are you alright?"

“Don't touch me!" She screams, tears streaming down her face as she tries to pull her arm away.

“Hey, stop! Are you hurt? Did you get bit or scratched?! Are you okay?!?!" He pressures her.

“I'm fucking fine!" She roars, ripping out of his grasp before running away, in tears.

Yu looks between the others as they crowd around him. He looks to Justin and motions for him to come closer.

“Come on. We gotta throw this thing outside."

He grabs an arm and begins to pull, only to stop and see that Justin hasn't moved. The youth looks to his dad for instruction, but uncle Peter merely stares in shock at the body at Yu's feet. Justin then looks to Trevor for direction, who then looks back at him and slowly shakes his head 'no.' To Yu's shock, Justin obeys him! With a huff, Yu drags the corpse outside and pushes it down the steps. It rolls with loud thumps, the arms and legs flailing before landing face-down in the dirt. As soon as Yu races back up the stairs, he pauses and glances back, noting the discoloration of the corpse's skin. He bolts into the manor and closes and locks the door before turning off the outside lights.

“Dude..." Justin murmurs, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I think from now on, we need to stay away from the doors and windows and keep them closed and locked. We should probably keep the curtains and blinds shut, too. It got more active when I turned the lights on." Yu says, leaning against the ornate front door.

“Whatever you say..." Ling mutters partially under her breath.

“Is there something wrong?" Yu turns to his little sister.

“You just shot that guy!" A horrified Macy exclaims.

“I didn't have much of a choice! He was about to bite Stephanie's throat!"

“But did you have to shoot him?! I mean..." Macy lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Yeah. We were coming." Trevor chimes in.

“Wha-?! I was all by myself down here when Stephanie rips open the front door without even checking to see who was out there! I tried to warn her! I did what I had to do, and you should all be thankful I had the foresight to bring my gun!"

“Do you own any guns?" Trevor quietly asks uncle Peter.

“What do I look like? Korean?!" He quips.

“..."

The group falls silent. They stare at Yu with uncertain eyes, some of them perhaps even fearful. They aren't afraid of the creature he's just dispatched, but him! Yu is flabbergasted.

“What're you all looking at me like that for?"

“..."

“How come when Trevor steps up, he's God's gift to us, but when I jump into action, I'm some murderous bastard?!" Yu angrily remarks.

“Because you just shot a guy in the head! That's a bit of an extreme reaction, don't you think?!" Vincent snaps back.

“He's dead! What's it matter?!" Yu yells.

“We know he's dead!" Macy replies.

“No, that's not what I-! Ugh... He was dead before!" Yu rests a palm on his forehead.

“Oh no..." Ling sighs, bowing her head and averting her eyes.

“Uh... Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Trevor scratches his head.

“When I tried to pull him off, he had bite marks on his neck. Deep ones! His blood was all goopy like it was coagulate or something, and his skin was cold as ice, clammy and discolored, just like Mr. Barden's fur!"

“Are you fuckin' crazy?!" Vincent laughs in shock.

“There's no such thing as zombies!" Yi Li shouts.

“Zombies aren't real! Whatever's going on here is real! They're sick or something, and you can't just go around shooting sick people, you fuckin' psycho!" Trevor screams.

“Yeah!" Vincent and Justin both join in.

“Whatever! Sick or undead, they're dangerous! One of them almost took a chunk out of Stephanie!!! Doesn't that justify me even a little bit?!" Yu looks over the unsympathetic crowd.

“I think you'd better give up that gun..." Trevor steps closer.

“The hell I will..."

Yu turns to Trevor, his revolver close to his belly as he cocks the hammer. The air in the room becomes as heavy as the revolver's trigger pull as everyone stares, some in shock, some horror, and still others in anger. Yu feels as if everyone, Justin, Vincent, his uncle Peter, Macy and even Ling, have turned against him. Is Stephanie even grateful?! The anger bubbles within him, but it must be showing in his eyes because everyone abruptly backs down, starting with Trevor.

“Fine..." He says as he takes a step back. “Keep your little pea-shooter, but don't go murdering anyone else, alright? We're going to have enough explaining to do when all this is over."

Everyone slowly walks away, with uncle Peter rushing off as he calls out to his daughter. Ling lingers for a moment but even she turns to leave, glancing back at Yu and shaking her head. He furls his brow, unsure of what to make of the gesture. Was she scolding him for using his gun or for implying the man was undead? Once he's alone, he opens his pellet pouch and retrieves a fresh round, popping open the cylinder of his revolver and swapping the spent shell casing for a new cartridge. He holsters his weapon and is about to discard the shell casing when he takes a moment to look at it.

His arm tremors and his hand shakes. He takes a deep breath and slips the shell casing into a pocket of his black jeans only to rush toward the kitchen sink where he promptly vomits. Fear and shock overwhelm him. What if he was wrong? What if he did overreact? What if he just killed a sick person and what if the police, when they arrive with Margie, Janice and Gloria, arrest him for it?! He feels sick to his stomach, even after puking his dinner into the sink. He turns on the faucet and rinses his mouth with water before taking the spray gun from beside the faucet and washing his vomit down the drain.

He did what he did to protect Stephanie and everyone else, but that moment of bravery doesn't make him immune to fear. He shuffles his feet as he makes his way upstairs, looking for Ling. He finds her in the guest bedroom, sitting atop her bed with her back against the pillows and her legs pulled in. She sits in the fetal position, staring at her useless phone.

“Hey..."

“Hey..." She turns her eyes toward him.

Yu sits on the edge of her bed and reaches out for her. Before he can touch her shoulder, she moves away, rolling over and sitting on the other side of the bed, her legs hanging over the edge, hands at her sides and her head bowed forward.

“So, what? You're mad at me, too?" He asks with a frustrated grumble.

“... Did you really have to shoot him?" She asks.

“Hey, I'm the one who might go to prison, here!" Yu growls, jumping up from the bed. “I saw his wounds, I saw him going for her neck, biting like a rabid dog and I-! ... I did what I thought I had to do... I couldn't fight him forever. Look at me! I'm not tough! I can't run a mile! I probably can't even bench press myself! ... I had a gun and the opportunity to save her with it, so... That's what I did."

Yu approaches the window, and with a hand on the windowsill, he leans toward the glass and looks outside. The vague shape of Mr. Barden is still out there, crawling toward the house. He's much closer now. One leg is bent at almost a fifty-degree angle at the shin, his paw-like foot dragging. Ling slowly approaches her brother and slips her arms around him from behind, giving him a gentle embrace. Feeling her warmth, Yu turns around in her arms and embraces her. Though she's several inches shorter than him, he leans in to rest his forehead against hers. In that moment he loses his strength; Yu begins to cry.

“Shh..." She shushes him, a hand gently rubbing his back. “It's okay. It'll be okay."

“I'm sorry." He says, sniffling as he fights back the tears.

“Well, think about this..." Ling begins, giving her brother's torso a squeeze. “Stick to that story and you can probably get off on an insanity plea!"

“You're a real bitch, sometimes." He chuckles, pulling away from her.

“I know." She lets out a soft giggle.

At his sister's behest, Yu tries to get some sleep. He takes off his hoodie-jacket, shoes and belt, setting his pouches and the holstered pistol on the nightstand beside his bed. After crawling under the covers, he pauses when he sees how Ling stares at his revolver. Her eyes turn toward him and for a moment he thinks he sees uncertainty. He slowly reaches out for it while Ling sits there in silence, watching him as he draws his revolver from the holster and pulls it into bed with him, hiding it underneath the covers. Without saying a word, she heads for the bedroom door, closes and locks it, then makes her way into the bathroom to prepare for bed.

Yu is so mentally and emotionally exhausted that he passes out before she returns from the bathroom. That night, he's plagued by nightmares of bloody faces and the scent of gun smoke. A loud bang, like a gunshot, jolts him awake. Opening his eyes, he bolts upright and throws off the covers, his revolver in-hand and pointing straight ahead. He looks to the left and to the right but the room is empty and the bedroom door is ajar. The room is still quite dark, but a beam of light trickles in from the east window.

Climbing out of bed, he peers outside and discovers several things. First, it's not quite dawn and the sun is barely peeking over the horizon. Second, he cannot see Mr. Barden anywhere, though there are faded drag marks leading all the way toward the back of the house. Third, as his ears adjust, he can hear strange noises. Opening the window reveals what they are. Soft moans and groans come from below. Just then, he hears muffled voices and a series of thumps. It sounds like it's coming from downstairs.

Hastily pulling on his shoes, belt and gear, Yu dashes into the hall and down the stairs, nearly running into Macy, who emerges from her bedroom in a rather revealing nighty. It isn't the black and red one. He rolls past her, briefly admiring her body but ignoring her as she asks him what's going on. He makes his way toward the foyer and finds an unsettling scene. Ling stands near Yi Li and Trevor, in front of the double doors leading to the parlor. Across from them, Vincent, Justin and uncle Peter stand, fully dressed, carrying improvised weapons and demanding to leave. Stephanie stands at the base of the stairs, almost directly between them, as if waiting to see which side will win so she can join them.

“Whatever is going on, those people are sick and they could be contagious!" Trevor insists, arms outstretched as he points toward the front door.

“Listen to him!" Yi Li pleads.

“Fuck that! We've been listening to him all day and he's full of shit!" Vincent roars.

“Yeah!" Justin chirps.

“My mom is out there, my little brother and my sister. Hell, her mom is out there, too! You think you can stop us?!" Vincent asks, pointing toward Macy as she stands at the top of the stairs. “I don't fuckin' think so!"

Trevor glances at Macy only for his eyes to widen and him to do a double-take.

“Uhm..." He hastily snaps himself out of it. “Listen, we don't know what's going to happen if you go out there." Trevor continues.

“I think we'll be fine." Vincent holds up a wooden baseball bat.

“Don't open that door." Yu casually warns.

“Stay out of this! You've done enough damage!" Trevor barks at him.

“Okay, but I'm tellin' you, leaving is a mistake." Yu calmly continues, walking calmy down the stairs.

“That my wife out there! I not sit here forever, not knowing! I find her!" Uncle Peter insists, himself armed with a tennis racket.

Trevor tries to stand between the father and his sons, but they quickly push him out of the way. He stumbles and then turns to Yu, his eyes silently demanding his aid. Yu flashes a cocky grin and shrugs his shoulders.

“Hey, you said stay out of this." He remarks.

“Are you serious?!" Trevor gasps.

They hear a thump of a body against the ornate window and a click of the dead bolt as Vincent prepares to open it. Yu realizes all too late just how serious they are and darts past Trevor.

“Wait!"

Vincent doesn't listen and pulls open the door, only to immediate scream when a fox man with an eyeball hanging from a shattered socket tries to grab his shoulders and bite him with bloody teeth.

“Holy shit!" He yelps, blocking the man with his bat.

“Push 'em back!" Justin roars, joining in with a crowbar.

Through brute force and sheer will, they shove the maimed man backward, causing him to trip and fall. He tumbles down the steps, landing against two more people! A bunny Voeldahn in a nightgown shambles toward the steps, her belly soaked in blood. A human male takes shaky steps on what sounds like a broken foot, his cheek torn from what looks like a bite made by another human. Even more of the grotesque beings can be heard around the corner of the house!

The father and sons race onto the porch and look toward the two remaining cars. They count no less than six people shambling toward them. Vincent looks back at his dad, who pulls out his car keys and tosses them to his son. Vincent catches the keys, and with a nod, he leads the charge. They race down the steps and the strong young man kicks the maimed man in the chest, sending him stumbling backward. The maimed man lands against the bloody bunny and tears her nightgown off as he falls. For a brief second, Vincent finds himself staring at the nude body of a shapely young woman, only to realize that a series of bite wounds have torn her abdomen and her guts are slowly spilling out.

“What the fuck?!"

Trevor, Yu and the others step out onto the porch only to freeze in horror at the gruesome sight.

“I knew it. I knew it!" Yu turns to Ling, who covers her mouth in horror. “Fucking zombies!"

“Get back here, where it's safe!" Trevor pleads with them.

Vincent doesn't listen. He raises his baseball bat and strikes the bloody bunny in the head, knocking her off balance. She isn't knocked out, as he'd hoped. As she gets up, her jaw visibly broken from the strike, she lunges and tries to bite him as if she doesn't know that her jaw is now misaligned, as if she doesn't feel an ounce of pain. He raises the bat to shield himself and uncle Peter charges with his tennis racket, smacking her in the head repeatedly, to absolutely no effect.

“Let him go!" He yells. “Let him go or I-AAAHHH!!!!"

“Dad!" Justin exclaims.

The maimed man had rolled onto his belly, grabbed uncle Peter's ankle, and shakes his head like a rabid dog as he bites his leg. He rips his pant leg and takes a sizeable chunk of skin with it. Without hesitation, Justin races up and brings his crowbar down onto the maimed man, his skull making a sickening crunch as he bashes him in the head again and again. Trevor and Yu both dart down the steps. Trevor tries to push the bloody bunny away from Vincent while Yi Li, Ling and Macy come down to drag uncle Peter back up the steps.

Trevor successfully pulls the bloody bunny away from Vincent before heaving her to the side. She stumbles and slams into yet another man, a seemingly uninjured Voeldahn with horse-like features. The tall, strong man has fur that is the same sickly blue-green color as Mr. Barden's. The others, however, appear fresher. He lunges for Vincent and overpowers him in seconds, pushing him down to the ground and pinning him with his own baseball bat, which presses his hands against his chest. Now defenseless, the pale horse takes a bite out of Vincent's shoulder and then another from his neck!

Trevor jumps onto the man's back but the bloody bunny is rising to her feet. She makes a gurgling shriek as she hobbles toward him. Overcome with panic, Trevor lets go and races toward the steps, knocking another stranger over as he tries to grab Justin, who is still bashing in the head of the now deceases maimed man. Yu acts fast and takes aim with his revolver. Bang, bang, bang! He fires three rounds into the skull of the pale horse before a good shot drops him, but his body becomes limp right on top of Vincent.

Yu turns to the bloody bunny and fires. Bang! One shot is all it takes before she drops to the ground like a ton of bricks. He turns toward Vincent to see if he can help, but the poor young man stares at the sky with lifeless eyes, his jugular no longer spraying blood as it was only a moment earlier.

“Look out!" Macy shrieks.

“Huh?!" Yu whirls around.

“AAGGHH!!!" A zombie gurgles as it lunges!

Yu grabs the creature by the chin, holding the snout of the cat-like man before putting his gun against his temple and pulling the trigger. Bang! The man falls dead. Yu turns toward the corner of the house where he sees more than a dozen strangers of all types and both genders shambling toward them! Some have serious injuries and look quite ragged but otherwise normal, while some have no injuries whatsoever and instead have skin or fur that's tinged the sickly bluish-greenish color. He takes aim with both hands and slowly sidesteps toward the house, firing as he moves.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, click! Yu lifts his revolver. Empty! He's fired all nine rounds! He dashes up the steps and then pauses to reload whilst Trevor and Yi Li pull everyone back inside. Justin carries his hobbled father, who keeps an arm draped over his shoulders. Yu reloads with a speed loader and then stuffs the device into a pants pocket before taking aim and firing. He drops six more creatures just as they reach the steps, their bodies causing the others to trip and fall. He has a mind to race up and end them as well, but as he's about to reload for a second time, he feels a tug.

Hands grab his shoulders and biceps and pull him into the house; Justin and Ling each take an arm. As soon as they pull him inside, Yi Li slams the door and locks it.

“What the hell?! I could'a got 'em!" Yu growls, shaking them off.

“What's gotten into you?!" Ling asks.

“I was doing alright, and I have more than enough ammo!" He retorts, shaking them off.

“Dude, one almost got you!" Justin insists.

Suddenly, there's a thump against the front door. A zombie that Yu had missed was shambling along the front porch. Perhaps because of the gunfire, he couldn't hear it's shuffling feet? Yu reloads his revolver and then his speed loaders as he makes his way toward the bay window, overlooking the massacre. A few of the others walk ahead of him and Macy peeks outside first. She gasps, covers her mouth, and then turns away, thrusting herself into Yu's chest. He steadies himself and slips an arm around her waist, shushing her. Yi Li takes Macy's place and looks for herself.

“Oh my God..." She chokes out.

“What is it?" Trevor asks.

“Are there more of them?" Yu asks.

“Oh, shit." Ling murmurs, standing beside her big sister.

“What? What is it?!"

Joining them at the window, Trevor and Yu push the girls aside and peek outside only to see a most horrifying sight. After falling atop the other bodies, the zombies have discovered Vincent's fresh corpse. They pull his body from the pile and tear it apart with their bare hands, their teeth gnashing as they rip chunks of warm flesh from every part of him. Trevor nearly gags as he turns away, only to stop Justin who also wants to look.

“No! ... Don't."

“What's going on out there?" Justin asks.

“There's, uhm... More of them." Yu says, hoping to placate him.

Trevor lets go to steady himself only for Justin to bolt past him and look before Yu can stop him. He sees the zombies devouring his big brother, blinks and then reels, turning around and dry-heaving. Yi Li helps him into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Yu turns his attention to uncle Peter, who lay on the floor by the door while Stephanie wraps his leg with a towel. Trevor looks to Yu, then to uncle Peter, then back to Yu and finally at Yu's revolver. Yu immediately knows what he is thinking but doesn't dare say it.

Trevor opens his mouth to speak but before he can utter a word, the front door thumps. The zombies try to force their way inside! Racing back into the foyer, Yu grabs the coat rack and pushes it up against the door and across the window, holding it diagonally.

“Is this hardwood?!"

“Of course, it hardwood. How cheap do you think I am?" Uncle Peter quips through gritted teeth, sweat beading on his brow as he holds the towel over his wound.

“Do you have any nails?!"

“Yeah. There are tools in the garage." Justin answers, still getting his bearings.

“We're gonna need 'em!"

“Please, no tear up my house!" Uncle Peter pleads.

The ornate, frosted glass begins to crack as the zombies press their weight against it. Justin stumbles toward the back of the house and into the garage while Trevor stands idly by, as if he's unsure of what to do.

“Hold this!" Yu demands.

Trevor steps up and grabs the coat rack while Yu looks for more things to barricade the house. Justin soon returns with a hammer and boxes of brand-new nails.

“Me and Vincent were going to build some skate ramps over the winter, for next year..." He laments, passing Yu the supplies.

“This'll work."

“Stop! Don't make a mess! It make your mother angry!" Uncle Peter exclaims.

Taking the biggest nails he can find, Yu hastily nails the solid wood coat rack across the door, blocking the window which chips away. They can hear the screeching and gurgling of the zombies and an arm suddenly pokes through the opening! An infuriated Justin bashes it with the crowbar until it breaks, the window cutting the skin and muscle and severing more than half of the zombie's forearm. To buy them some time, Yu sticks the barrel of his revolver through the hole and aims for the zombie's face. Bang!

“OW!" Justin exclaims as he covers his ears, dropping his crowbar to the floor.

“Sorry." Yu winces, equally effected by the blast.

“Damn, dude! That thing is loud!"

“It's a gun..."

“Don't shoot that in the house!" Trevor growls.

The men continue their work, with Justin grimacing as he picks up the severed arm and pitches it through the hole in the window. Macy leans against the wall, her hands on her cheeks as she slumps down to the floor.

“My mom's out there with those monsters!" She cries out.

Yu finishes nailing the coat rack to the doorframe and then passes the supplies to Trevor before handing him some chair legs he'd broken off.

“Cover those top corners, then we'll have to block the windows by the porch."

“Okay." Trevor nods.

“Oh, God! Is my mom like them?!" Macy begins to panic.

Hearing the fear in her voice, Yu races over to her side and drops to his knees.

“Hey... Hey!" He grabs her chin and makes her look at him. “We're going to get through this."

“How can you say that?!" She gasps, tears staining her snow-white fur.

“Because we are. We are going to get through this! We're going to secure this place first, then get our bearings and come up with a real plan. We can get out of here, and we can even look for your mom. I promise."

He doesn't believe it when he says it, but the look in Macy's eyes when she hears his feigned confidence gives him the strength to carry on. Maybe they really will try to escape, once they know what they're dealing with? Macy leans in and hugs Yu, giving him the tightest and most comforting squeeze. Before they pull apart, she even nuzzles his face with her snout. She flashes a shy smile upon seeing the redness of his cheeks. After clearing his throat and regaining his composure, Yu jumps to his feet to help Trevor and Justin board up the house.

Using a screwdriver and Justin's crowbar, they pull a few hardwood doors from their hinges and dismantle the kitchen table. Using the hammer and a meat tenderizer found in a kitchen drawer, they board up the windows and doors with easy access from the front and back porch.

“Man!" Yu wipes the sweat from his brow as they finally begin to relax. “It's a good thing this house is so high up. Most of these windows are too high for those things to reach."

“Do you think that wood is going to hold?" Justin asks, helping his dad onto a couch.

“It better. I not let you tear apart my house just so we all die." Uncle Peter remarks.

“How bad is that leg?" Trevor asks, eying him with suspicion.

“The bleeding's stopped." Stephanie sniffles, applying fresh bandages.

“Are you going to be okay?" Trevor asks again.

“... I be fine..." Uncle Peter glares at him.

“Are you sure? We gotta deal with that leg..." He insists.

“I deal with it, Trevor! I just deal with it! Don't you worry about it!" Uncle Peter barks.

The pair stare at each other for a moment, and Stephanie seems to grasp what Trevor is afraid of.

“My dad's fine!" She insists.

“I'm just sayin', we saw a lot of bites on those things outside."

“And what about the ones we didn't?" Ling asks.

“Maybe it was the fog?" Macy suggests.

“Yeah... That fog!" Yi Li perks up. “This all started right after that!"

“How could a fog turn people into monsters?!" Trevor snickers.

“There was that big chemical plant we saw on the way here." Yu remarks.

“Clarke Chemicals..." Justin sighs and hangs his head.

“You think there was a spill or something?" Yi Li asks.

“Whatever the cause of this is, we know one thing: he's been bit, and bites are a problem. We should keep an eye on him, just to be safe." Trevor suggests.

“I'll watch him." Stephanie insists.

After a tense moment, the group abruptly disbands. Justin and Stephanie take their father upstairs to tend to him, Macy returns to her room to get dressed, Trevor and Yi Li disappear into the kitchen and Yu and Ling find themselves alone in the hall. Ling looks toward the barricaded front door, a mutilated face peering at her as it silently beckons, hungry for her flesh.

“Are we really getting out of this?" She suddenly asks in a soft and anxious voice.

“Of course! Why wouldn't we?" He turns to her.

“Because... ... Never mind... Should I get the, uhm... You know." She whispers.

“No. Not yet, anyway..." Yu replies, glancing toward the kitchen. “We might want to save it for later."

The pair share a stare. At first, Ling appears confused only for the proverbial lightbulb to glow above her head.

“Oh... Okay." She whispers and nods.

“And don't mention it to anyone." He adds.

“I won't."

“I'm serious..."

“I said I won't! Geez... No faith in me or something?" She furls her brow in anger.

“I'm sorry, it's just... A very trying time." He says, giving her a hug.

“Tell me about it."

Yu keeps a vigil in the parlor while the others come and go at varying times. The only time Yu becomes distracted in the many hours of keeping watch is when he overhears the faint voices of Trevor and Macy. It shouldn't bother him as much as it does, but he simply can't help himself. He knows that it's odd, but he cannot help but be attracted to her. Given that they aren't blood related and that she's a Voeldahn, not a human like the rest of the family, it makes it easier to think of her like that. Trevor, however, has only ever been trouble for him.

He tries to eavesdrop, but as soon as they hear his footsteps on the hardwood floor, they stop talking. When Yi Li returns from the bathroom, Trevor abandons Macy, who stands in the hallway, anxiously nibbling on her claws. She looks to Yu, who peeks in on her from the parlor, only to look him up and down before walking away from him. After a short pause, Yu returns to his watch. Ling eventually brings him a simple meal of crackers, cheese cubes, peanut butter and Coca Cola. She sets the food on the coffee table before making her way to the bay window.

“Mm-mm!" Yu sips the ice-cold soft drink. “I'm just thankful the power hasn't gone out yet. They must get it from a nearby town or something."

Ling pulls herself up and into the bay window and sits on her legs, looking toward the front door. The zombies crowd around the door and nearby windows, feebly attempting to claw their way inside. A few seem to notice her in the window and turn to her, shambling toward the railing before bumping into each other and tumbling over the edge like The Three Stooges.

“There's more of them." She murmurs.

“They've been showing up gradually, from those woods over there... And a few came up the driveway, too." He remarks, pointing to the respective locations whilst nibbling on cheese cubes.

“Why are they coming here? They don't live in this house. Are they just wandering aimlessly and clumping together or do you think they know we're in here?" She asks, crossing her arms as if chilled by a breeze.

“I don't know. Maybe the gunshots?" He shrugs his shoulders.

“You think they have memories?" She turns to him.

“I don't know..." He sighs, pulling himself into the bay window to sit beside her. “It's probably best not to think about that." He adds, draping an arm over her.

“Yeah... Are you sure we stand a chance?" She looks up at him as she leans against his side.

“The cavalry will be here any minute!" Trevor boasts, stepping into the parlor and interrupting the siblings. “If we could barricade ourselves in here and hold out this long, then there's no way that police and military couldn't handle it. I mean, all we have is the freak and his little twenty-two!"

Trevor snickers as he scoops up a handful of crackers and cheese cubes, devouring them like a starved dog. After eating more than half of Yu's food, he turns and walks out, stopping only when he nearly runs into Yi Li. She crosses her arms and leans past him.

“What's up, babe!" Trevor chirps. “Looking for something?"

“Just checking..." Yi Li grumbles.

“Checking for what?"

“..."

She doesn't reply and she doesn't need to. If Yu noticed it than certainly, she did as well, how close Trevor is attempting to get to Macy. As if to ease her mind, Trevor promises to “take care of her" upstairs. The couple swiftly disappears. Ling looks back at the growing horde outside and sighs.

“How long do you want to wait before we leave?" She abruptly asks.

“I don't know... Uncle Pete gave Vincent the keys to his car and Gloria took her keys with her when she left. The only cars we've got left are the two in the garage and the Marauder won't hold all of us."

“Do you think we-? ..." Ling suddenly pauses as she looks back at him.

“... We what?"

“... You know... Should we 'deal with it?'"

“Don't even think about that. That's the kind of thing Trevor would do." He remarks.

“You think he would? I mean, really? ... He did help a lot before."

“Yeah..." Yu grumbles. “Look, let's just forget about that, for now, at least. Maybe if we're quiet and we stay away from the windows, they'll eventually leave and then we won't have to consider that."

“Okay..." Ling murmurs.

Yu moves throughout the house, warning everyone to close the blinds, draw the curtains, and remain as quiet as possible; when night falls, they shouldn't even turn on the lights. They are eager to try anything and no one argues. For the next twenty or so hours, they sit and wait but the creatures outside never leave. After the first night they stop clawing at the door only to then stand around and wait, baking in the sun. It's almost as if they were wind-up toys waiting to be wound by the sights and sounds of fresh meat.

It's a crushing blow to the group, but they press on with Yu's plan because there's little else they can do. The waiting wouldn't be so bad except for the cabin fever that slowly takes hold of them. Macy begins to pace in the hallway and repeatedly climbs the stairs; up and down, back and forth, she moves with such fluid motions, like a ghost haunting the halls. It only serves to annoy uncle Peter, whose leg becomes severely infected. Nothing that Justin or Stephanie do seems to be helping.

Meanwhile, Trevor occupies his time by entertaining Yi Li, who muffles her carnal cries with a pillow, before they raid the fridge and pantry like an even more petty Bonnie and Clyde. He acts like they don't need to ration, ignoring Yu and Ling who both try to convince him that they are truly on their own, but Trevor won't hear it; Yi Li does whatever her boyfriend says.

“Any minute now we're gonna see some big, beautiful SWAT trucks barreling over here, and we'll find out that we're the last on the list to be rescued by the National Guard, who clearly have their hands full!" He explains before stealing more fruit and soft drinks from the fridge.

In fact, the only thing that brings Trevor back to reality is hearing the moans and groans of uncle Peter as he writhes in agony in his bedroom.

“I keep telling you, man... We have to take care of him."

“We are." Ling replies.

“Not like that... We have to take care of him... For our sakes." Trevor clarifies.

“No." Yu says very sternly. “We don't really know what'll happen because of a bite. We may not even have to do that."

“All those zombies out there, and how many of them have bite wounds?"

“..."

“Yeah... That's what I thought. You're gonna need to man up about that, and soon." Trevor glares at Yu before storming off.

The Voeldahn wastes no time, catching Macy as he heads back upstairs where he's sent Yi Li to wait for him. Without uttering a word, he grabs her by the tricep and pulls her down the hall where she'd been pacing and takes her into her bedroom. Yu watches from the bottom of the stairs, his eyes narrowed and a muscle in his jaw twitching.

“What the hell are you doing?!" She growls, pulling her arm away as Trevor closes her bedroom door.

“Listen, Macy... I know you trust him but Yu is going to get us killed." He begins, turning to her and resting his hands on her shoulders.

“What?! No he isn't! He's kept us alive!" She growls, pushing his hands off of her. “We should've been listening to him sooner!"

“If he's so smart, why aren't you with him right now?"

“Because..." She bows her head as if ashamed. “I feel bad... I pushed him away and now I think he's mad at me." She whimpers.

“Aww, that's very touching..." Trevor speaks in a mocking tone. “When we're all dead, your zombies can snuggle."

“You asshole!" She grumbles.

“Shh! Can you hear that? That's Peter withering, dying... Do you know what'll happen then? He'll turn into one of those things standing like statues outside the doors. Is that what you want?"

“Well, no, but-." She murmurs.

“Neither do I." He interrupts her. “It's not safe to keep him here, and it's not humane to let him linger like that."

Macy turns her head as uncle Peter lets out a pained groan, summoning his daughter to his aid.

“Coming, daddy!" She exclaims, her footfalls moving across the floor above them.

“You hear that? That's the voice of someone who'll die if we don't do something." Trevor continues.

“... We?"

“Yeah. You and me. We can save everyone, before it's too late."

“How?"

“Get close to him. Get his gun off."

“What?! How am I supposed to do that?!" She gasps.

“I don't know how and I don't care. Think of something. Just get him to leave it on a chair or table or something. I'll sneak in, take it and do the merciful thing, the smart thing. Then we'll be safe!" He insists.

“Well..." Macy pauses, nervously nibbling on a claw.

“Are you really comfortable with that ticking zombie time bomb lying upstairs?!" He pressures her.

“No."

“See? You know I'm right. Help me, and we can do what needs to be done, for all of us."

“Well... Okay..." She sheepishly agrees.

“Great. When can you make your move?"

“I don't know... Tonight, I guess." She shrugs.

“How are you-? ... Never mind. Just make it happen."

Opening her door, Trevor pokes his head outside to see if the coast is clear. With no one the wiser, he returns to the bedroom he now shares with Yi Li, the room that once belonged to Vincent. Justin and Stephanie were less than happy when he claimed it, but given the circumstances bit their tongues. Macy paces for some time, nervously nibbling on her claws as she contemplates a course of action. She only stops when her stomach growls, sending her downstairs to raid the kitchen. She stops at the base of the stairs, staring at the boarded-up front door, seeing the shapes through the cracked window glass which is now mostly covered in a hasty barricade, listening to the sounds of the creatures outside. A hand suddenly rests upon her shoulder.

“Eee!" She jumps.

“Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." Yu says with a warm smile. “I thought you heard me."

“All I hear is them." She murmurs.

“What are you doing down here, anyway? You've been staying close to your room these past two days."

Before she can answer, Macy's stomach does that for her. Yu chuckles and leads her into the kitchen. He sits her down at a smaller table at the far end of the kitchen and makes her something to eat, serving her before claiming the seat beside her. As she nibbles on her food and awkwardly begins a conversation, she quickly rediscovers how gentle and thoughtful Yu is. He's warm and sweet, and though she struggles with what to say, made worse by her growing anxiety over their situation, as much as from Trevor's plan, she feels herself at ease. If anything, Yu's silly jokes and kind words brings her true levity.

She remains with him long past her meal, until the sky turns that familiar orangish-pinkish color, when the sun begins to set. Just like when they went out for breakfast at Beekman's diner and to explore the town, the pair are lost in each other. Their only reminders of the world around them are when the others periodically interrupt in their own quest for food. Justin and Stephanie prepare a light meal for uncle Peter, even though their father has stopped eating. Ling is also quick to leave, only giving a side-glance to her brother as he sits beside Macy and comforts her.

Yi Li and Trevor inevitably appear, wearing only their underwear. Yu averts his eyes as his sister bends over, browsing the dwindling contents of the fridge while using a finger to pull on her panties, removing a wedgie. Her hair is disheveled, as though she's just awoken from a long sleep, and she walks with a little hobble. Trevor makes a few choice remarks about how they spend their time together, and how hungry and thirsty they become afterward, to Yi Li's amusement. Before leaving, however, he gives Macy a look.

Yu cannot help but notice, but Macy doesn't appear to pay Trevor any attention. After another moment alone, she leans against him and yawns.

“You should probably get some sleep." Yu speaks softly, brushing her long, ruby hair away from her face.

“I'm comfy, though." She coos, turning her head and nuzzling him.

“I can see that!" He chuckles.

“I like being with you. I feel safe."

“Wow." Yu chokes out.

She tilts her head back and turns her eyes to look up at him. Yu peers down, into her reddish-brown orbs and quickly loses himself in the gravity of her stare. She's so beautiful, so vibrant, and they have so much in common. Despite the horrors of everything going on around him, this is a moment he doesn't want to end. Suddenly, their lips press together! They open their eyes and freeze, as if unsure of what to do next, only for Yu to slowly pull away and Macy to lift her head off his shoulder. Who made the first move? Was it her or him?

She gulps, feeling the butterflies in her stomach as she takes a moment to savor their first kiss. Her tongue gently caresses her bottom lip. Yu's cheeks turn cherry red and he gulps. He tries to speak and Macy cocks her head, her eyes scanning him as he nervously flips his dyed bangs from his eyes and then rubs the back of his neck. He looks so cute when he's nervous!

“I-I, uh! ... Yeah, so... That just happened, huh?" He chuckles, shyly looking at her.

Macy flushes beneath her fur and bows her head, her eyes focusing on her paw-like feet. The tension mounts, building to uncontrollable levels. Her mind races from one thought to the next, all of them entwined in the same awful truth. She can't stand it, and without saying a word she jumps up from her chair and takes off. Yu doesn't even have time to react, her long, bushy, cat-like tail disappearing around the corner before he even has a chance to call out to her. The soft thumping of her feet can be heard going up the stairs and back to her bedroom.

“Damn..." He mutters.

Making his way into the hall, he hears Macy's bedroom door shut as Ling makes her way back down the stairs. She looks over her shoulder and toward Macy's bedroom, only to turn to him with a concerned look.

“Is she alright?"

“I don't know." Yu sighs.

“What happened?"

“We were hanging out and talking and stuff, then... We kissed."

“... What?" Ling asks with a startled chuckle.

“I honestly don't know which one of us did it. Maybe both, but then she just took off."

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but are you just gonna let her get away?!"

“What do you mean?" Yu asks, flipping his bangs away from his eyes.

“After something as serious as that, she either wants you to chase her or she wants to be left alone to think it over. Either way, she'll appreciate you checking on her because then she'll know you're available to her." Ling explains.

“You think so?!"

“... I think I know a thing or two about women." Ling dryly replies.

“Alright... Yeah. Yeah! I'll go check on her!" He chirps, working himself up to the task.

He dashes up the stairs to the bemusement of his little sister, who shakes her head.

“Men..." She sighs, heading into the kitchen.

Knock, knock, knock. Yu softly raps his knuckles against Macy's bedroom door.

“Yeah?" Her muffled voice calls out.

“It's me." Yu calls out to her.

“Just a minute!"

He waits in the hallway for a moment, slipping his hands into his pants pockets and swaying back and forth atop his feet. After a heavy sigh, he grows impatient and knocks again.

“Are you okay? Can we talk?"

“Yeah! Come in!" She calls back in a strange tone.

He opens her door and steps inside.

“Close the door." She instructs, her voice still muffled.

“Macy? Are you okay?" He asks, closing her door and looking around the room for her.

“I'm fine. I was just thinking..." She begins, her closet door swinging open.

“About earlier, I ju-..."

Yu stops dead in his tracks when his eyes land on Macy. The snow-white feline Voeldahn with long, ruby hair and reddish-brown eyes has changed out of her clothes and into the same sexy black nighty with red trim that he had seen in her closet. It clings to her voluptuous form, hugging her slender waist and broad hips as well as accentuating her rather impressive bust. Her 34 E-cup breasts jiggle with each graceful step as she slowly approaches her bed, only to crawl onto it in a most alluring manner. She rolls onto her side and then her back, lifts and leg and bends her knee, her clawed hands caressing her form so slowly and sensually.

“Uh... Macy?"

“I was thinking about that kiss... About how right it felt..." She begins, bouncing a paw-like foot as she rests her hands on her thighs. “We liked each other from the moment we saw each other, and then I remembered the last time I met you. Do you remember, so many years ago? I liked you then. Remember, how I kept trying to play with you?"

“Yeah, a little." Yu flashes a nervous grin. “You wanted to play house with me. You had this doll and you said it was our kid or something."

“Mhm..." She nods, her hands slowly rubbing her bare, furry legs. “I'd almost forgotten that, until recently. I know how weird it is, my mom's step-sister marrying your uncle, but there's nothing but paper between us, and being with you feels so right, especially now... Yu?"

“Yeah?"

“We might be dead tomorrow... I don't wanna live the rest of my life, however long or short, with regrets." Macy's tone takes a gloomy tone. “Please..."

“Oh... ... Does that mean?" He nervously scratches the back of his neck.

Macy doesn't speak a word, merely straightening her legs and lifting both feet into the air while curling her tail in a provocative display as she reaches for him with one hand. Her index finger coils, and like a ship caught in a strong current, he's pulled along in spite of his better judgement. As soon as he makes it to the side of her bed, she grabs him by the belt and pulls him in. He leans over, plants a palm beside her head, brings his face close to hers and gives the cat girl a long and passionate kiss. It doesn't take long before Macy's tongue eagerly explores his mouth, but in the fight for dominance, she loses.

“I'm glad you came up. Hhff. I wanted you to." She swoons as soon as their lips part, already panting from the passion.

“You did?!"

“Yeah. If you hadn't, I was gonna go down there and get you." She admits.

She leans in and claims another kiss, her hands grabbing onto him and guiding him up and onto her bed. Her claws scratch his clothes as she pulls at them, and Yu quickly finds himself disrobing. He is caught in the web of passion and carnal desire, already feeling the swelling between his legs. However, so is Macy; she has long since forgotten about Trevor and his plan, ever since their first kiss in the kitchen. Trevor? Trevor who! All she wants is Yu. He takes off his belt of gear and sets it on a chair in the corner of her room, noting the old doll sitting in it.

As he kicks off his shoes, he realizes that it's the very same doll from their childhood games. By the time he turns back, Macy is already sitting up and pulling off her own nighty, revealing a young woman who is a solid ten out of ten, on a bad day. His eyes widen at the mere sight of her and he cannot help but wonder if he's dreaming this entire event. Climbing up and onto her bed, Macy helps him remove his pants and underwear, the last of his clothing. As soon as she does, she gets a good look at what he has to offer and pauses.

“Oh... Wow..." She coos, her eyes growing wide at the sight of his manhood.

Yu kneels atop the bed and furls his brow. He looks down at himself and takes hold of his masculine organ, lifting it up as if to display it. As he lifts his head, he flips his crimson bangs away from his eye. Macy all but melts at the innocent little smile on his face.

“You like it?" He shyly asks.

“Ooh, yeah." She grins from cheek-to-cheek. “Come here, you stud."

He crawls a little closer and is quickly besieged by the feline Voeldahn. Her clawed hands grab his shoulders and pull at him while her lips bombard his with kiss after passionate kiss. She's like an animal, desperate for a male's attention. She lay back down, pulling him with her as she stretches out atop her bed. Her arms cling to his body while her legs wrap around his thighs. He feels the heat from her nether lips as they press against the underside of his phallus. She wriggles beneath him as she coos, already overwhelmed by the sensation.

He lifts himself up and pauses for a moment, gazing upon the splendor of her womanhood, in awe at the sight of the taut little hot pink vagina that peeks up at him from the fluffy coat of snow-white fur that covers her entire body. The fur of her pubic region is even thicker and fluffier. Before he can fully process the situation, Macy grabs onto him and yanks him back down, keeping him on top of her. She coos and moans into their tongue-filled kisses as she feels the sensation of her soft fur against his hairless chest.

She reaches down, between their bodies, and grabs the shaft of his swollen manhood. His length and girth require him to wear Magnum sized condoms, and he is now fully erect. She pushes it down to reach her opening, which drips with anticipation, only to brush the tip against her hungry nether lips. Suddenly, her eyes open as she has a realization.

“Wait." She abruptly breaks their kiss. “Do you have protection?"

“Yeah, my gun is right over there." He replies, looking back at the chair.

“No..." She sighs and closes her eyes. “I mean, do you have any condoms?"

“Uhh... No." Yu's cheeks flush at the horrifying question.

“Oh..." She stares blankly.

“..." He stares back.

“..." Her eyes glance down to his impressive erection.

“... ..." He nervously bites his lip, his eyes softening.

“... ... ... Fuck it."

Macy promptly plants another kiss on her lover's lips. She moves without any hesitation and within seconds, she's guided his manhood and placed him before her, even rubbing the bulbous tip against her nether lips. Up and down, she teases herself with his organ, a slick lip-smacking sound coming from her loins. Yu has always been rather shy, but a shy male is still a male; he feels her warmth and the wetness of her womanhood and claims her in a heartbeat, ramming nearly half of his length into her in less than a second.

“HHH! ..." She gasps.

Her eyes grow wide, all but popping out of her skull. Her lips peel back to reveal clenched teeth. Her back slowly arches and her clawed hands grip tightly to Yu's forearms as her whole body begins to subtly tremble, her large breasts jiggling so beautifully. She turns her head down to look, shock on her face. Yu does the same. His considerable endowment sits proudly embedded in her loins. With a little push, the sloshing of her feminine juices can be heard. He pulls back and her eyes grow even wider, as if in awe of what she is able to handle. With another push, he shoves the whole of his manhood inside of her, his balls plopping against her perky little buttocks.

“NnnnnAAHHH-FUCK!" She finally cries out, throwing her head back and into the pillow.

“Ah-are you okay?" A trembling Yu asks.

“Ooh, yeah! Hhff-hhff! D-don't stop!" She coos, pulling him even closer.

Meanwhile, Trevor lies in bed beside a sleeping Yi Li. His girlfriend is draped over him, snoring in her typically annoying manner. Once she rolls over, placing her back to him, he slithers out of bed, finds his underwear, and pulls it on. He walks softly on the footpads of his paw-like feet, creeping quietly toward the door. It creaks as he pulls it open, but Yi Li is sound asleep. She's usually quite tired after he's done with her, and so is he, but this is a very important moment; he can't miss this opportunity.

He walks quietly down the hall, turns the corner and creeps down the stairs from the third floor, where uncle Peter's family's rooms are located. Reaching the second floor, he moves past Gloria's old bedroom and toward Macy's, which is right next door; the guest bedroom where Yu and Ling were sleeping is even further down the hall. He reaches Macy's bedroom door and stops. His rounded ears twitch as he turns his head, pressing one against the door. He pulls his head back, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

The Voeldahn's senses are no better than a human, but he doesn't need enhanced senses to know what's going on inside of the girl's bedroom. He presses his ear against the door one more time, listening to the squeaking of a mattress and box spring, and the grunting, groaning, and panting of carnal passion.

“Ahh-yeah! Hhff-hhff! R-right there! Yeah! Don't stop! Th-that's my spot! Fuck me, baby! Harder! AAHHH!!!" Macy cries out to her lover.

“Rrrr-rrrr-nngh! I'm! Oh, fuck!" Yu grunts and growls.

“Ahgahd! Yeah! Y-you're so big, baby! You're g-gonna, hhff, make me, nngh, EEE!!!"

Overcome by curiosity, a shocked Trevor quietly turns the doorknob and pushes the door open. The hinges are silent, though the lovers probably couldn't hear it anyway; their voices become three times louder once he pushes open the vintage hardwood door. Peeking inside, Trevor looks around the room and sees Macy's bed. She had positioned it in a corner and on a slight angle, so that her footboard is almost directly facing the crack in the door. His eyes grow wide, nearly popping out of his head as he sees the pair.

Macy lay on her back, legs wrapped around the human's hips. Her paw-like feet are swaying just behind and beneath his buttocks as he thrusts away, looming over her on his forearms and knees. Trevor cannot help but stare. Macy was not lying. Yu is hung like a porn star! It shocks and embarrasses him as he realizes that Yu is larger than he is, albeit briefly. Shaking it off, his eyes scan the room. He sees a chair very close to the door. There it is! Yu's revolver! The rest of his gear is strewn about, but all he needs is the gun.

Trevor pushes the door open a little more and waits. Macy's eyes are closed but her chin is atop Yu's right shoulder; if she opened them, she could easily see Trevor. That doesn't worry him so much as how her reaction might alert Yu, who, despite being thoroughly preoccupied, might stop what he's doing to confront Trevor. Macy's eyes open and Trevor steps back, only to quietly chuckle when he sees the look on her face. Her eyes roll back in her head, her eyelids fluttering as her mouth hangs open. It's that goofy look of womanly pleasure, of sexual ecstasy. She's really enjoying herself!

He takes a step into the room, and looks toward the holstered weapon, imagining how he will steal it in one fluid motion. Just as he is about to take another step, however, he hears a noise that makes his heart drop. The doorknob to the guest bedroom turns! He hastily steps out of Macy's room and pulls the door but doesn't shut it, lest the clicking of the latch alert the lovers. He turns and tiptoes as fast as he can toward Gloria's bedroom, ducking inside just as Ling enters the hallway.

He quietly closes Gloria's bedroom door and sits with his back and an ear against it. Ling's footsteps reach Macy's bedroom only to stop. The lover's can be heard clear as day, the sounds of their passion booming through the crack in the door. After a pause, Ling continues and walks past Gloria's bedroom on her way downstairs.

“Way to go, Yu." She remarks to herself, then sighs. “God, the things I'm gonna do with my boyfriend when I get out of this mess..."

“I didn't even know she had a boyfriend." Trevor thinks quietly aloud.

Unsure of when Ling will return, Trevor walks toward the wall separating Gloria's bedroom from Macy's and sits with his back to it. Perhaps it would be better to wait and catch them when they're sleeping? To Trevor's shock and Macy's pleasant surprise, Yu is not only well-endowed but gifted with remarkable stamina; the couple make-love for more than an hour, to the frustration of Trevor. Just as he's about to fall asleep on the floor, his arms holding one of Gloria's pillows over his head, he hears a very familiar sound.

“Nngh! I'm gonna! Nngh-nngh-HHHNNNnnnnNNNGGGAAAHHH!!!" Yu roars.

“AAAHHHH!!!!!" Macy squeals.

“Finally." Trevor growls as he slowly sits up.

He takes his time to stretch and return Gloria's pillows to her bed before he creeps into the hallway. There, he waits a few more minutes before gently pushing open Macy's bedroom door. He finds the couple asleep in bed, snuggling atop the covers. His cheeks flush beneath his fur as he tries not to look at either Yu's flaccid manhood or Macy's puffy womanhood, which oozes a very familiar, gooey, white substance. The whole room reeks of the scent of sweat and musk.

“Damn, dude... You'd think his dad was a horse." He whispers to himself, glancing at Yu.

Moving quickly but quietly, Trevor grabs the rubber handle of Yu's revolver. His thumb pushes the snap-button open and he draws the weapon. For a split second, he looks toward the sleeping couple and admires Macy's elegant and voluptuous form. She's so beautiful, so perfect. She should really be with him! Trevor contemplates shooting Yu out of pure jealousy. He stops, however, when he remembers the ammunition. He looks for the pouches that contain the spare cartridges, only to hear a familiar and frustrating noise. Ling opens the door to the guest bedroom yet again!

Moving fast, Trevor bolts from Macy's bedroom with the pistol in-hand and makes it into the hall with his back to Ling.

“Trevor?!" She calls out.

He doesn't answer her, his heart racing. She cannot see what he's carrying but now she knows he's been there. He must move fast. It isn't until Trevor makes it up the stairs to the third floor that he realizes he could've just quietly pushed Macy's door until it was almost closed, then hid inside until Ling passed. No matter. He has the gun, now it's time to use it. Barging into Vincent's bedroom, he shakes Yi Li awake.

“Babe. Come on, babe. Get up."

“Huh? W-wha-?!" She rubs her tired eyes. “Is it morning already?"

“No, but I need you to get dressed." He says as he pulls on his pants.

“Why?" She asks, slowly pushing herself up.

“I have to do something, and you need to be ready." He continues, pulling on a t-shirt.

“Do what? ... Is that Yu's gun?!" She gasps.

“Babe! Get dressed!" He growls at her.

“Okay, okay!"

Yi Li hastily looks for her panties and bra. By the time she pulls them on, Trevor yanks open the door and steps into the hallway.

“Hey, Trev! Wait for me!" She calls out, tucking the wire of her bra beneath her breasts.

He turns the knob and barges into uncle Peter's bedroom. Flicking on the lights, he startles Stephanie, who was asleep sitting in a chair and leaning forward over her father's bed, resting her head on her arms. Uncle Peter can barely open his eyes, his skin now a sickly looking greenish-blue color. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out.

“What the hell, Trevor! Get out!" Stephanie yells.

“Leave."

“What?!"

“I'm putting him down before he gets up and kills us!" Trevor growls, pointing the revolver at her and cocking the hammer. “Now, get out!"

“JUSTIN!!!" She screams, jumping up from the chair and knocking it over.

Trevor doesn't wait for her to leave, instead turning the gun toward uncle Peter. He takes only a moment to work up the nerve and pulls the trigger. Bang! A round flies from the barrel and pierces the infected man's throat. Trevor missed! He was aiming for his head but a hand grabbed his wrist just as he pulled the trigger!

“What the fuck?!" Justin roars in anger.

“Let go, damn it!" Trevor tries to pull his arm away from the teenager.

“Trevor, you asshole! What are you doing?!"

“What should've been done two days ago!"

The two men wrestle for control of the revolver, alerting the rest of the house. Stephanie joins in, tackling Trevor and pushing him against the dresser. The mirror sways, bumps against the wall and then falls forward. It slams down hard on both Justin and Trevor, peppering them with glass and causing the group to scatter. Yu hears the noise and bolts up in bed. Just as he shakes the sleep from his head, Ling barges in.

“Yu, it's-! ... Wow... Uh..." Ling briefly glances at the nude couple, then turns away, her cheeks flushing. “Guys, get up, quick."

“What's going on?!" Yu scrambles out of bed.

“Trevor and Justin are fighting, and I think Trevor stole your gun."

“WHAT?!?!"

“He was just down here a minute ago. I didn't see him holding anything but that sounded like a gunshot, upstairs." Ling explains.

“Huh? Mmm-what's wrong, baby?" Macy clumsily reaches out for Yu.

“Something bad is happening..."

The tone of his voice and the way he pulls away startles her. Macy sits up and looks toward the opened door and then to the chair, only to see Yu's revolver is missing. Pulling on his shirt, Yu pauses when he sees the look on her face. She turns to him with shock and fear in her eyes. A sinking feeling in his chest panics Yu, but there is no time to waste. A second gunshot draws their attention. Macy rolls out of bed only to land on her footpads, stumble and wince, a hand quickly racing down to rub her sore womanhood. Yu turns to Ling but she's one step ahead of him.

“Go help Justin! I'll get it!" Ling darts off.

“Get what?" Macy peers over her shoulder.

“You'd better get dressed." He says as he races out of her room.

Dashing up the stairs, Yu nearly trips on his untied laces and finds himself crawling up the final few steps. He takes comically wide steps so as not to trip himself, only for Justin to come tumbling out of uncle Peter's bedroom with Stephanie running right behind him. Justin scrambles away as Trevor takes two more shots at him, missing with both.

“I told you I was serious! I'm doing this for us!" He roars, cocking the hammer and keeping an eye on the door.

Yu sits with his back against the wall and hastily ties his shoes as he looks to Justin and Stephanie.

“What happened?!"

“He shot our dad!" Justin growls.

“How did he get your gun?!" A crying Stephanie asks.

“As if we couldn't hear him and Macy making the beast with two backs..." Justin grumbles and rolls his eyes.

“I'm sorry." Yu hangs his head in shame.

As the manor becomes quiet, the only sound they hear is of uncle Peter gurgling, choking on his own blood. Stephanie covers her ears and tries to hold back her tears, resting her head against her knees as if she was telling herself that this was all a bad dream. Justin grabs his knees and snarls, clearly contemplating rushing into the room despite the danger. He looks to Yu, but he shakes his head at the teen. Yi Li runs down the hall but Justin lunges and grabs her leg.

“What the hell is going on?!"

“Trevor's gone nuts! He just shot our dad!"

“What?!" She gasps.

“Get in here, baby!" Trevor calls out to Yi Li.

“No! He might shoot you, too!" Justin pleads with her.

“Get off!" Yi Li shakes her leg as she tries to pull away.

“Let her go, man! I'll come out blastin'!" Trevor growls.

Justin lets go and Yi Li races inside, stopping at the sight of uncle Peter feebly gripping the bedsheets as blood pools around him, gushing from a small wound on his neck.

“Babe, find the key."

“What keys?" She turns to him.

“The key to his 'Vette. There's gotta be a key fob in here. There's no going back now. We gotta leave."

“O-okay." She stammers.

Yi Li sheepishly obeys, to Yu's amazement. She's always been a strong and downright demanding woman, but now she submits to Trevor as if she were his slave. They listen to her rummaging through drawers and Yu endures the enraged glares of both Justin and Stephanie. Suddenly, the gurgling stops. Trevor looks back at uncle Peter while Yi Li feels for a pulse. She looks to her boyfriend and shakes her head.

“He's gone!" Trevor calls out, breaking the silence.

“No!" Justin roars.

“Daddy!" Stephanie cries.

“You bastard! I'll get you for this!" Justin proclaims.

“The hell you will! Me and my girl are getting out of this nightmare, and if anyone is in that hallway when I come out, I'll shoot you! Don't think I won't..."

Yu looks down the hall for Ling but does not see her anywhere. Where did she go? Did she misplace his nine-millimeter?! Realizing that there is nothing they can do, he motions with a hand, urging Justin and Stephanie to retreat. The siblings are horrified at the thought, but Trevor has the gun.

“Alright! We're moving away from the door!" Yu exclaims.

“You'd better be! And leave a clear path to the garage! I'm not playin' games!" Trevor replies.

Yu stands to his feet and walks backwards, toward the steps. Justin pulls Stephanie to her feet, but she appears to have toughened up a bit in the past few days and shakes him off. She wipes the tears from her own eyes and pushes past him, ducking into Justin's bedroom. Justin quickly follows her and closes the door. Trevor and Yi Li can hear Yu walking down the stairs and finally emerge from uncle Peter's bedroom.

“Look!" Yi Li gasps.

Trevor turns back, horrified to see uncle Peter's discolored corpse twitching. A hand opens and begins to rise.

“Fuck this." He mutters, dashing out of the room.

Yi Li chases after her boyfriend and the pair make their way to the second floor. As they turn toward the steps leading down to the first floor, Trevor spots Yu. He stops, his fingers flexing over the handle of the revolver as the two men stare at each other.

“This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn't shot that zombie downstairs, we might've only had that first one to deal with..." Trevor growls.

“You don't know that."

“The hell I don't!" Trevor turns and points a finger in Yu's face. “If you-!"

BANG!

A much louder gunshot startles everyone, a bullet ripping clean through Trevor's supporting arm. He recoils in pain, turns to see Ling holding another gun and fires one round at her as he stumbles backward. Ling drops to the ground, already shaking from her first attempt to kill him. Yu races to help his sister as Macy steps out of her bedroom, now fully dressed. Before either of them can reach her, Ling pushes herself up and sprints past Yu! She leans over the railing, aims with one hand and fires a few more rounds at the fleeing Trevor. Bang, bang, bang!

Two strike the wall but a third clips one of his legs. The gunfire awakens the zombies outside, who press against the barricades and cause the wood to crackle, a nail squeaking as it is forced away from its hole.

“Come back here, you piece of shit!" Ling shouts, chasing after Trevor.

“Ling! Stop!" Yu shouts.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Two different guns fire at each other and Yu's heart drops into the pit of his stomach.

“LING!"

Jumping over the railing near the last few steps, Yu races toward the garage only to find a trembling Ling sitting with her back against the wall, the pistol held tightly in her hands. She holds it close to her face. Macy follows a few steps behind, a little hobble in her step. She's carrying Yu's belt and pouches in her hands. They can hear Justin and Stephanie racing into action. Yu checks his sister for wounds. She stares straight ahead, her eyes wild and chest heaving like she had just taken a handful of stimulants.

“Are you okay?!"

“Yeah, yeah. I think I got him."

Yu rests his hand on the top of the gun and gently pries it from Ling's fingers, which finally gets her attention. He leans past her and peeks around a corner only to find his revolver lying on the ground next to a few spots of blood. He crawls toward it, keeping his semi-auto ready for anything. After scooping up his revolver, he scrambles back to Ling and Macy, who sit on the floor, waiting for him. Resting his pistol in his lap, he opens his revolver to discover that Trevor had fired all nine rounds, and was likely the reason he discarded it.

“Baby?!" Macy whispers loudly.

“Stay down, Kitten." He instructs.

“Kitten?! Aww, that's so cute! ... Oh, yeah! Uhm, I got your stuff." She briefly gushes and then presents his gear.

Yu pauses for a moment as he looks at his belt and pouches in her hands, as if he had forgotten what they are. He takes them and hastily reloads his revolver with fresh cartridges. Just as he finishes, they can hear noises in the garage. Justin and Stephanie make their way downstairs, stopping when they see Ling sitting on the floor and shaking.

“Is she okay?" Stephania whispers.

“Yeah, yeah. I think I got him." Ling repeats herself.

Inside the garage, Trevor and Yi Li make their way around Vincent's Marauder and climb into uncle Peter's brand-new Corvette. Trevor winces and groans from the pain of three gunshot wounds. Ling had not only shot him in the calf muscle and the bicep of his weak arm, but during the final skirmish she had put a bullet into the shoulder of his strong arm as well. He struggles just to climb into the car, let alone start it, only for Yi Li to whimper.

“Oh, no!"

“What? What's wrong?" A panting Trevor turns to her.

“This garage door! It's manual!"

“Shit... I can't open it, not like this." He speaks through clenched teeth.

“Don't worry, Trev. I'll get it. Just be ready to drive, okay?"

She leans in and kisses him with such passion. Trevor can see her devotion as she looks into his eyes. He smiles and nods, resting his forehead against hers. After one more kiss, Yi Li jumps out and rushes toward the garage door. She turns the circular handle, pulling the bars from the slots that latch it shut and pushes the door up. The spring is strong and the door is easy to lift but it doesn't want to stay up, so she pushes it harder. She looks ahead and gasps at the sight of a dozen zombies shambling toward her, within ten feet of the door!

The Corvette roars and races past her, the front bumper sweeping several zombies off their feet; like a cow catcher on an old train, they tumble and roll away, legs shattered and backs broken. Yi Li rushes to get in but to her horror, Trevor doesn't stop! He keeps driving!

“Wait! Trev! Stop!"

She waves her hands and screams at the top of her lungs, trying to catch up to him. She doesn't even notice the garage door slowly sliding closed behind her, under its own weight. Her right foot catches a gopher hole and she tumbles, falling into the grass. Her heart races as she struggles to see by the light of the waxing half-moon. The sounds of the groaning horde of undead is louder than the distant engine of the sports car. The tears stream down her cheeks as she pushes herself up.

“Please, Trev! ... Please! I love you! Come back... Aaaahhhh!!!"

Trevor looks into the rearview mirror to see the faint figure of his girlfriend as she is swarmed by the sickly looking undead. They push her to the ground and form a pile, her screams fading as quickly as her life as she is eaten alive. He pushes down on the accelerator, heading for the driveway. Zombies turn toward the speeding car and shamble after it, abandoning the house. He races down the long and windy driveway at nearly 60 mph, only to slam on the brakes when he tries to make the turn onto the main road.

The front wheels slip into the ditch on either side of the driveway, near the road, bouncing the Corvette which then spins, smacks into a decorative boulder and flips over. He doesn't have long to wait, crushed beneath the weight of the car which leaks premium gasoline everywhere. Racing into the garage, Yu and the others discover that Trevor and Yi Li have successfully stolen uncle Peter's Corvette.

“I can't believe that asshole got away..." Justin growls.

Boom! Everyone turns toward a sound near the front of the house. They race into the parlor and gaze through the bay window only to see a fireball at the end of the quarter-mile-long driveway. The amber light of the flames illuminates as many as fifty zombies as they swarm the car, unconcerned by the heat as they appear to pull a body out of the wreckage. Dropping to their hands and knees, they feast upon the charred corpse, to the horror of the survivors watching from inside the house.

“Damn... What a way to go." Justin mutters.

“Shit..." Yu hangs his head and sighs, running his fingers through his long bangs.

“Sorry about your sister." Justin looks to him.

“Yeah..."

“It'll be okay, baby." Macy coos, taking him into her arms and comforting him.

“I know, Kitten. I know."

Yu turns to her and wraps his arms around her, embracing his lover. The group share a moment of silence, with the others eying Yu and Macy with mild amusement. They turn when they hear a strange groaning sound. To their horror, uncle Peter's zombie shambles down the stairs! Stephanie covers her eyes and throws herself into her brother's arms, but she doesn't cry. Justin looks to Yu, nods and then averts his eyes. Yu looks between his two pistols, his nine-millimeter sitting in the universal holster and his twenty-two-caliber revolver tucked into the front waistband of his pants.

Choosing the latter of the two, he looks toward uncle Peter. He takes aim but his hand begins to shake, the events of the day finally catching up to him. Suddenly, a dainty hand rests atop his revolver.

“I'll do it." Ling speaks softly, taking the weapon from her brother.

He looks to her and relents, surrendering the weapon. She doesn't hesitate, stepping up to uncle Peter before taking aim at his forehead and cocking the hammer.

“Uuhhhh!" Uncle Peter's zombie reaches out for her.

“I'm sorry."

Bang! The sound of the gunshot causes a few zombies to stop and slowly turn around. They shamble for the house once again. As they stand in the parlor and stare in horror at uncle Peter's corpse, Justin embracing his sister and Yu embracing Macy, Ling turns toward the window and sighs in frustration.

“Damn. They heard the shot. They're coming back."

“We won't have much time." Justin grumbles.

“What are we gonna do?" Macy looks up at her lover.

“We have to leave now or we might never get out of here." Yu says, looking to her and then the others. “If you're all up for it, I say we take Vincent's car and hit the road before they hobble their way back up to our front door."

“Might as well." Justin sighs.

“There's nothing left for us here, anyway." Stephanie murmurs, staring at her dad's corpse.

“Alright. Do you know where Vincent kept the keys?" Yu turns to Justin.

“Yeah."

“Go get 'em. Ling, Stephanie; you two pack up food and supplies as quick as you can. Drinks, medicine, whatever... Macy. You and I will go through the rooms and grab some more clothes. Jackets and stuff like that. We'll meet in the garage in five minutes." He instructs.

With their jobs assigned, everyone races to carry them out. Ling takes a moment to cover uncle Peter's corpse with a rug, for his children's sake, then joins Stephanie in the kitchen to fill plastic grocery bags with supplies. Yu and Macy collect backpacks, jackets, and a few other essentials, joined by Justin who knew exactly where his older brother kept his keys. They meet in the garage at the same time and Justin uses the keys to unlock Vincent's car. Stephanie and Macy climb into the back, but before Ling can join them, Yu stops her.

“Here. You're good with it."

To her surprise, he takes off his belt and presents her with his revolver and all the accoutrements, keeping the nine-millimeter pistol for himself.

“Thanks." She says with a smile. “Oh! I almost forgot!"

Reaching into the pockets of her baggy, goth chick pants, she retrieves the two spare magazines and four loose cartridges that belong to Yu's pistol. After trading gear, Ling puts on the belt and climbs into the back seat while Yu prepares to lift the garage door and Justin starts the car.

“Damn it, Vincent, you lazy prick!" Justin growls.

“What?" Yu glance back.

“It's almost out of gas! The light is on!"

“Damn... Well, we'll get as far as we can. Are you ready?"

“Yeah."

“Good... Oh, and remember to let me in the car before you take off." Yu smirks as he glances back at them.

“We're not leaving with out you, bro."

Lifting open the door, Yu is horrified to see the headlights illuminating a dozen zombies as they feast upon Yi Li's corpse, her lifeless eyes wide open and looking right at him. The light draws their attention and the monsters slowly rise to their unsteady feet.

“Get in, baby!" Macy shouts, snapping him out of it.

Yu dashes around the front of the car, jumps into the passenger's seat and barely has time to shut the door before Justin slams his foot down on the accelerator. The powerful engine roars as he drives around the group of zombies only to run into a lone monster. It flops onto the hood, its head smashing the window and smearing blood everywhere before it slides off and lands in the grass with a crunch, its bones broken. With just enough clean windshield to see out of, Justin drives cautiously down the drive and turns the corner.

They pass by the burning wreckage of the Corvette, where the many zombies munch on what's left of Trevor. For all the pain he'd caused him, Yu still cannot help but feel badly for him. What an awful way to die. Stephanie, however, cannot help but snicker, amused at the sight of a zombie pulling off Trevor's crispy head. They drive down the long and desolate road, the leaves whirling around the car as they zoom by the endless row of trees. Theirs are the only headlights they see, and often the beams illuminate more undead, who shamble about in search of prey.

Upon reaching the edge of town, the Marauder begins to sputter as the engine is starved of fuel. Moments later, the engine shuts off altogether and Justin shifts the car into neutral, rolling another block. By chance, the car slowly rolls to a stop on the corner of a gas station. As they look to the structure, however, which still has power, they glimpse the chaos that must've ensued in the past several days. Cars choke the lot of the gas station and not one pump is readily accessible. Furthermore, they see blood and viscera strewn everywhere and nearly a dozen zombies sway as they stand inside the small kiosk of a building as if waiting in line to pay for gas.

“Looks like we're going to have to find a new ride." Justin remarks.

“There's plenty to choose from." Ling comments, her eyes scanning several cars near the edge of the traffic jam.

“They're here for a reason. We'd better pack up our stuff and start walking. Distribute the food and drinks, just in case any of us gets separated." Yu says, looking back.

They take about a minute to pass food, drinks, backpacks, and clothes between each other, ensuring that everyone has a little of everything. They pull on their coats, hold their packs close and after a count of three, they all bolt from the car. The zombies shamble their way toward them but the living easily outpace them. Neither Yu nor Ling fire any shots, fearful of bringing more zombies into the mix. They jog in a tight group, pass the gas station and into the heart of the town. The street lights flicker, revealing the carnage of the previous attacks.

As they make their way through the ruins, searching for a car they can steal, they find most of them locked and without a set of keys. None of them being criminals, they have no idea how to hotwire one, even the older boxy cars driven by some of the more aged members of town. After quite a while, they finally slow their pace just as they turn down the street where the clinic and police station are located. Justin and Stephanie contemplate searching for their mother, sister, and brother, but one look at the clinic swiftly dissuades them.

The building is missing many windows, the glass doors are shattered and pushed outward, the insides of which are covered in blood. It's as if they'd been forced open by a dozen ravenous undead. Stephanie sniffles and averts her eyes only for Justin to quickly comfort her. Macy covers her gaping maw and so Yu takes her into his arms, nuzzles and kisses her. A lone zombie shambles down the street only to see the group and turn. At Ling's behest, they keep moving. Realizing that they could use more weapons, Justin suggests they check the police station, but this too proves futile.

Upon reaching the station, not only is it in shambles, having obviously been looted some time ago, but from where they stand it's covered in just as much gore as the clinic. Yu turns back to the group to urge them to keep moving. Why waste the time exploring a building when they have two guns already and a solid plan to escape? Before he can speak, however, Stephanie points.

“Look. There are some inside."

They turn back to see a figure slowly emerging from the dark and eerie building, shuffling their paw-like feet. Stepping out and into the sporadic glow of a flickering streetlight, the pole bent by a car that had crashed into it, they stare in shock and horror.

“Mom?!" Macy gasps.

“Uuhhh..."

Gloria's zombie shambles toward them, hands outstretched. One hand is missing two fingers, the ring finger and pinky. Most of her tail is gone, having been bitten and torn from her body. A cat-like ear is torn, with a visible bite mark at the bottom edge. Her clothes are tattered, shredded by the grabbing hands of the undead. Bite marks cover an arm and a leg. Interestingly, most of the damage is on the same side of her body. Yu wonders if perhaps she was caught in a doorway and attacked, possibly while trying to seek shelter or even enter the police station.

He once again takes Macy into his arms as she begins to cry. He pets her head very lovingly and kisses her, keeping her face buried in the nape of his neck. He looks to Ling who nods once in response. Yu reaches up and cover's Macy's ears, folding them over her head. Ling draws the revolver and cocks the hammer, apologizing to her zombie before shooting her in the forehead, just like with uncle Peter. Justin and Stephanie look away, only to notice the shuffling zombie down the street is now joined by nearly a dozen more.

“It'll be okay. I'm here for you, Kitten, and I'm never leaving you. Never." Yu promises, taking his hands away from Macy's ears before giving her a passionate kiss.

“I don't know what I'd do without you." She clings to him. “I love you, Yuze."

“I love you, too, Macy." He says, rubbing her lower back.

“Thanks, Ling. I couldn't have done that myself, and she didn't deserve to be walking around like that." Macy says, looking to the pigtailed teen.

Ling flashes her a modest smile and nods her head, unsure of what to say.

“Guys, we really should be going." Stephanie remarks, pointing toward the growing crowd of zombies.

With little time to waste, the group picks up their pace and moves through the town. Near the very center, by a triangular block with a gazebo in the middle, they see a vehicle sitting on the grass. It looks like the driver tried to drive around the other vehicles blocking the road before abruptly abandoning it. Its lights are on and the driver's side door is open. They approach the brand new four-door vehicle, ice white with black trim and tinted windows in the back. A little four-foot truck bed has a retracting plastic tonneau cover. It's like a cross between an SUV and a pickup.

“I've never seen a car like this. What is it?" Stephanie wonders aloud.

“A Hyundai Santa Cruz." Yu replies.

“You know cars?!" Stephanie turns to him.

“Well, it says it right there on the tailgate." He points.

“Oh..."

“We lucked out. The key fob is right here!" Macy chirps, leaning in through the open door.

“Guys..." Ling points toward the side of the vehicle.

Macy climbs out of the vehicle and follows Ling's finger, right to the smear of blood along the left side of it. After sharing a glance, they unlock the remaining doors and pile into the Santa Cruz. Yu sits in the driver's seat and Macy takes the passenger's seat while Justin, Stephanie and Ling climb into the back, Stephanie in the middle. Yu turns on the vehicle and the digital display activates. The driver's name is displayed on the infotainment screen in the center console.

“Thank you 'Ian.'" Ling quietly quips.

“How much gas do we have?" Justin asks.

“About three-quarters. It says we can drive two-hundred miles." Yu replies, shifting into gear. “Man, it has paddle shifters and everything!" He remarks before driving slowly around the mass of cars.

Seconds into the drive, the radio automatically syncs with a phone left somewhere inside of the vehicle. “Counting The Hours" by Digital Summer begins to play.

“So let the storm rage on with infinite power! And I'll stand strong! Just counting the hours like nothing's wrong while the city's devoured! The storm rolls on in these final hours!"

“Well... That's rather fitting." Justin comments.

It takes a few minutes of weaving through dead vehicles before they manage to reach the other end of the small city. Once they hit open road, Yu speeds off as fast as their stolen ride will go, the turbocharged engine whirring.

“Whoa." Yu remarks, easing off the accelerator.

“Careful. You don't want to Trevor us." Justin quips.

“Hey, look! It's the fog!" Ling peers through her window.

Everyone turns their heads to see the mysterious cloud, the bluish-green mist that preceded the incident. It hovers around the tanks of the Clarke Chemical Company, just on the edge of town. The strange fog seeps out of a valve near the bottom of a large tank that looks like it should be holding crude oil. Hardly anything comes out, indicating to all inside that it is probably nearly empty. The heavy mist lingers around the complex like the terrible memories they all now carry with them.

“Figures." Macy sighs, shaking her head.

“I always had a funny feeling about that place." Justin remarks.

“You did not!" Stephanie turns to him.

“Well... I should've." He corrects.

“If this was localized, we'll be out of here in no time." Yu says, turning onto a main road.

“What then?" Macy asks.

Yu looks over to her, seeing her soft and fearful eyes. He reaches out and takes hold of her hand, their fingers weaving together. A smile spreads across her short, feline snout as she looks at their entwined hands.

“Then we-"

“We make those bastards pay!" Ling interjects.

“... I was going to say, 'then we go home and live our lives.'" Yu murmurs.

“I like my version better." Ling smirks.

“Shouldn't we get people to deal with the zombies first?" Justin thinks aloud.

“But my home is back there." Macy replies, ignoring Justin's comment as she glances toward the overwhelmed town.

“I have a nice apartment. There's room enough for two. We might have to dump them off somewhere, though." Yu says, looking back at Stephanie and Justin.

“Hey!" Stephanie growls.

“Just kidding!" Yu laughs.

With the open road ahead of them, they drive into the sunrise, toward the nearest city. It's more than 20 miles away. Hopefully, the zombies haven't made it that far...