Human Again
A living corpse shouldn't be this picky when choosing what to wear in front of a guy. But then again, this guy's a human. A fleshy, soft skinned human with cheekbones that could penetrate my latest Bentley.
And currently that human is staring openly at me in one of the passenger seats of my home.
Well, Jongdae, I'm sorry for stealing your boyfriend's brain.
--
"Just what the hell are... you?" he asked, voice trembling.
I can tell he's afraid. Who wouldn't, I'm a living corpse who just ate his boyfriend raw and pretty much alive. To answer his question, I don't even know what I am or who I am. I woke up without a clue of my past self. Was I billionaire? That explains the private jet I'm living in. Or was I, by any chance, a singer? Who knows.
"Who are you?"
I touch the piece of brain in my pocket, reassuring myself that it's still there. Memories. I, no, my kind doesn't have memories of our past lives. You could say we're brain dead. And humans have brains. Brains are the prize of the catch, they make us feel things that are out of this world. They give us memories. They make us feel how to live again. They're our drugs, a rare drug that is obtainable by murder.
A gurgling sound woke me from my thoughts. The human, no, Jongdae was rubbing his stomach in circles. I copied the action, albeit slowly.
"Y-you... hun... gry?" I tried each syllable. It's been a long time since I communicated through oral.
"Yeah, I'm hungry."
--
We found ourselves in the food court area of the airport, with some of my blood smeared on Jongdae to hide his humanly scent. Scavenging through the stalls was no easy task since humans didn't like their food rotten. The only thing we found not rotten was burgers from something called McDonald's and beer.
"Oh cool, it's been awhile since I had some booze," Jongdae said, uncapping the bottle. He took a few gulps before sighing.
"Hey, you want some?" he offered the bottle to me.
I've never had human food before, it's either human meat or more meat. We don't eat to live, we can stand 3 months tops without eating. But this human, Jongdae, is making me question my nature. Why haven't I consumed him yet?
I took the bottle from his hand and took a whiff of it. The smell was bizarre, nothing like what I'm used to consuming. Jongdae made small gestures with his hands while tilting his head back, telling me to take a gulp. I took a sip of the liquid only to feel a burning sensation down my throat. Coughing, I thumped my chest a few times to get rid of the unpleasant feeling while he just sat there, laughing.
"You're laughable, I like it," he said, after bouts of laughter died. "Y'know, I never really got your name."
My name? This was the first time anyone has ever asked me for my name, besides my friend, K, but he doesn't count as the living. "...S."
"Your name... is S?" he asked. I nodded.
"What does it stand for? Sam?" I shook my head. "Seungsoo?" Another shake. "Sone? Are you a Sone?" What's a Sone?
"Nah, just bugging you, you probably don't even listen to GG anyways."
The curl of his lips attracts me more than the words spoken. His eyes held mischief and there was that glint, that held tales. Tales of the world of the living. Memories. Something that is unattainable for a being like me. That's when I realised, with a heavy heart, I didn't want to let him go.
"Hey, S... When do you think I could leave, after all, you saved me."
Oh, how I wished that was true, Jongdae.
--
I lay awake in the cockpit of the jet, distancing myself from Jongdae who's sleeping at the back. Guilt consumes me from the inside. I'm a living corpse, it's in my nature but the deed is eating me away slowly. The texture was enticing, the taste promising of memories. I took a whiff. And I exhaled.
Giving an experimental lick, I took a bite. Soon, blurs and spots of colour clouded my vision. Images started rushing towards my brain. They came in like a bullet train, exceeding speed with only so little of sound, before arriving to a destination. The memories took me to a destination, in a school. The sudden bell indicated it was.
I sat in a chair, in a classroom filled with living, breathing humans. The intensity made me nervous, but I faced the front as a monotonous voice started talking about the law of evolution, or whatever that was. That was when I recognised him, the familiar moles on his neck said so. He suddenly spared me a glance from the seat in front, giving me a cat-like grin. I couldn't help but smile back, or the memory of his boyfriend smiled back.
The blurs began to take over again, directing me towards a different destination. It was raining, and we, they were in the car, kissing as if their lives depended on it. It felt weird, at the same time satisfying, kissing an attractive person that you just met. But I could tell that his boyfriend was enjoying it. Parting for air, Jongdae leaned in, making our foreheads touch.
"Sehun, I love you," he said, eyes holding mine, intensely.
My breathing stopped, or Sehun's did. A second or two passed by and Jongdae's proclamation was met with the pitter patter of rain. "Do you love me?"
"...yes," Sehun hesitated, kissing Jongdae's worry away, or tried to.
The feeling of being pulled fast came again, bringing me to a different stop, this time a restaurant. It was one of those fancy five stars restaurant judging by the decor. Across from me sat a grumpy man, decked in his expensive suit, hair combed back neatly with a few strands of silver peaking. He sat, facing me with a sour expression.
"What's the occasion?" I asked, truly confused. The frown that marred the man's feature deepened.
"Dad, don't show that face, mom wouldn't have liked it," Jongdae scolded, hand gripping mine under the table. The intimate gesture was making me sweat. "Sehun, it's my late mother's birthday, it's okay, you didn't know."
His father only grumbled before holding a glass of wine, preparing to make a toast.
"To Yixing."
"To Yixing," we chorused.
It was a big black hole after the last memory, sucking me in through the dark and spitting me out into reality. I was back in the cockpit.
--
"S, when do you think I can go back home?"
I awoke to the question being thrown at my face. It was a heavy question, too early in the morning. I wanted to lie, but it wouldn't do any good, he yearns for his sanctuary. Maybe I should tell him until the other zombies forgets that he exist?
"T...two mo-re weeks," I said, getting the hang of it. Us, zombies, weren't that vocal.
"Two more weeks?! S, I can't wait that long, I have a place that I need to be," Jongdae shrieked, frustrated.
I could understand his situation. He's being held here after being attacked by a group of flesh-eating corpses during a supply raid. And the one who's holding him is feeding him lies. He could have gone back anytime he liked, but I didn't want that. He makes me feel things. What it feels like to be alive again.
"That's it, S! I'm getting out of here, whether you'll like it or not. Nothing can stop me." And with that, he stomped towards the exit of the jet.
Quickly regaining my senses, I held him back. I can't let him get out now, especially with that humanly scent, it'll attract attention. I did what I've always wanted to do, I hugged him. He tried squirming at first but gave up when we touched foreheads.
"You reek blood and dead stuff, y'know," he muttered.
"Pleas-e," I pleaded.
It was pathetic. A murderer begging his hostage to stay. The Helsinki syndrome, that's what they say in books.
He sighed. "Okay, just a few more days."
That night, when Jongdae was asleep, I took out Sehun's brain. I chewed and swallowed, but it didn't feel right. The memories were bad. They were nightmares. I spat it out, it was rotten.
--
The following days came by in blurs. I could barely register how many days passed. The only thing that I knew, I awoke to the sound of screaming outside. My kind can't scream like that, that only meant one thing. Jongdae.
My feet took me to the screams. Adrenaline pumped into my veins, as if my heart started living again. I could feel the wind fanning my cheeks, cheering me on towards Jongdae. That's when I saw them. A circle of living corpses, barring their teeth as they slowly gained towards a defenceless, frightened human. I saw my friend, K, among them. That was my cue.
Pushing myself through, I managed to infiltrate their circle. Barring my teeth and groaning, they got the message and stopped, confused by my sudden intrusion.
"Don't... hurt h-him," I managed to wheeze.
The air was thick with questions. Unordinary questions that needed answers to. I already could feel their judgemental glares sent my way. Everyone was asking the same thing, why was a living flesh-eating corpse defending a human? Its meal?
That was when K stood out.
"Why?" he asked, eyes misty.
"I d-don't know," I replied.
Just as he was about to respond, a deafening screech rang throughout the airport. That could only meant one thing, Bonies.
"S! Get h-him out of here!" K pushed me.
I took Jongdae's trembling hand, and as if a switch,
And currently that human is staring openly at me in one of the passenger seats of my home.
Well, Jongdae, I'm sorry for stealing your boyfriend's brain.
--
"Just what the hell are... you?" he asked, voice trembling.
I can tell he's afraid. Who wouldn't, I'm a living corpse who just ate his boyfriend raw and pretty much alive. To answer his question, I don't even know what I am or who I am. I woke up without a clue of my past self. Was I billionaire? That explains the private jet I'm living in. Or was I, by any chance, a singer? Who knows.
"Who are you?"
I touch the piece of brain in my pocket, reassuring myself that it's still there. Memories. I, no, my kind doesn't have memories of our past lives. You could say we're brain dead. And humans have brains. Brains are the prize of the catch, they make us feel things that are out of this world. They give us memories. They make us feel how to live again. They're our drugs, a rare drug that is obtainable by murder.
A gurgling sound woke me from my thoughts. The human, no, Jongdae was rubbing his stomach in circles. I copied the action, albeit slowly.
"Y-you... hun... gry?" I tried each syllable. It's been a long time since I communicated through oral.
"Yeah, I'm hungry."
--
We found ourselves in the food court area of the airport, with some of my blood smeared on Jongdae to hide his humanly scent. Scavenging through the stalls was no easy task since humans didn't like their food rotten. The only thing we found not rotten was burgers from something called McDonald's and beer.
"Oh cool, it's been awhile since I had some booze," Jongdae said, uncapping the bottle. He took a few gulps before sighing.
"Hey, you want some?" he offered the bottle to me.
I've never had human food before, it's either human meat or more meat. We don't eat to live, we can stand 3 months tops without eating. But this human, Jongdae, is making me question my nature. Why haven't I consumed him yet?
I took the bottle from his hand and took a whiff of it. The smell was bizarre, nothing like what I'm used to consuming. Jongdae made small gestures with his hands while tilting his head back, telling me to take a gulp. I took a sip of the liquid only to feel a burning sensation down my throat. Coughing, I thumped my chest a few times to get rid of the unpleasant feeling while he just sat there, laughing.
"You're laughable, I like it," he said, after bouts of laughter died. "Y'know, I never really got your name."
My name? This was the first time anyone has ever asked me for my name, besides my friend, K, but he doesn't count as the living. "...S."
"Your name... is S?" he asked. I nodded.
"What does it stand for? Sam?" I shook my head. "Seungsoo?" Another shake. "Sone? Are you a Sone?" What's a Sone?
"Nah, just bugging you, you probably don't even listen to GG anyways."
The curl of his lips attracts me more than the words spoken. His eyes held mischief and there was that glint, that held tales. Tales of the world of the living. Memories. Something that is unattainable for a being like me. That's when I realised, with a heavy heart, I didn't want to let him go.
"Hey, S... When do you think I could leave, after all, you saved me."
Oh, how I wished that was true, Jongdae.
--
I lay awake in the cockpit of the jet, distancing myself from Jongdae who's sleeping at the back. Guilt consumes me from the inside. I'm a living corpse, it's in my nature but the deed is eating me away slowly. The texture was enticing, the taste promising of memories. I took a whiff. And I exhaled.
Giving an experimental lick, I took a bite. Soon, blurs and spots of colour clouded my vision. Images started rushing towards my brain. They came in like a bullet train, exceeding speed with only so little of sound, before arriving to a destination. The memories took me to a destination, in a school. The sudden bell indicated it was.
I sat in a chair, in a classroom filled with living, breathing humans. The intensity made me nervous, but I faced the front as a monotonous voice started talking about the law of evolution, or whatever that was. That was when I recognised him, the familiar moles on his neck said so. He suddenly spared me a glance from the seat in front, giving me a cat-like grin. I couldn't help but smile back, or the memory of his boyfriend smiled back.
The blurs began to take over again, directing me towards a different destination. It was raining, and we, they were in the car, kissing as if their lives depended on it. It felt weird, at the same time satisfying, kissing an attractive person that you just met. But I could tell that his boyfriend was enjoying it. Parting for air, Jongdae leaned in, making our foreheads touch.
"Sehun, I love you," he said, eyes holding mine, intensely.
My breathing stopped, or Sehun's did. A second or two passed by and Jongdae's proclamation was met with the pitter patter of rain. "Do you love me?"
"...yes," Sehun hesitated, kissing Jongdae's worry away, or tried to.
The feeling of being pulled fast came again, bringing me to a different stop, this time a restaurant. It was one of those fancy five stars restaurant judging by the decor. Across from me sat a grumpy man, decked in his expensive suit, hair combed back neatly with a few strands of silver peaking. He sat, facing me with a sour expression.
"What's the occasion?" I asked, truly confused. The frown that marred the man's feature deepened.
"Dad, don't show that face, mom wouldn't have liked it," Jongdae scolded, hand gripping mine under the table. The intimate gesture was making me sweat. "Sehun, it's my late mother's birthday, it's okay, you didn't know."
His father only grumbled before holding a glass of wine, preparing to make a toast.
"To Yixing."
"To Yixing," we chorused.
It was a big black hole after the last memory, sucking me in through the dark and spitting me out into reality. I was back in the cockpit.
--
"S, when do you think I can go back home?"
I awoke to the question being thrown at my face. It was a heavy question, too early in the morning. I wanted to lie, but it wouldn't do any good, he yearns for his sanctuary. Maybe I should tell him until the other zombies forgets that he exist?
"T...two mo-re weeks," I said, getting the hang of it. Us, zombies, weren't that vocal.
"Two more weeks?! S, I can't wait that long, I have a place that I need to be," Jongdae shrieked, frustrated.
I could understand his situation. He's being held here after being attacked by a group of flesh-eating corpses during a supply raid. And the one who's holding him is feeding him lies. He could have gone back anytime he liked, but I didn't want that. He makes me feel things. What it feels like to be alive again.
"That's it, S! I'm getting out of here, whether you'll like it or not. Nothing can stop me." And with that, he stomped towards the exit of the jet.
Quickly regaining my senses, I held him back. I can't let him get out now, especially with that humanly scent, it'll attract attention. I did what I've always wanted to do, I hugged him. He tried squirming at first but gave up when we touched foreheads.
"You reek blood and dead stuff, y'know," he muttered.
"Pleas-e," I pleaded.
It was pathetic. A murderer begging his hostage to stay. The Helsinki syndrome, that's what they say in books.
He sighed. "Okay, just a few more days."
That night, when Jongdae was asleep, I took out Sehun's brain. I chewed and swallowed, but it didn't feel right. The memories were bad. They were nightmares. I spat it out, it was rotten.
--
The following days came by in blurs. I could barely register how many days passed. The only thing that I knew, I awoke to the sound of screaming outside. My kind can't scream like that, that only meant one thing. Jongdae.
My feet took me to the screams. Adrenaline pumped into my veins, as if my heart started living again. I could feel the wind fanning my cheeks, cheering me on towards Jongdae. That's when I saw them. A circle of living corpses, barring their teeth as they slowly gained towards a defenceless, frightened human. I saw my friend, K, among them. That was my cue.
Pushing myself through, I managed to infiltrate their circle. Barring my teeth and groaning, they got the message and stopped, confused by my sudden intrusion.
"Don't... hurt h-him," I managed to wheeze.
The air was thick with questions. Unordinary questions that needed answers to. I already could feel their judgemental glares sent my way. Everyone was asking the same thing, why was a living flesh-eating corpse defending a human? Its meal?
That was when K stood out.
"Why?" he asked, eyes misty.
"I d-don't know," I replied.
Just as he was about to respond, a deafening screech rang throughout the airport. That could only meant one thing, Bonies.
"S! Get h-him out of here!" K pushed me.
I took Jongdae's trembling hand, and as if a switch,