Generation Zombie

Chapter 7: Farmhouse.

She was in a video game. There was no other way Ruby Bancroft could've driven a truck meant to be manned by a large dude with a paunch, balding hairline and a tattoo of Jesus on his left arm. The possibilities were endless; she realized. The possibility of dying too yes, but also of stepping out of her comfort zone and giving a shot at being someone entirely different. Someone who drove a truck to escape the brain-eating undead.

She threw a quick glance at Arthur who had crept into the passenger seat next to her. "Where am I driving to?"

Arthur examined their environment. They had left the main road and the zombies far behind. The landscape now was simply fields of evergreen grasses, the sun setting overhead casting an orange, ethereal glow over everything else. Occasionally, they'd see a small sheep hop by as they drove on. When Arthur saw a sheep for the fifth time, he realized the game was pulling them around in circles. He concluded that whatever level or quest they had unlocked, it had to be done within that area. But still, he was reluctant for them to stop.

"Just go straight ahead." He instructed Ruby.

Arthur opened the front compartment of the truck, searching for anything that might be of use. He felt a dull sense of grief settle over him, like he had lost something and was now just reminded of it. What was it that he lost? His freedom? His humanity? His sanity?

What if all of the game, all of this, was simply the hallucination of a mad man? When he slammed the door to his room and resolved to play a video game instead of breaking down, had he then, at that very moment lost his mind? His parent's arguments about their divorce seemed centuries away now. How quick the human mind forgets. How quick it adapts. How quick it snaps.

"I'm starving!" Ajax shouted from the back compartment of the truck, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts, and making Ruby roll her eyes. But it wasn't a 'god-what-an-absolute-i***t' kind of eye roll. It was more of a 'god-what-an-absolutely-adorable-i***t' type of eye roll.

"Stop the truck." Arthur said.

Ruby stomped a little too hard on the brakes, and sent Ajax crashing into a dumpster in the back. Arthur's seatbelt kept him in place.

"Sorry!" She apologized sheepishly.

Amidst all the greenery, to their far left, was a single farmhouse. This was what Arthur had seen, what he had been looking for; a temporary sanctum, a place where the game wanted them to bunk in until the next level, quest or challenge came through.

Arthur hope the farmhouse wasn't a trap. Well, even if it was, they had no other choice but to walk straight into it. That was one thing with video games. But at least he could minimize the damage, if the place was infested.

"Stay here. I'm going to check if it's safe." He informed Ruby and got out of the car before she could argue with him whether it was dangerous or not.

Ruby watched Arthur go. For some reason, she found it extremely annoying that he jumped at every opportunity there was, to be a hero and play the part of the good guy. Saving her, then saving Ajax Cassini, and now volunteering to check if a dubious farmhouse was filled with zombies or not...

It was one of the many things she disliked about Arthur Halifax in the ten years she had known, and gone to school with him. No one could possibly be that good all the time. No one could be so selfless.

He was Arthur Halifax, not Arthur Pendragon.

Ruby blinked, and startlingly realized that the sunset had transitioned into inky dark skies with gleaming silver stars. Was this how time in the video game worked? All the unimportant parts would simply be skipped? There was no gradual change, only instant results.

Arthur trudged back to the truck, his eyes continuously scanning the surroundings. "It's empty. And clean. I think this is our stop for the night. Has to be."

Ruby wordless got out of the truck. The adrenaline had drained from her body, and now she felt the fatigue creep in and settle, making her bones heavier. Her actions passed in a blur. Ajax scampered out of the truck too, and they locked it before walking to the farmhouse.

It was like any other farmhouse Ruby had seen in movies, and on the internet. Like someone responsible for the graphics of the game had simply searched up 'old farmhouse' on Google and then copy pasted the first image that popped up.

The interior smelled like hay and fertilizer. There was only one room with a connecting bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. It didn't look abandoned at all. The owner had probably gone out to buy something or meet someone and was turned into a zombie; Ruby theorized. Or maybe that was just how the game planned it all. This was worse than Freaky Friday.

The three players stepped into the only bedroom in the house and stared at the only bed, with arguably clean sheets and a nice, fluffy pillow.

Ruby sighed. "I'm gonna take a shower." She said, hoping there was hot water and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.

Ajax yawned and stretched his arms. And then he dived straight into the bed with a loud, contented sigh. The mattress sunk and the bedsprings creaked under his bulk and weight.

Arthur glared daggers at him. "We're leaving the bed for Ruby."

"I'm sure she can share with one more person. I mean, it's big enough to..."

"Get off. You can sleep on the couch in the living room." Arthur insisted, cutting off Ajax's gestures and explanation.

"But I've never slept on a couch." He whined.

"Well, today is your lucky day. There's a first time for everything." Arthur replied, unable to hide the small smile of satisfaction that tugged at his lips.

Ajax groaned, but got to his feet anyways. Wait until he gets out of this madness and tells his fans about how he had to sleep on a couch; he thought to himself, and then began to worry that he might have an acne breakout before it all ends.

Arthur dusted off the sheets the moment Ajax stepped out of the room, and then fluffed the pillows so they were nice and puffy. He looked at the bed longingly. It was big enough to share, just like Ajax argued, but he knew that Ruby wouldn't feel comfortable with another person sleeping next to her. She was picky enough as it is.

"This whole place is making my skin crawl. The patterns and arrangements are all wrong." She said upon stepping out of the bathroom as if to validate Arthur's thoughts to some unseen spectators. She tugged at the white towel wrapped tightly around her body, which thankfully, grazed below her knees.

"Sorry..." Arthur replied, shrugging. Why was he apologizing when he wasn't the one in charge of graphic design or interior decoration? "Do you want a snack?" He asked to mask his apology. "I found crackers in the cabinets..."

"Are they even edible? How does this cursed game work..." She sighed; tiny shoulders slumping, and droplets of water dripping out of chestnut brown hair, to roll down smooth, tanned shoulders. "I'm not hungry." She said and plopped on the bed. "I'm guessing there isn't any clean change of clothes I can wear?"

"I found a clean t-shirt in the wardrobes that might fit you. But they smell like mold and hay."And he knew she would decline so he didn't even offer.

Ruby humphed and stretched her legs. "I'll just stay in this itchy towel until my pajamas dry off then." She glanced skeptically at Arthur. "Where's Ajax?"

"In the living room, getting comfortable on the couch. He's going to sleep there." The last sentence came out more firmly than he had intended. But he wanted to subtly let her know that there was no room for argument. And no room for Ajax too.

An instant smile brightened up Ruby's face. "Awn, he's such a gentleman..." She crooned to herself, practically swooning.

Arthur mental facepalmed himself.