HALF: Dead nor Alive

“You live up here, Capt?” Archie asked as he looked down at the ground a hundred meters below him.

“Of course, everyone lives up here since there’s no more place down there,” Ruby replied as she looked back at Archie. “The Sky Station is still operating but sooner or later it will lose its power so, in the end, everyone has to abandon the station and live down here with the rest of us.” Ruby continued as she looked up into the night sky.

Archie looked up and could hear the loud noises coming from behind the steel pillar. It would be impossible for anyone to sleep with the loud noises around them.

“This is my house, I made it myself and it’s quite cozy compared to the others.” Ruby pointed her finger at the quite big wooden house.

They both entered the house and Ruby tilted her head as she saw the lantern was on.

“Is anyone home?” Ruby asked as she put her jacket on the hanger.

“Bubby? You’re home?” A woman’s voice could be heard from one of the rooms.

A woman wearing hot pants and a tank top came out of the room as she leaned on the door and scratched her back. A brown-haired woman that looked older and taller than Ruby looked at Ruby and Archie.

“Who’s that guy?” The brown-haired woman asked and furrowed her eyebrows.

“This is Archie Lancaster, a new recruit that Marshall Marlon personally picked,” Ruby replied as she looked at Archie.

“Wow, really?” The woman came out of the room and walked toward Ruby. “Don’t tell me, you brought him here because you offered him to stay overnight?” The woman wrapped her arm around Ruby’s neck.

“Yes, and because I want to hear his story,” Ruby replied as she nodded in agreement.

“Oh? A story? Can I join you guys? I will make you guys something to eat in exchange.” The woman rubbed her cheek on Ruby’s cheek to bribe her.

“Sure.” Ruby smiled as she tried to lean her head away from the woman. “Oh, she’s Julia Ares, she’s a lieutenant from the 108th Division.” Ruby pointed her finger at Julia as she looked at Archie.

“Just call me Julia, I’m not as conceited as this woman over here that you have to call her rank.” Julia giggled mischievously as she walked away to the kitchen.

“Don’t listen to her, I’m not that kind of person,” Ruby said as she pointed her finger. “Anyway, just help yourself out while I’m going to make some coffee and help Julia in the kitchen. I will be right back.” Ruby continued as she walked toward the kitchen.

Archie looked around and noticed dog tags were hung up on the wall. He decided to go and check them out, he grabbed one and looked at the name that was carved on it. There were a total of 47 dog tags with 47 different names, he was so confused on why there were so many of them.

Archie sat down and leaned on the wooden chair as he closed his eyes and listened to the noises.

“You tired?” Ruby asked as she came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

“Ah, no, I’m just listening to the noises,” Archie replied and grabbed the cup of coffee from Ruby’s hand.

“Yeah… you will get used to it eventually,” Ruby replied as she looked at the pillar from the window.

“Food is ready!” Julia came with a plate of meat. She sat next to Ruby and put the plate on the table.

Archie looked at the meat and it looked like something that he had never seen before.

“This is rabbit’s feet, my favorite food,” Julia said as she grabbed one and ate it.

“I’m not hungry,” Archie said as he kept staring at them.

“So, Archie, how did you end up here in the Eastern Nation?” Ruby asked as she ate the rabbit’s foot.

Archie looked at the food and thought about what to say and what kind of lie he had to make. He then thought that it was unnecessary for him to make up a story so he could tell Ruby the truth.

“I’m an Ex-Human,” Archie said and looked at them both seriously.

Both of them stopped eating the rabbit’s foot and their eyes were focused on Archie.

Julia chuckled and snorted then bursted out laughing. “You got me!”

Ruby couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “You’re funny, Archie.”

Archie slightly smiles and looked at the small knife on the plate, he grabbed it and stabbed it onto his arm then pulled it wide open. The two of them were shocked and Ruby immediately grabbed the fork from his hand.

“What are you doing?!” Ruby asked as she yelled at Archie.

“Just wait and see…” Archie stared at the wound on his arm.

Those two were staring at the wound and nothing happened. Archie was so confused that the wound didn’t heal, and then Ruby had enough and ripped her sleeve and covered the wound with it.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Ruby yelled as she wrapped the cloth on Archie’s wound.

“No, this is not right…” Archie mumbled as he pulled his arm away from Ruby. “I-i have to leave…” Archie said as he looked panicked that his wound didn’t heal.

Archie ran out of the house while both Ruby and Julia just stared at him with confusion.

“Uhh… you sure that he’s right in his head? Such a shame, he looks handsome but he has a screw loose in his head.” Julia scoffed as she looked at Ruby.

Ruby kept staring at the door with the cloth in her hand, she then looked at the cloth that was covered with Archie’s blood. She realized that the blood wasn’t red but pitch black and gooey.

“Do you think this is blood?” Ruby asked as she looked at Julia and showed the cloth in her hand.

“What… is that…” Julia said as she grabbed the cloth and looked at Archie’s blood closely.

They both stared at it for quite a while and then they started to think that Archie might have told them the truth. Julia and Ruby immediately grabbed their gears and left the house to catch up with Archie.

Archie walked down the stairs hurriedly and ignored the people he bumped. He stared at the wound that wouldn’t heal, he was so confused because it should be healed immediately since it was just a scratch to him.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he ran in the direction of the headquarters. On his way to the headquarters, he stopped running and he smelt something familiar. He looked around and stared at the wall where the smell came from, he immediately ran toward the wall and approached the smell.

Archie ended up outside the wall, he looked around as the smell became stronger. He ran and followed the scent that came from one of the buildings.

He ran as fast as he could and then saw a parasite who was eating a deer. Turned out, that what he smelt was the smell of a parasite, and the stronger the smell, the more hungry he became. Archie without hesitation tear the parasite and killed it, the smell of the blood starved him.

“No… I don’t want to eat this thing anymore…” Archie mumbled as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

As Archie tried to resist, he heard rustling sounds that came all around him. He opened his eyes and realized there was a dozen parasite staring at him and readied to pounce at him.

“Why… why are you tempting me…” Archie said as he stared at them pitifully.

(At the same time inside the wall.)

“Have you seen a white-haired guy go this way?!” Ruby asked the soldier who was guarding his outpost.

“I think he went that way,” The soldier replied as he pointed toward the wall.

“He went outside the wall?” Julia asked as she looked at the wall.

“We must hurry!” Ruby ran as she said that.

Both Ruby and Julia went outside the wall that was weirdly unguarded by anyone. They looked around and decided to went further to find Archie.

As they ran around, they heard screeching noises coming from their right. They both looked at each other and nodded then ran toward the noises.

As they arrived, they saw Archie on his knees surrounded by corpses of parasites. Ruby slowly walked toward Archie with the pistol in her hand.

“Archie?” Ruby whispered so her voice won’t attract the parasite. “Are you alright?” Ruby asked as she pulled the safety off.

Archie turned his head and looked at Ruby from the corner of his eyes. “I’m alright, Capt…” Archie weakly answered.

Archie slowly stood up and turned around. His whole body was covered with blood and his hands were still dripping parasite’s blood. He tried to wipe his mouth with his bloody hand but it only made it worse.

“His wound is gone, Bub…” Julia whispered as she gently bumped her elbow at Ruby.

Ruby looked at Archie’s arm and the wound disappeared as Julia said. She gulped and looked at Archie in fear, she then put her finger on the trigger.

“Who are you?!” Ruby asked as she pointed the pistol at Archie’s head.