With each step, he took extra care to avoid making any noise that could attract the attention of the lurking undead.
Stepping inside, Hobe crept through the living room, his movements slow and deliberate.
The room was a disarray of shattered glass, overturned furniture, and scattered remnants of their once-peaceful life.
Hobe's heart sank at the sight, but he pushed aside his emotions, focusing solely on the task at hand. He had to find Hari and ensure her safety.
He moved with calculated precision, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of his sister. The silence weighed heavily upon him, broken only by the distant growls and moans of the zombies outside.
The tension in the air was palpable, and Hobe could feel his heart racing in his chest.
As he navigated the treacherous terrain, memories of their shared moments flooded his mind—laughter, tears, and everything in between.
They had faced so much together, and Hobe couldn't bear the thought of losing Hari now.
A faint sound caught his attention—a whimper, barely audible amidst the chaos. Hobe's heart skipped a beat.
Following the sound, he carefully made his way towards the source, his breath held in anticipation.
The stench of decay filled the air as he maneuvered past the undead, their sluggish movements a constant threat.
Hobe's eyes darted around, searching for any trace of his sister.
With each step, Hobe's anxiety intensified. He ascended the stairs, his hands gripping the makeshift baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire.
The sounds of shuffling footsteps grew louder, signaling the presence of the zombies. As he reached the top of the stairs, a chilling sight froze him in place.
A woman stood before him, her disheveled appearance indicating that she had recently turned to become a zombie.
It was his own mother.
Fuck!
It had been over a year since he last saw her, and now she had become one of the undead.
~~~
Time frame: flashback, a year ago, the first day of the virus outbreak
Hobe was getting ready to leave for work at the fast-food restaurant, where he earned a living after school.
Just as he was about to step out of the door, he noticed his mother, frantically getting dolled up as if she were going on a date.
"Again?!" Hobe exclaimed, his frustration evident in his voice.
"Yup," his mother replied, nonchalantly spraying herself with an excessive amount of perfume.
"This is my work shift! Who will take care of Hari?" Hobe demanded, his voice tinged with worry.
Hari, who was diligently working on her school assignments, turned to look at them. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. I can manage on my own. You both can go."
"No!" Hobe interjected firmly.
Hari pouted playfully. "I'm not a little kid, you know."
But their mother paid no attention to their exchange. She swiftly grabbed her bag filled with cash and left, leaving Hobe standing there, feeling a mixture of frustration and concern.
At that moment, Hobe was unaware that it would be his last day seeing his mother.
Well, a least in human form.
Hobe's mother, despite her talent and potential, had fallen into a cycle of destructive relationships. Her choice in partners was questionable, to say the least.
The allure of her lover's charm and their shared vices had blinded her to the consequences of her actions.
Her occupation as a stripper at a nightclub provided her with a substantial income, but it seemed to vanish just as quickly as it came.
Instead of using her earnings responsibly, she squandered them on gambling, fueled by the false promises of easy riches and the thrill of taking risks.
Her lover, a man plagued by unemployment, addiction, and a desperate need for a stroke of luck, became her partner in these reckless pursuits.
The absence of a stable father figure in Hobe's life only added to the turmoil. His father's sudden disappearance had left a void in their family, a void that was filled with uncertainty and speculation.
The rumors surrounding his father's activities cast a shadow of doubt and shame over their household, adding to the burden Hobe carried.
As for Hari, her father's tragic demise was a painful reminder of the consequences of infidelity. The revelation that her father had been leading a double life, deceiving both her mother and his mistress, ended in a fatal act of betrayal.
Hari's father had passed away two years ago. He was killed by his mistress, who stabbed him with a dagger upon discovering that he was married, despite his constant promises to leave his wife.
It was within the context of this troubled family history that Hobe's mother continued to make poor choices in her relationships.
Her current boyfriend, addicted to gambling, represented yet another in a string of ill-fated connections.
Hobe's concerns deepened as he began to worry about the possibility of his mother becoming pregnant once again.
Her reckless attitude towards sexual encounters and her aversion to using protection heightened his anxiety.
If she were to become pregnant, he knew she would opt for an abortion without a second thought.
However, sometimes it was too late for her to realize she was pregnant, and that's how both Hobe and Hari came into this world. They were unfortunate products of their mother's poor choices in life.
Despite the circumstances surrounding their birth, Hobe did not harbor any resentment towards taking care of Hari.
On the contrary, Hari was the reason he had found the strength to endure and survive until now.
Hobe knew that if it weren't for his younger sister, he might have succumbed to the overwhelming despair long ago.
Their upbringing was far from ideal, shaped by the consequences of their mother's questionable decisions and the absence of responsible parental figures.
Hobe silently carried the weight of their difficult past, shouldering the responsibility of protecting and providing for Hari.
The love he felt for his sister overshadowed any negative emotions he had towards their circumstances.
Hobe often found himself caught in a conflicting struggle of emotions. While there were moments when he wished both he and Hari had never been born, erasing the pain and burdens they had inherited, he also knew that such a scenario would mean never experiencing the joy of Hari's presence and her sweet face.
Despite the hardships they endured, Hobe's love for Hari ran deep, as if she were his own beating heart.