Awakening

Luke couldn't believe it... he smelt the obnoxious fumes, heard the wailing cry, and felt the ground shook. Even though everything was out of the blue he knew one thing, that everything is real. This whole scenario felt like it came straight out of a movie for the undead rise to exact vengeance

"Crux!!!" Everyone was dumbfounded but after a second look at Allen's body they knew they had to run

"Run!" Allen was a lost cause and the two scurried away while leaving Luke to fend for himself

'... get up, get up, get up!'

"These smell... Grimes?" His skull veered its way to the right where he saw Luke getting back to his feet

"I'll make you pay!!" Even for a pile of bones, the geek leaps far from his grave where he intends to land over Luke

"Get up!" A sudden surge of power rushed from within the palm of his hand and he managed to avoid it in time

"What just happened...?" The undead was dumbfounded as to how he survived even though he returned with a strength superior to theirs

'What the hell was that about? My body... it suddenly feels so energetic all of a sudden. Did I snort some drugs, I feel so alive, but why exactly– Whoa!'

Something was strange, it was clear for everyone to see the corpse was fast Grimes managed yet to dodge. It wasn't just a mysterious flow of energy that gave him the strength to move but his senses became incredibly sharp. After a a few more times he tried to dodge his stamina was nearing its end and he finally got hit

"Graaaaaaaahhhh!!!" As Luke focuses solely on his swings the undead take this chance to sweep his foot and as he falls he becomes vulnerable

The geek swung his fist readily enough to kill and Like blocked it with both of his arms. Though he managed to survive he was sent flying through the graveyard and there he landed near a shovel. Luke knew he wouldn't win with just his fist alone, there was no left to run for he had a sprain. With a vengeful monster fast approaching, a wall in his back, it was undoubtedly a dead end

"Fuck... looks like you have it in for me huh? Well sorry to say but I ain't giving that easily. This life of mine is given back to me, I won't let... someone like you!" 

He confidently says even though his attacks were awkward and he could hardly wield the shovel. But the moment those two came neck and neck, not a single attack could pierce through. Every seeing was parried he'd seen dozens of times of the variety of throws this geek made

"You're too predictable!" Luke swings so hard that even just a little he throws off the undead flow and gives him the opening he needs

"What the... you... what are you?" The surge that appeared on Luke's deathbed grew ever so fierce until even the dead could feel its force

"Like hell am I gonna die!" With his all, he swung the shovel until the corpse flew sky high where it landed in front of the entrance

"Aggghhh stay back!!" Though he misses the chance to cease Luke's life he manages to tear through the flesh of the main cause of his death 

"Oh, deary... it looks like I was late, however, it isn't all bad. Those bastards, I heard their incapable of changing. I guess this is how you'll die– Oh my you're quite energetic for an undead," The mysterious silhouette's hat flew off and thus revealed his face to be Alexander Royce

"Don't get in my way... you're not my target so leave. I've yet to kill one more. Urghhh–" 

The undead was easily knocked away by a mere wave of his hand and he says with a curious tone. "One more you say? But I heard there's only three– Oh wait. Do you mean student Grimes? Can I request you to kindly surrender, that child has a chance to change for the better,"

"So you knew! But why... why would you choose his side? I... I was the one who was hurt, I was the victim, and I just wanted to pay them back. Why can't anyone side with me!!?" 

Instead of comforting the dead Royce's umbrella was unsheathed thus revealing a hidden blade. "Why...? Aren't you a little too much? You've chosen to get back. Brought havoc in this town and you're asking me why? I pity you but your way of righteousness is incorrect and I must correct you,"

"I won't let you!!!" The geek pounces on him and at this moment of vulnerability he doesn't attack but starts his chant

"Vengeful soul your pain has already been heard, your life is but the past, and thus we ask you to go..." The undead tried to attack once more but never did he know he was already shredded to begin with

"Rest in peace..." He never looked back and the rotting carcass broke down into bits while he continued on his way

"Who's there?" 

"Luke...?" Royce was yet to leave to scour the graveyard but before him stood a boy nearing his end

"Smoker? Ha... haha... hahaha I never thought I'd be glad to see you," He catches his injured body, and a few minutes later help arrives along with a few cars belonging to the police

"I'm truly sorry about this sir Royce... I never thought we'd gain any accidents but I guess I spoke too soon. Can we ask for your help before we find a proper replacement?" A man dressed in a black suit approaches him and begs for the assistance of the smoker

"Have you discovered the error yet?"

"Um excuse me?" 

Royce snuffed the burnt spot of his cigar and faced the man directly stared into his eyes and asked again. "The error... why did it take so long to find this town's Keeper dead? Even if you filed for the organization for my help I wouldn't comply. Because I don't want to be someone who cleans the mess others have made,"

"We'll find the error by the end of this week, but please won't you just help even for a little?"

He took another stick from his pocket and lit it up slowly whipping the smoke through his lungs. "Haaaaaa... nows that some good smoke if I ever tasted one. I never really took a liking to vaping so at least this hits the spot, what were you saying again? Hmmm oh yeah so how about you do me a teensy favor and make it so that kid can't be touched by the Crux,"

"But sir–" He stopped midway after he felt Alex's sword brushing against his neck along with his menacing glare

He closed the gap grabbed his cigar away from his mouth and whispered in the man's ear. "... im not getting paid for this okay? From my perspective, im just doing community service. It's been so long since I've been decommissioned. So listen here if you don't help me and keep pissing even if you call the organization all of you will die,"

After finally loosening his mask and showing his face the people who were present weren't able to look. A strong presence of death lingers if anyone dares to stare directly at his eye and they can only do was nod. They quickly left after they finished their duties and he was left alone strolling through the graveyard for any possible clues

'No... no...  get back!!!'

After a day inside the hospital, he finally regained consciousness and he alerted the nurse. Seconds later a man dressed in white who he could tell was the doctor took a seat next to him. Luke felt skeptical of everything after what he experienced that night and the weird look the doctor made 

"Hello, their young man... can you tell me what happened that night? You don't have to be wary trust me I've heard tons of delusional stories,"

The doctor's words encourage him and instead of keeping it bottled up, he confessed. "So I was with Ryan, Drew, and Allen in the cemetery where I stopped them from digging a grave. They attacked me and when things were looking down it became rather mysterious. Black smoke appeared and we eventually saw a moving corpse, like in those zombie movies,"

'So he'd seen a lot eh?'

The doctor clears his throat and suddenly taps his forehead and mutters nonsense. "Oh art of mind grant thee target of mine in forgetting the horrible memories of yesterday,"

'What the fuck?'

Suddenly the finger he taps on Luke's forehead glows radiating a purple light and after a few seconds, he says. "You don't know what happened? You and your friends decided to have a joy ride in the forest... but a small earthquake appeared and damaged your engine,"

'What the hell is he saying? Is there a camera in here or what? But the way he says it feels like he wasn't joking... guess it wouldn't hurt to pretend, and that light. I think it was meant to brainwash me, did I get tangled by a government secret are they the FBI?'

"Accident? But if you say that where are the rest? I can't see them are they in another room?" He nervously says

"Your friends? I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news but your friends... they died,"

'Died? Holy shit were they confronted before me? They might have killed them because they knew too much... I really need to keep my act together or else I'll die!'

"They died how?" He says and shakes not by his act but afraid about what they might do to him

"It looks like your head was badly injured you may experience some memory loss. The earthquake distressed the forest and thus woke the bears in hibernation. You were a lucky one. But your friends got mauled by a grizzly,"

'Is grizzly bear their term for the undead geek? Is our cemetery secretly an underground military lab? Do they use corpses as experiments and that one got out?'

The doctor left the room after he saw his distress and there he thought the brainwashing was flawless. "You might need some time to fully accept your predicament. I'll let myself out. If you need anything just push that button and a nurse will come to your aid. Will make sure we keep an eye on you at all times,"

'Oh god, they're watching me!!?'

As soon as the doctor left it was revealed to be the man who had conversed with Royce before. "That was a close one... I guess I managed to fool him eh? He might have thought I was faking. It's great that I have a poker face, built by the years faking my friendship. Glad that was over and done,"

His subordinate dressed as a nurse approaches him and says. "Sir we've found signs of damage to parts of the corpse even before Mr. Royce made contact. Should we check with the patient if he was responsible for this? It might increase our investigation–"

"No need..."

"But sir–"

"Atatata! I don't want to hear it. We checked his background records he's a normal kid. Plus I already brainwashed him... if that didn't work then he's one of us, a Grave Keeper, but his actions prove it's not. He's just a normal kid who got roped up in this whole fiasco,"

"But still there's a small chance of–"

"Uwaaaagh..."

They heard cries at the other side of the door and he added. "See... the boys traumatized. He's crying so much over the loss of his friends. What excuse do you have now?"

"Okay... so there's a rogue Keeper in this town, I'll call them to start sweeping the area," 

Though it was by sheer luck, young Grimes managed to avoid getting roped in this secret, at least for now

'Grandpa… im free at last! Those fuckers are dead!'