Dead EndChapter 3

The hours pass excruciatingly slowly. It’s unfair, really, how slow time passes just when he could really use it to go faster. But no matter how much Jordan urges the universe on, it utterly ignores his fervent wishes. But despite the slowness of it, time do pass. 

So steadily, one hour goes by. Then another. And another. And another. NqOgVS

About an hour in, Jordan gave up on hiding his phone, already starting to become bored out of his mind. It’s no use anyway, surely Sebastian would have expected him to have a phone; who doesn’t in this age? So hiding it simply means having nothing to do while waiting for… something that the stranger refuses to tell him about. 

Thankfully, he charged his phone yesterday so it’s still got more than enough battery to last him while he waits for the clock to run out. His fingers sweep over the screen as he traverses social media and lets his friends (roommates) know where he is. 

Chrysanthemum Garden.

It’s closing in on six in the evening when the car alarms bursts to life and nearly scares the crap out of him. Jordan shudders, twitching in his seat and craning his neck like he can see them out the window; the windows face the alleyway, so he very much can’t. But it’s a valiant attempt. 

”What’s that?” Jordan asks, sitting up straighter, his phone slipping from his fingers as he grips the armrests. Alright, so maybe the stranger’s serious attitude has affected him more than he thought. It’s surprisingly hard to not take someone seriously when they look like that and seem so incredibly sane. VMnNy5

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Sebastian looks up from his own phone, placing it down on the coffee table (also full of piles of nonperishables). ”It has begun,” the man mutters, not even looking at Jordan. He rises from his chair and walks over to the window, pulling down the metal cover over it.  Then he slowly walks through the rest of the room, carefully covering every window. Jordan follows the man with his gaze, curling up a little tighter on the armchair.

He’s not sure if something is really happening, or if the man is simply finally revealing his true colors and Jordan is about to be trapped with a kidnapper and potential stalker—from his own stupidity, no less. 

Hugging the armchair tightly, he waits to see what Sebastian will do.

But when all the windows have been boarded shut, Sebastian simply sits himself back down on his chair and picks up his phone again. Jordan’s frown slowly grow harsher as he waits, his fingers clenching tighter and his body leaning forwards. He can’t see the man’s phone from here, doesn’t know what he’s doing on it. 

And Jordan is—curious. It’s what got him here, and it’s what makes him slowly stand up, carefully so that he doesn’t make any noise. Sebastian still tilts his head in his direction though, so maybe he heard him anyway. Regardless, Jordan forges on. 

He crosses the distance between them, walking around the piles of supplies and trying not to knock anything down. His steps are uncertain, gangly, his long limbs tucked in close to his body; he doesn’t know what to do with them. When he is finally behind Sebastian, he stretches out his neck to look over his shoulder at the other man’s cellphone.

It’s a forum of some kind, he thinks. He doesn’t recognize it, but he doesn’t know why he thought he would. Maybe they know each other on some forum and Jordan inadvertently revealed his real identity, and that’s why Sebastian knows him? It’s a possibility, because Jordan would remember a man this handsome. And he did have that period in his teenage-hood where he was on a lot of forums.

Shaking his head, he leans closer to get a better view. Sebastian unfurls slightly, leaning farther against the backrest and giving him a better view. It makes Jordan frown, but he doesn’t say anything. L5PkXC

It’s a survival forum. 

More accurately, Sebastian (who seems to be the admin) has just released a warning about an impending attack, and that everyone needs to stay inside and barricade their homes. Jordan leans even further forward, until his head is right next to Sebastian’s, and narrows his eyes. ”You’re serious?” he asks, his voice low.

”Yes,” Sebastian’s rough voice answers him. Jordan feels the man’s head rest on his, and is too stunned to even do anything about it. 

Clicking his tongue he asks, ”What kind of attack?” xjm5nH

”Zombies,” Sebastian answers, the word almost rushed. Jordan stills, turning his head sharply—thus banging it lightly against Sebastian’s head, but Sebastian simply moves with him. He’s close, Jordan abruptly realizes. 

His mind rewinds. He draw backs and demands, ”Seriously? Zombies? Fucking zombies?!”

Sebastian winces. He rubs his forehead and frowns, his body easing away from Jordan’s. He sighs, turns to stand. Jordan’s hand is on his shoulder before he knows it, pressing down. ”Explain this to me,” he says, his mind racing. ”Explain how you found out it’s zombies.”

It’s not a question.  msEIni

Sebastian moves toward him, leaning into the touch. Jordan is much too rattled to care; he thought that the man was sane. Thought that there was a reasonable explanation for this sudden kidnapping. Thought that he could… well, he doesn’t know what. But he didn’t think zombies.

”I can’t,” Sebastian says. His voice cracks in the middle, and he turns on the chair, slumping forward onto Jordan’s hand, trapping it beneath his head. The man’s skin is warm against him, and Jordan leans back, curling his body away from this man. ”I can’t,” the stranger repeats. ”It doesn’t make sense. You would’t believe me.”

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Jordan tries to think of something to say to that, but he has nothing.

”Please,” Sebastian breathes, half his face hidden, his scorching breath hitting Jordan’s skin like acid. ”Please just stay here tonight, and tomorrow… if nothing’s happened tomorrow, I won’t stop you from leaving. Please. Just tonight.” NGUMA

And, well… one night probably won’t hurt.