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They say death will do us part but it seems even death can’t keep them from being stuck together.
Charlie doesn’t know why the memories came back.
His life had been great! He was just a normal guy with a normal life. A carpenter and craftsman specializing in architecture and weapons with a good flexible job so he still had time to tend to his gardens.
He’s also got his best friends.
There’s Florida Man (a nickname derived from his reckless nature and ability to get into the most insane situations especially with his crocodiles — plus Zachariah Bud Light Daytona Ford F150 Dale Earnheart Jr. Jr. is a mouthful and he doesn’t like being called Zach).
Then there’s also Condi, his friend dedicated to his passion of science, though it all goes over Charlie’s head when he actually talks about whatever it is he’s doing in his lab, Wilford who runs a boxing ring (though he suspects is also an illegal fighting club at night), Ronald the conspiracy theorist who owns a garage of cars that he “pimps up,” and Wizzly the wizard LARPer who never breaks character (you get used to it).
And sure, now looking back on it, it’s not exactly the most normal group of people, but that doesn’t mean he suspected they had fought the zombie apocalypse together!
No, but the worst part of it all is remembering his greatest enemy from those 100 days. The one who had gained his trust and betrayed him until their final battle.
Tommy.
Tommy, who happens to be his little brother in this new life.
Tommy who definitely remembers the old timeline and maybe possibly very likely is trying to kickstart the apocalypse again.
How does Charlie know, you may ask?
Well… he doesn’t really.
It started small, like Tommy being more interested in Condi’s experiments and spending time with him in his labs.
Then it was the comments that he was making about Charlie’s head… and skull… and yeah, Tommy is also a biomedical student studying anatomy but still, that’s reasonable reason to be freaked out, right?
And then there was the time he came in and saw Tommy with a brain.
Yes he screamed. Yes he maybe almost tried to kill Tommy. Yes it was a cow’s brain that he was dissecting for a class.
Okay, so maybe there isn’t as much evidence as he thought and also Tommy has been super freaked out about his accusations that he’s trying to kill him and the rest of humanity.
Charlie’s friends are all worried about him, even Florida Man is, and if Florida Man thinks you’re being a freak about something then you’re definitely being a freak about it.
He’s about to drop it when Tommy shows up home covered in blood and Charlie is at his last straw.
“Please,” Charlie says. “If you remember, please just stop toying with me and just kill me already.”
Tommy blinks with teary eyes. “Okay. Fine. I do remember.” Charlie’s breath hitches. “But I don’t want to kill you.”
Charlie stops. “What?”
“Charlie, you’re my big brother. I’ve grown up with you for my entire life in this life. And yeah I have some memories, but my mind and body aren’t infected so those thoughts are only intrusive thoughts. I don’t crave brains even if I do remember eating them and I definitely don’t have any bloodthirst against you anymore. So can you… can you stop tiptoeing around this, around me and just trust that I really don’t want the apocalypse anymore than you do and… just be my brother again?”
The world goes wonky and Charlie catches sight of the man with the apples applauding in the corner, fading away, as if that was his final deed done.
“Yeah, Tommy. I can do that. I’d… I’d really like that.”
“Okay,” Tommy says. “Cool.” He goes in for a hug but stops. “Oops, uh, sorry. This isn’t mine. Or human. Or real. We were doing a haunted house fundraiser but got a little too excited with the fake blood.”
“I can see,” Charlie says.
“I do not miss blood either,” Tommy says. “Anyways, after I take a shower, do you wanna, I don’t know, talk? About this?”
“We’re gonna have to eventually aren’t we? Just… rip the bandaid off.”
“Yeah,” Tommy says. “Also, I gotta ask. Is Wizzly an actual wizard in this world too?”
“Genuinely, I have no fucking clue.”