What Souls are Made Of

Chapter 10

Millie and I waited until dusk to hit the road. The sun was never kind to my complexion. In the shadows of the setting sun, or better the moon, I could hide.

"I have to pay the front desk for another night," Millie absently said as we headed to the car. "Don't just get in the car. It's suspicious. It's suspect enough you don't come in, but if you hide in the car, it will definitely draw attention."

"So, what am I suppose to do?"

"Just lean against the car and wait for me to come back like you can't bear to be apart from me," she scolded.

"Yes, dear," I responded in a monotone.

"Good fake zombie boyfriend," she nodded before turning on her heel and heading into the front office.

I watched her as she went, determined not to take my eyes off her for a second. I had let Avi down, and I would not let Millie meet the same fate. She turned with a fake smile on her face and made a hasty exit from the office.

"Smile and kiss me," she whispered as she drew near.

Once she was within arm's reach, she stretched out her arms to me.

"I'm sorry," I offered before she rose on her tiptoes to meet my lips.

I wrapped my arms around the small of her back and lifted her slightly to ease her burden. I almost didn't notice her lips on mine; I was too focused on making her comfortable. My mind fixated on my lack of mints, so I held my breath as I held her tight against my chest. She pulled me back to the reality of the moment as her hand rose from clinging to my neck to sink into my hair. It was then that the whole reality of a kiss started to thaw me from my anxiety. Her lips were busy toying with me in a tickling, playful manner that tempted me to open my mouth and let her in further. Just as I was about to give in, reason returned, and I pulled away from her. Millie sensed my discomfort and lightheartedly tousled my hair with her hand before letting it drop.

"I'm sorry," I murmured again, pulling a giggle from her.

"Let's go, love," she said in a louder than needed tone, reminding me it was just an act, a cover.

I opened the door for her and watched as she slid into the car with a smile up at me. She was good at pretending. It was enticing in a way that would have pulled a flush to my face if not for my greenish pallor to hide it.

"I'm so sorry," I sputtered again as the Comet roar to life around us.

"Why are you so sorry?" She teased as she slid across the bench seat and leaned a head on my shoulder. "Put your arm around me like a good fake boyfriend," she reminded me.

Without hesitation, I complied as though I were a puppet under her control. I fished around my pocket for a mint with my free hand and popped it in my mouth before beginning to pull out of the parking lot.

"Do I make you nervous at all?"

"Why would you make me nervous?" She yawned absently.

"Um, because I am a brain-eating zombie," I reminded her.

"Are you?" She lifted her face to meet my gaze and added, "does my brain smell good? Do I have your favorite brain? Is my brain all you can think about?"

"Seriously? What are you ten years old?" I groaned as I pushed her away.

She let out another set of giggles as she moved back to her seat. "You're not a bad kisser when you aren't panicking," she added.

"How would you know? You've never kissed me when I wasn't panicking."

"Okay, then you aren't a bad kisser when you are panicking."

I just shook my head in disbelief.

"And I am..." she led.

"Really, Mil? That's what you are thinking about as we are driving into a zombie den?"

"What should I be thinking about?"

"I don't know." My mind whirled at what she should be thinking of; danger, death, self-preservation. Instead, I offered "a hat" as an answer.

"Really? A hat? That's what you come up with?"

"Hey, I'm trying here. You seem to forget I'm a monster."

"You aren't a monster. If you were a monster, I would already be brainless."

"Maybe you already are."

"Wow, who's ten years old now," she pouted.

"Sorry," I winced.

"You're too nice," she chided. Then, with another sigh, she slid back to my side as though she were proving I was not a monster. "Have you thought about what you are going to say to her?"

"Huh?" I distractedly spoke as I maneuvered the onramp to the highway.

"Sarah, silly. What are you going to say when you finally see her again?"

I hadn't thought about it. A burning surge of panic course through me. Millie must have noticed as my arm tensed around her, but she was too nice to mention it.

"Don't worry; a charmer like you will come up with something good."

"We don't even know she's there," I reminded her. I was beginning to question my gut. I was so focused on my panic that I almost missed a murmur from Millie. "What?" I prodded.

"Nothing, it's just..."

"What?" I demanded again.

"It's just with what the clerk said about the zombies around here... being different... being..."

"Like me." I finished.

"Well, you know, they are like you, but not like you?"

"They're conscious," I offered.

"Yeah, but they're not like you," she added.

"What do you mean?"

"They're not human," she said almost to herself.

"What? What are they like zombie bears?"

"No, they're zombie assholes. You should have seen the look in the clerk's eyes when he described them." She paused for a moment and then added the word "ruthless" in a shallow vacant whisper. "That was the word he used."

I stiffened at the idea that Sarah could be with them. She was surviving. She would be with them for survival. Even more reason that I needed to get to her, to save her.

"I'm sure she's not like them." Millie offered as though she could read my mind.