𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷

Chapter 4

A/N: typing on my laptop rn because my phone charger is being stupid and my phone is about to die, so can't do bold text.

All of a sudden I felt a hand cover my mouth, and I was tackled to the ground.

"Shh, don't move a muscle, don't make a sound." It was Jessie, she was shielding me with her body.

"Play dead, this cadaverine will make us smell dead." Jessie said, as she poured some cadaverine on the ground, right in front of my face. It took everything for me to not vomit right then and there.

The zombies surrounded us. One bent down and started sniffing us. Jessie quietly maneuvered her hand, and gripped the handle of her knife.

After what felt like hours, the zombies finally walked away.

"Can you get off of me now, i'm about to puke." I said.

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"There were only four of them Jess, couldn't you have just killed them?" I asked.

"Tamina and Naomi said they go out of their way to chop down zombies, they don't run or hide from anything." I said.

"Is that what they say.." Jessie said snarkily.

"Yeah, why didn't you just knock their heads off with your bat, or pop a cap in them with your gun?" I asked.

"Keep your voice down." Jessie said, instead of answering my question."

"Why, is the "Grim Reaper" afraid of zombies?" I teased.

Jessie sighed, "You've got a lot to learn kid."

"Ya see that open field over there?" She said, pointing to a large field.

"Yeah, why?"

"There's something you need to see. Follow me, and keep quiet." Jessie said.

We stood on the edge of the hill, looking down at the field. There was a zombie, who looked to be a teenage girl before turning, wearing a red dress.

"I've passed this same field, many times. It's always the same. Take a look and tell me what you see." Jessie said, handing me a pair of binoculars.

"A house and a zombie. Duh, what's your point." I said, slightly annoyed.

"Keep looking, that girl was what, seventeen, eighteen when she died?" Jessie said.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on man don't star-"

"She might have been pretty once." Jessie interrupted.

"She had people who loved her. Cared for her, people who wanted to see her grow up and be successful. A family. But she's one of them man. She's dead." Jessie finished.

"Six billion people are dead Ari. And every single one of them had a family before the world went to hell."

"You said it's always the same. So.. she never moves?" I asked.

"Nope, most of them tend to stick to home unless something attracts them. And some stand in the same spot for YEARS. Like her. Just waiting." Jessie responded.

"Why hasn't she.. It... rotted away completely.?" I asked.

"That's one of the many mysteries of the land out here, they decay to a certain point.. and then stop." Jessie said.

"I've seen enough." I said, shoving the binoculars into Jessie's hand.

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"You've been unusually quiet since we've left that house." Jessie said.

"Why doesn't anyone else talk about this place? Well, except for Tamina and Naomi. All the secrecy in town drives me nuts." I said.

"Its more of denial, than secrecy. It's easier to pretend it doesn't exist." Jessie said.

"Maybe because none of it makes sense, Why don't zombies rot? Why don't they eat each other? What makes them want to eat human flesh?" I spiraled.

"I'm not a scientist kiddo. There are a lot of things we'll probably never know." Jessie said.

"Do they eat, like cows and stuff?" I asked.

"Trapped farm animals, yes." Jessie responded.

"Most people don't know this but, they'll eat anything that's alive. Cats, dogs, bugs, even birds if they manage to catch them." She continued.

"Y'know I really hate this place. How much farther?" I complained.

"Quiet a bit farther, but we're going to make a quick pit stop first."

We came across a small wooden building, with two gas pumps in the front of it, and crosses surrounding the building.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It was a gas station once, where cars used to get their fuel." Jessie said.

"No , I mean what's with all the crosses?" I said.

"That might take some explaining." Jessie said, instead of answering the question.

Jessie went up to the gas pump, and took out the nozzle, and started to clang it against the tank.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I said, alarmed.

"Saying hello to some friends." She said nonchalantly.

"Friends?" I said.

Just then a stocky and tall man began to walk out the door.

"Um.. hi?" I said nervously

But when they completely came out of the door, I found that it wasn't a man.

But a zombie...