I Do Not Mind The Rain

Chapter 4

Sometimes you fall for crazy people

We finally got inside the car and got out of that parking lot. It was still raining so heavily and barely anything was visible on the roads. But surprisingly enough I didn't see a lot of people or any people at all. The roads were empty, the vehicles were abandoned. How long has it been? How did everyone dissappear so fast? This is the busiest road of the city.

I hoped people hid inside their houses because of the rain and not many people turned into zombies. That way the government could help us. But who was I kidding? This is Sin city. No one sits around at home here. Everyone is just running around after their dreams that's why they come here. Sometimes, times like these, I really think this way of living is so cruel and capitalistic and stupid.

"Oh my god!" Aera shouted suddenly and I almost hit the brakes.
"What? Are you okay?" I looked at her and she had her hands suspended in the air.
"I Am In A Fucking Zombie Movie!" She yelled. She is so weird I love her.
"God! Aera! Don't do stuff like that. You scared me."
She grabbed the sleeve of my coat and began shaking me.
"No! But really! Zombie. Real fucking zombies. Oh my god! This is actually happening! Actually..."
"Aera calm down." I took her hand off me and engulfed it inside mine. I could've let it go but I didn't want to.

"Aren't you completely blown away? I mean-"
"Shhh." I squeezed her small hand twice.
She looked down at our hands. I quickly released her's and put mine on the steering wheel looking ahead.
"Your ears are red again."
"You are distracting me." I cleared my throat.
"Give me your phone I wanna see what is happening."
I fished it out of my pant's pocket and handed it to her.
"What's the password?"
"040394"
"Is that someone's birthday? It can't be yours. I know yours, it's 27 April."
I gulped. I hope she doesn't figure that out.
"It's not a birthday. It's a random number."
"Really? 0403-"
"Don't think too much."
"4 march '94, wait...that's my birthday."
She figured it out.
"Really? I didn't know."
"Are you pretending right now, Strawberry?"

I kept quiet and stared out the window. I could feel her eyes on me. Thankfully, she didn't tease me for now, at least.

"The network is shit. Nothing's working." She said after a few minutes.
"Wait. Let me start the radio."

I fumbled with the buttons until it got a signal. We both concentrated on the voice of the lady speaking.

"...more shocking news we are getting from the big cities around the world. They are getting drenched in rain since this morning and people are acting strange. According to a source from Sin city the people are biting each other and it's spreading like an epidemic. The word Zombie is being thrown around a lot but there is no real proof or statements from the government or the scientists. We advise the people to quarantine themselves until a solution can be reached..."

The woman went on about the condition of other cities and animals.

I couldn't wrap my head around all of it. We were driving to the airport but I wasn't sure if the flights were still on. But I needed to check it for myself because getting stuck in a city full of zombies is not something I want to do or put Aera through. There was no place where we could go here and survive. I looked at the fuel sign and we might have to stop somehwere to get it. I just hope the rain stops soon.

My eyes wandered to Aera briefly. Her leg was jumping up and down and she was biting her nails. I turned off the radio.

"Aera?"
"Yeah?" She replied absent-mindedly still looking out the window and biting her nails.
"Are you scared?"
She turned towards me. "Aren't you? I mean, Zombies. Out of all the things that could've happened...Zombies. I mean how would I survive this. Look at me. I wouldn't survive this. It..."
"Hey...hey! Don't say that. I am gonna get you out of here."

"You are my only hope. You did not hesitate at all before smashing that Zombie. And it's so weird to say this in this situation but you looked so hot doing it."

Somehow, it's not weird coming from her.

"But despite all that I am afraid...cause you know you are my bodyguard and I pay you to protect me. But this is different. I can't expect you to protect me. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. This is totally..."

I wanted to keep quiet but I couldn't.

"A bodygaurd. Is that all you think of me?" My heart hurt a little. A lot. Actually.

"No! That's not what I mean."

"So what? I'm a bad guy who would abandon you?"

"No. You don't understand. What I meant to say is that...I don't expect you to protect me...god, its so hard to explain. Look as much as I would want to I don't think I will be able to help you. Even just in the parking lot I wanted to run after you like those heroines in the movies do before they sacrifice themselves for the hero but my legs wouldn't move and so it's really unfair...."

"I think that you didn't come after me because you didn't need to. I think you would help me if you knew you could."

"How do you know that and..."

She kept going on with her monologue but that little hurt in my heart just dissappeared like poof. She called us hero and heroine in a movie. I mean this is so stupid of me but it makes me happy.
I was starting to get what she really meant but she wouldn't stop talking.

And I needed her to stop being anxious. I will apologise later for what I'm about to say and I think I deserve some slack since we are stuck in a zombie apocalypse and all that.

"Aera I've never said this before but please shut up. I am here and I'm going to get us out of here. Trust me."

She stopped talking and just stared at me wide eyed.

"You are stronger and braver than you think you are. And we will get through this as long as we are together. So don't worry about being a heroin and sacrificing yourself because I'll never let it come to that.
All you have to do is stay beside me and not do anything. You understand me?"

She nodded like a five year old who just learned that we are on a floating rock in space.
"So don't worry." I smiled to comfort her. But that woman...oh that woman. In a blink of an eye she jumped on me. She climbed on my lap rested her head on my shoulder and hugged me.

I didn't know what to do. My heart was beating out of my chest. I felt weird in my stomach. I wanted to hug her back. I was scared we were gonna get in an accident. My hands were literally shaking as I held the steering wheel as tightly as possible. My knuckles turned white as I tried focusing on the road.

"What are you doing?" I finally managed to say.
"I don't know. You were being so nice to me so I wanted to hug you."
"I could've gotten in an accident."
"Sorry."

It was getting more uncomfortablly good by the second and I needed her to get off my lap asap.
"Are you done being thankful?"
"Yeah. But I kinda like it here. It's warm." She said and then she snuggled her head in the crook of my neck like a cat, her lips touching my skin there. I could feel her breath on my skin and I...

Oh god! I gotta get out of here. I looked around and pulled over on an empty road. I noticed the rain was starting to slow down. I pushed Aera away.
"What-" her voice sounded sleepy as I turned us around. It was hard but I somehow was able to get her off my lap and and onto the drivers seat. Once she was seated, I loomed over her and she looked up at me.

"Now you drive." I said to her as I climbed back on the passenger seat.
"You want me to drive?" She asked me looking back and forth between me and the wheel.
"Yeah. I'm exhausted and the airport isn't that far from here."
I didn't look her in the eye. She could never know why I did that. I was flustered and I'm sure she noticed my red ears but she started the car.

A few seconds later I heard her mutter under her breath.
"Clueless man."

I kept staring out the window because it was better for me to stay clueless right now. I would stay clueless until I could ensure both of our safety.

...