Chapter 6
Another moment of clarity ,he ate more this time, he had manage to resist the temptation and had settle for some raw beef , he seemed to be back to his own self . He remembered the appeasing sound of guitar string being struck , the sound of drum behind him, bright light blinding him, that amazing feeling of fresh grass under his naked feet. He remembered a bit more , his name was a blurred but the name Jay seemed to oddly familiar , it could be his name . He went back to his home and try at the best of his capacity to analyse the situation . " Dont know how long i can think clearly " . He remembered the news talking about infected people biting each other and remembered the people eating the employee , luckily they didnt attacked him, propaganda he thought at first . Till the attack became more frequent , he had eaten some raw meat and a small animal ... was he one of them ? That was a possibility , they didnt seem to have a a clear understanding of what was going on around them , just like he did . However he had growl and they had left him a space an invitation to feed . Had he ask the place or did they have some ways to communicate . So many question , how did he turn, if he was infected there had to be a cause , he wasnt bitten at least he tried to remember, but his thought were back to being a complete mist . His focus was blurry at best , the sound seemed to be a echo . His moment of clarity , no his normal self had left place to the beast inside of him , the infection had regain control . He wasn't hungry , which was strange thinking of his condition, anyway but he had a craving , a craving for the smell , the same one who had guided him . He stumbled across the floor of his apartment , opened the door and went down the stairs . He heard a growl , one of the infected , they look at each other . Growling turn by turn .As if they were communicating
- Im hungry . Said the the infected
- This is the city we will find something . He answered Hoping for a small animal , his own word surprising him
Something about this thing seemed somehow different , Jay didn't quite understand but his subconscious took a note . She seemed smarter , didnt bump in thing as much as the other but most of all ? She wasnt walking hopelessly it was odd as he looked at her trying to make sense of all of this ,he notice that she had a name tag , Samantha . He would hopefully remembered on his next meal .As he continued to "explore" ,he notice that she was following him , it seem normal though , he actually didn't mind . He didn't mind much of anything as long as he got to that smell . They traveled , hours or days, following his instinct , till they heard a sound , it was a man ,he was probably scavenging for food , in a house . As he saw them approached, the man yelled and try to escape , but his bag was full, it was heavy , he was slowed down . He climbed the stairs hoping to perhaps barricade himself or find an exit , he seemed scared by them , but he trip and fell down the stair directly at their feets .Something happen then , something odd ,Samantha was holding the man down, maintening him to the ground . Jay thought for sure shed jumped at the chance to eat him , but she was looking at him waiting.
- You get first bite, choose please , she said
Why was she offering him the first piece , was it some kind of a code ? No it couldnt , they didn't think , they we're like animal . Samantha was waiting , Jay was even more confuse , why was he thinking a lot more clearly now , was the adrenaline of having a meal ,this powerful or was it conversing with another person like him , understanding more and more his new normal everyday life .
- Why , he asked
- You're different , she answered , you move different , your sense of smell is better she added even your appearance, you're more one of them than one of us.
One of us he repeated she had confirmed his fear he was infected . But Jay suddenly realize something , he'd have to kill the man .Sure it was to eat , not much different than killing a cow or a chicken but this man , this man didnt attack them , he could have , should have but he didn't . Why? They were "infected" nobody would cry for them, they were the predator and him the prey , it would have been justified .
- We move on , he said
- But , Sam started
- We eat to survive , not for pleasure , Jay said
He hated himself , Sam had followed him he felt indebted to her . He hated, what he had said and how it felt to him like he was preaching , he had a vague recollection of him growing up being preached to , to his immense surprise she let go of the man , without arguing nor attacking , she just let him go . She growled at the man, who ran away as fast as he could . What a loss was the only thing , she said before they reembarked on the road .
