apocalypse

Questioning

I don't know how long I lie there, but eventually, the pain in my head becomes tolerable. I sit up, and start to walk towards the door, but it opens before I get the chance, with everyone staring at me. "We want to talk with you. Privately. All of us. Kazuki requested to go last." Wesley says. "I'll go first." Everyone else exits the room, and I find myself face to face with Wesley, who, remarkably, has not done much since my arrival. "Don't worry, we're under heavy surveillance. In case anything happens."

"Who... What the heck are you?" He immediately begins questioning me. "Like, if you could make Kazuki mad at you just by existing, then you gotta be-"

"Some sort of monster?" I cut across him. I let out a sigh. "Honestly, I don't even know anymore."

I look at my feet.

"Back when I was just... me, I at least knew what I was. Who I was. Now I'm worse than before."

Wesley snorted. "You can say that again! Anyways, what were you doing with Ethan in the past... uh, day?"

"Trying to make a cure. And failing. MISERABLY."

'Ah. Right. Well, does he have any idea what caused your.. Let's say, newfound anger management issues?" He gives me a grin. I roll my eyes. "I'm sure he does, but you'll have to ask him."

"Alright then. That's all. Jimmy's up next. Oh, and by the way, Ethan's not going to talk to you. I'm sure you're getting tired of all the medical terms." He gives me a slight nod, and walks out the door. I walk backward and lean against the wall. I slide to the floor as Jimmy walks in. He walks forwards a few steps, then hesitates. "Please tell me that you've got some easy questions." I say.

"What is it like? To be like this?"

The question takes me by surprise. Why would he want to know?

"Start from the beginning." He looks at me. "No one will know outside of this room." Yeah, right. We're being videotaped as we speak.

Still, I take a deep breath. "No one knows why I became like this. I was first bitten by a normal zombie, just like everyone else who is turned. The first few days were... hard. My family was away, trying to find a safe space. I had no one. When a zombie is turned, they are immediately given the hunger for flesh. I did as well, but not as strong. It was bearable." I grip my knees. "But still, I did not believe myself safe should my family return. And so I traveled. It was not long before a soup spotted me. They did not know who I was, what I was. They wanted to learn. And so I fled." I look up at Jimmy, who wore a shocked, yet sad look. A look of sympathy. "A couple weeks later, I began to take a better understanding of what I had become. Also around that time, small blemishes appeared on my skin. Bits and patches of zombie rot." I look at my arms. At the blemishes that have yet to disappear, if they even do. "Soon after that, I had my second encounter with the soups. They are intent on following me, you see. This one was just a scout. I had no choice. I ran. Life followed on like this for several months. Eventually, we got to where we are now."

"I.. I never thought.."

I shake my head. "You couldn't have."

He takes my hand, and I glance down. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it didn't matter."

"It always matters" There's a knock on the door and we both flinch. "My time is up." He walks towards the door. "Oh, and I'll see if we can't get them to travel with you. We're going to visit some other resistance members tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

Ethan is next to open the door.

"Kazuki has decided not to speak with you today, so that saves you that torture at least," he says with what I think is meant to be a reassuring smile. "Oh, thank goodness." I say sarcastically. "You knew this was going to happen."

"Ah.. well, yes."

"You told them all while I was out."

"Yep."

My shoulders slumped.

"Well, I knew it was going to happen anyways." I say with a sigh.

"What was it like?" Ethan asked, suddenly intense.

I take a step back. "What do you mean?"

"What was it like to be connected to the hive mind?"

I shake my head.

"Not now. Not so soon."

He gives me a resigned look. "All right. That will be all."

He left without another word.