Dead.

Chapter Seven

Rustling nearby caused Cass to stand up again, more? She scanned the bushes and saw nothing, narrowing her eyes as she did so. It stopped and she figured maybe the damn squirrel from earlier was playing mind games and she wished she had brought something to take it down, she wasn't above eating squirrel if it meant staying alive. She grasped the knife in her hand, the thick blood dripping off the blade.

All at once the bushes burst apart and a corpse on all fours seemed to roar and lunge towards her. Cass dodged, barely avoiding its gnashing teeth. She whirled around and stared in disbelief. Corpses didn't run, they didn't go on all fours but this one looked different, it acted different. It had, at one time, definitely been human and she pushed herself back, losing it in the bushes. She shouldn't have gone off by herself like she had but it was too late for regrets right then and she scoured the area, it had barely made a sound on its limbs and she was in disbelief.  She fumbled for her gun, right then she would take the risk of being heard and attracting some form of aid. She just had to not get bit.

The thing leapt from the bushes again but Cass could have sworn it came from one of the trees and it bowled her over easily, knocking her aside as though she were nothing at all. Cass grasped out for something to pull herself up with. It hadn't tried to bite her and she stared at the thing, it circled like a dog, spine bent unnaturally to support its frame, skin peeling and flaking uncannily. Cass might have thrown up at the very sight of it if she had any time.

"Down!" Came a call from behind her and Cass hit the deck without even thinking about it as a gunshot rang out. Heavy steps moved forwards and Cass felt someone haul her to her feet, the thing screeched and Jeffrey glanced at Cass.

"You bit?" He demanded and Cass shook her head and he started practically dragging her back towards the walls. He looked as shaken as Cass felt and she had to jog to keep up, glancing behind her now and then.

"Don't run." Jeffrey warned under his breath but had his gun up.

"What the Hell was that?" She demanded, given Jeffrey seemed to know what it was. His eyes were steel as he looked ahead and he didn't dare meet her eyes. Cass kept moving and only once they were out of the woods did Jeffrey slow his pace somewhat to a normal walking speed.

"We call them Odds." He said to her quietly, glancing towards the walled community, "We don't see them often, it's like they evolve, they longer they're just corpses." He explained, "You guys haven't seen them before?" He asked, seeming a little surprised more than anything. Then again, he was talking to some medic who likely never seemed to go out of the walls when she could help it. He chuckled some, a hand resting on the back of his neck absently. He stopped; they were safe in the open.

"They like the dark, they like the forests and cities, plenty places to hide." Jeffrey said as he leaned on a rock larger than both of them. Cass stared at him, evolving corpses? That wasn't right, it couldn't be right. Their bodies decomposed; she had seen it herself so how was any form of evolution possible with dead cells? Cass's head was reeling and she sagged some and sat on the grass.

"They die the same way though, from what we saw." Jeff offered up as though that would stem all of the concerns Cass had suddenly. She glanced at him and then looked towards the walls that had held their community safe for months. They suddenly looked incredibly fragile all of a sudden.

Cass strode into the gate and straight towards what had fast become the community hall, a hub for the higher ups and pushed the doors open, relieved to see them all huddled and speaking. She must have looked worse for wear as they stopped speaking and Jay approached her,