Walking Among Everyone

018

I got woken up as the jeep came to a stop. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my surrounding. It was eerily quiet despite being the bright afternoon. Many vehicles were abandoned on the roads, their doors opened ajar, assuming the owners were rushing to get out to safety.

I watched as the team left the jeep one by one, to gather and talk out their plans. I stayed quietly in my seat, glued to Zion's side.

"I think they're figuring out which is the safe place to rest and have lunch," Zion was staring at the small gathering, sparing a glance to remind me that he was talking to me.

I nodded, though I also knew I have no say in anything that the group decided. I just want to be somewhere safer and away from this unbearable silence. Though it was nice to have no noise in the world but this "no noise" moment were due to the monsters that roamed the town now.

Daniel came back to our jeep, leaned into my side and talked in a low volume but loud enough for me to hear him.

"So, the scout team have located a place that's safe. A cafe, not far from here. Bound to have something to eat there."

Food!

The thought of it made my stomach automatically grumble. Though I had eaten the sandwich earlier, it wasn't enough for my growing body. In shock, Daniel looked at me, then at my stomach. He wanted to laugh, I could see it in his face, but he shut his mouth instead.

"Well, I guess we all could get some food," was all he said as he left my side. Before that, he nodded to Zion, who seemed to understand his gesture. I wasn't sure what had happened between them but at this moment, I felt like they were just trying to understand each other better.

The more help, the better.

That was what I assumed.

Zion got down from the jeep, his hand securing a rifle that some member of the team handed to him. When I got down to go by his side, hoping I'll get a weapon of my own by someone, I was turned away.

No, like they literally turned their back to me and ignored my presence. I was about to open my mouth to ask them for a weapon, of any kind, but Sarah called out to me, shaking her head.

I huffed in annoyance at the fact that I can't protect myself since they didn't give me anything of my own. Only then did I realised Zion had been standing near me all this while, holding a kind of look in his eyes that screams: "I caught you red-handed."

"You don't trust me?" He asked as I walked towards him.

"W-what do you mean?" I stuttered. "I never said anything."

He shook his head. He grabbed both my hands and brought them to his chest. I could feel the his heartbeat under his shirt. I looked up at him, wondering what he was doing. As he stared at me, he smiled, slowly.

"I promise you that you'll be safe, as long as you stay beside me. You won't need to do anything at all. You don't need your own weapon."

He said that as a reassurance but I was actually offended that no one thought I was capable enough to do anything by myself.

I slid my hands out from his grip, completely ignoring his sharp stare. I don't feel like giving a reply but I made a mental note that I could potentially die since everyone was acting as though I can't do anything on my own.

"Hey, come on. We got no time to lose. Gotta eat and save some food before night falls."

Daniel called out from behind Sarah. Even though he was talking to us, he kept a sharp eyes out for any monsters that might attack us.

The uncomfortable feeling I had felt earlier on, came back. With the area being eerily quiet, it could be easy to hear if anything tried to approach us but it also makes us an easy target for those monsters as they can hear us better.

So an unsaid rule had been put to place in the group: to walk as quietly as possible but also to be attentive to our surroundings.

And I want to honor that rule. Since I have no weapon of my own and I have to be protected by someone at all cost, I should not put myself in danger. That way no one can get hurt.

I nodded inwardly. It seems hardly far that someone should get hurt on my behalf which was why I think Daniel, Sarah and even Zion were being idiotic by not allowing me to have a weapon.

Seems like I need to find my own one. Maybe I can find it in the cafe later.

××××

Author's note:
Felt that this is a very short chapter. Not proud of it because I wasn't sure what to write. But this chapter been in draft for too long and I need to carry on. So here's an update, last touched in May...well, see you soon ;)