Brain Dead; A Zodiac Story

❖ Chapter 29 ❖

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Part 3: Starvation
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December 5th, 2009
4:43 AM

~Aquarius~

This couldn't be happening. God...no...

"I say we chop off his arm; maybe it'll stop the spread."

Tuning back into the conversation, and that being the first thing I heard, caused me instant nausea, holding my stomach as it flipped like I was hanging upside down on the highest rollercoaster. The suggestion came from Pisces-go figure-and the others actually seemed to take it into consideration.

"Are we even sure it's a bite? Maybe it's a scratch or-"

"It was definitely a bite." I cut in, not interested in feeding into any hopeful hypotheses.

I had seen the moment he'd gotten bit. The zombie clung to his jacket, digging its teeth into his arm. At the time, I wanted to pretend he was okay, that the bite couldn't have sunken that deep. I wanted to believe he had avoided infection.

Sag had clamped her mouth shut once I spoke, shrinking back. We had stopped the car about 30 minutes ago, parked right in the middle of the city to recollect ourselves and form some kind of plan now that things had gotten...complicated.

"What do you want to cut it with, a kitchen knife? The wheels of the car?" Mini deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "We don't have anything to cut it with."

"Well, where's one of those really sharp piano wires when you need one??" Pisces pursed his lips and was quickly given a smack to the arm by Capricorn, who scoffed.

"Be serious for once." She grumbled, her face fully showing the worry her voice wouldn't give away.

"Well, what do you want us to do??" Pisces scoffed, shooting her a glare.

I pull away from the conversation, their back-and-forth bickering becoming muffled to my ears. My legs feel weak as I trudge back to the trunk, borderline ready to collapse after such an exhausting night. Nausea hits as my worries cram into my brain, leaving me no way to rest and an unbearable migraine.

"Hey..." I lose my breath quickly from a single word, struggling to face reality as I look upon the person huddled in the corner of the trunk, away from the crowd.

Taurus was quiet, not because he was tired or not in the mood for conversation, but because he was in shock. He hadn't said a word since he'd told us about the bite and would be found staring at the teeth marks engraved in his skin, disgust present in his eyes.

"How're you feeling..?" I try again, hoisting myself up into the trunk and scooting back so I was sitting near him.

Taurus's face buried into his arms that rested atop his knees, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

"About as good as I can be right now..."

My heart wrenched, hearing the hollowness in his voice, quiet and choked up like he just finished crying. There were so many things I wanted to say right now, maybe something that could be of comfort, but my lips wouldn't move.