The Wild M Bandits

Chapter Four- Don'tcha Wish You Zombies Were Smart Like Me

Adam put me down on a slide. All of us including Callam had escaped the compound and were now resting in a park.

"Jaz, can you move?" I slowly nodded my head. My entire body felt stiff, but that was just the paralysis.

I stood up, feeling a foreign tingling in my muscles. As I stretched, a number of my bones cracked and felt better.

"Thanks to the virus, our bones are tougher. The marrow inside solidifies, making them denser and less breakable. Muscle fibre thickens too, but when we get cut, we won't heal. The thicker muscular fibres means it will only be skin deep, like your face, Jaz." Callam pointed at the long gash on my cheekbone.

"You can see a little muscle." Adam examined my face, "That's actually pretty cool."

"You're stronger too?" Daniel asked, as he reloaded his weapon,"That's useful."

"It will be, especially in combat." Alex smiled.

I flexed my muscles slightly. I didn't look more muscular, butthe way my skin looked more taught was an indication of my increased strength.

"Also, if you don't eat human flesh for the first day or two, your body turns to using fat as a source of food so the pain eases.Don't worry, it doesn't use too much. It's a healthy amount," Callam walked over to me, smiling. At last I trusted myself to talk.

"Can I 'un?"I frowned. That didn't come out right. I tried again, "Can I y'un?"

"Run? Yes. Straight away. You'll also be ten times faster. Don't worry about speech either. That'll return after a week or so."

I looked to Adam, asking if I could try out my new 'abilities'. He laughed and nodded.

"Knock yourself out." I took off. I felt I was as fast as a car! I looked to my right, Callam was with me, just as fast. I was quicker than him before this, will I be quicker now? I put all my energy behind it and shot off, leaving him behind. Now to see how high I could jump. I leapt off the ground, and grabbed a lamp-post. I laughed as I swung freely from it.

Below me, I saw Callam trying to do the same, but he didn't jump as high.

"Come on, you can get down now!" Adam laughed. I slid down the post, landing on the ground and hugged him, that hunger returning.

"Let's go find our group." he said.

~Z~

We had been wandering Manchester for a good hour until we came to the block of flats we were abducted in. It was empty and silent but something caught my eye.

"'uk!" I grunted, pointing across the street.

'Don't mess with the M Bandits'

"They've been here." Dan said, readying himself for combat.

We followed the trail they left us until the sun started to setwhen up ahead we spotted a lone zombie. I could easily take him.

"Steady," Callam said, causing me to frown, "Don't waste the small amount of life you have."

"Uhh?" Small life?

"We can still catch the Z Virus, we're not immune." Adam looked at me, then to Callam.

"What's this about wasting what little time she has?" He demanded.

"We only live five years-"

"What!" Adam got Callam against the wall of a house, a knife to his neck.

"We decompose faster than the normal human and slower than zombies. We only have a maximum of five years. It's not over time, either. Our bodies shut down all of a sudden. That's just it."

"Adam," I managed, "Peass."

He sighed, letting Callam go.

"Fine. We'll just keep moving."

We took the zombie out, and I soon got used to my new strength and speed. After another hour of following the trail the M Bandits left us, we heard a noise. Someone was running!

"Jaz! Adam! So glad you guys are alive!" Chloe came out if nowhere and hugged me, and then Adam, who seemed a bit surprised, and laughed.

"Of course we did. There is a downside though." A tense atmosphere seemed to envelop me.

"Oh no," Chloe looked at us both, struggling against the dark, "Tell me on the way back. It's not far."

Suddenly, Alex was grabbed, a zombie pulling him away before trying to bite him. I quickly sprung at it, my hand connecting with it's face. I squeezed, as it tried to push me off and eat me, but eventually I heard cracking. His skull began to buck and cave in. My grip tightened, and he stilled as his skull snapped.

"Woah." Alex gasped, "Thank you!"

I helped him up, my stomach reminding me he was 'food'.

"Too 'any deafs all-edy." I smiled, pulling him up.

"Too many deaths already," Callam translated, "We need to keep moving, eyes peeled guys."

"Nice work Jaz! I had no idea you were that strong."Chloe grinned.

"Fanksss," I smiled back, when she looked at me confused.

We instead waited until we were with the group again to reveal my secret. As we neared, my stomach roared. I could smell food. When we arrived, people cheered, welcoming us back. Suddenly my mum went to hug me and I stepped back. I felt myself beginning to cry. It was too much, I didn't trust myself.

"I'mm ssso hungeryy," I tried, amazed at how my speech had improved slightly.

"What do you mean? Jaz?" I let out a wail, and leapt to the wall, holding onto a speaker jutting out of the it. Callam was suddenly there with me and grabbed me, leaping down into a corner, stopping me from hurting people. We were in cinema, the exits covered. Enough space to keep me out of peoples way.

Everyone else stayed by the screen, as Callam sat by me, making sure I didn't try to attack anybody else.

"I' go' too mush." I said, rocking back and forth.

"It's ok, it won't be too much soon. By tomorrow evening you should be able to ignore it and resist it better. Trust me. Also, congrats on the speech improvement." He smiled warmly.

The group didn't take it so well. Leela walked away with Emy to watch the doors. Some got scared, others cried. Michael wasn't afraid of me, neither were mum and Adam. I got sympathetic smiles from Monika, Katie and Callum, which was nice. However, Katie N, Chloe G and Kyle kept guns at the ready. Who would blame them? I nearly attacked my own mother.

"Hey Smallfry," Michael put a hand on my shoulder, sitting by me, comforting me and taking my mind off the pain. Stories of the past flooded my mind, as we reminisced together. After a while, though, he grew tired, and fell asleep. His head restedagainst the wall, arm around my shoulders and I felt safe.

~Z~

"Where's Jaz?!" Connor looked around the room for me, expecting me to attack as I walked in.

"Food." I said. I had seen a store untouched by raiders on the way to the group, so I went and restocked our supplies.

"Oh, alright." Connor smiled, apologetic.

"Here." I handed over the batch of bags I'd brought. There was a load of beef jerky, but I had brought that for myself. It seemed to ease my hunger slightly. I could focus on chewing.

"Thanks." Lucas took the food-filled bags and gave me a sad smile.

"Do they hate me?" Lucas followed my eyes, and shook his head.

"No way they're just taking it hard. It's a lot to take in, but they'll come round, you'll see." He grinned, and walked over to them. Him, Emy and Leela routed through the bags without looking at me.

"Cheer up, billabong," Philippa smiled at me. She didn't seem to care about the fact I was fecto, "We'll find a cure in those five years." I nodded, not exactly believing her.

One week. That's all. One week and my speech will return to normal, the hunger will be bearable and I might get my friends back.

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