The Two of Us

Chapter 3: I'm Just... Immune, I Guess

My heart races like a hummingbird's wings as the soldiers' commands pierce the air. "Get down on the ground!!!" Their voices echo, bouncing off the walls of the small room. The cold, hard reality of the situation claws at my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

"I'm immune!" I scream back, desperation choking my words. "I was bit weeks ago!"

The soldiers hesitate, exchanging uncertain glances. It's a gamble, playing my only card in this high-stakes game. The bite mark on my arm tells a story of survival. But will they believe me? The tension hangs thick in the air, a silent standoff between fear and reason.

Captain Stern-face, his eyes squinting in suspicion, approaches cautiously. His gun remains trained on me, a deadly reminder of the power they hold. "GET. DOWN. ON. THE. GROUND." he demands, his voice sharp.

I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. Suddenly, Zane storms into the room. "What's going on?"

"She's been bit," Captain Stern-face says.

"Let me see," Zane says, approaching me with concern in his eyes. His gaze locks onto the scar on my arm.

I hold my breath as Zane examines the mark. The room feels smaller, suffocating under the weight of uncertainty. He touches my hand with his, and I can feel his warmth. I shiver slightly. The soldiers watch with wary eyes, their trigger fingers itching with the tension of the unknown.

"This has almost healed," Zane declares, his voice cutting through the silence. "How can this be?"

"I told you," I say, my voice trembling with a mix of relief and frustration. "It happened weeks ago. A zombie bit me. I survived. Somehow, I'm immune. I don't know how, but somehow I am. You know that everyone who has been bit turns within 24 hours."

Zane looks at me and then back at Captain Stern-face. "Get Dr. Jonah. He needs to see this."

Captain Stern-face eyes me skeptically, but at Zane's command, he reluctantly nods and hurries out of the room to fetch Dr. Jonah. I glance at Zane, gratitude flooding my eyes.

"Thanks. I thought they were going to shoot first and ask questions later."

Zane smirks, a playful glint in his eyes. "Well, it's not every day that we see something like this. Why didn't you tell me?"

I sigh, the weight of my secret lifting. "I was afraid. It's not something I go around broadcasting. People react with deadly force when they see you've been bitten."

Zane's gaze softens, replacing the playful glint. "Well, yeah... But how? I have never seen anyone survive a bite. You're just... lucky, I guess."

"Lucky," I repeat with a bitter laugh. "Is it luck when everyone you've ever cared about gets turned into one of those things and you're the only one left standing?"

He reaches out, his hand brushing against my arm, where the scar resides. "I'm sorry, Jenna. I didn't mean to minimize what you've been through."

Zane's touch lingers on my scar, and for a moment, the weight of the past lifts as our eyes lock in a silent understanding. The room seems to shrink further, closing in on the shared vulnerability between us.

As we wait for Dr. Jonah, I open up to Zane, my voice a whisper. "It happened almost three weeks ago while I was looking for some food. I was holed up in that camp I told you about, the one the armada destroyed."

Zane listens intently, his eyes reflecting the flickering emotions in the room. I continue, my words, carrying the weight of a world forever changed.

"I was walking through the abandoned store, thinking it was safe. But the damn zombie came out of nowhere. He bit me, and I thought it was the end for me."