A Bite of Zombie

Chapter 8

Brook strode over to the window across from her and gazed outside. How was such a view possible? It was as if they were above ground.

"Interesting isn't it?" Penny came up behind her.

Brook blinked at the woman for a second and then smiled warmly. A smile that felt awkward. It had been a year since she last truly smiled from her heart. She just wasn't used to it.

"I don't know how they do it, but they managed to make it just like on top." Penny sighed happily.

Although the sight she saw out of her two eyes seemed so real, she knew it wasn't. There wasn't the tweet of birds or the sound of insects. It was quiet, too quiet. Brook didn't even notice once Penny shuffled away towards the oven. The smell of cooked meat, carrots and onion made her nearly drool all over the place, something nobody needed to see. Keeping her saliva in her mouth and straightening her back, she headed for the dining table and sat down next to Devyn. He grinned at her with a raised brow.

"What?" She nearly snapped.

"Feisty. I like them feisty." He chuckled.

Brook ignored his words as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest as if she were cold, a shiver ran up her spine.

"Are you ok?" Adam asked.

Her eyes wondered up to his for a brief moment before gazing down at the table infront of her. He didn't say much, but when he started speaking with that deep and inticing voice, she could help her reaction. How exactly did she react? The flush of her skin was probably quite noticeable right now.

"I'm fine." She muttered.

A few hours passed. They ate, chatted and played cards. Brook couldn't help the feeling of being the odd one in the group. She was different and they didn't even know her little secret. Pursing her lips, she gripped the shorts Adam had given her, her knuckles turning white. An ache made her stomach turn upside down. Even though she already ate, she still felt a hunger for something more. Denying the craving, she shook her head.

"Are you ok dear?" Penny asked, putting a gentle hand upon her shoulder.

"I am fine, just tired." Brook answered swiftly.

"You can go to sleep if you want. It is getting late." Penny said. "There is a guest room upstairs down the hall. The second door to the right."

Brook hesitated as she stood up. Pushing the chair in, she headed for the stairs. She could feel the burn of their gazes in her back, but ignored it. Climbing up the steps, one at a time, she reached the second floor with a sigh. Placing a hand to her midsection, she groaned. Was it her or the pain was getting worse? Finding the guest room, she walked in and froze. She had to take a moment to study the room. It was almost like the room she had once had. Blue satin sheets covered the large bed that centered the room. Across from the bed was a desk with a lamp, notepad and a couple pens in a container. On the other side of the room, directly in front of her was the window. Thin white curtains draped it. She glanced down at the thick cream carpet beneath her feet. Digging her toes into the softness, she almost felt as if she were home. Brook crossed the room after shutting the door and turning off all the lights. Dropping onto the bed, she closed her eyes and let sleep drag her into a familiar dream.

"Brook." The voice seemed so far away. "Sweetie."

Her eyes lids felt heavy and her eyes swollen. With all her might, she tried to open her eyes to see who was calling her. Finally she suceeded and saw a blur of a person above her.

"It's mommy. You'll be ok honey." The voice seemed broken. "I-I promise."

It was her mom? Why couldn't she make out her own moms features. Was she going blind?

"M-Mom." She croaked.

"Yes, it's mom."

Something cold pressed to her forehead, but the coolness of whatever it was didn't last. She felt hot, yet her body trembled as if she were cold. Her lips quivered as a shaky breath left her dry lips. What was wrong with her? What had happened? Where was her dad? A tear drifted down the side of her left eye. Why did she want to cry? Suddenly pain wracked her small body, making her moan.

"Shh...It's ok." Her mom's voice soothed.

The sound of sobbing filled her ears. Was her mom crying? Why did she cry? A wave of pain shot through her, making her back bow. Soft small hands cupped her face, "It's ok."

A larger wave of pain swam through her this time, making her scream. The side of her mouth cracked as she opened her mouth wide to scream. The sound echoed around her. Was she dying? She didn't want to die. Why was this happening? It all came back to her. She had been bitten. Her dad was dead and now only her mom was alive.

"K-Kill me." A sob broke from her chest.

If the movies were at least somewhat right, she would become one of those things. She was pretty much dead anyways. She didn't want to risk attacking her mom, she would rather have her heart cut out and her head cut off before she did that.

"N-No, I-I-I can't." Her mom cried.

Brook shook her head back and forth, tears pouring from her blury eyes. Pain swept through her again. She turned over onto her side and dragged her knees to her chest. The words "Kill me" continuously coming from her mouth. An animalistic scream broke free from her, making her mom flinched as she fell away from Brook. Brook slowly placed both hands against the concrete beneath her and pushed her upper body up. Her hair blocked the deadly look upon her face.

"Brook...sweetie..." Her mom whispered.

Brook no longer could hear her mom. All she heard was the rushing of her blood and the beating of her heart. Hunger, she felt a hunger like no other. Lifting her head, she met her mom's gaze.

"Brook..." She breathed out with shock and fear. "Your eyes..."

Brook attacked before her mom could utter another word. That day, Brook feasted upon her mom and after the hunger had subsided, she had noticed exactly what she had done.

"NO!!!!" Brook flipped around ontop the bed screaming.

The sound of her scream shook the house. Jerking her head back and forth, she screamed again as agony wracked her. She killed her mom, it was her fault. Hands gripped her wrists, holding her down. She felt trapped.

"Brook!" The man holding her down shouted.

She couldn't break free from her dream. Tears flowed from her shut eyes as she fought to be free from her past. A sudden sting touched her cheek, making her eyelids flip open. Adam towered over her, breathing heavily as he tried to hold her down. Blinking for a few seconds, she registered what had happened. He had slapped her. His hands never left her wrists. He held a firm grip on them.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

Brook couldn't speak, emotions bubbled up inside her. Instead of words, she nodded her head. Reluntantly, he let go of her and stood up.

"What happened?" He demanded.

Brook slowly sat up and rubbed the palm of her hand down her face. "I...just my past haunting me."

"You're going to have to tell me sooner or later." He glared down at her.

She prefered later...or never. Her past was something she couldn't tell others since it was linked to her secret. Pulling her hand away from her face, she noticed just how shaky she was. She drew her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. Fresh tears glistened in her bloodshot eyes and poured down her flushed cheeks. Adam softened and sat down next to her, drawing her against his chest.

"Let it out." He said with a sigh.

Her eyes widened with shock. This was a new side to this man whom she thought was cold and emotionless. Closing her eyes tightly, she cried in his arms for what seemed hours.