Until the End

Chapter Twenty-Five: The object of my affection.

She pushed Shane's hands off of her face and turned away.

"I'm in love with Daryl. I'm sorry, but I can never be with you as I am with him." Kirby stated, before walking away from Shane.

"Can we at least be friends?" Shane called out to her.

Kirby stopped and looked back at Shane from over her shoulder.

"Shane, you practically confessed your lust for me. You loathe my boyfriend and you'd rather talk about you and I at the moment when we should be finding a way to bury Jacqui and plan an escape. When I look at you and listen to the words that come out of your mouth, all I feel for you is askance. I'm not sure if we could ever be friends." Kirby stated, before disappearing behind one of the isles.

The things Shane wanted to say to Kirby all vanished at what she just said.

'Since when did she start using words I don't understand?' Shane thought, annoyed.

Kirby ripped open a plastic bag that contained a blue tarp and unfolded the waterproof material. She bit her bottom lip as she carried the tarp to the isle Jacqui's body laid and spread the tarp out beside Jacqui. She swallowed the tears that clenched her throat and went to grab the duck tape that was still on the counter top. Kirby's hand shook as she grabbed the roll of gray tape. Looking down at it, she ran the tip of her fingers along the small blood stain on the side.

Her vision began to blur, but she blinked her eyes rapidly to stop herself from crying. Shane's hand reached out and took the tape away from her.

"I'll do it." He mumbled, heading to where Jacqui laid motionless.

"I'll help."

"No!" Shane yelled, then sighed. "No, I'll wrap her."

Keeping her mouth shut, Kirby marched over to where Shane stood next to the blue tarp. She stared Shane down with a stubbornness that was rare in the current world.

"I said--"

"Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what you said. She was my friend and I'll very well help wrap her. If you have a problem with it, then you can get the fuck out of my way." Kirby said heatedly, her eyes a bright green.

It took Shane a few seconds to catch his words.

"Fine." Shane hissed, shoving the roll of duck tape around his wrist so that he had his hands free to grab Jacqui by the shoulders.

Kirby grabbed Jacqui's ankles and together they moved her onto the blue tarp. With the tarp now wrapped around Jacqui's body and the duck tape keeping the tarp in place, Kirby and Shane moved Jacqui's body to the back of the store where the freezer was. They placed Jacqui inside the thawed out freezer, making it her resting place. Kirby stormed out of the freezer and left Shane to lock the door. She was back to gazing out the window.

"Since it's light out, we stand a better chance then we did last night. I think we should make a run for it." Kirby said, eying the walkers outside.

"You're crazy if you want to go outside in this weather with all those walkers out there. Did you forget about those dogs as well?" Shane asked, his eyes wide at the thought of even stepping one foot outside.

"The storm will slow them down and it helps that we're faster then they are. I haven't heard a dog since last night and I don't see one out now." Kirby stated.

Shane spun Kirby around, angry.

"It's too dangerous! We don't know who all survived last night. Mallorie could be dead. Daryl could be dead. Worse they could be a walker like Jacqui--"