The Unknown Virus

Chapter 13

I was put in my tent, under guard supervision, as Salem got everyone ready to move out. I was pissed off. I was confined to my tent, when I could be out there, getting away from these jack offs. Running away. Figuring out what was happening to me.

I wanted to go out and figure out this new power thing for myself, but I couldn't get away. I couldn't leave.

"We're almost ready to leave, Rave." Ash said, walking into my tent smiling. "We'll be ready to leave for DC any minute now."

"Ash, you need to help me get out of here." I begged, standing up and resting my hands on Ash's chest. "Please, baby, you need to get me out of here. I don't want to go DC. I want to stay here."

"Babe, we have to go. You can do so much good."

"No, you don't understand. Uhm, uh..." I struggled to come up with a reason I couldn't go. "Alice! Alice is here! I can't leave her."

"Rave, she's dead."

"I know that. But Ash, she was my friend. I can't leave her."

"Yes you can! We have to go! We have to find someone who can save us."

"And you think someone we don't even know is going to save a shit world?"

"The world wasn't all that bad." Ash said, smiling. "I met you, didn't I?"

"Ash, I'm being serious. I can't leave!"

"Why? Because you're scared of leaving behind a dead girl?"

"Don't  you start with me! She was my friend!"

"She would have wanted you to move on!" I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of a better reason as to why I had to stay. "Rave, why don't you want to leave?"

"I don't want to go with you guys." I whispered. "I don't want to go to DC!"

"Why? Raven, why wouldn't you want to save the world?" I hesitated.

"Ash, will you bring me out into the woods?" I asked, looking him straight in the eyes. Ash hesitated, not sure what to do.

"I don't know, Raven. Your brother is almost ready to leave."

"Just 20 minutes, baby. Please?" I gave him my best pouty face, hoping he'd give in. He hesitated a little longer, then sighed.

"Why do you want to go into the woods?" he asked, his lips but a thin line.

"I want to test something."

"Suicide?!"

"No! Just, please. I'm your girlfriend. You're supposed to support me." I was playing the girlfriend card. Dirty, but effective. He hesitated for a moment more, then turned.

"Fine, let's go." He said.

"Take notes, ladies." I said under my breath, smiling. I followed him into  the woods, stealthily so Salem wouldn't stop us. "Don't shoot anything." I warned, taking the lead.

"What?" he asked, running to keep up with my sprinting strides. "What if we see a zombie?"

"I'm hoping for it." I said, taking off at a run, as to get away from the camp.

"Raven!" Ash cried, struggling to keep up. "Slow down!"

And I did slow down, a good distance from the camp until I felt we were far enough away. I stopped, Ash almost crashing into me. I glared back at him, giving him the 'really' face, then turned away scouting the area. We waited, silently, impatiently.

"Raven, we need to go." Ash said, pointing. "You said no shooting, so we need to run." I looked in the direction he was pointing in and brightened up. There one was. A male, stumbling through the trees. He caught sight of us and began walking towards us, like we were a beacon, and he was draw to us. "Rave, lets go."

I walked towards the undead being, wrenching my arm from my boyfriend. I stopped a few feet from him, waiting for the being. He stopped right in front of me, looking down upon me.

"Raven!" Ash yelled, backing up. The man looked passed me, snarling.

Don't eat him! I thought, my eyes wide, hoping I could pass as telepathic.

Turns out I wasn't. He pushed passed me towards to Ash.

"Don't." I said. The man stopped, turning. "Come back." I whispered.

And he listened.

He came back towards me, kneeling. He growled, and snarled, but did not attack me. I kneeled down in front of him, blinking. I put my hand up between us. The zombie calmed down, putting his hand to mine, slowly, uncoordinated. I smiled, looking to Ash.

"Babe, I think I just discovered something amazing." I said, laughing. "Babe, they listen!"

"Raven." Ash said, and I could hear the panic in his voice. "What the actual fuck. How, what, but uh."

"Ash, honey, calm down." I said, standing up.

"You are fucking controlling that thing!"

"I guess so."

"Is that what you were doing that day? Controlling them?"

"Maybe?" The walker growled, standing up. I stood up too, confused. He walked off the way he had come, stumbling, falling, but getting back up. I watched after him, smiling.

"I'm like a fucking zombie queen!" I said, bouncing up and down. "This is amazing! What else do you think I can do?"

"Hopefully, nothing." Ash said, pacing. "We gotta go. We gotta tell your brother."

"Oh no! You can not tell Salem! He already thinks I'm a freak."

"Raven, you are a fucking freak! I don't know what the fuck just happened, but you are not normal." I took a step back, feeling as though I had just been slapped in the face. "You can not do that anymore. Not again."

"You are not my father!" I cried, my temper flaring up. "I can do as I please." Ash grabbed my arm, pulling me away.

"I may not be your father, but I am older then you, dammit. And I said you are not to do that again!"

I growled, my temper flaring up further.

"Careful, Ash. You're talking to someone who can get you eaten alive. Better not anger me." Ash looked back, a dangerous fire in his eyes.

"Yeah? And I'm your boyfriend. You need to respect how I feel about this!"

"Well, looks like you're not my boyfriend anymore!" I yelled, pulling my arm away from him. He looked at me, appalled, but I walked away, afraid I would be true to my word and get him eaten alive.