The Madness Inside Us

The Change

The days pass without incident. Murphy seems to let me be, though I do exchange kind words with him every once in a while. Being "his" blend has created a strange little relationship between us. 10k and I, though, are closer now than we have been, after sharing that intimate moment down by the water.

If only he'd just talk to me about it.

Not talking about it has me on edge again. I am stressed out and just wish I could establish a relationship. We even sneak away to exchange the occasional kiss. The rest of the group doesn't know about any of the moments we have shared. We did end up telling them about the creepy men we encountered, but left out the whole naked/touching/make-out thing. Nobody is ready to hear that just yet...

10k looks down at me from where he stands in the bed of the truck and we exchange a warm smile. Our relationship seems to be more of an unspoken bond. The few words we share over crickets sizzling in the flames of the campfire, pulling briars out of bruised legs, and after a particularly badass Z kill hold enough meaning that we don't need the extra words.

What he doesn't know is how much I have grown to love him.

I know that I would most definitely die and kill for this boy. I already help protect the group from unmanageable groups of Zs using my blend-nature...but I always go the extra mile for 10k.  I wonder constantly if he feels as strongly as I do.

My train of thought is ripped off track when a gunshot rings out and destroys the truck's tire. The truck jars and we bump to a halt as a group of five people with bandannas tied over their mouths rapidly approach us, aiming high-powered rifles, pistols, and a shotgun at us.

"Nice stop, Warren." I pat the roof of the truck. I see her glance up at me in both amusement and warning in the rearview mirror.

"Hands up high, where we can see them. Don't even think about reaching for that weapon," one of the strangers growls.

10k's rifle is pointed out, and I can tell how uncomfortable he is. He didn't even have a chance to hop out and get to higher ground.

"Put the weapon down, kid," another man spits out.

10k glances at me, then down to the truck where the rest of the group sits stiffly.

"10k, do what he says," Warren's voice comes from the cab. He lowers the rifle reluctantly and gives me a helpless look. I will him to read my mind, locking eyes with him.

I won't let anything happen to any of you. Especially you, 10k.

He doesn't hear me, of course. The men pull us all from the truck and take our weapons, frisking all of us for knives and hidden items. I silently thank anybody that may be listening that my ripped tee covers my bitten and scabbed shoulder. I can't help but snort when they pull a long chain from the waistband of 10k's pants and he shoots me a shut up look.

"Dude, I'm sorry, I just can't stop picturing you trying to garrote a zombie or a human or some shit with that thing," I cackle, slapping my knee. I take a deep breath and try to sober myself as the corners of his lips pull up in chagrin and amusement. He always says that my laughter is contagious...probably because I sound like a pig mating with a goose, but I digress.

"Now, you wouldn't happen to be The Murphy, would you? We've been looking for you. Stopped everyone that's been traveling this road for the past three days to get you." One of the men steps close to Murphy and grabs his chin, turning his head this way and that to observe his blue skin. He jerks away and makes eye contact with me.

They all force us to our knees as they talk about taking Murphy away to a vehicle parked down the road. I squirm and wrestle the man that tries to rope my hands behind my back, growling as I thrash around. My instincts scream at me to go to Murphy, to protect him.

"Shut up," one of the women clocks me in the mouth with the butt of her rifle.

I feel the inside of my cheek bust open over my teeth and warm, metallic blood fills my mouth. I ignore the pain and work up a nice mouthful of bloody saliva and spit it at her. She steps toward me again and an inhuman snarl rips it's way up my throat at her. She stops dead in her tracks and looks to her group, eyes wide. 

"Feisty," one of them purrs, undeterred. He steps forward and grabs my face, pressing the busted part of my cheek into my teeth as he leans in. "I like it."

I wimper quietly at the pain in my mouth. My nose wrinkles as his awful breath washes over my face and I spit at him too. "Fuck you." I try to bite his retreating hand.

"Well," he chuckles "don't mind if I do, sweetheart." He reaches for his belt buckle and another one of the men chuckles nastily. 10k tenses besides me and squirms, trying to free himself to protect me.

"Leave her alone!", Addy calls out.

"Well, you're a pretty one too. Looks like we got lucky." Another man stoops in front of Addy and twirls a lock of her red hair in his dirty fingers.  She jerks her head away.

I look around our group and lock eyes with Warren. I can see the wheels turning in her head, trying to get us out. Her shoulders start to move only slightly, and I realize she is trying to work out the knots in her ropes.  I begin to fumble with my own restraints.

"Hey man, why don't you just let us go since you got Murphy?", Doc reasons. Someone plants their shoe into his chest and kicks him over.

"Don't touch him", another growl rips from my chest and I stop messing with the rope. A hand from someone I don't see slaps the uninjured side of my face with a loud crack, and my head snaps to the side painfully.

As my face throbs and I swallow down the tears that threaten to fill my eyes, panting heavily. 10k's face contorts with rage and he barely stands up before someone hits him in the eye, and he lands on his back. His breath leaves him, whooshing out audibly.  If looks could kill, they'd all be dead.

I look to Murphy again. My chest aches with the need to protect him, almost overriding my need to protect 10k.  Everyone in the group seems defeated, eyes either downcast or taking in the faces of the others.

Kill them, I recognize Murphy's voice in my head. Kill them all. NOW.

A sudden need for blood rushes through my body and I welcome it. A need to feel the throats of these men in my teeth, to rip out their organs with my bare hands, to pull the very skins from their bodies. A sweat breaks out across the back of my neck and I feel my pupils dilate. My very body quivers with anticipation and the carnal need to murder them all.  My chest nearly explodes with rage.  A red haze makes it's way over my eyes, tinging everyone in a deep scarlet.

I snap my binds with a grunt. "With pleasure", I snarl as I turn my face up to our captors, grinning evilly.