Unexpectedly Undead

Unexpectedly Undead Chapter 14

-Many Faces-

Olivia's eyes burned as light suddenly enveloped them and she woke to see Caroline and Samuel standing over her and Macon, a curious look upon both of their faces. Apparently at some point while watching 'Night of the Living Dead' the two had fallen asleep together, curled up on the couch like a couple of love-sick teenagers.

As Olivia stirred from her slumber -her head resting on Macon's chest- so did he. One look at Samuel and Caroline standing over them and Macon quickly shoved Olivia off of him like a rag doll.

"Jerk." She whispered under her breath, as she threw her arms over her head and stretched. A yawn slowly passed her lips as Macon stood from the couch.

"Long night?" He asked Samuel as he scratched at the back if his neck, almost nervously. Samuel and Caroline continued to adorn their looks of surprise as he answered.

"Yes... quite long... and tiring. What about you two?"

"Just a movie and popcorn." Olivia answered quickly but in a soft tone, taking the opportunity to join the conversation, even though it had only just begun.

Caroline smiled in her direction at her words, before turning toward Macon.

"The haul's in the cooler whenever you want to get started. Just the one, but he's a bit on the large size, so make sure to take your time trimming the fat." She offered him, with a slight giggle. Olivia noticed quite a large smile cross over Samuel's face as well. Macon quickly threw his hands up with an exasperated sigh.

"Again with a fatty?" Macon complained. "That's the third in what..." he paused to count upon his fingertips. "...six weeks."

"Okay... what am I missing?" Olivia asked, sort of understanding what was going on, but not enough not to ask.

"Macon has been insisting, as of late, that Samuel and I are purposely scavenging corpses that are of a hefty size so that it takes him quite a bit longer to dismember and store them."

"Which isn't the case." Samuel added in their defense. Olivia watched as Macon lowered his head slightly, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he were frustratingly lost in thought.

"What was his name?" He finally asked, without even looking up. Samuel cleared his throat before asking.

"I'm sorry?"

"His name? What was the portly gentleman's name?" Caroline burst in to an uncontrollable laughter at Macon's words, so much so that she had to wrap her arms around her midsection as she flopped backwards in to a nearby armchair. Samuel chuckled before saying.

"His name was Robert Portman."

"Portman? Are you serious?" Macon exclaimed. "See, the name alone implies he was a chubby one. Portman... portly man... I told you both you were trying to make the work harder for me."

"A person's name doesn't imply what body type they'll have when they grow up." Caroline said inbetween chucles.

"Really?" Macon questioned. "I suppose you've forgotten the name of the last one then?"

"I can't say that I recall."

"Nevermind." Macon whispered under his breath. "And I suppose you wouldn't be interested in helping me 'put away the groceries' now would you?" He asked, turning toward Olivia. The mere thought of chopping up another human being would have made her hurl any other time, but the simple thought that she wasn't a human being anymore crossed her mind suddenly.

"I'll help." She offered. The three looked at her curiously for a brief moment, before Caroline asked simply.

"Really?"

"Sure, just as long as you do most of the grunt work."

"Deal." Macon offered without hesitation. True, he had accepted the fact that when it came to 'the hunt' over the past years the work had been split in to two groups; Samuel and Caroline, and himself.

He didn't mind the extra work simply because he had never seen his brother as happy as when he was with Caroline. They were a couple that did everything together and would literally test the sands of time, in his opinion. Nevertheless, with Olivia's arrival at the very least his workload would be lighter during her stay.

"Okay. Let's get to work." Olivia said as she headed toward the door, still receiving looks of confusion from the others. Macon caught up with her just before she entered the kitchen and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?"

"You really want to help me dismember and store a dead human being? Why?"

"That's what I am now right, a flesh eating zombie?"

"Yes, but that's not what I'm asking. In my nearly seven hundred years of existence, I've developed a keen sense of reading people, human and zombie alike."

"And?" Olivia asked.

"You don't really want to be here." Macon offered. "Ever since you awoke in the lounge you been trying to figure out a way to win our trust, simply biding your time until the right opportunity came along to run." Olivia froze at her position next to the kitchen door and lowered her head in thought.

"I thought about it, yes." She finally admitted to Macon. "Those were indeed my intentions."

"So what changed your mind?" He asked.

"I... I guess I just realized that even if I were to find a way out of here, that I could never go back. I could never return to the life I once had because of what I am now. I wouldn't survive a week out there on my own as a zombie, and I see that now. My place is here." She explained, raising her gaze to meet Macon's. He noticed her eyes were slightly illuminated by their blue glow, and thought for a second if the words she spoke came from her or the unidentified breed of parasites that inhabited her brain.

"Come on." He told her, pushing open the kitchen door. "Let's get the groceries put away."