Don't Be Scared

S.1 E.5 ~ HSZ (Ch. 30)

"What?" I asked, swerving back around to face the panicked Mack.

"What the hell happened to your face?" He examined my new facial mark, answering my question with another question.

Mack reached up, cupping my cheek while his thumb glazed the scratch. I can't tell him about 10K; he'd kill him with one of these fallen branches.

"I tripped. A Z was chasing after me, but 10K shot it. I must've scratched my cheek on a rock." I lied through my teeth to save 10K's.

Skepticism covered the eldest of the Thompson's, trying to pick a lie out of my sentences. It's not a whole lie. 10K did shoot a Z and a Z was after me. I just lied about the falling and a rock. So, not much of a lie.

"Okay.." Mack sighed, letting his hand fall back to his side.

After the small interrogation, I looked back over at Warren and Charlie. The woman was still piled up in Charlie's shaking arms. He really does love her, huh?

"What happened with you guys?"

Mack looked over to where I was scanning, "During the storm, Warren had locked herself out of the house. When the storm cooled down, we found her on the ground."

Charlie looked worried, but content with her in his arms. They seemed to mold together perfectly. A light smile graced my lips at the scenery in front of me. The clouds above were starting to spread open, allowing light to shine down on all of us.

Like they use to say, it's going to storm before it's going to shine.

"You know, I saved a man today by nailing a nail in his brain."

With eyebrows fused together and a fake shock look, I returned looking at my brother, "You? Pretending to be a doctor?"

That's when I took notice of the dried blood splatters on his pale, bearded face. There was no open damage to his body. Jesus Christ, did he actually..?

"Did he survive?" I catechized, looking for the hurt man from before.

He was on the lawn with his wife holding him, tightly. Mack nodded his head, displaying a cocky smirk along his features. Dad had the same jawline and chin. A content sigh released from my mouth, remembering the pleasant memories of our loved ones.

Mack and dad use to play fight. It ended up with Mack pinned and both of them laughing it off.

When realization really hit me that my brother actually did play doctor and save a life, I faked a gasp, "Well, looks like you're going to be a doctor after all!"

Dad always wanted at least one of his children to be a doctor; Mack, more specifically. Mack wanted a different path, though. The group got back into a circle after checking on one another; I stayed in between Mack and Doc while 10K stood beside Cassandra.

Something scorched my chest upon seeing them touch the other. What is this? Oh! Wait, okay. I must still be mad that 10K forced me into a car. Yeah, yeah. Douche bag. Douche Hero, really..

"Okay, here's the plan. Warren and I will go get the firetruck that we found back at the fire station. While we do that, I want all of you to move back to the truck. Keep an eye on Rick and his wife 'till we get back."

"We're not bringing them, are we?" Murphy groaned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Charlie disregarded the question, looking around at the rest of us, "Stay safe."

We all obediently nodded our head, allowing Charlie and Warren to leave us. As the two disappeared, I watched both of them stay close to the other. When one wasn't looking, the other was.

They're so cute. I jogged over to catch up with the rest of the group that had left me behind. Mack turned around to watch me head towards them, making sure nothing was coming after me.

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around his waist and Addy's. With not much strength, I brought the two closer to my form, touching my sides with their own. When this happened, I quickly moved back and kept pushing their bodies close together.

Finally, Mack grabbed the idea in his head and wrapped his arms around her, visa versa. Another grin formed at my lips, taking a mental picture at the sight. Love bloomed today; not because we lived.

But because not only did a couple survive another day, but one couple grew closer and the other is falling more and more in love. It's cute. The two I helped unite, just smiled at each other with such happiness it was contagious.

"When we get back to the truck, I'm gonna need to check on those wrists, kiddo." Doc said, coming to my side.

"10K had tugged on them, but I think I'm good this go-around."

"Why'd he do that?" Doc asked curiously.

"I guess I wasn't running fast enough for him. I don't know. Then, I did refuse to get in a car." I chuckled nervously, expecting him to scowl me since I didn't listen to my superior.

"You know, you never told me why you're scared of getting inside a car. You get on the back of the truck instead."

I scratched the back of my neck, looking straight at the bright, clear--dead bodies do not count-- road ahead of us, "Just.. The past still haunts me, you know? Something bad happened the night after this all started. It's a story for another chapter, I guess."

"Take your time, kiddo. We got 'till all of us dies from a Z." Doc chuckled, patting my shoulder.

A light chuckle escaped pass my chapped lips, but that was all that sounded from my mouth. I changed my view to Cassandra and 10K, who were walking closely.

At times their hands would brush against each other, making Cassandra look down at their almost combined hands and then back at him. For some reason, my lip twitched at the flirtatious two. Why am I so jealous over Cassandra?

Could she be another sister figure for me? Yeah, that's probably why. I don't get jealous over Mack touching Addy, though, but I do get mad when someone that isn't from this group does. I'm probably just mad.

Not jealous. That would be ridiculous, anyway. It's easy to get those two feelings mixed up, right? Totally. Shrugging it off, I hopped on top of the bedding of the black truck once we reached the awaiting vehicle.

Everyone else stayed on the ground but 10K. The sharpshooter got on the back with me, leaning off of the ledge like I was doing. Right beside me.

"How bad did the car get it?" Mack investigated our time with the small vehicle as he leaned on the right side of me.

Addy was on the left of 10K. The four of us just patiently talked to the other.

I shrugged off the question, "Half the time I was screaming with my eyes closed."

"Can't tell if it's because you were in a car, or the fact that it was shaking around."

I snickered, punching his shoulder lightly, "What about the house?"

"Murphy was hugging a dead corpse, cut off all his hair. I got to play with a man's dome. Charlie was trying to talk to Warren."

At the mention of Murphy's unexpected haircut, I looked over at the lake of people to find the figure. Sure enough, he was bald and b-blue..? Bald and blue.. Was this becoming something inhuman?

"Mack.. H-He's.."

I covered my mouth with my hands, staring at the male who kept his eyes surrounded on the bodies surrounding us. The look in his eyes was disgusting; he pitied those lifeless things.

"Blue, I know, but Warren and Charlie don't seem to be bothered by it."

My eyes refused to turn away from the odd colored male. How could this had happen? If we get injected by his blood, will we turn blue as well? The color was barely noticeable, but you can still see the tint of it.

Oh God, will we all go bald? I-I don't want to lose my matted locks!

|| It's you, because no one else makes sense ||