Meet Me

Chapter 7 - Far away

 The worst part about being strong is that nobody asks how you are” – unknown

Walking had become such a normality now, that the long trek, following Connor and his group, felt like a quick stroll. Of course we were fast walking more than anything else. Nobody wanted to die in a surprise attack. Luisa, Owen and I stayed at the back of the group. I was constantly checking my surroundings, not trusting the group that had tried to kill the only things I lived for. They still had possession of our bags, but I didn’t think that mattered so much anymore.

 I

Had

Ignored

Kyle,

 even though he had been the main reason Luisa, Owen and I had been allowed to stay together. He was walking right at the front anyway, and he seemed to be attempting to ignore me. However, every so often I would see him glance at me, or look me up and down. I was very aware that I was worse than I was when I was fifteen. He would have seen that though.

I just held Luisas hand and tugged on Owens top every so often, in a way of comfort. Luisa had been the one to hold my hand first. Her hand was about as still as a dying fly. Owen had been trying to be strong, for Luisa I think, but was failing. He was shaking like a leaf in a gust of wind. Both of them knew nothing of what was going to happen to them. Adding to that, they had both just narrowly avoided being shot to death. I didn’t care who these people were, but if they hurt my brother, or my best friend, or even me, I would kill them. And it would hurt. I would give them to a herd of zombies, or shoot them till their hearts stopped beating, whatever it took to end their lives. They would regret it.

I told Connor this, when we were closer to the place they said would be zombie proof. “Now that’s out the way, do you want to mess with me again?” Connor stopped walking, and I didn’t fear that I had said the wrong thing, I had said whatever I wanted to say to him and the group.

He muttered something to Kyle, then walked up to me. The rest of the group carried on walking. I told Owen to take Luisa and follow them. When the group was out of earshot, Connor looked me in the eyes and spoke to me. I had known him less than a few hours, and he had tried to kill Luisa, Owen and I, but I loved his eyes. They were unlike anything I had seen before. I didn’t avoid his gaze. I didn’t want to send him the wrong message.                   

“I do want to mess with you. I want to mess with your mind and the way you think about the world. I want to alter everything you thought you ever knew. And I am going to do it. I didn’t explain earlier, as there was a little kerfuffle, but I am going to train you to become a, shall we say, zombie killer. This group isn’t like anyone else’s. We go out there, and we kill whatever zombie we come across, whilst getting supplies and other things we may need.

One day, the human population will be greater than the zombie one. My group want to kill every last zombie there is on this earth and we need people to do it. You’ve already shown the skills most of the men here have. Most of the girls here don’t even know how to shoot a gun. But you do. To me, and my group, that makes you valuable. We just lost around 5 men. Will your brother be able to fight, or do you do the fighting for him?” He finally finished.         

“Why don’t you ask him?” I answered. The truth was, Owen barely ever shot the bullet out of the gun. He knew how to shoot one though, so if I said yes, or he said yes, it wasn’t a lie at all. Connor seemed to be assessing my looks as he contemplated his answer. I didn’t look my best at the minute.

I hadn’t been able to wear makeup, I hadn’t brushed my hair in over five months and I hadn’t had a proper shower ever since the apocalypse had happened. Sure, I had bathed in streams and lakes, but without shampoo my hair wouldn’t look its best. My hair had been constantly in a fishtail plait throughout everything and hadn’t been taken out in ages.