The Plague

Chapter eighteen

Nothing in the world could have prepared Ruby and Lucy for what had just happened.

The person in front of them walked closer, smirking

"What?" She stopped walking and looked at them with content in her eyes, "you thought you could get rid of me that easily? "

Lucy frowned as she tried to get the words out of her mouth.

"Emily " she whispered. Emily warmly smiled at her.

"It's good to see you Lucy" she said and grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. Lucy stood in shock and awkwardly hugged her back.

"How is this even possible?" Ruby asked.

Emily broke out of the hug and turned to Ruby with a smile on her face.

"Ruby" she said "aren't you at least going to greet me before the questions begin " she playfully frowned.

"Sorry, but I just can't believe you're actually here" Emily groaned and rolled her eyes

"Fine " she turned back and walked away "follow me"

Ruby and Lucy looked at each other feeling uneasy. They slowly followed behind her.

She led them to an open space, where dozens of zombies had gathered. On seeing them, Ruby and Lucy stopped walking, wondering if they were safe.

"Would you relax?" She called out to them, hands on her hips " I won't let them hurt you"

As calm as she sounded, it didn't make them any less cautious. They walked towards her again, eyes swinging around for any quick move a zombie could make.

The zombies stared at them, quiet moans coming from their mouths.

She led them further and stopped in front of eight zombies carrying a palanquin on their shoulders.

"Do you like it?, I made them build it from scratch " Emily smiled triumphantly.

The palanquin was wooden, it had two benches facing each other and there was little space in between. It had no doors and four zombies each stayed in front and behind the palanquin. The poles ejected from its bottom and rested on their shoulders.

Ruby and Lucy stared at it in disbelief. They wondered if they were in a dream because nothing seemed real.

"Come in, we have a lot to discuss " she said and immediately, two zombies ran in front of the palanquin and knelt down with their palms on the ground.

She stepped on them and their bones could be heard cracking as she made her way into it.

Ruby and Lucy walked towards the kneeling zombies and climbed on them. They snarled at them, making them quickly enter.

"Move" she commanded and the zombies carrying the palanquin began to move. The other zombies surrounded them, forming a rectangular barrier.

"I guess I haven't been very honest" Emily began " you guys must have a lot of questions and I will answer them all" she looked at them, gesturing for them to begin.

"How long have you known you could control them?" Ruby asked.

"Are you the reason for this apocalypse? " Lucy asked

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Have you been acting all this time"

"Are there more of you?"

Emily's head snapped back and forth as they threw questions at her, clearly angry. She held up her hands to stop them.

"Calm down. I think it's best if I start from the beginning. " she said and they both slowly nodded.