The Secret

Chapter 24: Jealousy

Jealousy is one of the oldest of qualities that comes naturally when someone has something you want. Whether it be even a life, a reputation, or achievement. And, as much as I try to avoid it, it still sometimes gets the best of me.

I walk in and see Nelly kissing him.

"Oh my god." I say, heartbroken, as tears cascade down my face.

They push each other away and look at me, guilty. Before I confront them further, a pounding occurs on the table.

"He's awake." I say.

It's a mindless zombie. It's my father.

Three hours earlier, Nelly and I have jumped out of the crowd of marching zombies without being seen, to go behind another building.

"What the hell do you want?!" I whisper. "We can't go along with our plan if you change your mind like this."

"I know." She says. "But I have a different plan. A better one."

"Oh really?" I say.

"Really." She says. "It involves kidnapping your father from the crowd of seemingly mindless zombies."

"Alright." I say, "Why my father?"

"Because I haven't spotted my parents yet and he's closest." She says.

"This better be a good plan." I say. "How are we going to get him?"

"I don't know." She says. "I was hoping you could help me with that one."

"I have a taser." I say. "It'll do the job silently if you can keep him quiet."

"Okay." She says.

And, just like that, without a problem we get him out of the crowd and bring him behind a building. I can't believe my eyes as I stare at my unconscious father, with pale cracked skin. I can't believe Jeremy did this, and it's all my fault. Ugh.

"So what now?" I say, wiping a tear away.

"We take him in whatever car we can to the next city." She says.

"Why?" I ask. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"Because like your secret, this one is a little dangerous too." She jokes.

She rolls her eyes.

"Alright." She explains, "My rich ex-boyfriend lives in the city next to ours and his home is fully protected enough to where I know it's safe and he's okay."

"Why would we go there?" I snap, a bit jealous.

"Because he's going to school to become a medical examiner and he knows a lot." She says. "He could find out what's going on with your father as a test subject to find out about what's going on differently with him and all the others. Zane, he can help us."

I pause, putting differences aside about this ex-boyfriend. "Okay."

We proceed to do so. We go home and get my father in my car and head off to the next city. Before we know it, we're there.

We go in and bring my father in. Her ex-boyfriend had no problem letting us in. That's odd. His name is Henry.

Waiting on Henry to do some testing, I fall asleep outside the room he has the equipment in. I soon wake up and walk in the room he examines bodies in this huge place he calls home and see my father tied on a table. I look up and see Nelly and Henry. They're kissing.

"Oh my god." I say, heartbroken, as tears cascade down my face.

They push each other away and look at me, guilty. Before I confront them further, a pounding occurs on the table.

"He's awake." I say.