Love Revived A Zombie Romance

Jack

It’s nightfall when I jolt awake from loud banging coming from deeper within the house. I blink the blurriness of sleep away and realize that I have fallen asleep. I look around the room to see vague shadows that look like I'm in the living room on the couch. Bie is on the floor sleeping and my heart races recalling the last time I woke him up. Wait, was Bie awakened yesterday on the roof? Was he once again in zombie mode?

A shiver runs down my spine at the thought and memory. As I get up I do so slowly and quietly, not wanting to chance him waking up. But as another loud sound rings through the house I listen and think its sounds like it's coming from the bathroom. My mind jumps to the worst possible scenarios. Zombies can now climb and Jack is dead or one of them… well it's the same thing. I stop in the hallway at that thought. Are they really, truly dead?

A grunt and thud come from the bathroom and I mentaly kick myself for not grabbing my sword though it would be hard to wield one handed. Ducking into a room I quietly close it and wince at the soft creaking noise it makes. Leaving nothing but a crack to see the darkness on the other side as I pier out.

At first I hear quiet footsteps, a wild human perhaps or a zombie in the middle of change like Bie? I wait until the shadow comes into view but don’t move. I am defenseless and broken so what can I do? I watch through the crack as the shadow moves further down the hallway towards Bie. Bie! Oh no, I left him asleep with this mystery creature lurking inside. I strain to listen as the footsteps dissipate.

When I hear a thud and growl along with what sounds like a very human “oh fuck.” I bolt out the door weaponless and broken but ready to defend Bie. I see two shadowy figures on the ground and grab my lantern. Lighting it I frown as I take in the scene in front of me. Bie has Jack pinned to the ground snarling at him with a growl so deep that I feel like I can feel it vibrating my own chest.

“Bie!” I yell and he immediately stops growling and snaps his head to me. His eyes dart around me for a moment as if looking for something and then goes back to Jack growling again. “Bie!” I yell again, “Thats Jack”, panic filling my voice. What if he is in zombie mode again?

I don’t get to think too much more before Bie responds, “I know.” He says somehow in a growl.

“Then stop it.” I say exasperated. Jack looks scared, his eyes wide filled with panic as he takes me in. I can’t imagine what he is thinking. Bie stops his growling after a defeated grunt and gets off Jack and walks to me. “Jack– are you okay?” I ask tentatively.

I ignore Bie coming to stand beside me, slumping his shoulders and I don’t dare turn my head to look at him because I know he is staring at me, making the tips of my ears heat up. Jack gets up by rolling over and pushing off the ground. His face is strained with annoyance or anger, I can’t tell in this low light. “This wild human is dangerous.” He says ignoring Bie and the growl that comes from his lips. “He attacked me.” He says flatly, widening his stance, as if preparing to either launch an attack or stand his ground.

Looking up at Bie finally with shock on my face I'm sure, I look at him and ask, “well did you?” like I am a mother asking a child.

“He touched me.” I sigh heavily, pinching my nose.

I glance quickly at Jack and then back to Bie, “So you just can’t attack people for touching you.” He sucks in his cheeks and says nothing as a response. As I stare into his clouded eyes his eyes soften and he stops biting his teeth. My heart also softens and I know where this is going. Where I want it to go… When did things change between us? When had I changed towards him?

I quickly look away hoping that the redness that I feel creeping up on my cheeks will not be seen in this low light, and look at Jack. “Are you okay Jack?” I ask again.

His eyes flicker between us for a moment before he answers, straightening his shirt, “Yeah. Though this wild human acts more like a zombie–” he walks to me and ignores Bie. “That’s why we don’t go near them Gwen, we don’t know what they are capable of. I– I’m just glad that you are safe. Has he hurt you?” He asks and I can't help but be reminded of what Jack saw on the roof that day. Bie eating me out. My face flushes as I recall him thinking my moans of pleasure were moans of pain.

“Yes, yes I am fine. Bie,” I look at him and then at Jack, “This is Jack. Jack, this is Bie.” Bie’s only response is a grunt and he shifts closer to me, so close that I can feel the heat from his body.

Ignoring Bie once again Jack reaches for me grabbing my good hand. “How did you get tangled up with a wild human?” He leans in and whispers, “Is keeping you hostage?” To my surprise Bie doesn't respond to that, he only c***s his head to the side waiting for my answer, a small just barely gracing his lips. He is wanting to see what I say, I realize. That cocky mother fucker.

I sigh deeply because I need to tell Jack the truth to get Bie to the other colony but I worry Jack won’t take it well. “Look, we need to talk.” Looking at Bie I ask, “Can we talk ALONE?” He grunts and lingers for a moment before heading deeper into the darkness of the house. I really hope he doesn’t listen to this. I take the lantern walking to the couch, setting it on the coffee table as I too sit down. This is going to be hard.

Jack follows my lead and sits on the couch next to me “What's wrong?” He asks innocently.

“Well remember that super zombie I was telling you about?” He nods his eyes turning to slits as he guesses where this conversation is going. “Bie was that super zombie” I say very heavily and lean back quickly as Jack jolts up to an attack stance.

“Did he bite you?” He all but growls out.

“No” I say in disbelief. “Bie has never harmed me.”

“Let me see.'' He says more violently than I have ever heard him speak as he pulls me up looking at my face, neck, arms and when he starts to lift up my shirt I slap him away.

“Jack! I'm not bitten–”

“I saw him and you!” He says red in the face. Now I am red in the face at the memory and I notice from behind Jack a flicker of movement. Bie has come back into the room but stays on the edge of it. Jack luckily doesn’t see my eyes looking behind him because he grips both my arms and shakes me sending jolts of pain through my broken arm. “Did he bite you?”

“No!” I yell and break away. Jack is breathing heavily, his eyes look wild but he needs to hear this. “Jack, he is becoming human. Look at him, he can talk, breathe, and he doesn’t look like a zombie. No black veins run under the skin.” I yell out ignoring the pain radiating in my arm.

“That you can see.” Jack unhelpfully points out.

I level my eyes at Jack and sigh heavily, “Look Jack, he is changing, becoming human whether you like it or not we have to get him to the other colony before his change is completed. I fear they won’t believe me otherwise.” Jack sucks on the side of his cheek and chews on it for a moment before responding.

“Look Gwen, you have always had a soft heart but a zombie is still a zombie, even though it walks, talks, and breathes, the virus is still in it. He can infect others–” He reaches for my good hand and I allow him to take it, running his thumb over my knuckles. “--and you. Does he bleed actual blood?” I freeze, I have never seen him bleed. When I fell through the roof and he came to my rescue he was covered in zombie guts, was some of that black stuff his?

I need to think about this. I need a way to get this information out quickly. The radio tower comes to mind and I can’t dismiss the thought. If another colony can get a wild human before their change is completed then we can make a vaccine. A bite would not be a death sentence anymore, we could be free from fear of the zombies just as wild humans are. A thought at the back of my head occurs to me. Wild humans have never come to our colony but we have come across humans living outside the colonies. They never want to come back with us. I always thought they were stupid but what if–

“I need to think and–'' damn my arm is killing me. I hiss in pain and Jack drops my good hand and takes his pack off his back to start digging through it. Bie still remains still in the hallway and thoughtful, like Jack’s words had gotten to him too.

I hear the rattle of the pill bottle before Jack speaks, handing it to me, “Here, take this. It will help the pain.”

“Thank you.” I say taking it not caring to ask what it is. In the apocalypse you have to take what you can get. “Maybe you should rest. You did fall off a roof.”

Sitting down I remind him, “Well you pushed me.” Making him chuckle. He put an arm around my shoulders like normal and I glance at Bie expecting him to growl but he doesn’t. His eyes are downcasted and he looks sad. I feel awkward with Jack touching me but I don’t know how to wiggle out without hurting his feelings so I fake a yawn, that turns into a real one quickly. “Well I don’t know about you guys but I am tired.” I say hoping he will get up and leave. The medication feels amazing as it takes away my pain, leaving only my exhaustion left. Jack only holds me closer and I give up. At some point I fall asleep without realizing it.

When I wake up, dawn is just dusting the sky and I close my eyes again wanting to sleep more. The next time I awake I am groggy and have to peel my heavy eyelids open. I am greeted by a ceiling this time and turn over in yet another bed I realize. Bie must have moved me. I stretch and groan. “You up?” Jack's voice comes from nearby.

“Yeah.” I say yawning and sitting up. Once the blurriness of sleep leaves my eyes I blink in the day light streaming through the windows. “What time is it?” I ask on auto.

This earns me a chuckle from Jack. “Afternoonish. You know people don’t really keep track of time anymore.”

“Well we sure do in camp.” I say thinking of all the 6 am drills and 7 pm curfews. I had to camp out another night outside the colony because of it, several times. Jack laughs lightly before heading to me and sitting on the bed.

“How do you feel?”

“Like shit.” I say honestly. My arm is pounding with aching pain and my head is groggy. “Do you have any more medication for the pain in my arm?” I need to at least clear my head.

Jack shifts around his pack and returns a white pill and some water from a cantine. “Here”

“Thanks.'' I croak out taking the pill and water and choking it down. I cough a bit and Jack rubs my back patting it lightly.

“You good?”

“Yeah, I'm still waking up.” I say straightening and taking in the room. It's a room I haven't checked out in the house. Weird because I thought I did. I frown at Jack, “Are we in a different house?”