Chapter 5: Mom
665words
I know she's given up. Miller's ultimatum, Hank's accusations, and my near loss of control have crushed her beliefs like three mountains. She no longer says I'm just "sick." She's probably starting to believe Hank.
Believe that I'm a monster.
At dusk on the third day, she stands up. "Let's go for a walk," she says, her voice hoarse. "You need some fresh air."
I know she's the one who really needs the fresh air.
She doesn't hold my hand. We walk single file, like strangers. People keep their distance. Nobody speaks. The air is thick with silent rejection. Brenda ignores them and leads me straight out through the gates of Safe Harbor.
Outside the gate, the world is quiet. The setting sun paints the sky blood-red. We walk along the camp wall and enter a small grove. The air here is completely different—the heavy scent of living people replaced by pine and damp earth. This smell makes my body relax.
Brenda walks ahead while I follow, several meters between us. She doesn't look back. Her silhouette seems profoundly lonely.
I don't know that far behind us, a small figure follows. It's Caleb, moving silently, keeping his distance but watching with concern.
We walk deep into the forest where dense foliage blocks the last rays of sunlight. The light dims.
Suddenly, there's a rustle from a nearby bush.
The sound of snapping twigs.
Brenda stops and turns, alert. I stop too. My ears twitch. I smell something familiar—death and decay, just like me.
Something lunges from behind a tree.
A zombie, like me, but more intact and nimble. Its target is clear: Mom.
It moves fast.
Brenda doesn't even have time to scream. She steps backward in fright, trips over a tree root, and falls heavily.
The zombie lunges at her, black mouth gaping.
In that moment, something happens. My mind goes blank. I don't think. I don't even feel myself move.
But my body reacts before I realize it.
This body I normally can't fully control—slow and stiff—erupts with strength I didn't know I possessed. Like a fired projectile, I slam into the zombie lunging for my mother.
We tumble onto the leaf-covered ground. Its teeth knock against my shoulder but can't penetrate. My bones are iron-hard.
A low growl escapes my throat.
The sound is unlike any I've made before—not desire, not hunger. It's pure warning and threat. The sound a wild beast makes protecting its territory.
The zombie seems intimidated by my ferocity. It struggles free, glances at me hesitantly, then limps deeper into the forest and disappears.
Silence returns to the forest.
I rise and stand my ground, maintaining my aggressive posture. I position myself before Brenda, facing the direction where the zombie vanished.
Brenda remains sitting on the ground. She stares at me blankly, eyes wide, lips trembling.
In the distance, Caleb peers from behind a tree. He's witnessed everything. His eyes show no fear—only undisguised shock.
Brenda slowly rises. She approaches me and reaches out with a trembling hand to touch my cheek, then pulls back as if afraid I might attack her too.
I don't move. I just look at her.
She finally stops hesitating. She steps forward suddenly and embraces me tightly. Her body shakes. I feel her heart racing like a frightened bird.
Then I feel warm liquid on my neck. One drop. Two drops.
Tears.
"You're still…" She hugs me, whispering by my ear over and over, words tumbling out: "I knew it… I knew you were still in there… Lily… my daughter…"
This is the first time she's cried since coming to Safe Harbor.
There's no despair or sadness in her tears.
Only excitement and joy.
Her tears are warm against my cold skin.
