Zombies Need Love Too!

Yoan had gone full interrogator mode, grilling me like I was the prime suspect in a murder mystery.

“Why did you sneak off?”

“Did not! There was noise.”

“So you heard a noise and decided to investigate it on your own? I’m fairly certain I told you to come find me if anything happened. Did you forget?”

“Ohhh, right. You did say.”

Might as well lean into the whole zombie with memory issues angle.

“You really… ugh, never mind.”

His lips twitched like he wanted to say something else but gave up.

I thought I was off the hook, but of course not—more questions came flying.

“You were lying just now, weren’t you?”

“About what?”

“About being in terrible pain. Sasha, you can’t feel pain.”

“Well…”

“Why would you lie about that? Don’t tell me you were trying to protect that thing?”

“Not like that.”

“You two looked like you were having quite the conversation. Are there more zombies like you? Ones that can talk?”

Honestly, was this an interrogation or an interview? I was starting to lose track. 

What was he, a professional question-asker?

Still, from the look on Yoan’s face, I could tell he wasn’t about to let this drop.

And if he misunderstood too badly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he locked me up in some monastery cell.

“Dunno. Just…”

The words sort of bumped around uselessly in my mouth.

I mean, how was I supposed to explain that the zombie from earlier was the world-saving Holy Maiden? And the female lead destined to fall in love with him?

Would he even believe me?

I barely understood what was going on myself.

“Sasha. Answer me.”

“Couldn’t really… communicate.”

“But you were talking for quite a while.”

“Was like... foreign language.”

“You mean a completely different language system?”

“Kinda.”

He seemed happy to come up with his own conclusions, so I just nodded along.

Honestly, I needed time to think. Becoming a zombie was already stressful enough.

Now? My whole afterlife was a mess.

Yoan must’ve picked up on my dejection because he finally reached out and patted my head.

His eyes softened, the storm in them passing over.

“Okay. I get it. Let’s head back now.”

Mercifully, that ended the inquisition.

I grabbed his hand and followed him back like a stray puppy getting escorted home.

We’d wandered pretty far, so the walk back was no joke either.

Once we reached the monastery, I glanced around to make sure no one was listening and mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Yeah. You should be. I had to wake up in the middle of the night and almost ended up in a death match against a zombie.”

This guy, I swear...

“Anyway, as long as you weren’t trying to run away.”

Oh. So he’d thought I was trying to escape and came running after me.

“Not running.”

Run away? From the one secure shelter we had?

I wasn’t that stupid. If anything, they’d have to pry me off the furniture to get me to leave.

“Sasha. I’m sorry, but I still can’t fully trust you.”

“Do you… only know betrayal?”

“Well. In my position, you learn not to trust people so easily.”

Ouch. Now I felt like a jerk for snapping at him.

I hesitated, then reached out and brushed my fingers through his hair.

“Whoa…”

It was way softer than I’d expected. For some reason, I thought it’d be all bristly and macho.

“Ahem.” I quickly recovered and gave him a solemn nod. “It’s okay. Everything’s going... to be fine.”

“What is?”

“Just… everything.”

“That’s awfully vague.”

But I knew how this story ended. Well, sort of.

My memory was still a little scrambled from the whole zombie resurrection thing. But this was supposed to have a proper happy ending.

“Trust.”

After all, I wasn’t even human.

“Because I’m zombie.”

“…”

Even I cringed a little at that line.

I turned to go back to my room, but Yoan caught my wrist.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

Responsibility sounded like such a serious word. But weirdly enough, I wanted to offer him something like faith.

Even with everything all tangled up and completely off-script, I still wanted to say it.

“Mhm.” I straightened up and gave him my best solemn nod. “I’ll take responsibility.”

***

Yoan found himself oddly moved.

Sasha’s going to take responsibility for me…?

Whatever that meant—and honestly, he had no idea—he didn’t mind it. Not one bit.

She really was a strange, wonderful little zombie.

***

The next morning, Derek came knocking on my door.

He looked bright-eyed and suspiciously well-groomed for someone in a post-apocalyptic monastery.

When we’d first met in that cave, he’d been all gloom and snarl. Now, he looked almost cheerful.

“Did you sleep well, sis?”

“I don’t sleep.”

“Then did you have a good night?”

Could you even call it that?

I’d spent the entire night trying to untangle my thoughts, but nothing useful had surfaced.

Aria had thrown a massive wrench into the plot. I’d assumed once I found her, everything would magically work out.

But nooo… Instead of becoming the Holy Maiden who saves the world, she’d gone full zombie overlord and invited me to join her evil plans.

And if she wasn’t the antibody carrier, that raised a terrifying question: who was?

I have to talk to Aria again. If only Yoan hadn’t jumped in like some overzealous zombie hunter...

“Sis?”

I must’ve zoned out, because Derek was giving me sad puppy eyes now.

“Don’t worry,” a voice interjected. “Sasha had a good night. With me.”

“Huh?! What did you guys do?!”

Cue Yoan, stepping out of his room with exactly the kind of comment that invited all the wrong assumptions.

“We went for a little nighttime stroll.”

“Oh…”

Rob strolled over, grinning ear to ear. “Kid, were you just imagining something weird?”

“Shut up.”

“Look at this guy blushing. I knew it.”

“I said shut up!”

“Whoa there! No arrow-shooting in the monastery!”

“Then stop being so juvenile, eh?” Derek shot him a smug little grin.

“Geez…” Bliss intervened at that moment. “Don’t waste your energy fighting first thing in the morning. Come eat breakfast.”

“Yeah!”

I was the first one to jump up and scamper over to her call.

I hadn’t eaten properly last night, and after all that brain work? I was famished.

Thank goodness I wasn’t one of those zombies. You know, the people-eating kind. 

Otherwise, we’d be down a few party members by now.

Breakfast was simpler than what we’d had at the cabin, but there was meat. I had no complaints.

“Sis, have this too.”

“Thanks.”

“Sasha, stop stealing the kid’s food,” Rob pointed out. “He’s still growing and needs proper nutrition.”

“Oh.”

Right. That was a thing.

Reluctantly, I handed back the meat Derek had offered and gave him a solemn pat on the back.

“Grow big.”

“Then…” Derek sliced the meat in half and put the bigger piece on my plate. “Let’s share.”

Such a good kid. Sharing everything down to the last bean, as the old saying went.

I wiggled with excitement and popped his generous offering straight into my mouth.

“Ten days.” Bliss, who’d finished eating first, cut through the chatter. “With our current supplies, we can last about ten days. But food isn’t the real issue.”

She was right. This place might be sturdier than the cabin, but it was still a temporary shelter.

And we had bigger problems.

Aria now had zombie strength and human smarts. She’d launched a coordinated attack.

And after Yoan’s little skull-splitting stunt, it wouldn’t be surprising if she came back for revenge.

Yoan calmly started recounting last night’s events. “I have something to report.”

Derek scowled. “What the hell? So it wasn’t just a stroll?”

Rob looked grim too. “So we could be attacked again tonight? You think the five of us can handle that?”

“We’ll need to come up with a strategy,” Yoan said.

“Wait.” Time to earn my breakfast. “I’ll go… meet her again.”

“What? That’s way too dangerous!”

“We talk. Same zombies.”

“That doesn’t make you the same. You’re different, sis.”

Derek looked at me like I was made of spun glass and dreams.

Which would’ve been sweet, if I weren’t literally dead.

I patted his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Then I want to come too. I’ll stay far away. I won’t let anyone see me.”

Apparently I was now some fragile damsel in need of protection. Which was adorable, considering I was the one who’d gone toe-to-toe with a horde.

Yoan, as usual, stepped in to bring order to the chaos.

“It could be dangerous for you to meet that zombie again. Let’s do this instead.”

Calm, rational, and probably already plotting five backup plans.