dad live because I was worried about doing jail time and getting caught, but even now with a gun to his head when all bets off, I still can’t.
I don’t know who I hate more for that fact; me or him.
I lower the gun, my fingers flexing against the grip and itching like I’m tweaking. I want out of this moment. It feels weak, it feels like the kid and the coward who didn’t want to leave the apartment a week ago. Like the little bastard inside me who has always, always wanted his mommy. But I can never have her because I never knew her, and it’s all his damn fault.
“Thank you, son,” he says, stepping toward me slowly. His arms are out again. He’s going to touch me. “Thank you.”
I swing back and snap my fist toward his face. The gun in my hand connects with his cheek and he falls to the ground at my feet, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.
“Don’t thank me,” I tell him calmly. “I was going to kill you quickly. When the zombies get their hands on you it’s going to be a lot worse.”
I leave the apartment building in a rush. I’m practically running. I don’t look back and I try not to think about what I’ve done – or what I haven’t done – and I head straight for the house on the water. For the woman waiting for me. I’ll grab Sienna and we’ll head for the bar. I’ll join with Marlow, be one of his lieutenants, and she and I will live high on the top of the wreckage of the world. I’ll protect her, take care of her, and she’ll make me feel it again the way she did earlier tonight. Like I’m a man. Like I’m free.
I only come across a few infected in the streets and I kill them all quickly as I go. I use my gun because I’m still itching to fire it and I don’t care if it’s smart or not. It’s powerful and it’s satisfying and that’s worth everything to me.
When I get to the gate at the house I go to the call box and press the intercom.
“Sienna,” I call into it. “It’s me. Open the gate.”
She doesn’t keep me waiting. The gate swings open easily and I start to pass through it the second there’s room. I wish she’d start closing it again immediately and I turn to watch the opening to make sure it stays empty.
No such luck.
A figure darts inside quickly. His face is covered in blood and his eyes are wild, and the sight of him sets off so much rage in me that I worry I’ll choke on it.
“Did you follow me?” I ask in amazement.
My dad nods his head and smiles. His teeth are full of dried blood. His face is caked in it. This idiot just went on parade behind me through the city full of bloodthirsty Fever victims with a face full A Positive and he’s smiling.
I should have killed him. Why the hell couldn’t I kill him?!
I point to the street. “Get out. Back the way you came. Now.”
“Just listen to me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you but I thought you’d be going to Marlow and you could get me in with him. Just take me to Marlow, okay? Help me out.”
“Get away from me.” I turn to head up toward the house.
I hear him when he follows me.
“Are you stupid?!” I shout, rounding on him. “I said get away from me!”
“Son, please. I’ll die.”
“I know!”
The door to the house flies open and Sienna comes running out, gun in hand. She’s pointing it at the ground the way I taught her.
“Vin!”
I look back at her, then at my dad, and I suddenly realize how it looks. His face is caked in blood, the front of his clothes and his hands too. He looks like an infected. Like the kind of person who should be shot on sight.
I step back from him slowly. Thankfully he doesn’t follow me. He’s watching Sienna in her short shorts and her tight shirt with her breasts bouncing free underneath. The old perv is ogling her, not even noticing the gun she has in her hand.
“Is he infec—fected?” She stops running and turns to cough hard. It’s wet and full of something, and when she spits it’s tinged with pink.
My
I don’t know who I hate more for that fact; me or him.
I lower the gun, my fingers flexing against the grip and itching like I’m tweaking. I want out of this moment. It feels weak, it feels like the kid and the coward who didn’t want to leave the apartment a week ago. Like the little bastard inside me who has always, always wanted his mommy. But I can never have her because I never knew her, and it’s all his damn fault.
“Thank you, son,” he says, stepping toward me slowly. His arms are out again. He’s going to touch me. “Thank you.”
I swing back and snap my fist toward his face. The gun in my hand connects with his cheek and he falls to the ground at my feet, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.
“Don’t thank me,” I tell him calmly. “I was going to kill you quickly. When the zombies get their hands on you it’s going to be a lot worse.”
I leave the apartment building in a rush. I’m practically running. I don’t look back and I try not to think about what I’ve done – or what I haven’t done – and I head straight for the house on the water. For the woman waiting for me. I’ll grab Sienna and we’ll head for the bar. I’ll join with Marlow, be one of his lieutenants, and she and I will live high on the top of the wreckage of the world. I’ll protect her, take care of her, and she’ll make me feel it again the way she did earlier tonight. Like I’m a man. Like I’m free.
I only come across a few infected in the streets and I kill them all quickly as I go. I use my gun because I’m still itching to fire it and I don’t care if it’s smart or not. It’s powerful and it’s satisfying and that’s worth everything to me.
When I get to the gate at the house I go to the call box and press the intercom.
“Sienna,” I call into it. “It’s me. Open the gate.”
She doesn’t keep me waiting. The gate swings open easily and I start to pass through it the second there’s room. I wish she’d start closing it again immediately and I turn to watch the opening to make sure it stays empty.
No such luck.
A figure darts inside quickly. His face is covered in blood and his eyes are wild, and the sight of him sets off so much rage in me that I worry I’ll choke on it.
“Did you follow me?” I ask in amazement.
My dad nods his head and smiles. His teeth are full of dried blood. His face is caked in it. This idiot just went on parade behind me through the city full of bloodthirsty Fever victims with a face full A Positive and he’s smiling.
I should have killed him. Why the hell couldn’t I kill him?!
I point to the street. “Get out. Back the way you came. Now.”
“Just listen to me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you but I thought you’d be going to Marlow and you could get me in with him. Just take me to Marlow, okay? Help me out.”
“Get away from me.” I turn to head up toward the house.
I hear him when he follows me.
“Are you stupid?!” I shout, rounding on him. “I said get away from me!”
“Son, please. I’ll die.”
“I know!”
The door to the house flies open and Sienna comes running out, gun in hand. She’s pointing it at the ground the way I taught her.
“Vin!”
I look back at her, then at my dad, and I suddenly realize how it looks. His face is caked in blood, the front of his clothes and his hands too. He looks like an infected. Like the kind of person who should be shot on sight.
I step back from him slowly. Thankfully he doesn’t follow me. He’s watching Sienna in her short shorts and her tight shirt with her breasts bouncing free underneath. The old perv is ogling her, not even noticing the gun she has in her hand.
“Is he infec—fected?” She stops running and turns to cough hard. It’s wet and full of something, and when she spits it’s tinged with pink.
My
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