ZRP-2 Chapter 7: Mutation

I stayed there for a good five minutes, panting and almost crying. I was alive, and that was the best feeling ever, being alive. There was a chance I'd die any day, a gunshot to the head, or a bite, but I'd never come so close to being eaten alive. I could usually outpace zeds with ease, but those screamers had been running. It was horrible.

I sat up on the roof and looked over the edge to see a walker shuffle and fall out of the open window, dashing its skull on the ground below. I looked around, there was a tree near the house, and was probably my only way down, and if I was quiet and fast, I could get away from this hellhole without those screamers coming after me.

As I hung on the tree branch, lowering myself to the next branch, I thought about Adam.
I hope he's okay, I thought, What if he doesn't know about the screamers...? The thought made me feel cold, but Adam was fast too, if anyone could still be alive, he was.

I dropped out of the tree, landing quietly, and set off at a crouch-run, praying to God that I wouldn't get seen again.

"Wow, you sure know how to pick 'em, don't you Ella?" She blushed a little, though she had an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry about that, Estel can be...difficult, sometimes."

Finding herself outside, Eve went to the only place she could cool off.

Up the nearest tree, which thankfully was right there beside the place. Kinda.
Eve scaled it easily, and tucked herself away in the upper recesses of the foliage.

"I'm not difficult," Estel soon said. "I'm just me." James looked from her, to Ella, then shook his head. "Yeah, I see what you mean. Listen, I'm going to find Eve, see if she's okay." "I'm sure the little cry baby is fine!" Estel stated plainly. James grunted, and left while Ella calmly slapped Estel over the head. Leaving the building, it didn't take James long to find Eve. "You know, you really need to stop climbing trees Eve. It's going to end badly for you some day."

Eve looked down.
"Climb tree or bust a cap. Pick your poison daddy."

He grinned up at her. "Neither. But for future reference Eve, you can't make friends with everyone."

"I know. But those who aren't my friends either are my enemies. Usually." She sighed softly. "I just wanted someone my age for once..."

Leaning against the tree, he sighed. "Eve, the world isn't divided into friends and enemies. This is the real world, not Facebook. All you can hope for is that if they won't be your friend, then they'll at least be civil."

"She was extremely civil. I was more civil during my betrayl." She spat out. "I know its not black and white. But for once I'd like it to be." Eve kicked a branch. "I'd like a friend my age for once."

Again he sighed, though there was bitterness in his voice. "And I'd like the world to be what it once was and have a normal life again. But rarely do we get what we want. What gets me through it though is your mom, you, and Sam. I appreciate the things I'm fortunate to have Eve, especially once I stopped longing for other things."

"At least you don't feel like a midget every time you walk intk a bar." Eve shot back. "I'm thankful for what I have. Hell. The one thing I want back is my bow. But it was on the boat, and it's gone. I can't even practice archery now. And I'm still a terrible shot with anything less then mid range pistol."
She kicmed another branch. "I doubt a spare competition bow is lying around."

"Well, we haven't really looked." Still leaning against the tree, he looked out as people kept walking around, going about their daily lives. "I'm just saying Eve.....don't get so upset over one bad first meeting. Maybe later you and Estel will manage to get along."

"Maybe." Eve climbed down and soon was beside James.
"Can we find me a new bow?"

"Sure....though we may have to go outside the walls for that. And there's something you should know." And then James broke it down for her, about the encounter with the new zombies, the runners.

Eve gripped her sidearm, listening. She frowned a bit.
"Its...ok...I can handle that." Eve nodded. "Running in a straight line. Hard to miss."

"Until there's more than one of them," he added grimly.

"Least spray and pray works better then." Eve quipped. "When can we go?"

"Not sure. Didn't see that many sporting goods stores where we were, so we may be out there for a while."

Eve nodded. "I'll go tell Sam. She should be with Nomad." The girl hugged James and started to walk off.

Meanwhile, Tyler slumped back onto a bench, clearly exhausted and gasping for air. His hands sore from pounding the punching bag.

Since the arrival of this new town, Tyler had been training. It dawned on him he wasn't helpful on the runs, being rather slow and low stamina.
So he aimed to changed that. Claiming the basement for himself, since it had some work out equipment, letting whoever else have the rest.
Yeah, he had to share the house. Not enough room for everybody is what he was told. But that was fine. Being safe with a roof above his head was great as it is.

Flicker by now had managed to evade numerous walkers and runners but more importantly found the survivors. Their town intrigued her... But the amount of people present prevented her from immediately attempting an infiltration.
She slipped cautiously closer, almost crawling pressed that close to the ground. Her plan was to observe the guard patterns, spot for weaknesses and blind areas... Places for an easy approach, places where she could access hidden and unseen. Flicker did not intend to attempt to join the group, she was following the only instincts she knew and that was survival. Survival, no matter the cost or how many people need suffer for her own survival. She had not always been this way, but the law of the Jungle ruled now and it was the only law she needed to obey.

Jennifer woke up, finding the bed half empty. Yawning, ahe alipped out and pulled her jeans on, then padded downstairs where Tyler was working out.
"Hey." She said groggily. "Again?"

Eve finally found Sam and Nomad.
"Sam? Daddy is going to take me out to find a new bow." She said.

"Oh, hey." She surprised me a little. "Yeah, but I don't think I can finish today. Too sore." I lean back against the wall and let out a exasperated sigh.

Sam was busy petting Nomad's shoulder, rubbing him softly as he nibbled on some grass. "Really? Okay, just be careful Eve." Good god I sounded like her mother.

As for James, he returned to the house and found Hibiki, busy washing several clothes. "Hey, how you doing?"

"I'm good. Just finishing the laundry." Hibiki looked up. "You found the kids?"

Eve blushed. "Yes ma'am."

"Yeah Sam and Eve are out back I think. Was out earlier with Marcus and Don grabbing supplies..." He went pale as he remembered the runners. "They've mutated, the dead. Now there are some that can run."

"Sorry, not much else I can really say though to be honest." Sam turned from Nomad to Eve. "So, anything new happen today?"

"I met a friend of Daddy named Ella. Her friend was a bitch when inwas trying to be nice." Eve sighed. "I just wanted a friend my age..."

Hibiki nodded. "Alright. Anything new?"

James....just blinked at her. "I tell you the dead have started running, and you ask me nonchalant what's new?"

"Ouch, sorry Eve. But you know there are some other kids around town you can try and be friends with."

Hibiki looked troubled. "I kinda...don't want that to be true honestly."

Eve sighed. "I guess."

"Well I was running from the truth earlier and I'm not doubting it now."

"So, when do you two go?" Sam asked Eve."

"Soon I guess. We have to wait a bit..." she shrugged.

Hibiki nodded. "I know...I know."

Sighing, James leaned against the wall and rubbed his legs. "On the bright side, it wasn't that bad. Got my ass saved by my old formerly dead girlfriend of all people."

"Figured," Sam said. "Always takes a while before anything happens."

Hibiki scowled. "Did you now?" She said.

Eve giggled softly. "Yep..."

He suddenly realized who he had said that to. "Ah.....right, yeah I ran into her as I was running from the runners. She's still alive and kicking, doesn't seem to have changed a bit, and last I saw she was in lock-up. She didn't do anything, just the standard bit for new arrivals in these conditions."

"So," Sam said. "Got your gear ready?"

"I always have a to pack ready. But I don't know when..." she shrugged. "I always have my gun with me." She patted her sidearm.

Hibiki sighed. "James. I trust you."

"That's a start," Sam said, resting her hand on Eve's shoulder.

James let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. Well let me start by saying now you have nothing to worry about; nothing ever really happened between the two of us. Mostly because.....well, I guess you could say I was her beard."

"...what?" Hibiki looked confused.

Smiling, Eve got on her tiptoes to kiss Sam quickly. "Thanks."

Sighing, James realized he was probably breaking a friends trust. Then again, Ella never did care that much in the past. "Ella is gay, Hibiki. We were close friends for years and sometimes she and I pretended to be dating. She wouldn't have to show up to school dances alone or face the assholes being mean to her, and I got to know what it was like, even if it was pretend, to have a girlfriend." He sorta smiled. "And it wasn't cheap, that was the one thing I remember."

Sam growled a little into the kiss, though she did nothing more.

Eve frowned, then looked like she did something wrong. "I'm sorry...was kissing you wrong?" She looked ashamed. "I'm sorry..."

Hibiki looked relieved. "Now we just gotta make sure she doesn't go after Sam." She teased.

"Ha, yeah though I doubt there's any risk," James said, grinning in memory. "Ella always had a rule about that kinda thing; Unless the relationship was headed for an iceberg and neither one was happy anymore, she'd leave them be and hope she found someone for herself. Which is kinda why she pretended with me most of the time....."

Sam blushed. "No it wasn't bad. That growl....well I wouldn't call it angry. Hungry maybe."

"...hungry...for what?" Eve frowned, honestly confused.


Hibiki sighed. "Maybe she'll have that chance."

"What, you think Sam and Eve are headed for an iceberg?" James asked, truly concerned.

"Well....you, Eve." Sam said.

"No. I'm saying Ella will have her chance at love." Hibiki frowned.

Eve blushed. "Oh."

Sam chuckled, though she folded her arms. "Don't worry, not planning anything for the moment. Slowing down, remember?"

"Ah, right." It was all James could say.

Eve nodded. "Right..." she still blushed. "Um...ok..." She didn't know what else to do.

"So. Eve behaving?" Hibiki asked.

"Other than climbing every tree she can get her hands on, yeah." He shook his head. "One day she's going to find a tree she won't be able to climb."

"Yeah. But until then, she'll run to the one place she can think." Hibiki said. "We need to have trees...she'll go crazy without one to climb."

"Heh, god help us all if we end up in a barren desert then." He pushed off from the counter, heading for the back door. Since he never had anytime to relax, he already had his gear on him. "Think I should relax for a bit, before going back out there?"

I brought my head back up so I could look at her. "So what have you been doing?" I asked. Looking for something to talk about.

"I think you should pick whichever option is best for both you and our daughter." Hibiki replied.

Jenn blushed. "Sleeping. Uh...what we do in bed when you're feeling...stressed..." she looked a bit shy saying that. "Don't spend forever down here, ok? I'd like to spend some time with you that doesn't involve beds and noises."