[50] Hostage

The natives told us drop our weapons.

The words echoed across the open space, their meaning clear even if we didn't understand the language. We had no choice but to comply. Cassidy's hand moved towards her holster instinctively, her fingers brushing against the grip of her pistol. But before she could make any sudden moves, a single shot rang out, the sound reverberating off the cliff walls.

The bullet tore through the earth right next to Cassidy's foot, the violent puff of dust and fragments of rock contrasting with her startled gasp. Her hands flew up, showing them her surrender. The tension on the plateau was so thick, it was suffocating. Our hearts thudded in our chests, the very life force in our bodies seeming to keep pace with the impending doom.

Slowly, we all released our grips on our respective weapons, letting them clatter onto the dusty ground. The resounding thuds echoed ominously, each sound a stark reminder of the situation we found ourselves in. Cassidy's pistol, my AR-15, Ms. Yan's shotgun, even Hazuki's small but trusty knife. One by one, they were discarded, thrown into a pile at the natives' feet.

The natives watched with steely, calculated eyes as we were stripped of our protection. A cruel, satisfied smirk pulled at the corners of their leader's mouth, his gaze predatory as he looked at each of us.

Rough hands gripped our arms, pulling us apart. We were bound tightly, coarse ropes digging into our wrists, leaving no room for escape. They moved us like chess pieces, each one of us placed into the back of a different truck, separated from one another. The raw fear in Hazuki's eyes, the grim determination in Cassidy's, the stoic acceptance in Ms. Yan's; they were all seared into my memory as we were forcibly taken away.

The doors of the truck slammed shut, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent plateau. My stomach churned as the engine roared to life. The truck started to move, and as I glanced through the small window at the back, I saw the cliff gradually fade away into the distance.

Our journey to Alberta, which had begun with such optimism, had taken another unexpected turn.

***

In the dim lighting of the recreational building, the village chief sat across from me, his features hardened by years of surviving in this apocalyptic world. His face was lined with age, his hair silvering, but his eyes were sharp and watchful beneath thick brows. He looked like a warrior from an age-old tale, with a tangible air of authority and resilience about him.

He started to speak, his voice gravelly from age, but the determination in his tone was evident. His English was heavily accented, each word saturated with the inflections of his native tongue, but his questions were clear and direct. There was no room for evasiveness.

"Why are you here?" He demanded, his dark eyes boring into mine, seeking the truth. There was a long silence before I started speaking, carefully choosing my words. "We were trying to get to Alberta," I admitted, "We ran into a horde of zombies and our only way out was to break through your territory."

His eyes narrowed at my response, studying my face to gauge the sincerity of my statement. "And why should we believe you?" he countered, "How do we know you aren't with the raiders?" The memory of the supermarket raid flashed before my eyes, the desperate battle for survival still fresh in my mind. "We fought against the raiders," I assured him, my voice firm with conviction, "They attacked us. We have no affiliation with them."

"And the zombies?" He pressed on, leaning forward in his chair, the creaking noise echoing in the silent room. I swallowed hard before answering.

"They just ignore me, I don't know why either."

There was a tense silence as the chief mulled over my words. He stared at me with a smoldering look that was hot enough to melt steel. The atmosphere was heavy, every tick of the clock echoing like a drum in the quiet room. Every second seemed to stretch out indefinitely, heightening the anxiety that pooled in my stomach.

"There's something...unusual about me," I continued, unsure of how to phrase my next words. I had explained this before, to Ms. Yan, Cassidy, and Hazuki, but explaining it to a stranger, to a group that might see it as a threat, felt altogether different.

"The zombies... they ignore me," I revealed. His eyebrows shot up, his drumming fingers coming to an abrupt stop. I hurried to continue, "I don't know why or how, but it's been like this since the beginning. They don't attack me. They don't chase me."

The chief was silent for a moment. His gaze flickered from my face to my hands, as if expecting to see some physical proof of my extraordinary claim. I wished I could provide some, but there was nothing. Just me and my word, which in these times, was often not enough.

"See, I have no bite marks, no infection, nothing," I said, extending my hands, turning them over for him to see. I saw his eyes narrowing, scrutinizing my hands, my arms, my face. Searching for any indication that I was lying.

"You realize how hard that is to believe, don't you?" The Chief's voice was stern, a hint of skepticism lacing his words. "In all our time dealing with this apocalypse, we have never heard of such a thing."

"I know it's hard to believe," I conceded, meeting his eyes, hoping he'd see the sincerity in mine. "But it's the truth. I can go into a horde and come out without a scratch."

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. The chief didn't break eye contact, his gaze penetrating, assessing. Then, slowly, he leaned back in his chair, his fingers resuming their rhythmic drumming on the table.

"That could be useful," he mused, more to himself than to me. His gaze was distant now, as though visualizing scenarios, possibilities.

"But it needs to be verified. If your claim holds true," his eyes locked onto mine, the intensity in them returning, "You could be invaluable to us. If not," he didn't finish his sentence, leaving the threat hanging in the air between us. I swallowed hard, nodding my understanding.

Q: What would you do if someone doesn't believe your claim?