Rescue

Great weather it was outside, the sun was beginning to come up the horizon, casting an orange-ish glow with a tint of yellow in it, dreamy little clouds were scarcely scattered. The perfect weather for Thanksgiving day, all preparations had been made. The turkey well toasted and stuffed with mouth watering fillings, rice cooked to the perfect texture, bowls filled with fruits, air fried and roasted fish covered with the spicy scent of condiments and lemon. Coupled with the soft sun and the crisp air of autumn, the silence in the roads, Zylith was truly grateful.On the dining table, splayed a variety of food, siting on it was Zylith as she happily indulged on the food with a fork in the left and her right hand holding a knife. She cut into the fish as quietly as she could, careful not to spear into the ceramic and making sounds that irritated her hearing. Zylith took a bite of the turkey on her plate, the juices running down her lips to her chin, as salt mixed into the juices and dripped onto the fish. She stretched her upper body to take a pluck out of the berries across from her.Her muffled sounds of pure enjoyment resounded silently in the dining room that should have been filled with three more members, one of the now laying down in the corner in a puddle of their own blood. The other 2 locked in a room, one of the constantly snarling, the other making out loud moans.Zylith had worried she had mistaken the corpse for her mother, but as the moaning zombie had kept up it's ministrations, Zylith was sure she had killed her aunt, that made her happy. Happy, she hadn't killed her mother without being able to inflict as much pain as she could. If you call 43 stabs and a smashed head a silent death, that is. Even now, she wanted to barge into the room and tell the zombie to shut it but she'd have to kill her brother and he didn't want that, she decided to respect his wishes. However, the moans were getting more and more annoying but Zylith held on.Wiping the salty water from her chin, Zylith was eating from the rice and was about to turn her fish to eat the other side, not even having finished the upper part, when she paused."Zylith don't turn the fish just yet, that's the fun of eating fish, eat the top layer first and then dig out the bone, before eating the other side" Her mother's voice echoced like she was just beside her. Zylith smiled at the memory. She turned it over, pat it a with her knife and continued eating her breakfast while the streets were dyes of red and black and the occasional screams would echo once in a while in the now silent community.Zylith rested on her side as she lazily sat on the couch, observing the zombies that were running helter skelter. The realization of what the world had turned into did nothing to hinder her happiness of right now as she sun bated in the calm sun on the roof of the apartment beside hers. The roof was flat and had a raised top, to which she was now crouched in front of, a binocular in hand as she continued surveilling her environment with her camera's all over the perimeter and binoculars she had found downstairs.Most houses had either been broken into or... broken out of.The windows were shattered, there was a small flood forming, that streamed down and seemed endless. Zombies were constantly running and attacking anything they could see. Anything they could hear."They are in a state of vigilance, they are alert and can hear small sounds at a 20 meters radius, they can see as far as about 150 meters and would attack anyone they see, injured or not" Zylith whispered under her breath to no one in particular."Hear that ME?" Zylith's lips twitched upon not receiving a replyShe hurriedly brought out her book and scribbled on it with a pen, all the things she had obsevered in the past 4 hours of being up on a roof, overseeing the city"I wonder why they attack anyone even when they pose no threat, but who am I to talk, I'd definitely do the same thing, it's almost like they're scared" She smiled at this. The zombies down there and her, were not so different."I'm coming for you Bliss, hold on for me just a little longer" Zyltih opened the vault, built in the roof and passed through the house that once housed 5 members who know lay on the floor, in a pool of their own blood. In a husk of what used to be them.She went through their stuff, and quickly packed a bag with some things she taught she needed. Clothes, cans of foods, knifes, match box, candles, water flask and an armed gun. She wore tight boots, put her long red hair into a tight bun and wore camouflage cargo pants, a shirt, and a jacket, all rain-resistant and cooling material to help in case of cold, and a cold pack that gave of cold in case of extreme heat.Zylith checked the drone cameras that she had gotten from her kind, now dead neighbors . Taking one step out of the house, Zylith sported a soft smile on her freckled face which she schooled into a frown as she laser focused. She was ready to take on the world."What lovely weather" 'Shit' 'Shit' Zylith cursed at her self as she ran down the street with a person hot on her heels, she raced down the slope with the much needed acceleration but soon regretted as she almost toppled over air. 'I won't die because I tripped over air!' Defiant.She had seen them when she rounded the street, the person was munching on some flesh at a dark corner of an alley, which the drones had failed to pick up. It had immediately started chasing her, but she being Zylith was able to quickly react and take off, she had rounded a street, making the zombie run into truck, the impact from it, caused the zombies leg to snap but it still gave chase even with it's leg barely hanging. Or that's what she thought as now the zombie was running quite well, maybe too well...She hauled her self onto a shop's drain, clinging onto the metal for dear life crawling her way up and climbed the cemented wall. The zombie stopped at the cement, accessing it well then copying Zylith's stance and was now climbing the drain pipe'It can climb? they can all climb?! No zombies should be able to climb!, that's kinda cute, it trying to kill me, I'm flattered by it's persistence' Her knowledge of zombies failed her, maybe she truly wasn't a die-hard fan.'It can recuperate fast too, with the current situation of things, if I get to bliss, wherever the hell she is, this thing would just follow me' The zombie came over the wall and followed after Zylith as she showed off her not so superb parkour skills, jumping from roof to roof and always almost missing by an inch. She was growing tired and her legs gave out but she would not JUST RELENT.As she jumped the roof of the house, the breeze hitting her face softly, she felt a sprain in her hamstring, causing her to miss the next wall and she fell but she quickly slapped her sweaty palms on the side of the building, catching herself as she desperately tried to climb her way up, the person dived in after her. The thought of tricking them by intentionally falling into the section between buildings now out the window, they would just dive in after her.A claw dug into her ankle and the zombie stretched out it's jaw to take a good chunk of her foot but the boots caused the bite to slow down by a few seconds.Zylith realizing what it wanted to do to her, she took out her gun and shut it in the arm, 'Score'This made it stop it's proceedings to which she furthered her attempts and shot it in the head. The devilish creature dropped down and into the garbage box under it. Where it belonged.Taking in a cold gush of air, Zylith hauled her self safely onto the roof and peered down at the now fallen person. She waited for a few seconds, carefully watching them for any sign of movement.'Nothing should be able to come back up after being shot in-'Blood shot eyes looked at Zylith with such hatred, such desperation that Zylith didn't need her glasses to see. If looks could kill, Zylith would have long been dead. The ashy grey body twitched as it raised itself from foot up, it's arm, twitching violently before straightening, the clunk of a metal resounded the silence these two beings shared.'That is so NOT cute'***Cars were splayed all around the city, chunks of meat and blood that belonged to who knows who were decorating the cars red.'A red ford''A Red Ojo, weren't Ojo's white?''Ah a person' Zylith perked up as she saw someone walking through the field of massacre but to the to the west of the person were a group of 'active' 'zombies'.The person had a limp to their legs and was barely able to stand as they sobbed their way through the weaves of car, miraculously not having met any zombies yet.'Should I go help her? If I don't help her soon and she passes that van, she'd be in perfect view for them, plus her sobbing would just attract others if that doesn't happen. What is she thinking walking out in the open like that, with an injury. Stupid''If she thinks someone would come to save her she must be delusional' Zylith's lips pressed into a thin line.'Well not my problem, unfortunately for you my dear, I'm not a good Samaritan, and not your prince in the shining armor' Zylith paused in her musing as she decided to try something."Hey!" Zylith called out, pulling her binoculars onto her eyes, zeroing into the girls face."Hey!" Zylith called out again, the girl as if sensing something paused her sniffling and turned to look in Zylith general direction. Once she spotted Zylith waving a large red sign the girl smiled and almost cried her eyes out, she dragged her tired body, with her limping legs that she had barely managed to avoid a zombie from taking a swipe off. She didn't understand why, the cut hurt as much as it did but it was not a bite, so she should be fine, right? she had kept walking, hoping to find other survivors. And Zylith was waving a red sign, beckoning her to come. A princess in shining armor. 'Oh...The girl is already infected? Her eyes are... black like theirs' Zylith straightened her binoculars. Looking for signs of a bite."GET AWAY FROM THE VAN" Zylith said nonetheless. Continuing with her plan.The girl turned her head to the smoking mini Greiot Van but snapped her head back to Zylith, she could hear Zylith even from more than fifty meters away perfectly and she saw a big smile plastered on the strange girl with red hair that looked as if she was on a vacation rather than in a zombie apocalypse.Rage. Anger. Envy. Disgust. HATE. She had this irrational urge to want to inflict as much pain she could on the girl crouched on a roof, she quickly however, reprimanded herself.Zylith was quick to pick up the emotions.'Hate? I don't even know her from Adam, and she's already so shirty with me! Jealous much? And now all merry? Talk about a bloody Bipolar nutter' Zylith scoffed stunned by the range of emotions passing through the limping girl.The twitching cannibals at the other distance had started moving around and where now headed for the girl's area but Zylith said nothing as she watched the young girl, probably her age or a few years older, make her way to her area. Zylith could see the others small face filled with tears like Zylith had just saved her, but that was far from it.The zombies upon seeing a limping girl, let out strangled snarls and lunged forward. The girl wouldn't make it to Zylith.Zylith slipped as she watched the event with brimming eyes as the girl's eyes went wide in panic and she practically dragged her leg to get to Zylith. She looked at Zylith with pleading eyes, eyes desperate for any form of help. But Zylith smiled. A wide predatory grin.Flanking the girl's side they held her down as she let out a strangled cry. They took large swipes from her. One in the group that looked like a cancer patient with ragged clothes took uncoordinated swipes at her, like flaying more than punches and as they kept up their assault, the girl couldn't even let out a scream, she laid limp as they took ravaged her body.'So they attack even turning people? Is their primary instinct to kill or to infect? It should be to infect, but if so why are they attacking her' Zylith was lost in her thoughts as she watched the education shown a few tens of meters from her.'Ah...turning means a state when you aren't fully one of them so it must be something like stigmatization? Just the way humans in those dystopian shows would hate people that were half human and half monsters, could that be what's happening?'"They are just like bloody normal people" Zylith's eyes twinkled in the light.***"No one here, huh? Where has that rat gone hiding?" Zylith questioned her friends whereabouts as she had been roaming around the street, looking for one of the few people that could keep her tamed. Bliss. Upon arriving at the luxurious home of Bliss', she had encountered an empty apartment."It doesn't matter" Zylith grumbled but even with that still got on the bicycle and raced down the street.Warm air whooped around her small oval face, her doe eyes brimming with peace and excitement, her hands were gripping the hand of the bicycle as her leg was suspended mid air, the acceleration from her cycling, now pushing the bicycle without her help. Her red hair whipped her face as she let out a small moan with her face turned up, taking in the clear air, behind her was 2 zombies as they tripped over each other, chasing a certain red haired."Of course she's in the chocolate store mate." Zylith laughed at her stupidity. Bliss must have been hiding in the store, after all this drama. "She'd go where she knows I'll think of"Parking the bicycle, Zylith ran a few corners to get rid of the zombies that followed her all the way, having already surveyed her surroundings with a drone, effectively outsmarting them and then proceeded entering the store.She crept behind a cart and made her way aisle to aisle and then to the slightly ajar control room. She squatted down to the side of the wall and pushed the the door open. The zombie in it quietly lounged by the corner, it's hands over it's ears as it was bent down. Soft whimpers escaped the dark room.'Interesting' Zylith mused to herself. Searching through the pocket of her jacket and bringing out cans of beans, Zylith made sure to keep her distance. She hid behind bags she had set up and threw the empty can in front of the control room, willing the zombie to come out, to which it did, looking more startled than any other zombie. She threw another can the opposite side the zombie was facing which the zombie flinched to and promptly ran the other way.'No wait man, you're supposed to follow... the sound, is this dodgy person off his nut?' Zylith slowly getting to her feet, ran into the control room and made sure to look around for signs of threat before locking the door and then getting down to work. In less than 10 minutes of searching, Zylith found Bliss, huddled under a stack of chocolate, her ugly red hair sticking out like a sore thumb, Zylith had complained about the hair for so long that now she was grateful for it. Zylith couldn't believe herself and laughed her head off for a good minute.Looking down at the control buttons now stained red in blood, courtesy of the gaping hole in the worker zombie she had led out the room, Zylith pressed the speaker button and then talked into it."Bliss? Bliss? If you can hear me, give me a sign, if it's not the right sign, then I'm leaving" Zombies startled as they looked for signs of the noise but upon seeing nothing anything settled down. A hand shot out from the chocolate stack and gave her the finger. 'Yup that's definitely Bliss alright' Zylith chuckled.Only her can flip someone off in a very serious situation."I can't believe it, you're actually here, I didn't think my plan would work" Bliss sniffled as she stuffed her face in ice cream."What plan?" Zylith crossed her leg as she sat with her back facing Bliss."I knew you'd think of coming to the store, when I ran from home, I thought what would you would want me to do. And if not want me to go to her favourite chocolate store" Bliss looked down at the ice-cream that gave off a strong cold in the warm weather."I'm surprised you could even make it out, those zombies are fast" Zylith said as she reminisced of her earlier encounters that made her heart beat a mile and body shiver in thrill."I was just lucky I guess, people were running all around and sometimes my short ass would get swept up in the mess, but I guess because of that I wasn't really easy to catch...but my parents..." Bliss explained. Zylith hummed but said nothing."It must have been hard on you coming for me instead looking for your family...Sometimes I thought you'd have left me, but I just knew you'd come so I waited" Bliss slightly turned as she gave Zylith an appreciative smile. Zylith simply gave her a soft smile of her own but said nothing."My parents were out of the house for the night but now I don't even know where they are Zylith, tell me our parents are safe I can't imagine...even think..."Bliss choked on her tears."Shh, it's okay, your parents would want you to go somewhere safe, they wouldn't want you roaming the streets aimlessly looking for them..." 'After all they are dead, it'd be stupid to look for them'"Did you see anything strange on your way out of the house, it must have been scary" Zylith turned to console her friend but was silently probing"I saw two ugly thin zombies standing outside but they weren't man enough to attack me. "Hmm" Zylith agreed but she seemed distant in thought."Maybe woman enough, 'coz one of them was a woman. That's it right? Maybe zombie enough to attack me...but they were-" She snaps out and suddenly asks, "Can we go back home...to call..." "No" Zylith deadpans. She already knew what she was going to ask but she couldn't bare."Can we get a phone, then my parents must be expecting me to call them after all....this" Bliss trys again. "They must be so worried after all this""We could...but lines are down, no...phones don't even come up anymore, like a technical flare or something..." Zylith vaguely explained. She couldn't bare to tell her those zombies were most likely her parents."If the lines and are down and there's no electricity, how did you make the speakers work back in the store?" Bliss frowned suspicious of Zylith now. "I used the store's back-up generator" Zylith shrugs"Could you steal it and use it to power our house" Bliss fully turned herself and gave Zylith pleading eyes"No, the generator is an old model type, not something used to power what we have now" Upon seeing Bliss' saddened pout made Zylith quickly added,"But we could use radios, or to find a place they broadcast. Radios would also be really helpful in times like these" Zylith said and before she could continue her blabbing, Bliss jumped her, spilling their ice-cream all over the floor around them."Thank you soooo much, I love you" Bliss proclaimed"I love you too" Zylith laughed. Really?"I would give my life for you. You saved me" Bliss furthered, she snuggled her head into Zylith's chest.