Rotting World, Blossoming Love I ONC 2021

Chapter 16

His eyes are glowing in joy, and it seems as if there is an eternal light that only his wife is able to light up.

"Am I dreaming? Are you really back?" Jason asks as he starts cutting down her restraints.

"Don't do...that...I'm not...sure...I'm completely back..." Jessica manages to stammer out.

However, Jason isn't listening to her. He releases her from her bonds and holds her in his arms, cradling her like a small child.

The lively look in his eyes is something I've never seen before, and it makes me realize I wasn't fair to Jason.

Everything he did, he did it to try to help everyone. And that included locking up his emotions, not allowing anyone to discover his weakness.

He probably did it because he believed it was more likely people would follow a fierce leader rather than an emotional one.

Personally, I would prefer following this Jason, the human one who looks at his wife as if she is the greatest treasure in his life. It reminds me of the way Nathan looked at me when we confessed our feelings for each other.

"I love you," Jessica tells Jason.

Those are the first clear words she has pronounced, and I'm relieved to see she is coming back. It's just taking a bit longer.

I think it might be because she was a zombie a bit longer than Nathan.

Despite her trying to stop him, worried for his safety, Jason kisses her with such a passion that I have to look away.

It feels like I'm intruding on a private moment. Thus, after seeing that Jessica doesn't make any zombie-like movements, I choose to give them some privacy.

I contemplate joining Jack and Jared. However, one glance in their general direction tells me that Jack has it covered.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised since the quiet people are often the best listeners. My presence there would only make things worse.

"Marissa, we need you!" Jason yells before I really have the chance to leave.

That's when I notice that Jessica is bleeding, the way a gunshot wound should.

I start taking care of it with a small first aid hit that Jason pulls out of somewhere.

"What's wrong? Why is she bleeding?" Jason asks, panicking.

"I think it might be because she is completely human now," I say.

"What?" Jason asks, confused.

"When we found her, we shot her in the leg to slow her down. It didn't bleed at the time because she was a zombie. Nonetheless, it slowed her down enough for us to contain her," I say cautiously.

"You shot my wife?" Jason yells at me with fire in his eyes.

"Jason," Jessica calls out to him, gripping his hand in hers.

"They saved my life," she says.

The burning eyes are gone in a second. Jessica's words seem to be like water to his flame.

"I'm sorry, she is right. Thank you," Jason says.

I mumble something in return as I continue bandaging her injury.

It's rare for anyone to express their gratitude, so I'm not entirely sure how to react.

"Someone is coming," Jack says, appearing in front of us.

Jared is by his side though he seems to want to be as far away from Jessica as possible.

I want to see who or what's approaching, but I have a job to do. If we all do our own part, everything will be okay.

"Don't shoot," a familiar voice shouts from the woods.

Relief purges my soul as I see the two bright eyes that spell safety for me. Nathan is here, and I can breathe now since everything will be okay.

He is closely followed by his parents. Though it makes absolutely no sense to me that they would come back here, I am thrilled they did because part of me worried I would never see Nathan again. I imagined he might slip away like mist, disappear as if he was never here in the first place.

Finishing the bandages on Jessica's leg, I run to Nathan's side. I fling my arms around his neck with such vigor that it seems as we haven't seen each other for years.

"Let's not split up, ever again," I whisper to him.

"That sounds like a great idea to me," he says, gently brushing his lips against mine.

I know things won't be perfect. That in this world, it's hard to protect anything good. Yet, I believe in us.

After all, our love managed to blossom in this rotting world. If that can happen, anything is possible.

We'll restore people to their human selves, find shelter, and live happily ever after.

Or at least that's what I need to believe. And for the first time, there is a chance for that to become our new reality.