growth

1

T H E   S U P E R N A T U R A L
• AMALIA •

The lights flicker on and off until they completely cease. I shuffle closer to Elijah, who wraps his arm around my shoulders.

     "Fucking blackouts." Xander mutters from the other side of the room.

     "Language." My father scolds.

     "Does anyone have any candles?" Mason asks. I can see his silhouette as he looks back and forth between all of us.

"I—I do." I go to stand up, but I feel my dad set his hand on my shoulder.

"You stay here, baby, I'll get them."

He walks out of the room, and that's when Grayson sits beside me and pinches my cheek. "Don't worry, baby, you sit back and relax while the zombies come out." He says mockingly.

My eyes widen. "What?"

"No, Grayson." Cole says. "The zombies only come out once a month, on the twelfth."

"I—it is the twelfth." I whisper.

I can make out Cole and Grayson exchanging a look. Eventually, Cole talks. "It's fine, we'll use the zombie spray. That should keep them away."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"You can't." Grayson says to me. "It only works on boys. Sorry. All the zombies will be coming for you."

"W-what?"

"I mean, we can lock the doors." Xander says. "Maybe they won't get her then."

"No, they can break through." Elijah adds. He shrugs. "I guess we've just got to take our chances. Maybe they won't find her and eat her. There'd be nothing we could do then."

Tears pool my eyes. "I d-don't wanna get eaten."

"Maybe you won't." Mason says. "Have faith, or they'll be able to smell the fear on you."

     I look down at my lap, only to find it empty. "Where's Petal?"

     "Maybe the zombies already got her." Xander says.

     "Shit. That means they're closer than we thought." Mason mutters.

     Oh no! I stand up and search through the darkness for my dog. "Petal!" I exclaim. "Petal, where are you?"

     I walk out of the living room and into the hallway slowly. I make my way into the kitchen, smiling when I see Petal by her water bowl. Once she's done drinking, I grab her quickly and return into the living room.

     "Mason went to get the zombie spray." Cole explains. "We'll spray it on you, but it might not work."

     "Here, Amalia, come sit with me." Elijah says. I set Petal on the couch before climbing on next to him. He's laying down, so I squeeze onto the couch by his side to make space for myself.

     He'll protect me, I know it.

     A few minutes of talking pass before I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and scream at the zombie above me, and in my attempt to shuffle away I fall off the couch, making my leg burst with pain.