Zomb-Pocalypse 4

Chapter Two

"I'm worried about you." My Mom tells me the next morning, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the side, just as I'm about to tromp out the door with the other girls to go cut wood. I stop and scowl at her in confusion.

"Why?" I demand, and she gives me an stern look.

"Everything." She says, stressing it like it should be obvious. "Life has changed so much for you since our trip to New York. There are zombies." She stops and looks at me. "Zombies, Jane! Of all the crazy ways the world could have ended." She takes a steadying breath. "I just worry about you. A month and a half ago you were a normal teenager going to high school, now we're fighting every day for our survival, not just from the zombies, but it's so cold–your whole world has changed in a very short time." She looks at me like she isn't sure she should go on, but she does. "Sunny." She reminds me and the name is like a knife straight through my heart.

"Mom..." I protest, meaning to tell her that I'm fine, but the words stick in my throat. I shrug. "I don't think any of us are fine anymore, but it's the way it is." I surprise myself by saying instead. I look at her uncomfortably for a minute before working up my courage. "Are you okay?" I ask, turning the tables on her. My Mom pauses and I can tell she's trying to be brave, but then she changes her mind and shakes her head. Maybe she thinks showing me that it's okay to 'feel' will help.

Mom wipes away a tear. "I'm really not Hun, but I thank God every day that we are together. Not very many people got that kind of chance." She tells me and it makes me feel cold inside and I haven't even gotten outside yet. I step forward and hug her tightly, breathing in the familiar smell that is my Mom. It's kind of funny, even without all the usual soaps and perfumes; she still smells mostly the same. I take a deep breath of it before stepping back.

"They're waiting for me." I tell her and she nods.

"Of course, I didn't mean to keep you." She tells me patting my cheek and I turn and walk away. The cold hits me as soon as I step through the door and the air permeates my lungs, probably freezing them, and making me cough as I walk towards the truck.

"Jane!" I turn at my name and see my Dad coming around the edge of the cabin.

"What's going on Dad?" I ask when he falls into step beside me. Hopefully this isn't going to be another intervention.

Dad shrugs, "Not much, just thought I'd come chop some wood with my favorite daughter today." He tells me casually and despite it being the oldest joke in the history of our jokes I laugh.

"I'm your only daughter." I remind him, just like I do every time and he grins.

"That's why you're the favorite." He replies. Our joke is dumb, but it feels comfortable to do something normal like we used to do before the outbreak. I glance at my Dad out of the corner of my eye. First my Mom and now him–

"Is this some kind of intervention?" I ask, obviously catching my Dad unaware because he gives me a bug eyed look for a minute and now I'm pretty sure I've guessed right.

"Not quite." My Dad admits after a minute. "Your Mom and I are just worried about you. It's been a lot of change in a short amount of time, then losing Sunny..." He trails off when I let out a small whimper of pain at the use of her name.

"I'm okay Dad." I reassure him and he nods like whimpering in pain at the mere mention of someone's name is perfectly natural.

"I know you are kiddo." He says and I'm surprised, but I actually think he means it.

"I was thinking though, you're probably getting pretty tired of chopping all this wood." He says and I nod my head in agreement. Wood is now both the one thing keeping me alive, and the bane of my existence. Maybe after we get a load under our belts you could come on a run with me?" He says looking hopeful and my pulse sky rockets.