Candy Pop Corpse

13. Lollipop Lesson

A hand grabbed my cheeks and pulled me back up. Wastia's enraged face came into view. Her chocolate eyes glared bullets into my own, a deep scowl etched on her face.

"What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" she growled through clenched teeth.

I looked from the limp body to her, a confused frown on my face. "Dessert?"

Her fingers slithered around my throat. They pressed onto it lightly, threatening to block off my only means of communication. "You crossed the line. We have rules. You don't follow them, you die again." She squeezed tighter. "You want to kill people so bad? Go on and eat until you become the mindless piece of trash that brought you back to life in the first place."

Fear kept my mouth sealed. Her harsh scolding would've made my heart stutter if it still could. Was eating them really that wrong? Saages should've died, anyways. They were unjust criminals who d But this time was different. I didn't steal anything; he gave them to me.

Why was I getting yelled at? It wasn't fair. I patted her arms in an attempt to free myself. Yet I felt just as helpless as Dib probably did under me hours before. It only took her tossing me to the ground for me to regain my backbone. Holding my neck with one hand and punching the ground with the other, I yelled, "Didn't you want me to 'prove my worth?" I flinched at Wastia's arched brows, yet continued. "How is killing a savage not good enough?"

She bared her teeth at me. Her eyes were wide, reminding me of jam filled thumbprint cookies. Thin veins popped out of their corners. Before she could pounce on me, Styke held her back. "This wasn't what we―" Wastia paused. It looked like her rage subsided for the moment as she tilted her head at me. "Wait," she uttered, "what do you mean 'savage'?"

I pointed to the body beside us. "That guy. You all must've set up a newly recruited savage or... something for this exact moment." I brought my legs to my chest. After regaining my standing, I gave them a smug smile, proud of myself for figuring it out. "I've gotta say, this was a great plan. I got to practice without hurting a civilian, and it tastes good!"

She opened her mouth to say something, but the silence between us spoke for her. After settling her breathing, Wastia pushed Styke's hands off her shoulders. Her lips curled back into a sneer as her gaze shifted from the body to me. "You're sick."

I shrugged my shoulders when she walked to where Charles was. Then bent down to grab a glob of meat. "Maybe," I commented, popping the treat in my mouth. It sent sick tingles in my mouth, but I swallowed them down.

Once Wastia brought Charles over to us, she strolled by me without a word. Styke followed suit and called after her while stepping over the body.

Charles, on the other hand, looked greener than usual. A hand covered his mouth as he stepped around the scene. Cheeks puffed, he shook his head vigorously when I tried to tap his shoulder, then ran ahead.

Wow, they had great acting skills. No wonder they didn't stop me when I attacked the drunk! After picking up my machete, I skipped in their direction. The juices coated my mouth in an odd, salty flavor. Ugh, this wasn't sweet enough

A grimace spread across my face faster than melted butter. By the time I caught up with the others I was licking the crumbs and cream off my hands. "Mm," I moaned when the taste of a particularly sweet piece rolled into my mouth.

Abandoned shops and flickering street lamps filled my vision. We were the only ones left. Not a civilian, savage or undead in sight, and definitely not Jack.

Charles slowed his pace to match mine as we headed past the city's center. By now, this face had returned to its regular, blanched state. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that. You looked sick back there." I rose my eyebrows. "Not good with blood?"

"Y-Yeah." He averted his eyes, scratching the back of his head. "I've never been with that stuff."

In an attempt to suppress my creeping smile, I snorted. "We did anything to survive, back then. They were dangerous, so it was okay."

Wastia stopped to slam her foot on the ground up ahead. After a huff, she continued marching. Styke patted her shoulder.

"Does she... not like me?" I asked while tucking my weapon back in the sleeve I got from Dib. "It seems like I always make her mad."

Charles gave a sigh. "She's like that with everyone. I wouldn't worry about it much. Besides, you can't expect someone to like you when you've just met."

"I guess so." Still, she didn't have to be so obvious about it. "But I passed the test, didn't I?"

At that, Charles offered no response. Instead, he let out a muffled grunt, then gestured for me to hurry up. "C'mon, we're almost there."

We sprinted until we were close behind Wastia and Styke. She glanced back, smiled at Charles, then scowled at me. "Y'know," the dead woman started, much to my dismay, "there are a lot of things you don't understand about being dead. We'll... teach you as much as we can this week, so make sure you take notes."

I grinned and shook my arms happily. Did that mean I made it in? "Thank you. I won't let you down!"

She cleared her throat before pushing up a loose strand of her kinky brown hair. After muttering a 'good', she scratched her chest with a grimace.

As we traveled, the distance closed between us and this sector's end. The black barrier surrounding the city camouflaged with the darkening sky effortlessly. I gulped at the sight, unsure of what was to come. Could Jack be just past this gate? How far could he have gone? If he was in that sector, what would he say if he saw me? Similar questions swirled in my head until I got dizzy. To distract myself from them, I shook my head and tredged on.

Once we reached the metal gate, we stopped. I took the opportunity to marvel at the structure that seemed to scrape past clouds. '899' was written large in white paint on a door slightly ajar. A red X slashed over the label. By now the sky traded its orange-marmalade-coating for splashes of blueberry. Clouds hid the stars from us, yet the moon still illuminated our path.

"We're finally here," Wastia murmured.

I looked at their faces. Though Charles and Wastia both smiled, they couldn't be more different. Charles' wide grin was bold and obvious, while Wastia merely lifted the corners of her lips, just slightly, to show her satisfaction.

"Um," I started with a frown, "where is 'here'?"

Styke glanced in my direction. "For now, home."

"O-Oh." Home for me was this city, where Jack and I spent months in. I was finally getting used to this place and now I had to leave it behind. But Jack wasn't here, so I guess there wasn't a point in staying, either. "What about the savages?" I questioned to stall for time.

Charles chuckled. "899 is our territory. No civilians or savages for miles, except for a few strays."

I gulped and turned my attention to the wall. Was that why the door was open? Was my brother a part of those unfortunate strays?

Or was he caught by the very monsters I'd become?

Questioning myself wouldn't get me answers. So I stepped forward, lips straightened into a thin line and gaze narrowed on what laid ahead. "Let's go, then."