Hey, guys! Back with a new chapter of TQ; actually, new and possibly last chapter… I'm not sure if this is going to be the last chapter yet. I like where I leave off, but there might be a few ends that you guys would like me to tie up a bit better or something like that. I don't know, I'll just see the response this gets and then make the decision of if I'm going to write another chapter.
Next Thursday I'll make sure you guys know one way or another. Sorry(but not really)! Please read and write a review of what you think I should do, write another chapter to tie up some ends or end it here, thanks for reading this long AN!
I awoke to a dull burning sensation in my wrist, the same one that had been chomped on. I groaned as I opened my eyes to a sun lit room. I turned my head to find that Tal was still asleep but Fin wasn't beside me anymore, he was curled up next to Tallahassee, but his eyes were open and he was watching me.
I looked down at my wrist to find that the bite itself was looking a little redder than it had the night before. It didn't look anywhere near as bad as it had the first few days after getting it, but it was changing again.
I slowly turned my wrist over, getting a look at the entire bite, it was all getting red again. I gingerly touched it, but it shot a white hot pain up my arm; I wouldn't be doing that again anytime soon.
Once again, I looked over at Tal, who hadn't stirred, but Fin's head was slightly raised off his paws. I swear I saw his lip twitch, but I may have imagined it; the look I didn't imagine was his glare, who knew dogs could glare, mhmm? Fin could though and it was making me fidget, so I sat up, earning myself a bared k-9.
I paused and looked at Fin, who suddenly gave a low, rumbling growl. What had gotten into him? His hackles were even beginning to rise a bit.
I stood, tugging on the sleeve of my sweater, covering the bite altogether. Fin's whole body went rigid as he half-stood up, growling louder.
Tallahassee stirred at the sound; he turned over and put a hand on Finnegan's back while looking at me. He cocked an eyebrow and asked,
"What's up? Why's Fin acting weird?" I shrugged and walked over to the window, which was obscured by the curtain. I don't really know why I walked over to it, I just felt like it was something that I needed to do.
I nudged the curtain to the side to come face-to-face with a zombie. I shrieked a little as I jumped back from the gore covered face, only to trip and fall on my butt. I never once took my eyes off the zombie, even as Tal jumped out of bed and dropped to my side, asking if I was okay.
His words barely registered in my mind as I looked at the zombie on the other side of the window. He stood still, not moving or blinking; he just stood there, staring into the room. I felt a strange pull towards him, wanting nothing more than to walk out the door and,
"COLUMBUS!" Tallahassee's scream and hand on my shoulder stopped my thought process as well as my movement. Somehow, I was standing at the door, hand on the knob which I had already half turned. I blinked a few times before I pulled my hand away from the knob as if it was hot.
"Columbus?" Tal asked softly this time, hand still on my shoulder. I half cocked my head as I stared at the ground, trying to figure out what had just happened.
"I, I don't know." Tal reached around me to grip my other shoulder and turn my body towards him so that he could look into my eyes.
"Are you okay?" I slowly shook my head, thinking for an answer. I got frustrated as my eyes misted over, saying,
"I don't know! Something is happening to me!" Tal's hands tightened and his lips where pressed into a thin line, but he didn't say anything, allowing me to continue, "I don't know what's happening to me, but I'm feeling a strange pull to go to him." I gestured over my shoulder at the zombie who had yet to so much as move a muscle. Tal looked confused, saying,
"What do you mean by go to him?" I couldn't really meet his eyes, seeing how I didn't really even know what I was talking about and knew that it sounded like I was going insane.
"I'm not sure, all I know is that I want to walk out that door and go to him. I don't know why." We both mulled that over for a few moments, when Tal got a look in his eye like he had an idea, whether or not it was a good idea is any mans guess.
"Stay here, let me look at something real quick." Tal let go of my shoulders, taking away the comfort they had given me. Tal walked over to the window and pushed the curtain further aside so that he could see more outside. He looked around, as if searching for something, but my mind was wandering again, not thinking about him anymore.
I was thinking about that zombie again, it was like he was calling out to me to come to him, not verbally or anything like that, but mentally. It was subconscious, like how when children are playing in a park with no fences, they tend to stay together, grouping as one. I can't really explain it.
Before I knew it, the sun's rays were warming up my face in the crisp morning air. The zombie had turned toward me but had made no other moves as I took slow steps toward it. I thought I heard Tal saying my name, but I didn't react to him if he had, I was solely focused on the zombie.
I quite suddenly felt a burning sensation in the back of my throat, so I growled a bit, trying to clear it, but just as I made a sound, the zombie took a step back. I paused and cocked my head to the side before growling again, louder this time. The zombie cowered backwards.
It was afraid of me. The tiniest inkling in the back of my mind told me to say something to him, but what came out of my lips wasn't any human language that I had ever heard before, it was a series of growls, grunts, and other odd noises.
"What are you doing here?" The zombie didn't look up at me, nor did it respond, but I felt as if it gave me an answer. He gave me the impression that he was looking for me.
"Why were you looking for me?" I asked and again he didn't respond physically, but the bite on my wrist flared in pain, and that was when I finally recognized him. He was the one who bit me, I had smashed his face, but I guess I hadn't finished the job.
The zombie finally looked up at me with its dead, cold eyes, but a spark was present that I had never noticed before, as he grunted,
"Master." That was the last thing he said though as Tallahassee pumped a round into his skull, effectively snapping me out of my daze. Suddenly, I felt lightheaded and my knees felt weak. I sank to the ground, but Tal caught me before I hit, saying,
"What the fuck was that?!" Tal asked, none to gently. "Were you talking to that thing?!" My eyes rolled around in my skull, behind closed eye lids as my head swam.
After a few moments, my throbbing head finally eased and I responded with,
"I'm not sure, yes… he called me his master."
"Mas- never mind," he gave an exasperated sigh before continuing, "What the fuck is going on here?!" I shook my head gently, not wanting to start up another headache as I opened my eyes saying,
"I don't know." I closed my eyes again, something felt different. I focused on the feeling, trying to pinpoint it, and then I felt it throb. I was feeling the presence of zombies again, pulling at my mind.
I stood up stiffly, brushing off Tallahassee's hands and began walking toward them. I could hear Tal's calls, but it's like I had tunnel vision and can only see, or in this case feel, the zombies. I had to find them; they were calling out to me.
They were around the far side of the building and they were coming to me at the same rate that I was going towards them. It felt like there was anywhere between five and ten of them, their minds were jumbled up together so it was hard to get an exact number.
The next thing I realized was the group of nine zombies standing in front of me, they were all saying the same thing,
"Master. Master."
"Why am I Master?" I asked. They all responded the same and in tandem,
"You are Master." Even though it wasn't an answer, I moved on,
"Where did you come –" I cut of as something touched my shoulder, I jumped away, hissing. It took a few moments for my brain to register that it was just Tallahassee; in those seconds, the zombies behind me had rushed forward, almost roaring, to separate Tal from me. They thought he was a threat to me.
"Stop!" I yelled at them, they instantly obeyed and wandered back to me, still keeping themselves between us, but weren't a threat to Tal anymore.
Tal was saying something, but I didn't hear what it was, I was talking to the group,
"Never do that again. He's not a threat." I could feel that they were regretful and sorry, so I added, "It's okay, just don't do it again."
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, it was Tallahassee raising his shotgun.
"NO!" I screamed, but it was too late, he had already fired the gun. My vision went red and I barely registered the movement until after the fact. I had Tallahassee pinned to the ground, crouched over him, half-hissing and half-snarling in his face. The zombies behind me roared and screamed at Tallahassee, but didn't move forward and interfere with me.
I pushed roughly off him and went to the fallen zombies' side in one smooth movement, it was too late though, it was a clean head shot; the zombie had died instantly. I eased up from the dead and turned slowly to face Tallahassee who had stood and was backing away.
"Don't you ever do that again." I said slowly, the threat in my tone was clear. My zombies milled around behind me, waiting for me to tell them to attack; they pushed at my mind, begging for me to give them the order.
"Columbus." His voice was pleading and managed to snap me out of my weird funk. My vision returned to normal and my rage and hatred diminished a bit, but the feeling of loss was still there.
I turned my back to Tallahassee and addressed my group, saying,
"I'm sorry for his behavior, I will make sure it won't happen again. You are still not allowed to attack him unless I give the order."
"Yes, Master." Came the unanimous response. I turned back to Tallahassee, a deep seated anger was still brewing in my chest; honestly, it physically hurt which put me in a worse mood.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I asked, trying my best to hold back my anger. He kept his face almost unreadable, lips pressed into a thin line. He wouldn't meet my eyes as he said,
"I was about to ask you the same thing." My lip raised slightly in a silent snarl, saying,
"You killed one of my group." He finally met my eyes, fury blazed there,
"Your group?! What the fuck are you talking about?! " I matched his voice, shouting back,
"I don't know! But they're under my protection now, you can't touch any of them!" Tallahassee snapped back sarcastically,
"Oh, that's right, I forgot. Silly me, you're their master, right?"
"As a matter of fact, yes! And just a quick FYI, they want me to let them kill you. Don't touch them and I won't let them touch you." I'm royally pissed now.
"Am I supposed to thank you for that?" He asked as he crossed his arms across his chest, standing up straighter. I growled,
"Stop being a dick, Tallahassee, before you force my hand." He quirked an eyebrow at me,
"Oh, that's fresh coming from your scrawny ass." I finally snapped; red filled my vision again and an instinct took over my body that's not my own. I had Tallahassee pinned again, but this time, I was shoving his face into the concrete, roaring in his ear, finger nails digging into the back of his neck.
My zombies roared with me, but stayed back obediently. Tallahassee bucked, knocking my grip loose; he spun around onto his back and punched me across the face, sending me reeling to the side. I didn't fall though, my instinct kept me on my feet and even got me moving again. I leapt through the air at him, hitting him square in the chest with my full weight and momentum.
He stumbled backward as I spun around to his back and wound an arm around his neck. I kicked out his legs, dropping him to his knees; I stood on his ankles, arm still about his neck. I gripped my left wrist, the one around his neck, with my right hand, effectively putting him in a headlock.
He scrabbled at my arms, but my arms held fast like steel bars even has he choked for breath. I leaned down to his ear and hissed,
"Leave us alone or the next time we meet I won't be so civil." I spit out the word civil as if it had burned my tongue by just saying it.
After letting his choke and gasp for air a few moments, I let him go roughly, throwing him onto the ground where he gasped for a breath. I stepped off his ankles and crouched beside his head, turning my face to be in line with his before I said,
"Goodbye, Tallahassee." With that, I stood and walked back to my group and lead them away quietly enough to hear a soft whimper behind us of,
"Columbus." I didn't bother to turn around, I could hear the sadness and strain in his voice; honestly, though, I literally couldn't care less about Tallahassee.