Hope you are all having a wonderful week, so far.
Your reviews literally make my day, thank you sooo much for all of the awesome responses! In this update, we find out what happened to Bree's sister, and we hear a little from Mayor Missy's perspective.
Much love to you all, and enjoy!
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Eliza sat on the top step of her front porch, absentmindedly picking at the tassels of one of the many decorative lampshades that decorated the exterior of the home. Zevon, Zed and Addison had arrived just a few moments ago, and they were in the process of getting Zed situated on the couch, where he would be made to rest for the remainder of the day. Not that he would actually do it. Knowing Zed, he'd probably be playing with Zoey and Puppy as soon as Addison left and his dad returned to their house to finish moving furniture.
Her best friend could be ridiculously stubborn, and was a notoriously bad patient. Bonzo wasn't much better, for that matter.
As she sat and pondered her odd choice in friends, Addison came through the front door, coming over to take a seat on the stoop next to Eliza.
"How's it going, cheerleader?" Eliza said with a tired grin. She'd gotten a few hours of sleep, but it was hard to sleep soundly with such a full house. After today, though, things would be back to normal, and the guys would be in their newly renovated houses.
"Good." Addison responded. "As long as Zed actually stays on the couch and rests like he's supposed to."
Eliza snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that." She glanced over to Addison. "You waiting on your mom?"
"Yeah," Addison replied, pulling her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie to keep them warm.
They sat and watched as a family of humans walk by, a mother and father pushing two pink strollers. It was still crazy to Eliza, how blended everything had become. It was now perfectly normal to see a human family walking down her street, a sight that would have been shocking only a few years back. The sight suddenly reminded Eliza of another human family she had recently seen pictures of.
"Ads?" Eliza asked, suddenly.
"Hmm?" Addison replied, turning her head to face Eliza's questioningly.
"It's not my business, but... What happened to Bree's sister? I saw her in the pictures in the safe room last night. But I've never even heard Bree mention having a sibling. Is she...?" She didn't want to finish the sentence.
"Dead?" Addison replied, looking sad. "Yeah. She died like, ten years ago, back when Bree was only seven or eight." She paused. "Haven't you ever heard of the Brighten tragedy? It was big news when it happened. I didn't even know Bree at the time, but I still remember hearing adults talk about it."
"Zombies never really used to get much news from the human side of the barrier." Eliza said with a shrug. "And we didn't have the same access to television or internet until after integration."
Addison nodded sadly. Eliza wasn't sure if she looked sad because of the mistreatment of zombies, or because of the story she was about to tell.
"Well, the Brighten tragedy was the last known case of a human being killed by a rogue zombie."
Eliza's head snapped up at that.
"I don't know the zombie's name, but he escaped the barrier one day. He smashed his z-band, on purpose. No one knows why. But he wandered through the woods, feral, until he came across Bree's family's house. It was random, I don't think he even knew who they were. But he broke into the house. Bree's little sister, Bailey, was the first human he came across, and... well."
At that, Eliza felt her eyes grow as wide as saucers. Because suddenly, she did know this story, though she hadn't thought about it in years. But in Zombietown, they had a different name for it.
"The Zen Incident." Eliza gasped. "Holy brains."
"What?" Addison asked, looking confused.
"Zombies have a different name for that day." Eliza said, feeling dread forming in her stomach. "We called it the Zen Incident. The zombie you're talking about was named Zen. He was a real monster, even with his z-band on. He would scream and yell at everyone, steal things, start fights. But worst of all, he used to beat up his girlfriend and his little kid. He was awful to them, Addy."
"That's horrible." Addison gasped.
"Yes, it was. And we all thought that Zen couldn't possibly be any worse than he already was. Until one day, his girlfriend finally had enough. The beatings and abuse were getting so bad, that she was afraid for her kid's life. So she kicked Zen out, and told him never to come back."
"Good for her." Addison affirmed.
"Yes," continued Eliza, her voice tight with anxiety as she recalled what happened next. "It was good for her and their son. But Zen was furious. He climbed the barrier, somehow, and got out. Once he was in the woods, he found a rock or something to smash his z-band. Some people think that his plan was to go back into the barrier and kill his family, but once his band was off, he didn't have the sense to remember who he wanted to attack. So he wandered around, until he found a house that he could break into easily. Bree's house."
Eliza felt ill as she recalled the rest of the story. "He got inside, and went after the first human he could get his hands on. Bree's little sister, as it turns out. By the time Z-Patrol arrived and took him down, it was already too late for her."
Addison nodded, sadly. "Yeah, the whole thing was just... horrible. Bree has only ever talked to me about it once or twice. It sounds like the only thing good to come out of that awful day was that Zen's family got away from him."
"Yeah," said Eliza, but she could hear the off tone in her own voice. There was more to the story that Addison didn't know. Probably that no humans knew, because zombies were never mentioned by name in human news, back in those days. They weren't important enough to have names.
"Eliza," Addison said. "You're leaving something out of the story, aren't you? I can feel it."
Eliza met her eyes.
"Yeah," she replied flatly. "I am."
"What is it?" Addison asked, brows dipped down. "What could possibly make this story worse than it already is?"
"Zen's family." Eliza replied. "The girlfriend and the son. They're still around. They live here on this street, actually. And the son is our age, now."
"He is?" Addison asked, eyes wide. "Does he go to school with us? Who is it?"
"Addy," Eliza said, feeling completely overwhelmed by the twist this conversation had taken. "Zen's son... is Bonzo. Bonzo's dad is the one who killed Bree's sister."
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Missy let out a delicate yawn as she drove her little car towards Zombietown, where Addison was waiting at her friend Eliza's house to be picked up. Missy wasn't normally the type of person to take naps, but though that she might make an exception, this afternoon. Her honey-colored hair wafted in the breeze that streamed through her window, which was cracked open. The cool air helped her to stay alert, despite being abnormally exhausted.
It had been a very long morning, with a very early start.
When she had seen the group of white-haired people gathered amongst Addison's friends in the crowded emergency room, she had known that something very significant was about to take place. Immediately, she was certain that this all had something to do with Addison's biological father, someway, somehow. Especially once she saw the look that her daughter exchanged with the girl who was embracing that werewolf boy, Wyatt. The girl, who couldn't have been more than five feet tall, had cheekbones and a chin that were replicas of her Addison's face. And, well... his face.
But while Missy had known that something big was about to happen, she had not expected to learn that there was a race of aliens living amongst them. Which meant that her own child, her Addison, was not entirely human, herself. Though this particular revelation had not surprised her as much as it perhaps should have. Her daughter had always been different, despite Missy and Dale's great efforts to make her blend in. Addison, it seemed, was destined to stand out, in more ways than one.
The things that they had said about Charles Moon had shaken Missy. Just thinking about him, which she made a point never to do, made her nervously run her hand along the hem of her dress, smoothing out the non-existant wrinkles there. But she wouldn't focus on that right now.
Missy had to focus on the extreme changes that this "alien" revelation would mean for her and her city. She had already had to adapt to having zombies live amongst them as equal citizens. Then, the wolves had come, and her ability to accept change had been challenged yet again.
She had, admittedly, not done so well with either adjustment. At least not initially. But now, two years after zombie integration first began, Mayor Missy was proud to say that she had developed as a leader and as a person. The fact was, times were changing in Seabrook. She could either change along with them, or be left behind in the dust.
And Missy was not about to be left behind.
Still, when Elder Ayla told her and the other council members that she and the other Lunites intended to join the Society of Seabrook, Missy couldn't help but experience a moment of panic. If she accepted this, everything would change. Again. Would life never be normal, the way it used to be? Clean and normal and simple, like it was when zombies were on the other side of the barrier, and when Addison was still wearing her wig.
But then, Missy had met Addison's eyes across the room. Her beautiful, strong daughter. Whom she loved with all of her being, even if she had trouble actually showing it. And because she loved her daughter, she knew that she only had one direction in which she could proceed.
Missy had to accept these aliens. Not only accept them, but do so enthusiastically and whole-heartedly, because to reject them would be to reject her little girl. She had let down her child in the past; she was not going to do so again.
And so, standing in the waiting area of a crowded emergency room, she had embraced the Lunite leader and her people with sincerity in her heart. Perhaps everything would change. But for her daughter, Missy would be open to those changes, no matter what. She would not go back to making her child hide who she really was. No matter what the cost was to Missy's psyche.
From over Elder Ayla's shoulder, she had met her husband's eyes. They had exchanged a short and silent conversation in that moment, and Missy knew that Dale understood. He would support her decision now, as he had supported her for nearly two decades. He really was the perfect partner for her.
As Missy pulled up in front of the Zambie house, she forced her mind back to the present. There would be time to think about the Lunites later. For now, she needed to focus on getting herself and her daughter home, so that they could both have a well deserved rest for a few hours. Addy had cheer practice tonight, and Missy and Dale would be attending an emergency council meeting to discuss the situation with Charles Moon. Whom she was still refusing to think about.
As she parked, she watched as Addison and Eliza, who had been sitting on the porch, stood up together. Eliza had a strange, shocked expression on her face, which confused Missy. The girl was normally always mad about some "injustice" or another, but this expression looked far more emotional than it did angry.
Addison gripped Eliza's arm briefly and quietly whispered something to her before turning and descending the stairs. She smiled brightly at her mom, though Missy could tell that Addison was tense. Though this wasn't exactly unexpected, considering all that had taken place in the early morning hours. She opened the passenger's side door, entering the car happily as she reached up to fasten her seat belt.
"Hey, mom!" Addison said with a smile. "How did everything go this morning?"
"Hi, honey." Missy returned the smile, offering a wave through the window to Eliza, who was still standing on the porch looking shell-shocked as they pulled away in the little car. "Is your friend okay?"
"Oh, Eliza?" Addison replied. "Sure. I think she's just a little overwhelmed at the moment."
"I think the same could be said for all of us." Missy replied with a soft chuckle. "But to answer your question, the meetings and the interview all went great this morning. Ayla and Badru are lovely people. After Shore Day, we're planning on scheduling another big block party to welcome the Lunites to the community."
Addison looked impressed. "That's great, mom. Everyone will love that!"
Missy smiled tiredly, and they drove in silence for a few moments. The trip back to their home was not particularly long, but she drove carefully, acutely aware of how tired she was and not wanting to drive irresponsibly.
"Mom?" Addison said suddenly. Her vocal tone was completely different than it had been a moment before. Rather than cheery and conversational, she now sounded tense and nervous.
Missy felt her hands tighten on the steering wheel, suddenly fearing the course that this conversation was about to take. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what her daughter was about to say. She wasn't ready for this.
"Yes, dear?" Missy replied, hearing the slight strain in her own voice.
"Mom... I know." Addison said in a quiet voice. "About... About how you had me, I mean."
Missy was silent for a moment, then quickly pulled over into the parking lot of a small grocery store. She didn't want to drive and have this conversation at the same time.
"Addison," Missy started, closing her eyes briefly as she fought back a wave of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you. And I'm sorry about the wig. I have spent your whole life trying to make you something you aren't. But you've always been exactly who you're supposed to be. I've been a selfish, terrible mother."
Missy's voice cracked at the end of the statement. But she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. She straightened her back in her seat, and leaned forward to wipe off a tiny smudge on the car's dashboard. Keeping things clean and neat and normal, that was the only way Missy knew how to fix things.
"Mom!" Addison gasped, and Missy looked over to see her daughter's pained face. "You have not been a terrible mother! You were taken advantage of by a terrible, evil person, and ended up with a kid. You were thrown into a situation that was never your fault, and you and dad have raised me the best way you knew how. You did what you thought was right for me. Your actions may not have always been right, but I know that your intentions were to take care of me."
Addison reached out and took Missy's hand. Missy gripped her daughter's hand tightly.
"And Mom, I want you to know," Addison continued, "that you and dad are the best parents I could have ever asked for. I'm not mad about the wig, not anymore. I understand why you did it."
Missy took in a deep, shaking breath, trying to gather her emotions. She didn't know how to respond to any of this. She couldn't talk about him, she just couldn't. But didn't she owe her child an explanation?
"I don't," Missy said haltingly. "Regret... What happened with him." She shuddered. "Because I got you out of it, Addy. And I wouldn't trade you for anything."
Addison squeezed her hand again. Missy used her free hand to further smooth out the hem of her dress. Clean and neat and normal. Clean and neat and normal.
"Mom," she said gently. "It's okay. We don't have to talk about it anymore. I just want you to know that I love you and dad very much, and that I wouldn't change a thing."
Missy finally looked Addison in the eyes, seeing the earnestness there. Missy couldn't agree that she wouldn't change a thing about her past decisions. In fact, there were many things about Addison's childhood that she wished she could take back. But somehow, despite how they had tried to raise her, Addison had turned out to be one of the most kind, accepting and forgiving people Missy had ever met. She knew she couldn't take credit for that, but nonetheless, at that moment, Missy was so proud to have her as a daughter.
"I love you too, sweetheart." Missy said, reaching out and stroking her daughter's hair. For the first time, she didn't feel the sense of revulsion that normally came when she looked at Addison's hair. There was only a sense of pride and love. Maybe Missy really was growing as a person.
Then, Missy leaned forward, hugging her daughter tightly as they sat parked in the parking lot of a grocery store. The motion might mean that her dress got a little wrinkly. But for her little girl, she could handle a few wrinkles.
