Chapter 3

We sat in that room chatting for quite a while. We just talked about ourselves, our lives before the Infection, and right after. He was from Georgia, a place called Savannah. He said he had a sister named Susie, who had a crush on a mechanic named Ellis, though she was only 14 and he was 23. Their mother was nice he said, but their father was very abusive. Marky said he was trying to save up to get a place so he could get Susie away from that place when she turned 18. Things must've been bad if he was willing to go to such measures, but he didn't tell me anything.

It made me feel bad for him, that he was raised like that, especially considering that I grew up in a kinda high class family. I mean, our house wasn't huge, but we had a lot of expensive stuff and I went to high society private schools. I didn't enjoy them much, and was kinda glad when the Infection started. More freedom, but at the expense of zombies.

I found myself rubbing his arm, as if to comfort him, him smiling. He seemed to be enjoying my company, though I guess four or five hours really isn't enough to say. It took me a while to realize that it was about eight at night, so I figured I must've been unconscious or asleep for at least twelve hours. I decided that I would try to see if I could get more out of him regarding why he did what he did to and for me.

"Hey Marky?" I asked, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"Yes Opal?" He replied, a smile on his face that rarely faded since we started talking.

"Why... Why'd you do what you did, last night?"

His smiled faded. "I already tol' ya. A mult'tude of reasons."

"I mean more than that, Marky."

He sighed. "I don' wanna talk 'bout it."

"Is that your answer? Can I leave now?"

"Look, if yer gonna go, hurry up 'n' go." He spoke with an edge of annoyance in his voice.

I looked up at him. "You know, maybe I will."

He stood up, and walked out. "Then get yer things and get out."

I blinked rapidly for quite a while after he left, shocked that he'd been so blunt; though, again, four hours does not a good understanding of character make. I thought for a while, then decided to gather my things, check the magazine of my pistol, and head out. I was standing before the warehouse's shutter door when I heard him walk out.

"'Ey, Opal? Look, I'm sorry." He said from across the large room.

I looked back at him, and hesitated from opening the door. "Really now?"

He nodded. "Yeh. I'm sorry f'r bein' such a jerk, but I kinda can' re'lly answer that question."

I sighed. "So I guess it'll just be the mystery that haunts me in my slep for the rest of eternity?" I adopted a dramatic sarcasm for the last bit of the sentence.

He chuckled. "Somethin' like that, I guess."

I smiled at him. "Oh well. Hey, what's for dinner?"

Marky shrugged. "Well, 'nless you feel like goin' out to eat, nothin'."

I shrugged, and chuckled softly. "Then it looks like we're goin' out to eat. Any idea where the nearest food store is?"

He nodded. "Yeh, it's jus' 'round back. This place was a storehouse f'r the store, I think."

I nodded, and cocked my pistol. "Then we should go."

A.N.: Thanks for the reviews, and I'm sorry if this one sucks, but I lost a bit of inspiration. I'll soldier through it, though, unless I really can't write anymore without it being terrible.