𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨

Chapter Thirty one

Y/N

All of us Corpses have taken shelter from the rain beneath an overpass, and I am fervently rubbing my hands over my upper arms in a weak attempt to warm them up.

I shuffle from one foot to the other, staring at the group of Corpses clustered in a loose knot beneath the highway. They're all as drenched as I am and it seems like some of them - Roo included - are shivering too.

What on earth is going on?

"B-boneys, chas-se us, aw-way." Roo tilts her head to look up at me. "Wh-where is shhe?"

"H-home," I say weakly, feeling that ache in my chest again.

"Y-you 'kay?"

And this time I don't shrug, because I have an answer. "No," I admit and something catches in my throat again. I have got to figure out what causes that, because it's getting really annoying. "No."

Roo grunts and she reaches out, gripping my shoulder. She looks awkward about it but I appreciate the gesture anyway.

When she drops her hand she fixes me with a serious look. "B-boneys loo-ook, for y-you...."

I shrug, because why the hell should I care? What more do I have to live for anyway? Maybe it's better this way, get it over quick and stop the dull pain that's been lingering in my chest all day.

"....An-nd her."

That gets my attention and my head snaps up, panic in my eyes. I can handle my life being in danger but I won't stand aside while she is being threatened.

"Why?" I ask nervously.

"St-tarted someth-thing," she explains. One of her hands fidgets with her breast pocket like she expects something to be there.

"I saw, pic'hurs. Lassst night. H-here." She taps her temple for emphasis. "M-memories. C-cigar-rettes; a wom-man; b-beach; bad-dge; you."

"Me?" I ask in surprise.

We have known each other for - well, however long I've been this way. I don't exactly keep track of time, I just know it's been a while. Having memories of me is of no significance, so why should he mention it?

"You," Roo echoes. "B-befffore. Young." she looks up and her eyes pierce into mine. It occurs to me then that our eyes are the same colour even with the fog. "Shin."

It strikes me like a physical blow and I stagger back a step, because no word in the human language has ever affected me like this one. It reaches inside me and stirs something into life, like a spark growing from an ember. There is warmth and comfort and familiarity in the name. I know it. I may have forgotten but it was always there, waiting for me. My surname.

"Shin." I sound it out, rolling the sounds over my languid tongue. It feels right. Real. "Shin Y/N."

"All, us," Roo says, gesturing over her shoulder at the cluster of Corpses that followed her here. "Sllleep. M-memories."

"D-dreams," I tell him and her eyes widen. "We're, ch-changing."

Roo nods her agreement. All of this is blowing my mind. Here I always thought I was just the odd one out, but maybe I've just been ahead of the curve. Now all of these others are starting to be like me, to think and dream and feel.

Something has happened, something that's caused a change in what we are. We're becoming something different, more than just ordinary Corpses. A little more Living.

People need to know about this. We have to tell them what is happening, make them see that we're not a danger to them anymore. Maybe we aren't monsters after all. But who can I trust to listen? The answer is almost immediate.

"Jennie," I say blurted out. "H-have to tell her."

Roo nods. "H-help, you," she says and then looks at the Corpses behind her. "Yeah?"

A chorus of moaned agreements come back and I grin eagerly. "Let's g-go."