An Unexpected Calm

Part 4

The days came and went, and slowly but surely, my foot was getting better. Perrie was still as unpredictable as ever though. Sometimes I was glad to have her around because she could be so caring and nurturing. At other times, I wished she was as far away from me as possible because it seemed as if she was doing everything possible to make my pain worse.

Right now I'm sitting next to the brook by myself. Perrie is out getting us food, and I'm passing the time by rewrapping my foot. I've done this so many times now that I can do it expertly without causing myself any pain, plus it helps that my foot has healed loads.

Within a couple of minutes, I had pulled the cloth around my foot snuggly and accurately. I moved the cloth to the appropriate spot on my foot and taped it down. This is the fastest I had ever been able to complete the task. It made me realize just how much time has gone by.

Things used to be such a struggle for me, but they had definitely gotten better. Today, Perrie said she thought it was finally time to see if I could walk on my own. Usually, I used Perrie or a makeshift cane as support, but Perrie believed that I was finally ready to walk on my own again. The thought of being able to walk freely again made me excited yet slightly nervous. I was afraid of something going wrong.

I hadn't voiced my worries to Perrie. Due to her unpredictability, I wasn't sure how she would react to my misgivings. I knew she had the capability to comfort me and reassure me, but part of me was scared she would call me weak and then put me on my own two feet when I wasn't prepared.

As I sat by the brook waiting for Perrie to return, my mind began to wander. It was a miracle that Perrie was still sticking by my side. Every time she left to go get something or run errands, there was always this small sliver in my thoughts that told me she wasn't coming back. She always did come back though, and I was actually really grateful for that. It was nice not being alone. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed having company.

Although sometimes, I really wished my companion was someone with a more predictable temper. Perrie and I got into screaming matches at least once a day, and sometimes she would leave me alone for hours because of how angry she was. The littlest thing could spark a full out argument. Just the other day, she started screaming at me for taking too long to put my shirt on. Before I had time to process what was going on, she had stormed through the vines and to the outside world, leaving me utterly confused and completely alone.

Things always had a way of fixing themselves though. Prime example: five hours after Perrie had stormed out she came back with a bunch of candy and offered to help me get ready for bed. She tucked me into bed and rubbed my back soothingly until I fell asleep. Sure, she never explicitly stated that she was sorry, but her actions spoke loud enough.

There have been hundreds of situations just like that one. The thing is, whenever Perrie pisses me off, I'm physically unable to leave her. I'm too dependent on her now. Sure, she can leave me whenever she wants, but for the time being, I'm stuck here. That's why I'm so excited to walk on my own two feet again. I'm tired of being dependent on someone that makes me feel like shit half the time.

Sometimes I get a bit uneasy though when I think about what will happen when I'm capable of walking on my own. Does that mean that I won't need Perrie anymore? Does that mean that life goes back to normal? Does that mean that this time Perrie will leave through the vines and never come back? It's weird to think of a life without having Perrie here now, and I'm not really sure how to feel about being without her.

I've also been extremely lucky as of late. I haven't had to deal with zombies in ages. It's actually so peculiar not fighting them because it had become such an integral part of my life. I actually miss the adrenaline rush I get from battling with the zombies.