From Death

Chapter Sixteen

Esther listened carefully to a sound upstream. It could've been Matthew for all she knew, but his scent had faded after he left. Aaliyah was preoccupied with the soap she'd discovered in Esther's bag. 

The zombie wandered along the edge of the river, discovering the source of the noise. A dead man leaned against a nearby tree, growling quietly. Esther watched it for a moment, waiting for it to catch her scent. Every mindless zombie the group came across made her think of herself. Was it sheer luck that made her this way? Esther was almost one of them and she likely would've been by now if it weren't for Aaliyah. 

The man's eyes raised to find her silent form. She looked at the mindless with pity, but was it really that bad? Of course, their bodies were still walking and committing horrors, but the brain was not the same. None of these people are responsible for their actions. Esther, however, is in control of every choice she makes. 

The man stumbled towards her, foot slipping on the muddy river bank. He didn't react to the cold of the water as he crossed the river to reach her. Esther held up her trusty hunting knife and grabbed the arm he stretched out. She pulled her arm back and drove the knife into his forehead. Esther tugged on the knife, but it was stuck in deep. Another hard pull and the blade came free. The zombie staggered back, falling into the river and hitting his head on a sharp rock.

Esther caught her breath quickly. She wiped the knife on her jeans and tucked it away. The corpse was motionless, eyes staring into nothing. A dark substance leaked from its head and into the water. The blood made it's way downstream, bubbles of foam appearing. The girl's eyes widened as she began to run the length of the river. "Aaliyah!" She yelled. 

The scientist glanced up at her voice, moving towards the edge of the river. 

"Get out of the water!" Esther cried.  

Aaliyah gasped as Esther's hand grasped her arm, pulling her from the river. The pair fell back onto the grass, blood mixing with the remnants of the soap. The chemicals fizzed for a moment before they were eaten by the toxic material. Aaliyah watched the reaction with wide eyes clutching tightly to Esther. 

Esther was breathing heavily, pulling the scientist closer. There was no protest from Aaliyah and the two were quiet for a moment longer. 

"What was that?" Aaliyah murmured.

"Zombie blood." Esther's face was hidden in Aaliyah's neck. Goosebumps raised on her skin as the cold wind met the water on Aaliyah's body. She shivered and leaned into the zombie.

"Yours?" 

The arm around her waist tightened as Esther answered, "No."