REANIMATION

{18}

"Now, don't lash out—"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM!?"

Pencil stumbled backwards, shocked from Fanny's outburst.

Fanny whipped around to look at Snowball, "And you–! Why would you support this!? You were so against it before, but now you're just helping her!!"

Snowball opened his mouth to give a response, but his eyes locked on Pencil, not saying a word.

Fanny waited a bit longer, hoping for him to say at least something, but nothing ever came out.

     "This—" She hesitated, trying to find the right words to say. This was the first time she'd ever been truly rendered completely speechless, "...This isn't survival, this is just mindless murder!!"

     Pencil didn't utter a single word, she just stared her down with this uninterested expression. Fanny shrunk backward, spitting in fury before turning and dashing toward home, not daring to look back. Snowball called after her, but she didn't respond. She just kept going.

     Once she slowed, catching her breath, she heard someone approaching her in the distance. It was Snowball, who had chased after her. Her head slowly turned to face him as he halted right next to her.

"You need to stop it," Snowball told her firmly, "if you keep shouting at Pencil you're gonna dig your own grave."

"I don't care!" She snapped, "She deserves to get sense knocked into her!"

"You don't get it! She's never gonna listen to you! This whole damn apocalypse has ruined her. Nothing you do is gonna knock even a sliver of sense into her."

"..." Fanny went silent, the anger in her voice melting, "Why did you listen to her?"

"What else should I have done? She would've killed me on the spot, and frankly I'm not ready to die."

"She would've killed you?" Fanny scoffed, rolling her eyes, "You're twice as strong as her!"

"And Match would've backed her up. I may be stronger but I was also outnumbered. Plus, we need allies more than anything right now."

"You'd be better off without her as an ally! We all would! She's just bringing herself down, and she'll take all of us with her!" Her scream was interrupted by a bout of nasty coughs.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Snowball spat, "I would've fucking dipped by now if that were the case. Strength comes in numbers, not in morality. Morals mean nothing in an apocalypse."

"You sound just like her," Fanny grumbled.

"I follow it because I want to survive, not because I want to partake in senseless killing! I may be a jerk but I'm not a damn murderer."

"Tell that to Blocky."

Snowball went dead silent, Fanny following. They shared no words for the longest time, the only noise to be heard being the rustling of the forest leaves.

"...I'm gonna leave and so should you if you know what's best for you."

"Fanny, I get you're angry but this isn't the best course of action," Snowball attempted to reason with the girl, but she was already trudging back to the house. He continued to call after her, "you're gonna get yourself killed if you do this!"

"Better than staying here with the others."

"Fanny, come on. Don't do this. You'll die out there."