Reunion Of The Damned

Jonathan slowly guided Mina through the house using the catch-pole attached to her collar. Taking care to keep her at a safe distance at all times.

Mina wasn’t too happy about this, and said as much. Jonathan looked genuinely apologetic, but confessed there had been too many ‘close calls’ while caring for her and Lucy for him to be anything other than rigidly cautious.

“The virus makes people crazy violent, but more than that, it makes people canibalistic.” Jonathan told her. “I met this old lady while out scavenging. She used to be a scientist, at least I assume she was from the way she talked. She said that the virus stopped the body from producing certain vital proteins. And the crazy infected were just trying to get these proteins the only way they knew how. By eating people that could still produce them.”

“So like... actual zombies? And this all happened to go down on Halloween night? Are you fucking serious?” Mina asked, offering her critique.

“That’s what said. But she reckons that virus is actually man-made, and that the timing was planned so no one would take it seriously until it was too late. Remember the news broadcast in the car? How our first thought was it had to be some kind of fake radio drama?”

“So what happens when the zombies don’t get these proteins?” Mina asked.

“They straight up die.” Jonathan said. “Most of the people that got infected are dead now. Probably.”

After reaching the bottom floor than moving to the end of the long hall way, Jonathan directed Mina into a large kitchen area.

“So why am I still alive?” Mina asked, suddenly feeling nervous. “Have you... have you been feeding me?”

“Mina!” Lucy cried, jumping from the breakfast bar. “You’re awake, and you’re talking!”

Mina watched her friend hurry forward, but not too quickly as she was bound in a similar fashion to Mina. Her skin was also a pale grey, and her eyes looked a little red and bloodshot. As if she’d been smoking something she shouldn’t.

“Oh Mina, I was so worried you might never come back to us, the way I did.” Lucy smiled sadly at her. “And seeing you snarling like a wild animal was horrible!”

She tried to hug Mina as best she could, but with both their wrists bound they settled for holding hands and resting their foreheads together.

“But... how did we come back? If everyone else is dead why are we still here and not crazy?”

Lucy turned to face Jonathan, and Mina saw her bloodshot eyes light up with pride and... something else.

“Jon-jon did it.” Lucy praised, practically bouncing on her heels in admiration. “He figured it out. How to be beat the zombie virus. How to save us and bring us back.”

“But how?” Mina asked, watching Jonathan sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

“He totally figured out a way to get us the missing protein without having to eat anyone.” Lucy continued to gush. “So smart.”

“How?” Mina asked, genuinely intrigued.

In spite of Lucy’s starry-eyes plaudits, Jonathan continued to look uncomfortable and refused to meet her eye.