When Beliefs Collide
#9 of Lycans and Zombies
It was honestly nice not having to worry much about the undead. It was getting colder, so I assumed that was keeping them at bay. Caleb told me that they were hanging around the cities, waiting to prey on unsuspecting victims. They didn't have the brain capacity to go and find food, instead they waited for food to come to them. And that was their fatal mistake. After so long, they just died, and the days were filled with the stench of rotting flesh.
Every once in awhile, they would find their way into our camp, but Caleb disposed of them before most of the camp even knew about it. We were even training the two new girls how to fight them off, and before long, they were zombie killing machines like the rest of us.
Boe escaped.
We woke one morning to find Marco knocked out and Boe's ropes cut. Nobody knew how he managed it, or where he went, we just assumed he got attacked by zombies when he left the safety of camp.
We couldn't have been more wrong.
It was an unseasonably warm day, not a cloud in the sky- three days after Boe's escape. The birds were chirping cheerily and I had even managed to catch some fish. It was nice to know that the creek was another food source, but then I had also noticed that it rose by a few feet, and it was even overflowing the dam. I guessed that it rained somewhere up stream, and we were receiving the bounty.
Caleb had gone for another run, trying to pick up on Boe's scent, but the guy got smart and followed most of the river. I sat by the creek, cleaning my crossbow. It had been too long since I sat down and took the old thing apart to clean it. I struggled to get an important pin back into its place when I felt the muzzle of a gun shoved against my neck.
"Don't scream and get up very slowly." That accent was hard to mistake, and I turned slowly to see Boe's face twisted with anger and hatred.
"Boe, you really don't want to do this," I said. I wasn't begging, but actually warning him. He didn't know what Caleb was, and in doing this, he was sure to find out soon enough.
"That man of yours took two important women from me, so I'm going to take his woman from him. Stand up, and don't make a sound," Boe said, dragging me to my feet rather roughly. I was sure his hard grip would bruise instantly. He tugged me behind him, taking me further away from the safety of camp. I wasn't at first, but when he threw me into the mud and made his intentions clear, I had to bite back a scream. The steely glint of a knife was enough for me to hold my scream in.
"You're making a very big mistake, he'll kill you," I said in a voice that was a lot less threatening than I wanted it to be.
"Your man ain't anywhere in sight, he'll find you long after I'm done with you," Boe spat. He reached for me and I struggled against him, kicking and hitting any chance I got. He managed to get my arms up over my head, holding them there with more strength than I thought he had. He bent his head in to kiss my roughly, and I bit him. Hard. He yelped and pulled back, checking his lip with a hand while the other held my wrists with ease. His lip was bleeding now, and that only seemed to make him angrier. He struck me across my cheek, the force of which snapped my head to the side, stunning me for a second.
But that second was all I needed to see Caleb rushing from the trees in full wolf glory. In one great leap, he cleared the creek and landed beside us. He roared in Boe's face and swiped a clawed hand at him. Boe screamed in terror and tried to run, but Caleb took him by the throat, lifting him from the ground and changing into a human. Boe's eyes grew even wider as he realized the beast that had been there seconds ago was the man he was trying to spit.
"Strike three, you're out," Caleb said with a growl, throwing Boe down with enough force that Boe's skull was crushed against the creek rocks. Blood immediately found its way to the brook and was washed away downstream of our camp. Caleb turned to me, all of his anger completely diminished and replaced by concern. He knelt beside me and gently pulled me into his arms. He was shaking, from fury or fear, I didn't know.
"I was scared you wouldn't make it," I whispered to him, tears springing to my eyes as I threw my arms around him.
"I was too. I didn't catch his scent until after it was mixed with yours, and then I just let the wolf take over from there," he replied, rocking me gently back and forth.
"He said you took his women from him, so he was going to take yours from you. I do believe he meant to kill me when he was done with me," I said.
"Yes. Abby told us he believed that women were sex slaves to men, and shouldn't get any say in the way things are run. When you stood up to him yesterday, Abby told me she feared he would go after you. She was correct, I should never have left you alone. I was so focused on finding him before he could do something that I found him after he was trying to do it. God, I'm so sorry." He pulled back to inspect my face, brushing the pad of his thumb gently across the new tender bruise. Guilt and regret filled his expression, and I pulled his hand away, leaning in to give him a reassuring kiss.
"All that matters now is that he's no longer a threat," I told him when I broke the kiss. He sighed a heavy kind of sigh and helped me to my feet. He picked me up and carried me back to camp, bridal style, and set me gently by the fire ring. Everyone was immediately curious as to what happened, since I had bruises and Caleb was covered in blood. We quickly explained that Boe was no longer a hazard to our community, and we could see the two new women visibly relax. Abby even smiled. Although death was no happy matter, getting rid of the scum of the world, especially when he had beaten and killed so many others...well, it was excusable.
When we finished our tale, Marco and Chris crept off to further dispose of the body. When Caleb rose to join them, Marco said to stay with me and to never leave my side again.
"If you do, I will glue you two together," he threatened. Him and Caleb shared smiles, and I knew Marco was grateful that Caleb made it in time. Marco hugged me quickly and ran to catch up to Chris. Caleb pulled me close and nuzzled my hair and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Willa wink at me.
Note: this is in no way written professionally. Therefore, no crits, because i know it sucks xP