Chapter 57 I Ain’t No Walking Corpse!!

The perspective of Zel continues:

"So, what do ya suggest?!"

Standing, I inquired him.

"Well, you’re obviously not about to cannibalize someone—you always hated the dubious ethics around here, so that’s offlimit."

He walked across the basement and shrugged his hands—closed eyes with a subtle smile.

"But you are very hungry..."

This time, he glanced at me.

"What about..."

He treaded towards me—shifting his neck open as if opening a slot for me.

"...I let you have a bite from me?"

One would expect absurdity—no one would take a suggestion like this lightly, but strangely it passed as natural for me.

I didn’t give out any reaction—no facial changes.

"What do you say, big brother?—you can try eating me."

After he insisted for the second time, I came up right next to him.

"Ah!—"

His face sided with the floor... I slapped him.

He remained there for a moment, staring blankly at the floor as if trying to process what had just happened.

"O— okay, I’ll take that as a ’no,’" he let out after that.

"Yuh—fuck you for even suggesting that," I stated as I looked away.

Afterwards, I proceeded to properly dress up—I had been wearing the bush alone the entire time; couldn’t let that go on for much longer.

I pulled the rest of my clothes back on, adjusting them one by one until I no longer looked like a fukin’ caveman.

"Zel!!" My head locked with the stairs—words from upstairs faintly obscured by the walls.

Then she came down...

"Where the fuck have you been?!"

"Ah..."

Couldn’t help but smile in her presence...

Rather than being angry, she instantly jumped in for a hug.

"Zel... I’ve been so worried."

"Shao, sorry for making you worry—you been okay?"

Her eyes pristine—she peeped her head up with soft tears surrounding her expression.

"Why are you asking me?! I’m the one that needs to ask that!!"

I chuckled. "There’s something I need to tell ya, Shao," with mild worry I voiced, slightly uncertain with this commitment.

"Yeah?—what is it?"

Should I tell her? Or should I keep this transformation away from her?

Doesn’t seem like she noticed how cold my skin is...

My hand touched hers, guiding it towards my heart beneath the sweater—her warm palm against my skin, feeling the absence of rhythm beneath it.

"Your heart... what— what is this?"

This time her tone had softened up—her typical demeanor of being loud surrendered, and embraced something akin to gentleness instead.

"Good question—I have no idea!" I answered, mirroring her tone yet contradicting her expression by having a warm smile.

That said... her emotions are so tangible now—this girl is batshit crazy over me, I could feel her love so vividly it’s uncanny.

"Are you dead, Zel?"

Hmm...

"I feel better than ever, actually—I wouldn’t say I’m dead."

"You look dead to me!!"

"No—I’m tellin’ you, I’m alive, Shao."

She then abruptly pushed me away from her and yelled...

"ZEL’S DEAD!! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!"

She threw herself backwards, covering her face as if she’d just witness someone rise from the grave.

Typically, I would think she kiddin’ like that—this girl might actually be dense cuz’ I can tell she serious as fuck.

"Bro, I keep tellin’ you, Shao, I’m alive!"

She had her eyes closed and was all teary-eyed, so I grabbed her arm and made her properly look at me.

"LOOK!! I’m alive!! I’m speakin’ to you, how could I do that if I were dead?!"

Maybe, telling her ’bout this was a bad idea—she ain’t handling it as well as I hoped she would.

I glanced at lil bro—he simply stood there, without muttering a word.

Unusual...

Shao and I talked some more—mostly trying to convince her that I wasn’t a fucking walkin’ corpse straight outta cemetery.

Eventually, the convo’ moved on to something more meaningful...

"You have to keep this from Bready—can you agree to that?"

"Uhm!! I guess..."

"Guy’s crazy over God and shi’, we can’t have him melt down over this—aight?"

Reluctantly, she agreed.

My hearing as well... fuck’s so odd for fucks sake!! I could tell Bread’s upstairs just from the way his feet clapped the floor!!

"He up there, ya know?"

"Huh... you can tell?"

My eyes went to the stairs yet again—glaring with slight expectations.

"Ya... don’t know how, but my instincts seem to be a lil’ crazy now..."

After that, I gently headpatted her—a little show of intimacy just for her, somethin’ I could never give to anyone else.

"Let’s go?"

"Sure— sure, I guess," she replied.

We walked upstairs and...

"Yo, Bready Pop—you worried sick for me or what?" I said, spreading my arms wide as if inviting him into a hug—face twisting into an exaggeratedly welcoming smile.

"Dude!!"

Is that all he can say?

"I see you’re okay."

"Ya—why wouldn’t I be?—I was just blackout drunk for a day or two, nothin’ significant or noteworthy, y’know?"

Ah, I really don’t like this... I can feel his worry so well—it’s as if people’s emotions for real just deepthroating me at every chance.

"Yeah— okay, glad to hear."

His eyes went to the floor... then...

"I wasn’t worried or anythin’, it was all just Shao getting ahead of herself as usual."

I rolled my eyes...

"Oh, is that so?" I said as I gently giggled—wasn’t exactly being sarcastic here, he was simply a little obvious with this shit.

Then I felt it... a hand on my shoulder...

Glanced behind me—he stood there.

"What do ya want?"

What was his name again?—I can’t remember for some reason.

"Nothing, big brother—I’m just surprised by your words and attitude, that’s all."

No one really commented—why would anyone?

Just softly, my eyelids went down—suspicion aroused.

"Not sure what you’re yapping about—what’s so surprising or... I guess, odd for you?"

"Nothing, nothing," he whispered.

We all talked some more—nothin’ significant, just typical shit.

I’m a little overwhelmed, though—I really didn’t expect them to care for me to this extent—ain’t it a family thing to worry so much?

"Perhaps, they are your family, Zel."

Softly, he let out glaring at me—my little brother.

"Right..."