The Zombie You Left Behind

I got bitten and turned into a zombie the very day Wyatt Ramsey got together with the underclassman from our school who'd been chasing him all along.

It was three days after our fight—and the day the apocalypse hit.

After wandering in a daze for ages, I came to my senses for the first time—and saw him carefully shielding that girl behind him.

His friend asked, "Aren't you worried about Violet Burke?" Wyatt's brow furrowed. "Don't fucking mention her to me.

She's so stubborn, she'd deserve it if she turned into a zombie." He had barely finished when he turned and met my eyes. Chapter 1 Wyatt froze the instant our eyes met.

The fog in my head cleared at once. I watched him shielding Kayla Stewart. She was still wearing a white dress, with only a little dirt on the hem.

Clearly, he'd taken very good care of her. Me? I'd been bitten on day one. My clothes were filthy and torn, and a deep bite marked my wrist.

You could tell I'd fought hard before it got me. The thought left me bitter. Fortunately… I was a zombie now. My face was too stiff to show any of it.

His friend Travis Hawkins shouted, "Holy shit, isn't that Violet? She really did turn into a zombie!" Then he raised a black gun and aimed it at my head.

I tilted my head, looking at it. Being a zombie sucked enough. Now I was about to kick the bucket again, not even a minute after getting my brain back.

This time… I had a feeling I'd stay dead. I was about to give up when my stubborn streak kicked in. I'd never been one to accept my fate, even as a kid. I had to fight!

So I turned and ran on stiff legs. Well, "ran" was generous. I moved like one of the zombies in Plants vs. Zombies. Add a little "wabby wabbo," and I'd fit right in.

It was kind of funny. Kayla laughed, her voice bright and clear as a bell. "Violet was the funny girl when she was alive.

How is she still so funny as a zombie?" Her words made me so mad I let out a "Hrrgh, hrrgh." God, what an ugly noise. Even I hated it.

Then Wyatt spoke. "Travis, put the gun down." I thought he'd found his conscience. Maybe the old feelings had come back. Then he added, "I'll finish her myself." I froze.

Wyatt walked over, one step at a time, and stopped beside me. I didn't even dare look up at him. Something hard pressed against my forehead.

But I put what little brain I had left to work. I was a zombie. I could bite him! I opened my mouth wide, ready to take a good, hard bite out of his chest.

After all, before I'd turned, his pecs had been my favorite part of him. Then a hand caught my chin, forcing me to look up at Wyatt. He gave me a half smile. "Violet.

You're aware of what's going on, aren't you?" I looked at the hard thing pressed to my head. It was a fucking branch. The bastard had been bluffing! Humiliation turned to anger.

I did everything I could to claw at him, but he held me trapped against his chest.

He patted my cheek with his other hand and spoke in a low voice beside my ear. "You used to be hardheaded. Now the rest of you's hard, too." I followed his gaze down.

My tattered clothes no longer covered my body properly. Well… my boobs were pretty perky.

I struggled violently, making more of those "Hrrgh, hrrgh" noises. "Cussing me out?" Wyatt asked. Damn right I was! Pervert! Creep! But I couldn't get a single word out.

It was infuriating. Chapter 2 Wyatt took off his outer layer and put it on me.

Looking at me, he broke into a huge grin. "Violet, you're so much better behaved when you're quiet." Ignoring my struggles, he took me straight back to his group.

He tied me to a post, then carefully clipped my fingernails. I bared my teeth at him. He rubbed his chin. "Those teeth…" I shut my mouth immediately and gave him a placating smile.

Honestly, being toothless would be a bad look. "You still know when to play nice, Violet. That hasn't changed." He looked a little distracted as he said it.

Maybe I was imagining things, but his eyes seemed a little red. Probably my imagination. Had to be the sun.

Just then, Kayla came over and tugged at Wyatt's clothes, looking pitiful. "Wyatt, do we really have to bring Violet? She's a zombie! We should kill zombies.

Isn't that how we keep ourselves safe?" Excuse me? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

I got worked up, as if I were looking at an enemy. "Hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh!" If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have met Wyatt! Kayla looked wounded and shrank back in fear.

Wyatt stepped in front of her and gripped my chin with one hand. There was a chill in his gaze, his voice carrying a clear warning. "Violet, you're dependent on us now.

Haven't you learned to behave?" I froze, staring blankly at him with my dead gray eyes. Dependent on them? I was a fucking zombie! I could go wherever I wanted out here.

There wasn't a corner I couldn't walk into, and he expected me to skulk around with them? It finally clicked.

I bared my teeth at him. "Hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh!" What, you thought I'd only go off on her? Fuck off!

Kayla clung to Wyatt's arm in fear, pressing close to him and looking utterly helpless. Travis looked as if the sight broke his heart. "Wyatt, Violet's already a zombie.

Why not just put her out of her misery? Look how scared Kayla is." Wyatt looked at me, a black gun aimed straight at me. "Violet, you really must want to die." I stared at the gun.

For some reason, I thought I felt my heart ache. Ridiculous. I was a zombie now. What heart? In the end, though, I quieted down.

Wyatt put the gun away and took Kayla off to one side. He narrowed his eyes as she edged closer and lay down in his arms. He only frowned slightly. He didn't push her away.

I lowered my gaze and watched them drift off to sleep. Meanwhile, I was stuck tied to that post. I couldn't break free, and I couldn't sleep.

If I could speak, I wanted to ask him, "Have you forgotten how badly I want to live?" Wyatt and I had known each other since we were kids. My family valued boys over girls.

Sometimes I didn't even get to eat. I was practically starving to death when I met him. We were in middle school. My blood sugar was low, and Wyatt's basketball rolled to my feet.

He called for me to pass it back. The moment I bent down, I fainted. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital, with Wyatt watching over me.

He'd been nodding off, but the moment he saw I was awake, he snapped to attention as if I were a threat. "Hey, everybody saw it. I didn't hit you with the ball.

Don't try to scam me!" Chapter 3 I was quiet for a moment, then picked up the sheet on the bedside table and handed it to him. It read: Hypoglycemia.

Wyatt clicked his tongue. "All you girls think about is dieting. Passing out in front of everybody—who are you trying to scare to death?" I pointed to my skinandbones face. "Me?

Dieting?" I asked softly. Wyatt nodded. He looked at me for a long time before saying, slowly, "I think you'd look better with a little more weight.

You see what I mean?" I rolled my eyes. "Gee, thanks. I see what you mean, but they don't feed me at home. I'll have to pay you back for the hospital bill later.

Got any homework you don't want to do? I'll do it for you. Can we call that payment? You saved my sorry ass. I'll be your workhorse!

Need a human pony?" I looked at him in complete earnest.

My barrage left Wyatt bewildered. "Your family's… that poor?" I shook my head. "No." "Then you are trying to rip me off!" He sprang to his feet.

I rummaged through my clothes until I dug out an old photograph. In it, a man and a woman held a newborn, both beaming.

The corner of Wyatt's mouth twitched. "What's that supposed to mean?" I pointed to the little girl at the edge of the photograph.

Only half my face was visible as I washed a huge pile of clothes. "That's me. When I was little, I did laundry in exchange for food.

But now that I'm older, they want to sell me to some old bachelor. I said no.

Now they won't feed me or pay my tuition." I patted the stunned Wyatt. "So, my noble savior, I'm not messing with you. The most valuable thing I own right now is me. Want to invest?

With my brains, as long as I stay alive, I'm bound to make something of myself!" From then on, I was Wyatt's rebellious girlfriend—the rich boy's way of pissing off his family.

That lasted seven years. Before I knew it, we were almost done with college.

If the apocalypse hadn't happened, with my talents, I could've been making at least a sixfigure annual salary. Who knew how good my life might have been? I sighed.

Honestly, being a zombie during the apocalypse wasn't so bad. Except I'd run into Wyatt. Except I'd regained consciousness. Except… I looked at him.

My small, graywhite eyes reflected only him and Kayla, nestled together. All I could do was watch how close they were.

At least… I'd finished paying Wyatt back right before the apocalypse. I didn't owe him anything. While I was busy wallowing, rustling sounds came from all around us.

I looked toward the noise. Eyes. Everywhere, packed close together. Holy freaking shit!

Zombie wolves! "Hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh!" I struggled, but these people were sleeping like the dead. "Hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh!" I was going to lose my fucking mind.

If they wanted to die, they could leave me out of it! I kicked a rock by my feet. By chance, it hit Wyatt.

He clutched his head, and the movement woke Kayla. "Wyatt, what's wrong?" she asked.

He frowned at me, annoyed. "Violet, do you have a death wish?" "Hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh, hrrgh!" I frantically motioned toward the wolves with my mouth. We were going to die.

We were going to die! Wyatt understood immediately. He switched into combat mode in a second, remembering to kick Travis awake. "Get up.

Something's coming." Travis dragged himself up, still groggy. "What is it? Isn't Violet the only dangerous thing here?" I bared my teeth.

If I hadn't been scared myself, I wouldn't have bothered waking them! Chapter 4 Zombie wolves would bite even other zombies when they went berserk.

Sure, I was a zombie, but I still wanted to keep all my limbs! The moment Wyatt fired the first shot, every wolf lunged. "Travis, untie Violet," he said through clenched teeth.

Travis protested. "Wyatt, why are you worrying about that zombie at a time like this?" "I said untie her!" Wyatt's voice was fierce and commanding.

Travis paused, then gritted his teeth and came toward me, looking as if he wanted to kill me. Kayla pressed her lips together, her eyes red and full of disappointment.

Me… I was overjoyed. I knew Wyatt still had feelings for me! Once I was free, I figured I couldn't be completely ungrateful.

I stood beside Wyatt and helped them take out a few zombie wolves. Kayla's lips were white with fear. Fair enough.

She probably hadn't even seen many zombies, let alone zombie wolves. Then again, I'd never seen zombie wolves, either. What a little coward.

Just a few days earlier, I'd gone several rounds with zombies before going down heroically! I was so brave. And she… I looked at Kayla.

Wyatt had her well protected, keeping her in his arms and shielding her from every direction. I gritted my teeth. I was so jealous.

The more I thought about it, the luckier she seemed. Thanks to Wyatt's courage and fighting skills, only a handful of wolves remained.

Seeing that the danger had passed, I was about to slip away when he grabbed me by the collar.

He smiled faintly. "Trying to sneak off?" "Hrrgh, hrrgh…" I wasn't sure whether zombies could look embarrassed. Right then, I was mortified.

At that moment, a zombie wolf attacked Kayla from behind. I didn't like her, but I didn't want to see her die. I was just about to warn Wyatt. Instead, he suddenly flung me away.

I collided with the wolf as Wyatt snatched Kayla into his arms. Looking at Wyatt, I bared my teeth, about to give him a "Hrrgh, hrrgh" of protest.

The next second, a bullet punched through the center of my forehead. I froze. So did Wyatt. A group of soldiers had appeared behind him.

The man at their head held an AK aimed straight at me. He hurried over to Kayla.

She called out joyfully, "Big brother!" Her older brother anxiously checked her over. "Are you hurt?" Kayla shook her head. "Wyatt took really good care of me," she said shyly.

Her brother held a pass out to Wyatt. "This will get you into the survivor base. Come on. I'll take you there." The humans were reunited. The zombie was eliminated.

What a perfect ending! If only I weren't the zombie. As I fell, my life began flashing through my mind. From childhood until now, I'd tried so hard to stay alive.

I'd never imagined living could be this difficult. Before I lost consciousness, I looked at Wyatt one last time. He hadn't taken the pass. He was just staring blankly at me.

His eyes were red, his voice trembling. "Violet?" Maybe heaven took pity on me. I, Violet—the cockroach you just couldn't kill—came back to life again