Don't Be Scared

S2 E1 : 🔹 The Murphy 🔹 (Ch. 129)

There was no time for me to stop in my tracks. By the time she got into an attack position like a zombie would've done, she was already shoving me away from her body. This time when I got shoved, I didn't catch myself.

My hips fell against the nearest table, which made me fall onto my back at the obstacle. Is this Push (Y/N) Day? I think the only fortunate thing that came out of the shove was there was no zombie at the table I fell against. 

"(Y/N)!" I heard Mack shout as I grunted in pain.

I felt the bruise already forming at the bottom of my spine. Goddamn, did she have to shove me that hard? I would've gotten the hint by a simple push.

"Woah!" Murphy heeled Cassandra back from jumping on top of me like she was an animal, but 10K released physical punishment from the threat she caused.

Which not only surprised me but everyone else. The 10K placed a knife on Cassandra's throat, but she was no longer the timid girl that waited for rescuing. No, she was the rescue squad. She shoved the crown of her head into his chin, forcing his head to bounce upward.

No doubt he busted his lip or tongue. I sat up to lean against the edge of the table, watching as 10K groaned at the violence. What the actual hell is going on here?

"What did you do to her?" I asked, coming straight back in front of Murphy.

"I saved her life. What did you do?"

"About to kick your ass, that's what." I growled, about to go for his shins when someone grabbed my fist and pulled me away from the temporary enemy.

One good punch, I know I can do it. Warren kept a tight grip on my hand, making sure I couldn't wiggle free from her hold and throw a punch. We all knew if I were to throw an actual punch or kick, Cassandra would have my head on one of these poles. 

I still fumed out of my ears with pure rage as I stared at Murphy, who actually seemed proud of what he had done to our friend. He made her into one of those zombies!

"I'm sorry, what is she wearing?" As Addison asked the question, Cassandra began to move backwards.

Her back faced her new leader while her eyes glared and her mouth hissed at all of us. 

"Is that mildly impractical for the apocalypse?"

"You try dressing a classy lady in Cheyenne, Wyoming."

As soon as Cassandra reached her master's side, he hooked an arm around her shoulders and she did the same to his waist. They acted as if they were in a relationship. Use to, Murphy use to be the one to earn the glares from Cassandra.

Now, he's some type of God for her!

"Hey, is anybody else concerned that there's all these Zs standing around here?"

Doc pointed out the fact that every single Z had been friendly unless we acted in an unfriendly manner. Example A, when Warren grabbed Murphy. Example B, when 10K grabbed Cassandra. They protect them.

Simple. 

"Don't worry," Murphy talked with his hands now, "they're friendly as long as I'm friendly."

And there was that one condition; there is always one condition to something so sweet. We can be in a zombie environment as long as we treat Murphy as a king. 

"Come on, Murphy. We got to get you to California."

Instead of simply agreeing with Warren, he placed a hand on the counter of the bar and leaned his whole weight on the appendage. His right hand finally fell on top of his hip, moving the bottom of his hideous silver-grey suit away from covering his tan belt. 

"Yeah, about California. You know, after everything that happened, the nukes--."

"That you caused on your own!" I interrupted his list, reminding him that the missiles were indeed his fault.

Citizen Z couldn't stop or trigger them. It was all of him. Again. 

"--And all, I'm not so sure I'm down with the whole 'saving humanity' thing."

He lifted the top of his lip to show his disgust as he said his final peace, "I'm not so sure humanity is worth saving."

"You're going to California." Warren's tone was a threatening promise.

Either way, his ass was about to be on the road for California. Even if we had to take down all of these Zs and tie up Cassandra. California was in Murphy's dimming future. 

"You don't even know if California is still there."

Doc spoke up from the sidelines, trying to settle Murphy and Warren's dispute calmly, "Well look, if you won't do it for humanity, do it for yourself, Murphy. You need that vaccine more than anybody."

Doc took a step next to Warren instead of staying behind her for backup, "Have you looked in the mirror lately? You may be styling, but you're turning zombie, brother."

"And you're barely styling with that cheap knockoff of Calvin." I scoffed in true repulse, noticing the ripoff the moment I felt his shirt. 

Calvin wouldn't have that on his walkway. He isn't fooling a soul with that fashion disaster.

"Brother, maybe there are worse things than being a zombie. Maybe it could be wearing ripped jeans in the apocalypse. Maybe being starving, fearful, violent, vindictive human is worse."

When he began to name off traits most of the human population was nowadays, he looked to Mack. When he named off 'fearful', he looked directly at me. Once 'violent' slipped pass that unfashionably blue tongue, he made eye contact with 10K.

What's so violent about 10K? Finally, when 'vindictive' was named off, his line of sight met Addison. I'm not even going to try and deny that. That's the only one he wasn't wrong about, if we're going to be honest. 

She's more hateful than Wichita from Zombieland. 

Murphy's mood flipped like a switch as he remembered something he had been working on before he set up the dramatic scene, "But hey! It's the apocalypse. Let's have some fun!"

With a slick clap of his hands, he turned his back to us and walked over to the other side of the room. Cassandra went into the opposite direction.

"Let me show you what I've been working on." Murphy sounded chirpier than what he was four months ago.

He's finding himself, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet. 

"Come on, grab a seat. You're going to love this."

In the corner of my eye, I watched Cassandra was station in a DJ's booth. She stared between all of us and Murphy, waiting to protect or do whatever her master said. Is her being a zombie better than her being dead?

When Murphy heard no one taking steps away from our original location, he turned around with a dramatic sigh leaving his blue lips. 

"The apocalypse will still be waiting for us when we're done." Murphy promised Warren, who finally reluctantly walked forward.

|| Murphy taught me that finding yourself can be an ugly, long journey ||