The Zombie Zone

Lucija entered the cafe and peered about. Tiled floor separated it from the carpeted areas. A few tables, similar to the hoard in the main area, were set up near this division. A bar, cash register, and menus of daily servings were on one side of the corner, while the restrooms were opposite that. A door behind the bar led to the back, while an open hallway led to another part of the building.

One of the cafe baristas at a nearby table spotted Lucija's wonderment. She asked, "Looking for the restrooms, dear?"

"Oh, no, thank you," Lucija turned down. She nodded at the where Hank and Susan went, "Am I allowed to go through here? One of my classmates came this way."

"Ah, you're with Susan? Go ahead," the lady gave permission.

It wasn't what Lucija meant, but she accepted the misunderstanding. She rounded the bar and closed in on Hank and Susan.

Jenah watched her classmate disappear behind the door, and then turned her attention to Autumn. He stared at his food tray, barely eating anything. The other two female swimmers were away on their phones. Now was the best time.

She reached out and squeezed the hand that held the spoon, "You've been quiet since coming back. Are you okay?"

Autumn snapped to attention, "Oh! I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just really, really tired. It's been a long day."

"Liar."

Her cut bypassed the feeble wall he put up. Even her dreary stare made it past his facade. However, he couldn't bring himself to tell her what happened.

"If words won't do, try to take action," Jenah encouraged.

A single thing came to mind. His need for it made him emotional, but he asked, "Can we cuddle? I want to be close to you right now."

Jenah blushed, taken aback by the request. She searched for a spot, though, and saw that the farthest corners of the performance stage were secluded. The couple went on stage and huddled up in one of the corners. They were relatively out of sight, albeit with eyes on the front entrance and the female swimmers.

Jenah rested in the corner, legs out. Autumn sprawled into her and buried his face above her sweater's keyhole. He snuggled her in a tight squeeze and she embraced him with gentle affection.

"I'm sorry..." Autumn whimpered.

"I'm comfortable. We can stay here until you are, too," Jenah rubbed his back and played with his hair. Her firmness and tenderness were what he needed. It mended a wounded heart. She asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't want to lose you," Autumn softly said. "Everything is terrifying. I don't want to let go."

It brought up their earlier conversation about death. It was easier to give up on life when alone, Jenah thought. She didn't say anything, but she squeezed Autumn a little tighter. It took a moment, but soon thereafter, Autumn fell asleep.

In the hall behind the cafe, Lucija followed the noises. The path led to a back exit, currently blocked by a stack of extra cafe chairs. Lucija passed the kitchen entrance and closed in on storage. Two voices murmured within.

"...blem if anybody finds out. Don't you think it's a bit excessive?" Susan's voice asked. Trepidation was present.

"No, it's fine. What are they going to do? Suspend us?" Hank's voice answered.

Lucija snuck up to the door, but didn't enter. She wanted to test a growing suspicion.

"I can't believe you want me to do this. It's risky, and it's way too big. How do you expect anybody to take this?" Susan sounded beside herself.

Lucija's eyes widened; a single eyebrow went up.

"You're scared? Who are you and what have you done with Susan?" Hank taunted.

"Oh, quiet. It's been a while. Here, give it to me," Susan's tone shifted. His taunt worked.

Lucija's mouth dropped open when Susan began grunting. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Would you stop saying weird things and making those noises?" Hank asked.

"Why?"

"Because if anybody is eavesdropping, they'll get the wrong idea!"

"Who'd be weird enough to eavesdrop on us losers?"

Lucija pushed in. Storage was a square room with racks of dry goods, packaging, and a freezer chest. Hank and Susan greeted Lucija with puckered surprise faces. On the rack next to them were small bottles, glass containers, tongs, and whisks. Susan brandished a whiskey bottle. The exchange student meekly said, "I am eavesdropping."

Hank shot Susan a crazy expression and told her so, "Hah!"

"Hi, Lucija! Wow, nice seeing you, gurl. Looove the biceps," Susan shifted closer to Hank and hid the whiskey behind her back. They both obstructed what was viewable on the rack.

"What are you two hiding?" Lucija went straight for the throat. Susan melodramatically hemorrhaged to the side.

Lucija stepped all the way in and saw their work at a better angle. Small containers of liquids and powders, a facemask respirator, and gloves. Hank currently laid a hand on a block of styrofoam, with a kitchen knife nearby. Lastly, a gallon-sized container sat behind everything. Susan gave up hiding things and placed the whiskey bottle with the supplies.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" Hank asked.

"Long, please," since Lucija couldn't pick up the context clues. Hank began explaining things, but she found it difficult to follow. He used chemical words like acetone, and some English words and phrases she wasn't yet familiar with. After a second, she held a hand up to pause him and said, "Actually, what is the short version?"

"Oh, we're making fire bombs," Hank simplified.

His casual drop of terrorism made Lucija take a step away and shake her head, "Woah! Excuse me? Bombs?"

"Whip-whiplash," Susan and Hank synchronized on a choreographed K-pop movement. Their response to Lucija's physical reaction.

It only made Lucija more lost, "I do not understand that reference."

Hank clarified, "We're preparing for the worst. After what we saw in the sports building, I asked Susan here to gather up some material. Ever since Theo and Autumn mentioned the zombat..."

Hank paused so all three of them could do jazz hands. He then continued, "...I figured we need a Plan B in case bludgeoning and guns don't work. Turns out that thing regenerates -- and any gamer can tell you that regenerating enemies in horror games are the worst."

"I see. That is admittedly an excellent idea. Hitting the zombies over and over again is a tiring process," Lucija rolled a shoulder. "You mentioned a big one?"

Hank clapped a hand over the larger canister, "Yeah, but my partner-in-crime thinks that's a bad idea."

"Mixing this stuff is already a huge risk factor," Susan explained. "I think smaller, more controlled amounts would be better. And easier to hide out-of-sight in case the officers come snooping."

"You make a good point. Molotovs would be easier to make..." Hank scratched his chin inquisitively. "Buuut big bombs are nicer to look at. I'm thinking about optics here."

"I never knew I was surrounded by such dangerous people," Lucija breathed out a sigh.

"Never put us together," Hank and Susan said like a lawyer firm ad. They both high-fived, feeding off each other's energy.

A ringtone sounded from Hank's pants. He took out his phone and opened it up. An alert showed a tracker, and the number of meters decreased at a rapid rate. He barked a laugh, "B4rry's almost here."

"Who's Barry?" Lucija asked.

"An AI partner I developed. And it's B4rry, with a four," Hank corrected. "He's bringing more supplies for me to play with. I'm having him deliver it right outside the back door."

Susan volunteered, "I'll go grab it for you if you want to continue making the containers."

"Yeah, that's fine by me," Hank agreed.

"Isn't it dangerous to go outside?" Lucija eyeballed the small window in the storage room.

"They can't climb stairs. I already checked," Hank pointed at said window.

"I'll come with you, Susan," Lucija offered nonetheless. She raised her cricket bat and leaned it on her shoulder, "We should move in pairs or groups to stay safe."

"Aw, thanks, Lucija. Let's go," Susan led the way out.

"Good luck," Hank said with a smidge of sadness. Lucija could tell he wanted her to stay and talk. However, she simply nodded and followed Susan.

Susan tried to slide aside the stack of chairs to access the exit. Lucija assisted, and was able to move them more efficiently.

"Thanks, Lucija. You're a big help," Susan leaned away, since she was in the way of the strong woman. She checked their six and didn't see anybody coming. She worried, "Hank said things are really bad out there. Officer Tony and Laylie won't let anybody near the doors. Most of us haven't seen the extent of the zombies."

"It is scary. Trust me, I would not want to confront any of them unless necessary," Lucija was well-aware of the bloodstains smeared on her body. The exit became available.

"Are we all really infected?" Susan asked, more rhetorical.

Lucija shook her head, "I don't believe so. Otherwise, why have most of us not changed yet?"

"Good point. Nobody in the student center has turned, and they all seem healthy. It's just...disturbing," Susan shrugged.

Lucija placed a hand on the push bar of the door. Considering her words and tone, she looked to Susan, "Do you want to wait inside?"

"Actually, if the stairs thing is true, it'd be my best chance to get used to them," Susan prepared herself mentally.

"They're not the quiet type," Lucija pushed and let the sunlight drape in. The exit led out to a stair entrypoint. The backside of the building merged a delivery driveway and another, smaller parking lot. A railing and elevated ground allowed Susan and Lucija to step outside safely.

A beautiful pond with fountains were beyond the parking lot, with a treeline backdrop. The sun shined brilliantly on the vibrant grass, flowerbeds, and landscaping. Death and the undead stained everything. Corpses littered the grounds and zombies shambled about. None nearby, but close enough to make Susan cover her mouth and nose in disgust. Past the treeline would be Hansel. Pillars of smoke billowed up above the trees. They denoted the current crisis happening inside the town.

"This is horrible..." Susan's heart ached. The pictures and videos weren't as real when viewed without experience.

"We'll live through this," Lucija believed. A zombie at the bottom of the stairs tumbled after one step. Theo was right.

"How are you so sure?"

"I'm not," Lucija admitted with a smile. "I'd rather hope for life than expect to die. It helps me move."

The response pulled a smile out of Susan, "Hmm, that's admirable. I see why Hank has a crush on you."

Susan surprised Lucija, "You know about that?"

"We're friends, so I can tell when he's caught feelings. Isn't that why you came to check on him and me?" Susan gave a meaningful, fey-like glance.

"That is right," Lucija blushed. Her cat ears twitched back and she turned bashful, "He asked me out before we came here. I told him I would think about it."

"Have you?"

"I have. My feelings are a bit mingled due to the emergency we find ourselves in," Lucija had to divert her eyes a lot when speaking due to the sheer number of undead.

"Yeah, I know what you mean..." Susan suddenly became aware of her heartbeat.

"You and Theodore?" Lucija guessed.

"Yeah...hey, wait a minute..." Susan cocked her fists on her hips. She grumbled, "How did you know?"

"The way you and Theo greeted each other, as well as how you looked at him in the gaming corner," Lucija answered. Her tail flicked mischievously.

Susan's heart increased its pace. Her cheeks became rosey, "You are scary perceptive."

Lucija giggled and shrugged, "Love is always worth witnessing. It's my favorite human emotion."

Susan cracked a smile, "Compared to your favorite non-human emotion?"

"Laziness is my favorite cat emotion," Lucija joked, and moved her gloved hands like a feline's claw. Susan laughed at the absurdity.

A buzzing noise lowered from the sky. Lucija ducked a little, and expected something like a hornet zombie. However, it turned out to be a robotic drone. It floated with two propellers and its slim, steel grey body was about the size of a toaster. An extendable arm and claw held onto a small plastic box.

"Hello, B4rry," Susan greeted.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Genesis! Delightful to see you on such a dark day," B4rry spoke with a mechanical tone and slight accent. It bobbed about like a person's head.

Name: B4rry

Height: 2'4 Weight: 19lbs Age:.7

Hair: None

Body: Hard as steel

"I believe you have something for me," Susan held out a hand underneath its delivery package. Lucija gawked at the technical marvel.

"Indeed, I do," B4rry dropped the box and Susan caught it. His arm extended all the way out, and then he flexed his claw.

"B4rry! You can't just stick that out for everybody to see," Susan teased.

"Oh, ho, my apologies," B4rry retracted the arm into its body. However, before the bottom hatch closed, a set of metal bullocks hung out. It made Susan giggle.

"Robotics have come a long way from how I remember them. Did Hank create you?" Lucija asked.

A tiny top hat extended out of B4rry's head. It raised itself, attached to a rod, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, madam. You have it right on the dime. Hank is my creator, and I am his assistant, B4rry."

B4rry extended his claw again and shook Lucija's held out hand. He then mimed a kiss on the back of her hand. She was astonished by it, "Lucija Vukovic."

"How is Hansel? Is it as bad as the news says?" Susan asked.

"Horrendous, I'm afraid. Too many deaths, too much panic. Officials are trying to establish command lines, safe zones, and escape routes, but the undead are more than just hapless biters," B4rry informed.

"Some are more monstrous than others," Lucija kept zombat and the frog zombie in mind.

"You don't know the half of it. For the better, I suppose. You humans shouldn't experience this level of suffering," B4rry sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

"The student center is our best chance to survive this. We just have to be careful, thoughtful, and calm," Susan said.

"Like making fire bombs?" Lucija raised her eyebrows.

"Thoughtful," Susan winked and pointed a confident finger.

"Sir Thomas wishes for me to patrol the area and capture footage of the event here on campus grounds, in case any complications arise. I hope to bump into each of you again soon. Please, Ms. Genesis and Ms. Vukovic, do take care," B4rry bowed and then fluttered away. The robot turned on some kind of camouflage cloaking and went nearly invisible.

The women entered the building again, and moved the stack of chairs in the way. Lucija then held a hand out towards Susan, "I would like to take the box to Hank. If you don't mind."

"You want to speak to him privately?" Susan went ahead and handed the payload over.

"I would," Lucija thanked her with a bow. "And you should find a private moment with Theodore. If we are going to be here, away from home and family, for an extended time, you should have somebody to lean on."

"I think I will. Well, once he's no longer wearing silver bracelets," Susan laughed uncomfortably.

"Oh, they allowed Theodore to go see the doctor. He isn't in trouble," Lucija updated Susan.

Susan's heart clapped and the anxiety dissipated, "That's awesome! I'll go see him right away. Thank you, Lucija, and good luck."

Susan added wiggly eyebrows with the farewell. It made Lucija giddy. The girls went separate ways. Lucija stepped back into the storage room.

Hank divided up the product in smaller portions. It seems he heeded Susan's concerns and went with Molotovs. He currently listened to music with earbuds, and from what Lucija could hear, it sounded like rock.

Hank glowed at both the package and Lucija, "Excellent! No issues, I hope."

She handed over the payload to complete the mission, "It isn't so bad on this side. B4rry was interesting."

"Thanks," Hank set the box down and chose to chat. "He isn't the first of his kind, but he's my buddy. He helps with analytics and logistics, and fact checks the news."

"You have great swimming form, you make bombs, and you created your own robot. You have a lot of talent," Lucija complimented.

"Nah, it's just time and money. It gives me plenty of room to fail upwards. Mom instills wanderlust into me, and my dad's inheritance lets me get whatever I want," Hank became melancholic.

"Your father is gone?"

"Yeah, lost him back in middle school. Cancer," Hank sneered when he said the C-word.

"I'm so sorry," Lucija expressed.

He flashed a smile as thanks, gave it a second, and then asked, "How's your family?"

"They're mainly in Dalmatia, throughout Croatia, and some in Italy. Far away from this nightmare. They are more worried about me."

Hank nodded slowly, and then examined his engineering. He stated his ambition, "We'll make it through this. No matter what."

"Together," Lucija hinted. She stepped next to him and examined the illegal production he dabbled in. She asked, "Who are you listening to?"

Hank picked up on her hint and how close she was to him. He softly answered, "Adelita's Way."

"Oh, can I listen?" Lucija showed familiarity.

"Of course," Hank lent her an earbud. She placed it in to indulge in the riffs. Lucija was into it and watched while Hank worked. When the current song came to a close, they stared at one another with bated giddiness.

"My answer is yes," Lucija finally said.

Hank gawked with eyes and mouth. When Lucija confirmed it with a bright expression, Hank skipped sideways. He let out a howl and clapped. He even went over to the small storage window and shoved it open, "You hear that world?! She said yes!"

Two humpers below the window were in the middle of some saucy copulation. A mutated male zombie, bulked up by the infection, slammed his meaty member into a petite female zombie. They each let out monstrous groans, and thusly ruined Hank's announcement.

"Ah, okay, that's nasty. Get a room, you two!" Hank slammed the window shut and returned to Lucija.

"Your energy is so bountiful," Lucija expressed a part of him she liked.

"Yet your smile makes me weak each time," Hank switched on the charm. It worked, and gave him what he liked about her.

The arson work continued. Hank finished one cocktail and felt a twinge of pride. Lucija simply watched and enjoyed the proximity to somebody who cared. Any questions she asked were answered, and any need for a third hand was given.

"Fair warning, Hank. I am a physical partner. Contact is my love language," Lucija added. As she did, she leaned her hip into his and barely bumped it.

"Ah, lucky you. I'm a bit of a snuggle bug myself," Hank smirked. He hip bumped her in return. They shared their hips, pressed into one another, and Lucija's tail happily flicked about. The next song that played was a remix by Casey Edwards, 'Heatwave'.

Lucija's tail joined in on the touching. It wrapped around Hank's thigh. Daringly close to his groin. He stammered a laugh, "You really meant it about being physical, huh?"

"Mhmm," Lucija's eyes were soul-snatching. Hank paused his work and fell for them. Their hearts united in a dance of nervous fluttering and bated excitement. They found themselves closer than ever.

"Mind if I get physical, too?" Hank asked, inches from a kiss.

"It's yours...if you'll have it."

Hank reached over with a hand towards Lucija's hip. However, just as he was about to touch, she twirled away. She danced to the song, with quick steps, little shakes, and wavy arms. Her expression and moves were an enticing sway.

She invited Hank with a gesture. He enthusiastically moved onto the dancefloor.

They let the song carry them away. The temperature rose, their bodies grooved, and they couldn't stop smiling. Lucija swerved her fine self to the rhythm. Her shimmies lowered Hank's vision onto her cleavage and rear end. She purposely dipped and swaggered that sexiness.