I dropped the binoculars so I had no idea if he heard me, we weren't able to hear the people fighting before from over here so I had my doubts. I grabbed the binoculars off the ground, looked through them and tried to locate Jay again. Once I found him I saw that he was still standing, that was a good sign. I looked around from the moment before I found the corpse on the ground. It no longer had its head attached to its body. I let out a sigh of relief. I let the binoculars fall from my eyes, still holding them with one hand and pinching my brow with the other. After getting my bearings back, I realized that that was probably why they killed this guy. They probably found out that he had been bit, so they killed him. 

I felt a heaviness in my gut. If I somehow got bit again, and didn't die from getting my flesh ripped apart, all it would take is someone seeing me having a fresh bite mark and they would kill me. It's ironic really, how little being immune actually helps in the world the way it is right now. If the virus was airborne, then yeah I could see how it might be helpful then but, if that were the case the only people that would still be alive were the immune people anyway. But again that's not even the biggest challenge, I mean if you're getting bit, you're probably being overpowered by the undead in that moment anyway, they don't exactly just bite you and leave. They intend to eat you, to rip your skin from your bone until you're nothing but whatever bits of flesh remain clinging to your corpse. 

I found myself getting pulled away from my thoughts as I heard footsteps coming towards me, I looked up to see Jay. I don't know how long I was caught up in my own daydreaming but he was only a few feet away from me so It must have been longer than I realized. He had blood  splatter and the bottom half of his jeans. My eyes widened as I noticed something else though, there was a blood-stained mark that definitely looked like teeth marks. Jay definitely noticed that I had noticed because he spoke before I got a chance to say anything.

“There's a reason both my jacket and pants are jeans, you know?” He tugged on my sweater. “Not everybody can afford to be so unprotected.” I bit my bottom lip. I didn't really think about that, honestly I was just wearing what was on me when I left for the campsite. I never really thought of anything beyond getting out of the city.

“So it didn’t…?” I asked, letting my question trailing off.

“No, it didn’t bite through.” I let out a sigh of relief, I then caught myself. Why was I relieved exactly? He was still technically my kidnapper. Jesus I even called out to try to save him didn't I? I felt his hand on my head.  He ruffled my hair and leaned down, bringing his face level with mine.

“Aww, were you worried about me little Xiao?” My eye twitched and before I could think my hand had already moved, knocking his hand off of my head. I felt a cold run through me, unsure of what kind of reaction I was going to get for doing that. Instead all I got was a laugh from him. “Getting feisty huh?” I looked away, a frown deep-set on my brow. God he was fucking irritating.

“I just don't really feel like dealing with you as a zombie.”  I muttered angrily under my breath. He laughed at that too before patting me on the head, again, and pulling away before I could smack him away, again. He picked up our supplies and threw it over his shoulder.

“Let's go sell you to somebody who will make use of you so that that doesn't happen then shall we?” I almost laughed. Framing him selling me off as if he actually gives a shit about the possible cure that could come from someone studying me. He just wants to get his reward and then dip out to wherever the hell he plans on going next.

We continued walking through the forest, I was pretty sure that we were following along the road though, but staying far enough away to stay out of sight with it. I think after the encounter that happened with those people he was being more cautious. He didn't really come off as the cautious type so I found that surprising, but maybe he was doing it because he needed to keep me alive and in one piece if he was going to get any kind of reward from selling me off. 

I was in decent shape, at least my legs were, there was a lot of walking involved in the foraging I had to do to keep myself alive the past I don’t know how many months. Even with that though, I was starting to get tired. I found my self trailing further and further behind Jay. For someone who wanted to sell me off he sure didn’t seem to care very much that I was getting further and further away from him. I stopped, both because I needed a break but also because I was curious if he would notice. After a few seconds he turned around and stopped to look at me. I was surprised, he did notice. “What? Need me to carry you again?” He said with a smirk. 

I bit the inside of my cheek and walked quickly to catch up with him, and pass him. I heard him chuckle from behind me. I walked for a bit, before I realized I had no idea where I was going and stopped. I could hear Jay still walking behind me. I expected to hear him stop too. But I didn’t, not until I could feel the heat of his body radiating against my back, and his breath against the top of my head. “Realized you didn’t know where you were going huh?” I could hear it in his voice that he was smiling. I don’t know why I didn’t notice until now but, his voice was really low. I felt it vibrate through me. I blinked a few times, clearing my throat before turning around, trying to pretend like I was unfazed.

“No I just…” I found my self looking up at him, and him looking down at me with that smirk of his. I suddenly felt a pit in my stomach, like I was nervous for some reason.

“What? Just what?” He was still smiling, clearly amused. I got irritated and just started stomping in the direction I had been going. I felt my face flush. God he was irritating. If I get us lost I don’t even care at this point, he has to follow me anyway so at least if I fuck my self over I fuck him over too.

I don’t know how far I walked, I was definitely tired though. I felt my leg muscles tighten and burn, I wanted to sit down. The sky was ablaze with reds and purples as the sun was setting, so it was probably about time for us to stop for the night. Jay was quiet the whole time, just following behind me diligently. For some reason it made me anxious. Was I really going in the right direction, or was he actively letting me go wherever even if it was wrong? It was hard to figure out what he was thinking. He somehow could both be chatty and seemingly say very little. I almost rolled my eyes at my own thoughts. So far he was only really chatty when he was harassing me or making fun of me so I don’t know if that really counts. I suddenly felt one of my leg muscles cramp up.

“Fuck.” I said between gritted teeth before leaning on the nearest tree and gripping at my calf muscle. I leaned my head back against the trunk of the tree squeezing my eyes shut. Some of my hair got caught in the grooves of the bark, but my leg was tingling and spasming too painfully for me to care. I head Jay walk up to me, followed by what I assumed was the sound of the bag on his back being placed on the ground.

“Sit down.” He said. I didn’t argue. It’s to hard to think when all you can focus on is pain. I slid down the tree to end up on the ground. My sweater got caught on the bark of the tree and got hiked up but I didn’t care. I suddenly felt Jay’s cold hand on my back, I flinched and opened my eyes despite the pain. He pulled my sweater down. Oh, he was just pulling my sweater down. I don’t know what I thought he was going to do but. He sat down in front of me and pulled the leg that I was still gripping onto into his lap. He started massaging my calf muscle that I’m sure he could feel spasming under his fingers. It hurt at first and I found my self squirming but after a few moments I felt the muscle start to loosen up. I found myself breathing again, I didn’t even realize I had been half holding my breath.

I leaned back against the tree and let out a couple long breaths as I closed my eyes. I was so tired, and just glad the pain was easing up. I hated to admit it, but he was really good with his hands. I definitely was not planning on ever saying that out loud though. He had enough of an ego as it was. I heard him chuckle faintly. What? Could he read my mind? I didn’t even bother scoffing, I was to tired for that in the first place anyway. I just let my self enjoy the free massage. It’s the least he could do with all the trouble he’s caused me anyway. Before I knew it though, the last thing I wanted to happen was happening. I was dozing off in his hands, once again.

I felt myself doze in and out of sleep a few times that night. I felt myself shivering, but suddenly I was warm again. It was as if a large heating blanket hand engulfed me, or a radiator was suddenly turned on in front of me. I didn’t wake up enough to be fully lucid. I was just happy to be warm again before falling back into a comfortably deep sleep. I was soon about to find out just what that warmth was though, and it definitely was not a heating blanket.