People Need Hope

The smell of vanilla wafts into my surroundings as Jackie approaches. The scent contradicts the unkempt and mismatched camouflage uniform she's wearing. I doubt she's ever had any formal training, but if she says she's in charge, who am I to judge?

"What the hell?!" I raise my voice as I respond to the looming figure, still struggling to maintain eye contact through the pain.

"Was that necessary?" The pain is barely manageable as I pull my legs under me, preparing to stand, "You're the one that wants to talk, after all."

Her body tenses up as if she is going to deliver another blow, which I intend on avoiding, before it suddenly becomes more relaxed. Her shoulders slump, and her weight shifts as she crouches to my level.

"You're absolutely correct." She reaches out a hand to meet mine, "I'm just stressed."

'So is everyone else, you crazy bitch.' I hurl insults as I raise my hand and place it firmly in her grip. "I hope we can get along…"

Tension fills the air as I rise from the ground, refusing to release her hand.

Her smooth skin reminds me of the abrupt end of my last cycle.

'I can't get distracted,' I make a quick vow to myself and release her grip. I'm afraid of wasting another full period without making any progress, so any lewd thoughts need to remain buried deep inside.

"So, you're friends?" She smiles and stands as well, her full height reaching just short of mine.

"I came here alone. Wouldn't they have already tried to save me before I was brought inside if I wasn't?" Though I will admit, it looks like I gave them a signal to stand down.

"Are you sure? You won't get another chance. We have a squad searching the area as we speak… If you've lied…" Her smile turns to a stiff expression as her eyes narrow, and she glances into my soul, "We'll just kill you."

I exhale in an exaggerated sigh.

"And if they find people I didn't know existed?" My uncaring tone seems to carry weight as her gaze eases slightly. "It's not like any of us can move around the city easily…"

"Well… shit." Jackie pauses as she raises her hand to her chin.

She seems inexperienced in the situation. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the first survivor they've met.

"As long as they aren't gathering against us, you'll be fine." A smirk appears as if she came to a decision but is refusing to elaborate.

"In fact, we're always looking for people to join our group, especially people that have survived outside. If you're as innocent as you claim, you'll be given a position." She added, not allowing the offer to be refused.

"…Could you just kill me?" Refusing to be used as slave labor, I make a choice that causes the young woman to recoil.

It feels like they have no control of the situation, and I'd honestly just prefer to die and start over.

Even if it sucks.

"Have you given up on your allies so quickly?" She asks as she recovers from the sudden request. Losing her ability to threaten the subject must have caused her to lose her train of thought as she stumbles to save the situation.

It isn't as if I want to die, but it might be a better choice than attempting to salvage this run. Then again, I could always just have fun with it while I gather clues about the faction.

"Honestly? You're probably not going to let me live. You have enough people under you to form a squad to search for nobodies in the middle of a crisis, yet the world has only recently ended." I begin to rant to my captor,

"I doubt you've established your position as a leader, and killing a prisoner, or best case forcing me to be a slave, to set an example seems exactly like something a villain would do." I shrug my shoulders and raise my hands. There's no use arguing with someone that's already made up their mind for personal gain.

"Villain?!" Taken aback by my words, she has a sudden outburst followed by a momentary silence.

…

She seems lost in thought, with her intense gaze now unfocused.

"I guess you're right…" Her moment of self-reflection on her actions thus far snaps her back to reality. "We'll have to discuss this situation later."

The conversation continues as time ticks away. I can't tell if she's genuinely interested or just keeping an eye on me until her squad arrives. Either way, it is quite pleasant to converse with such woman once the topic isn't about my death.

Jackie asks about my old neighborhood and life before the outbreak, and we waste our day getting to know each other. I don't divulge too much information but rather give a small introduction. It isn't like that matters anymore.

Eventually, she informs me of the group's beginnings and how a bunch of strangers came to find themselves working together to survive this mess. Her face genuinely brightens as she talks about the future with her allies.

"So, we're hoping to not just survive. As long as we find reasonable individuals, we want to grow. Eventually, we'll be able to build civilization after it was so thoroughly destroyed." Her words seem like a child's dream wrapped in cliche, but she appears serious.

"That seems… terribly difficult," I reply honestly.

"Yeah," she giggles, her cute dimples making an appearance for the first time, "but the world is changing, and people need hope."

"So you're not a villain, you're a savior. A captive taking, enslaving savior!" I can't help but point out the absurd situation. For someone that wants to re-grow society, she had an interesting way of greeting potential new members.

"Well, to be fair, we thought you were going to kill us all!" She turned serious, "Our guard was terrified when he saw you, you know. Something about your eyes told him that you'd been through a struggle," she continued, "…and then the snapping of the fingers."

…

"People are scared, Alex." Jackie turns her back to me and begins walking toward the door.

"You haven't explained everything you've seen, but surely you know something is happening with those creatures?" Her words brought back memories of my first encounter with the large monster in my apartment building…

"If this continues…" Not finishing her sentence, she places a hand on the door handle and begins to open the door.

I'm unsure if she's leaving to make me sweat or get a report from her team that explored the nearby area, but it doesn't matter. I sit back down on the floor and slowly begin planning how I will avoid these circumstances in the future. It shouldn't be impossible.

Looking back over her shoulder and seeing me return to a sitting position, Jackie is confused, "Well, are you going to come and explore your new home?"