Chapter 5: Voices

I continued washing myself as I chatted with the voices. "Since I'm finally meeting you guys, I would like an introduction from this so-called 4th voice, Penelope. Come on, don't be shy." I then heard another very quiet voice, and probably the cutest voice I ever heard. 'Um, hi.' I instantly fell in love. "Hello there sweetie, so you're my truthful thoughts? What exactly does that mean?" Penelope waited a moment to answer. 'I um, just say things you already know but don't know how to explain until I put it into words.' 

I nodded. "Well, you sound like the most useful of the bunch." Everyone else gasped in offense as I turned off the faucet and stepped out of the tub. 'We are right here Sir!' John reminded. I laughed and wrapped a towel around my waist. "If you know a place I can go where you can't hear me, feel free to let me know." I then picked up a comb from the sink and got the rats out of my hair. I styled it to look like one of those sexy Japanese businessmen and I was looking better than I thought was possible. I then acknowledged that this was most likely a woman's bathroom from the fancy decor and the makeup on the counter. 

Erin noticed the makeup as well and laughed. 'Hey, you should put on eyeliner. That'd be funny.' I shrugged and picked up the eyeliner. "Okay." Mary interrupted as I unscrewed the lid. 'You know you don't have to do whatever he says anymore, right?' I dipped the small brush into the liquid eyeliner and started putting it on as I responded. "I know, but it's the apocalypse and I've always been curious." If my mom wasn't such a control freak I most likely would've been goth in grade school. It felt so freeing to finally be able to do 'unmasculine' things as they called them.

After I lined both the top and bottom eyelids I admired my work in the mirror. "Wow, I look so good right now." John seemed skeptical of my preferred look. 'I say, are you a homosexual?' I rolled my eyes. "Your stereotypical perspective is noted John, and for your information, I would say my place on the sexuality spectrum would be that ninety percent of me strictly wants to bone a woman, and the other ten percent of me is down for anything, know what I mean?" I smirked for a moment before realizing something. "Wow, it's been so long since I even thought about sex. Now all of a sudden my libido is back just like that? What the hell am I going to do? This sucks! Meeting people is kind of hard to do when the world is ending."

Mary hesitated. 'Well, you could try and see what the survivors in the next city are up to behind that wall. I'm sure you could contribute to their society with your newfound strength.' I scoffed. "You mean go back to the same people who locked me up and treated me like a fucking lab rat for seven years because they convinced themselves that I deserved it?! No way. I'll stay out of their business, and they'll stay out of mine. I can survive the apocalypse on my own and I don't need sex to do that." 

Erin agreed with me by adding another suggestion. 'And hey, there are always zombie girls. You won't have to worry about getting infected, wink, wink.' I raised an eyebrow. "At least not with the zombie virus." John became appalled at his comment. 'Isn't that necrophilia?' Erin's tone remained casual. 'Calm down, they're... Technically alive.' I shook my head and left the bathroom to walk into the bedroom. "Do you guys ever shut up?" I walked over to the closet and started to look for something to wear as John responded. 'Sometimes, I'm afraid I can't say the same about Erin.'

I went through the clothes on the hangers but I wasn't finding any men's clothes that would fit me. I sighed and continued searching in the boxes on the floor of the closet. I smiled and pulled out some clothes that looked promising. "Well, look what we have here. Some old fat clothes?" I put on a black T-shirt that was extra large but it was tight on me in the best way. The dark blue jeans fit great as well, and I completed the outfit with a black belt. I went back downstairs and stopped myself when I passed the mirror. 

I just couldn't get over how great I looked now. Being clean for the first time in years sure boosts confidence. That and getting the body of a god. "Now it's time to see if I can grab some actual food around here." I then left the house and continued down the sidewalk with my hands in my pockets while whistling happily. My first day of freedom was going well. I walked with a kick in my step and enjoyed the crisp apocalyptic air until I neared the end of the neighborhood where a minimart stood on the corner. 

Quite a few zombies were dragging their feet around there and further down the streets, but I had no fear as I walked toward them. Their eyes were lifeless and their flesh was decaying off of their bones as they stumbled around. Once I was close enough, they noticed me and came running and growling with hunger. I smiled at them and kept my hands in my pockets as I kicked the closest one in the stomach. The living corpse exploded upon impact and I had the best time killing the rest.

I didn't even have to use my hands to take down an entire hoard. I loved feeling so powerful and capable of doing whatever I wanted. I felt like a superhero in one of the comics I read as a kid. Only I didn't have the responsibility to save anyone and it felt great. All of the zombies in the area became a pile of guts in only a matter of moments and I made my way into the minimart. I walked through the aisles looking for something that either wasn't dented or expired. I went to see if the frozen section was still in order and to my surprise it was. 

I excitedly grabbed a frozen pizza and a bunch of frozen fruits and vegetables just in case it was possible to lose this new body. I put my groceries in a shopping basket and went to the canned food aisle to clothesline everything on the shelf that I could into my basket. I explored further and found a generator with a full tank of fuel in the supply closet. "Score!" I quickly grabbed it and carried it at my side along with the basket. Once I was done I went outside and grabbed a bag of chips to snack on while I found a place to cook my pizza. As I snacked I realized that I could live anywhere I wanted to. That realization made me think for a second. "There are so many houses. Where the fuck do I go?" 

Mary quickly put in her vote before the others. 'What about something practical? A cozy house near the minimart perhaps?' John piped up after her. 'That wouldn't be practical, shelves in stores don't restock anymore. I think-' Erin quickly intervened. 'Dude, you should live in a fucking mansion! Also, steal that Corvette.'