"What's your name?" I ask the pretty brown-haired girl as she leads me through the treehouse.
She stops for a moment, scanning me from head to toe, seemingly suspicious of my actions.
"Layla," she replies.
"What a pretty name," I smile, following her like a curious puppy as she leads me toward the kitchen.
"What's yours?" she asks, walking through the kitchens doorframe.
"Achilles." I answer, following her inside.
"What a strange name," she says, raising an eyebrow
I can't help but smile as I hear her comment.
"It comes from a Greek war hero." I tell her, scavenging through the kitchens cabinets.
"What's a Greek?" she asks, tossing me a can of beans. I can't help but scrunch my face in disgust. Beans for breakfast? Man, there's gotta be at least one chef on this island right?
"It comes from the ancient nation of Greece on Earth, the human home world." I tell her, looking around for some utensils.
"Wow... your parents must've been quite the history buffs to know all that." She says, chuckling as she hands me an old wooden spoon.
She then leads me out onto a balcony where the rest of the group is gathered around a small table.
I take my time peeling back the metal lid of the can, my gaze drifting above the forest and off into the distance. The sun's yellow hue begins to rise over the horizon, chasing away the darkness and replacing it with light.
"Are you going to tell us why those zombies refuse to attack you now?" the old man asks impatiently, his eyes locked on to the mob of creatures below.
I stare at him for a moment, gulping down the beans as if they were water before glancing down at my worn, wet, and filthy prison clothes.
"It's because of this black goo" I say, pointing to the stains on my clothing and hair. "It's the zombies' blood. I figured out that the zombies are blind and hunt based on sound and smell. This blood-" I gesture back towards the stains again, "makes me smell exactly like them. As long as I keep quiet, and don't do anything unusual, they'll think that i'm one of their own."
I watch the groups reaction closely.
"That... makes sense." The old man mutters, stroking his beard thoughtfully. The two woman, Layla and the orange haired girl visibly grimace, clearly not thrilled abut covering themselves in zombie blood.
Hank on the other hand seems full of excitement. "That's it?" He laughs. "All I have to do is bathe in some zombie blood, and they won't attack me? Thats so easy!" He shouts, his voice ringing with enthusiasm.
Before anyone can ask more questions or voice their concerns, the systems screen flashes in front of me once again.
Congratulations on surviving night 1.
Day 2 will now begin.
Looking down from the balcony, I watch as the zombies suddenly freeze, their bodies going still for a brief moment before they begin to disintegrate. In a few moments, their once undead bodies begin turning into specks of sand and dust, scattering with the wind. Those creatures seemed to only haunt us at night, vanishing during the first light of dawn.
"Wow..." the shy, orange haired girl mutters, peeking over the balcony.
"They all just... disappeared."
She looks so innocent, yet everyone on this island is a criminal. I can't help but wonder what crimes she has committed, and what secrets she may be hiding.
I turn back to the old man who still gazes at the scene below with a mixed expression of awe and disbelief
"Well then old man, may I take some food and water back with me to my hideout?"
He shifts his gaze back to me, looking slightly surprised.
"Yeah, go ahead. There should be a lot more cans of beans and corn in the kitchen. You can ask Ava over there for some water. " He said, pointing toward the little orange haired girl. "And by the way, the name's Theodore." he scoffs, flicking a dismissive hand towards me.
I give him a firm nod, walking back to the kitchen Suddenly, Layla stops me.
"Wheres this 'hideout' of yours?" she asks, probably remembering the deal we made.
I smile. "Its a small hut on the beach. It's the only building there, making it practically impossible to miss." I tell her, thinking back to the desolate shore.
"You should come visit me sometime," I say, flashing a smile. "I'd really enjoy the company of a beautiful woman like you."
If my wife saw me right now, she'd probably murder me, and rightfully so.
I didn't want this woman, not like that. But she's extremely smart, sharp, and undeniably useful. It wouldn't hurt to keep her close for now.
I walk past a frozen, and flushed Layla, following Ava into the kitchen.
"Well you heard Theodore, you mind fetching me some water?" I ask, scrummaging through the remaining cabinets and drawers.
Ava nods quietly and quickly scurries away, leaving me alone in the kitchen. She was quite the odd one. I cant help but wonder what her story is, and what she's been through.
...
After a short while, Ava returns to me, carrying a large backpack filled with a few liters of bottled water. It was definitely enough to get me through the week. I unzip one of the empty compartments, stuffing it with 4 cans of beans and 5 cans of corn. Even after I raided it, the kitchen seemed to still have a large stockpile of canned goods.
I only took what I thought was necessary, including the old wooden spoon Layla had given me.
I then gather my weapons-my knife, my bow, and my new quiver
It's pretty useful as it allows me to carry up to thirty two arrows. That was more than enough for someone like me.
Ava helps me bring my weapons down the rope ladder as I descend with the backpack of food and water settled on my back.
I cant wait until I get back to my hut. Finally, I can get some peace and quiet, and just maybe even a good meal!