He looked at the stranger and asked, "Who are you?" The sisters exchanged a glance. "She's my sister, Princess," Sarah replied. Relieved to have found her, Alex looked around. The zombie was dead, and he could still feel the pain and fear it had experienced before its end.
"You're Alex, right?" Princess asked, and Alex nodded. He noticed that he was being helped to walk. "Tell me you brought the supplies," he said weakly, concern in his voice.
"We did. What were they for, anyway?" Sarah answered. Weakly, Alex explained that the supplies were for the water heating system he was about to install. Princess felt a surge of delight— it had been so long since she'd had a proper bath.
On the return journey, Alex started to feel better and realized he could walk on his own, though he still couldn't carry the supplies. Sarah and Princess took care of that. When they arrived, Alex sat on the couch, followed by Princess, while Sarah sat on his lap. This action made Princess's temper flare.
The rain began as a drizzle and then poured heavily. Princess watched closely, trying to understand what had made Sarah behave so unusually.
It was very unlike Sarah to act this way, Princess thought. As Alex stared into the fire, he turned to Princess and asked, "Are you a hunter?" Princess nodded, and Alex followed with another question, "What do you hunt?" She didn't answer, her anger slowly building inside her. Was this stranger a spy? Why was he asking such questions? Maybe he was trying to get her to reveal more than he should know.
Alex gently ran his hand through Sarah's hair, petting her like a dog. Oh my God! Did he enslave my sister? Princess's anger surged.
"Dear sister, come sit here," Sarah said, gesturing for Princess to sit close to Alex. Reluctantly, Princess did, only because her sister asked her to. "I know you were worried sick for me, but you don't have to anymore," Sarah said.
"What do you mean I don't have to worry anymore?" Princess asked, swallowing her frustration.
Silence filled the room like an unwanted guest until Alex spoke. "She means she's staying here, and she wants to know if you're okay, too."
Sarah's heart swelled. Don't be a pervert, she thought—her feelings were growing deeper for Alex. It felt as if he truly understood her. Princess, however, fumed. If Sarah hadn't been sitting on Alex's lap, she would have attacked him.
Alex then wrapped an arm around Princess, pulling her closer into an embrace. Princess wanted to resist with every fiber of her being but, in the end, couldn't help but accept the warmth of his arms. She felt both violated and, strangely, comforted. His embrace gave her a sense of safety that she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Do you remember this feeling?" Sarah asked softly. It was the feeling of being safe, of being loved—back when their parents would embrace them before everything went wrong. Princess had forgotten what that warmth felt like. Life on the streets had hardened her, and she had come to see embraces as a way to shield oneself rather than a source of comfort.
Princess rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart. "Isn't he charming?" Sarah asked, eyes closed. Princess wanted to deny it, but deep down, she couldn't, so she said nothing. There was a part of her that wanted to stay there forever.
"Oh, by the way," Sarah added, "he knows how to wash a lady perfectly." Princess's suspicions were confirmed, but she didn't let her anger show. "I'll prepare supper and leave you two to catch up," Alex said, standing to leave. Before he did, he looked at Princess and said, "I know you're upset, but I swear I haven't done anything to your sister."
Unexpectedly, Princess smiled instead of fuming.
After supper was ready, Alex found the two sisters happily chatting in the living room. "Supper's ready," he said. As they ate, Alex asked, "How do you feel, Princess?"
"I feel safe," she replied.
"So, will you stay with us?" Alex asked. Before Princess could answer, he quickly added, "I'll be leaving soon to finish the contraption."
With that, he left to complete his work, and Princess went with Sarah to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
"He's lovely, isn't he?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah, and it makes me jealous that you have such a good one," Princess replied.
Suddenly, Sarah recalled her sister's past boyfriend—how he'd cheated on her and then been turned into a zombie. Princess had taken her revenge by ending his life.
"I wanted to ask if you'd share him with me, but I know you probably won't accept," Sarah said.
"I might just accept your offer. Give me until tomorrow," Princess said.
They continued chatting until Sarah suddenly stopped, looking worried. "Where did Alex go?" she asked.
"He said something about finishing a contraption and went out," Princess replied.
Sarah paused, staring at her, before grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "And you let him go out in this rain?" she asked, panic in her voice.
Before Princess could respond, the door burst open, and Alex stepped in, drenched to the bone. Sarah immediately hugged him, her wet clothes clinging to her, making her appear even more vulnerable.