The rhythmic thudding of her heart—or what was left of it—pounded in her ears. Lily stood frozen in the middle of her room, staring at the window. She could barely make out the figure through the fogged glass, but she knew it was him.
Jake.
He was supposed to be home. It was late, and no one in Greywater wandered the streets at night. Not if they wanted to stay safe. Not if they knew what was out there.
Lily's breath hitched, her stiff limbs fighting the instinct to rush to the window. No one could see her like this—not even Jake, the boy who had sparked an unfamiliar warmth in her earlier that day. The boy who seemed to see her, really see her, in a way no one else had.
But the truth was, he couldn't. Not now. Not ever.
The knock came again, gentle but persistent.
"Lily?" Jake's voice was muffled by the glass, but she heard him clearly.
Her mind raced, her zombified body struggling to control the panic bubbling up inside. She couldn't let him in. If he saw her like this—if he found out what she really was—it would all be over. Everything she'd tried to protect. The fragile semblance of a normal life she clung to by day.
"Lily, are you okay? I-I thought I saw you come home, but something felt off," Jake called again. "Look, I know it's late, but I just wanted to talk."
He doesn't know. He can't know, she reminded herself, biting down hard on the cold flesh of her lower lip. The hunger, already gnawing at her insides, pulsed harder. She could feel the craving for warmth, for life, growing stronger. Jake's life. His blood.
A part of her wanted to answer the door—to feel the warmth of human connection, to pretend for a few moments longer that she wasn't cursed. That she wasn't a monster.
But the other part of her knew the truth.
She was dangerous.
Her pulse slowed, her breathing steadying into something quieter–almost too quiet. She couldn't let Jake see her like this. Couldn't let him know what the night had turned her into. With shaking hands, she backed away from the window, pressing herself into the darkest corner of the room. She'd have to wait it out.
But Jake was persistent. The boy who sat next to her in history class, who had made her smile with a few simple words earlier that day, wasn't leaving. His silhouette moved closer to the glass, his breath fogging up the pane as he leaned against it.
"Lily? Are you there?"
His voice was softer this time, more concerned. And for a split second, Lily considered responding. But what would she say? How could she explain why she was hiding away in her room when the night had barely begun?
She felt her legs tremble, the coldness of her body anchoring her down like chains. The hunger was getting worse. She could barely think. Her throat was dry, her senses heightened, and the smell of Jake's living, breathing presence on the other side of the window made her head swim.
Her heart—if it was still there—ached.
Jake sighed. "Okay, I'll leave you alone for now. I just... I don't know, I thought we connected today. I guess I misread it."
Lily felt a pang of guilt as he stepped back from the window. She could hear the disappointment in his voice, the hesitation in his footsteps. Her brain screamed for her to stay hidden, but her heart—whatever was left of it—whispered something else. Something that made her desperate to keep him close.
Jake turned, his back now to the window, when Lily's eyes caught something. Her heightened night vision, a cruel gift of her condition, spotted movement at the edge of the street. Not just any movement.
The faint, lurching gait of something dead.
It wasn't alone.
Her stomach twisted. How many nights had she spent locking herself away, keeping her secret buried, only to witness the growing signs of them? Other zombies, roaming in the dark, uncontrolled. Without reason, without conscience.
Without her restraint.
She could smell them-rotting, decayed flesh, their slow, lumbering movements hidden in the mist. They had spotted Jake. Their hunger, as relentless as her own, was driving them closer.
Oh no.
Lily's fingers clenched around the fabric of her curtains. She knew she couldn't let Jake walk away. Not with them out there. Not when they wouldn't think twice about sinking their teeth into him, leaving nothing behind but blood and bones.
Her mind raced. The moonlight hit her window just right, casting her pale reflection back at her. She could see the creature she'd become, the greying skin, the soulless eyes. But that didn't matter now.
There was no time.
Without thinking, Lily reached for the window and flung it open. Jake stopped mid-step, his eyes widening in shock as she appeared at the ledge.
"Lily?" He started to turn back toward her, confusion written all over his face. "Wait-what's going on?"
"I..." she began, her voice raspy, hollow. "You have to come inside. Now."
Jake's brow furrowed, and he hesitated, glancing back at the street. "Why? What's going on?"
"There's no time to explain," she insisted, fighting the desperate urge to keep him safe. Her hands trembled as she held the window open wider, the cool night air stinging her already cold skin. "Just... trust me."
He took a cautious step toward her. "Lily, you're scaring me."
"Good," she whispered under her breath, fear settling deep in her bones. "You should be scared."
Suddenly, a noise broke through the quiet-the low, guttural growl of the undead. Lily's eyes darted to the end of the street, where the silhouettes of the zombies had now fully emerged from the mist. Their twisted, grotesque forms shambled toward Jake, their empty eyes locked on their prey.
Jake saw them too, his face paling. "What the hell are those?"
"I'll explain later," she said through clenched teeth. "Just get inside. Now!"
Jake didn't need any more convincing. He sprinted toward the house, barely making it through the window as the first of the creatures let out a monstrous wail. Lily slammed the window shut behind him, her heart pounding in her chest.
For a brief moment, the two of them stood there, breathing heavily, the sound of the creatures scratching at the glass like nails on a chalkboard.
Jake collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath. "What the hell were those things, Lily? And how did you know they were coming?"
She swallowed hard, her eyes flickering to the floor. The truth was right there on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't let it slip. Not yet.
But the longer she stayed silent, the more Jake's eyes began to search her face. His gaze narrowed, lingering on her ashen skin, her eyes that had turned from soft blue to a haunting grey. He was starting to see it.
"Lily..." he breathed, realization dawning on him. "What... what are you?"
Her lips trembled as she fought back tears. "I'm sorry, Jake."
The scratching at the window grew louder.
"I'm not what you think I am."
- JAPS