Chapter 14: Not humanly possible

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Not humanly possible Ethan swallowed hard, his eyes twitching as he stared at her striking blue eyes and unmistakably feminine face. "So that’s why you always deepen your voice," he said, nodding with exaggerated understanding. Then, with a kind smile, he patted her shoulder. "I get it now, bro. I understand your pain." Betty forced a smile, irritation bubbling under the surface, as she turned her gaze to the darkening sky. ’What exactly did he "understand"? Don’t tell me... Did he finally realize I’m a girl?’ But the next words out of his mouth made her fists clench tighter, her nails nearly digging into her skin. "You were probably bullied for looking like a girl, huh? That’s why you decided to deepen your voice. Hey, you can talk normally with me—I don’t bully people." A metaphorical question mark popped in Betty’s mind. "...Shut up, mister," she muttered, brushing his hand off her shoulder and rubbing her arms to warm them. Ethan just grinned and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "Then you can call me your big brother now, haha!" Betty took a long, deep breath, then exhaled slowly. ’Ahhh... Why is he so damn annoying?’ Henry, who was sitting beside David, glanced back over his seat with a grin."Bro, don’t mind him—he just likes to joke—" His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on Betty’s face. Ethan laughed, clearly enjoying Henry’s stunned reaction."See? I wasn’t exaggerating. He kinda looks like, you know..." Henry nodded slowly, jaw slightly open. David, sitting stone-faced between their chatter, finally shook his head."Can you two shut up for a minute? This isn’t some road trip." Betty gave a small nod in agreement, glad someone was being serious. Suddenly, a decayed hand smacked against the back of the jeep, gripping the edge and trying to claw its way inside. "ahhh" Startled, Betty reacted instantly. She drew her knife from its sheath and slashed hard. The rotten hand was sliced clean in half. Cling! Her blade scraped metal as it followed through and struck the jeep’s frame. "haa haah ha." Breathing heavily, Betty’s eyes widened, staring at the mutilated hand still clinging to the side of the vehicle. "What was that...?" she muttered, scanning the road. Her gaze landed on a zombie dragging itself across the ground, one hand missing, its body slamming against the pavement in frustration. "Damn, that was impressive," Ethan’s voice rang out behind her just as the jeep took a sharp turn, making Betty grip the jeep for safety support. David opened the door, gripping the handle tightly. "We’ve got a problem—the road ahead’s blocked. We need to clear these damn things out." Betty jumped down from the back, landing with a light thud. Her fingers quickly tightened around the hilt of her knife as her eyes locked onto the road ahead—dozens, maybe a hundred, zombies crawling, limping, and stumbling toward them. David raised his pistol, aiming at the nearest zombie, his finger hovering over the trigger. Betty shouted silently, not wanting to raise her voice in this situation. "Hey! Stop—are you crazy? That’ll just attract more of them!" Betty’s voice cut through the tension. David blinked and paused, glancing back at her with a scowl. "So what do you suggest we do, huh?" Without a word, Betty expressionlessly pulled out a second knife and handed it to him. "Use this. And don’t give me that look—what other choice do we have?" David stared at the knife like she’d just handed him a spoon to fight a bear. His eyes narrowed at her as if she were an idiot. Shaking his head in disbelief, he reluctantly took the blade. Betty almost chuckled when she saw his cold, commanding expression... paired with the awkward way he held the knife. "Mister," she teased, trying to hold back a laugh, "we’re not here to cut vegetables. Don’t tell me you’ve never held a knife before." David stiffened at her words, jaw tightening. He didn’t respond—instead, he silently adjusted his grip, now copying the way she held hers. "Psst... Henry, are they flirting?" Ethan whispered from the back, his voice full of curiosity. Betty’s amused smirk faltered for a split second, awkwardness flashing across her face. ’What the hell are they talking about? Flirting? In the middle of a zombie fight? Is this some kind of dark romance story to them? Tch...’ Without wasting another breath, she spun around and cleanly slit the throat of an approaching zombie like it was nothing but butter. With swift precision, she broke into a run, slicing through the undead—targeting the ones with glowing green eyes first. Henry joined the fray, gripping a metal bat and slamming it down on zombie skulls, cracking them open one by one. David, though clearly less graceful, was holding his ground. He struggled with the weight of close combat, but he still managed to take out most of the zombies near Betty. Betty darted to the side of the road, planted one foot firmly on a chunk of broken pavement, and launched herself into the misty air. Her knife plunged straight into a zombie’s eye. Green blood sprayed out in a burst, splattering her jacket. "Grawwlllwwll" David’s eyes narrowed as he watched her from the side, momentarily distracted by her speed and precision. ’What...? How is he doing that? That’s not... humanly possible.’