Who would have thought a town of survivors would actually be celebrating a zombie invading their home, but I guess that didn’t matter as long as that zombie wasn’t trying to eat you. I could never see how any sane person could eat another human. Just ‘cause my appearance had changed, didn’t mean my diet did as well. I would love nothing more than to chow down on the cake, pizza, fries, sandwiches, and all the other foods on the table in front of me, but… I couldn’t.

  No taste, and I throw it up in less than ten seconds every time I try. Well, at least my daughter could enjoy it though. Sunshine was in the middle of squirting a whole bunch of syrup on a plate of three sandwiches next to me—sandwiches that were way bigger than her mouth could handle. This was going to be her fourth meal in the span of ten minutes, and there was a crowd of people forming around us, eager to see if she could finish it.

  Sunshine and I, along with the rest of the town, were in a large church. Except that a lot of the religious images were either covered or destroyed. The interior reminded me of a throne room considering the long, red carpet that led to a single giant chair near our table.

  I’ve been around some egotistical displays in my life, but this might be number one.

  I tapped Sunshine’s shoulder as she took her first bite. “Don’t you think you should save your appetite for later? I don’t want you to get sick from eating too much in such a short time.”

  She swallowed her food. “But, Jerome, I haven’t had any of these foods in my entire life before. This might be my only chance to try them.” Sunshine then grabbed my head and pulled it down to her belly. “Besides, don’t you hear that? My stomach is growling like crazy. I need food… now!”

  Her stomach didn’t make a sound. Well, it was a good thing she was happy. Good meals made strong kids.

  An older looking woman placed a few water bottles next to my daughter’s plate. She was missing both of her ring fingers. “Aren’t you an adorable little rascal? But if you keep eating all that sodium and sugar, your lean face will surely get bloated.”

  “A growing girl needs her protein, Bea,” a man laughed. One of his ears was gone, and the skull tattoo on his neck wasn’t a good distraction from that. “How else is she gonna kill all those zomb-” He looked at me and his smile disappeared. “Um… no offense, zombie dude.”

  “None taken,” I replied, picking my head up. “I’ve killed a zombie as a zombie before anyway. Also…” I patted Sunshine on the head as she finished her first burger. “She won’t have to worry about killing anything. I’ll be doing all the work.”

  My daughter removed my hand off of her, her eyes narrowing. Did that really upset her? But who would be mad about a parent wanting to protect them?

  “Hey, are you the sun?” a boy asked, who looked to be around my kid’s age. He was missing an ear. “Because you really light up my world.”

  Was that a p-p-pickup line!? Does this little shit really think he can talk to her like that? In front of her father, no less.

  Sunshine glanced at the boy and smiled. “Sorry, but disfigured boys aren’t my type.”

  “Yeah, what she said!” I exclaimed happily. “Wait, no! Sunshine, you can’t say stuff like that. It’s rude! Apologize to this poor kid. Also, you’re not allowed to have a type yet!”

  Sunshine raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m sorry, Jerome, but it’s true. If he was weak enough to lose his ear, then he’d probably die young anyway. I like strong boys that can fight for themselves.”

  Before I could say something else, a boisterous laugh filled the church, catching the attention of everyone around me, aside from my daughter. They weren’t near us for much longer as every person scurried off to seats that were far away from us.

  “I like this kid! She’s funny, and she’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

  The invisible ruler finally entered the scene after an entire hour of waiting for him to appear. He was still wearing his cloak, gloves, and boots, but now he added a crown to the mix. There were two men by his side. They both wore familiar looking suits—black with green, vertical stripes and a green tie. They were the only ones I’ve seen here that weren't missing any limbs or other body parts.

  “Discard the weak and keep the strong. That’s the path humans have to walk on now. You’ve adopted a nice girl, Zombie Man.”

  “I didn’t adopt her. She’s my biological daughter. Can’t you tell?” I brought Sunshine’s face next to mine and showed it to the invisible man.

  “Ah, I see where she got her humor from,” he laughed, folding his arms.

  “He’s not joking,” said Sunshine, straight-faced. “Jerome is my father.”

  “Yeah, I know he’s your ‘father’, but you’re only calling him that because he took you in. After all, if Jerome actually was your father, you’d already be dead.”

  “Why do you say that?” I asked, genuinely confused by that comment.

  “Because you would've eaten her by now.” He put his finger up like he was correcting us on a topic. “Little fun fact about zombies, biological family members are more susceptible to being eaten than humans unrelated to them. Hell, I once saw a zombie travel a forty-eight hour journey just to kill who used to be her husband. Even if you disregard that fact, I’m surprised your hunger hasn’t taken over your judgement yet.”

  Yeah, that’s ’cause I’ve been holding it back this whole time. This guy couldn’t even begin to understand how annoying hearing “chop her fingers up and fry ‘em up” in your head every thirty seconds.

  “Sunshine, right? You’re a brave girl for being around this guy.”

  He attempted to touch Sunshine’s hair, but I gently grasped his hand before he could. “I’d rather you not touch my child… just for safety reasons.” His hand under his glove felt very bony and… gooey. All this food and you still can’t afford to clean yourself up?

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  Silence filled the room as quickly as I had grabbed his hand. Aside from my daughter, everyone was staring at me with shocked expressions, as though I just killed a baby. Considering this guy was their leader, I wasn’t too shocked by their reactions.

  One of the invisible man’s bodyguards decided to speak up. “Hey, take your hand-”

  “That won’t be necessary, my loyal lackey,” said the invisible man, gesturing for the guy to stop talking. His attention turned back to me. “For someone so cautious, I’m surprised you didn’t worry about our foods’ conditions. What would you have done if they were poisoned?”

  I let go of his hand. “Oh, that wouldn’t be a problem. My daughter’s been immune to poisons and most other diseases ever since she was younger. It’s a long explanation as to why, so I won’t get into it.”

  “I’ve mastered the art of poison!” Sunshine shouted with food in her mouth. She was on her third burger. “I am the Poison God!”

  “O-oh! Is that so? That is a very useful trait.” He looked at his bodyguards, seemingly waiting for a response. All they did was shrug their shoulders.

  “That reminds me,” I said, standing up. Judging by where his crowd was placed, the invisible man was actually my height. 6 '2 was a rare height to be these days. “Speaking of poison, I was told there was a doctor in this town who knows about the Sunvirus. Any idea where she is?”

  He scratched what I assumed to be his chin as he stepped back to his bodyguards. “So you found out about that woman… I can tell you where she is if you do our town a favor first.”

  “I’d rather not,” I replied. I had a feeling about what he wanted from me, and I’d feel better getting what I needed before deciding to help.

  Once again, a barrage of shocked expressions from everyone locked onto me, followed by gasps and whispering.

  “Jerome, he obviously wants you to help them with their explosion problem,” said Sunshine, wiping her fingers on the tablecloth. “You did display your powers for the whole town to see. You only have yourself to blame.”

  Whose side are you on!? Why does it feel like I’m the only one who cares about her life-threatening virus in this family…?

  “It doesn’t matter how you slice it, Sunshine. Our problems always take priority.” I picked her up out of her seat. “C’mon, you’re finished eating.”

  “You won’t be able to find the doctor here unless you help me out, you know.” There was a confidence in the man’s voice that suggested he had the upper hand. “I could make your lives easier.”

  “We appreciate the good food—my daughter loved it—but I think we’ll have a better time finding this doctor on our own.”

  The townspeople’s expressions went from utter shock to a

  “Alright, no worries there. If you think that’s the best choice, then I won’t pry any further. However, you should at least let me repay you for that flashy move you did outside.”

  I laughed awkwardly. “Believe me, feeding this hungry little hippo over here is satisfactory enough.”

  However, the “king” of Explosion Town was a stubborn man. Even when I tried to get out of there, he just wouldn’t stop talking. That was until he grabbed my attention with something I was actually interested in.

  “Well, since you’re so eager to leave, does that mean you’re not interested in learning more about Radius Abilities?”

  Without a second thought, I turned around and rushed over to him. His bodyguards flinched, and then got into defensive stances, but the invisible man stopped them. “Why didn’t you just lead with that? Tell me everything you know.”

  The fact that this guy was probably invisible ‘cause of a Radius Ability had completely left my mind. And even if he was with the Underground Radius, there was no way a power like invisibility could harm us. But just to be safe, I’d make sure some energy was redirected to my fingers.

  The invisible man chuckled. “Well, if you also want that information, you’re gonna have to do that favor I-”

  I walked away before he could finish his sentence. “Why does everyone want me to help them so badly?” I whispered. “If they want help, then do what I want first. It’s that simple.”

  I mean, what if I get screwed over after I help them? If the problem is already fixed, then that removes the burden of helping me. Truly a win-lose scenario. I’ve had enough of that with Dante, so I didn’t want that happening again.

  Sunshine lightly hit my thigh. “Jerome, didn't you once tell me that trust was a two-way street?”” she whispered back.

  “I did tell you that, actually. You see, I knew you’d understand my side eventually.”

  Sunshine’s face pouted. “Let me finish. If trust is a two-way street, it should apply to you as well. If you really want to find that doctor, just do what he wants first. It’ll help the whole town in the long run.”

  My grip on her pink hoodie tightened while I pondered that statement over and over again in my head. “Technically, I still have the upper hand. Without my ability, this town is doomed.”

  “You don't believe that, Jerome. If you leave them now, then their leader will just keep sacrificing more people til there's no one left. Would you really let that happen?”

  No matter how much I tried to lie to myself, every image I saw of every innocent kid dying in a horrible explosion exposed me for who I really was—a big softie. I could definitely regret it in the future, but if there was even an inkling of a chance that I could contribute to erasing those shitty realities, then I’d just have to do it.

  All of this was for Sunshine in the end anyways.

  “Fine, I’ll stop those explosions somehow,” I said, turning back to the town’s leader. Instead of talking to me on his feet, he had chosen to go sit on his big ass chair. “The favor is about the explosions, right?”

  “Why don’t you come closer?” the invisible man asked, gesturing for me to walk to him. “It’s easier for a king to keep their voice at a normal volume when speaking. You being all the way over there makes it harder.”

  I gritted my teeth in frustration, but swallowing my pride was the only way I could get what I wanted without any trouble. After I closed the distance between us, I attempted to repeat my question, but his hand stopped me.

  “One should kneel when in the presence of a king. Respecting our customs is important, you know.”

  “Our customs” my ass. No one else has been doing that since I got here. Although, I knew I had to do it anyway, so I caved.

  “Shouldn’t the girl be kneeling too?”

  “I’m kneeling for her.”

  “That’s not how it works, zombie.”

  I paused for a bit, and then decided to let Sunshine go. I heard faint laughter from the bodyguards standing at the invisible man’s sides as my daughter mirrored my position.

  “Good.” He placed his hand on my head and caressed it as though he was sitting in front of a child. “Now, you two, repeat after me. ‘On behalf of King Kevon, I hereby declare to save this town from the danger that enslaves it.’”

  “On… On behalf of King Kevon, I hereby declare to save this town from the danger that enslaves it.”

  Sunshine repeated the sentence, but since she was still chewing, it didn’t come out right. It took three repeats before Kevon finally moved on.

  “Now that that’s settled, let’s find a room for you two so the girl can sleep. I’ll tell you the details of everything once the sun rises.”

  The king’s voice was annoyingly calm throughout that small “conversation”, a calm that made the ooze on my bones boil. Kneeling like a loser next to my daughter, following orders like some obedient brat, forcing my own child to do the same things—never again. Never fucking again.

  Even if it was for the sake of someone I loved, for a better understanding of who we were, that devilish voice in the back of my mind kept whispering to me.

  “You are a zombie. Why are you bowing down to the weak? Eat him… Eat everyone here.”

  No… I never would.

  I think.

  *******

  I always hated those moments after an argument or roast session where you come up with the greatest comebacks you could’ve said, but didn’t. That shit always stung, and as I sat on a stool watching the full moon through the window, the pain was almost unbearable. It’d be one thing if it was just me in that throne room, but Sunshine was forced to do it too.

  I looked at my hand brimming with energy, and one question kept flooding my mind. Why didn’t I just resort to action? It would’ve been so easy to attack or threaten to get the info I needed. So why didn’t I? Did I even have the self-control for that? If I resorted to that kind of violence, how would I stop myself from attacking a non-target?

  “Hey, Jerome.” My daughter’s voice startled me, causing me to turn back to the twin beds behind me. She still lay on the bed, though she didn’t make eye contact with me.

  “Sunshine, what’s wrong? You should go back to sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of-”

  “I’m sorry.”

  The softness of her voice made me set aside my fatherly duties. “If you’re talking about what happened with that fake king, then you got nothing to apologize for.”

  She tugged on the bedsheet with her toes. “You were mad though, right? ‘Cause I was mad too. I thought it’d be simple to just do what he says to get what we want, but I never imagined how frustrating it would be to feel so weak… and so pathetic. You know, maybe it would’ve been better if you had just-”

  “So I’ve been wondering,” I interrupted, not wanting her to finish that sentence. “Why do you care so much about these peoples’ lives? Are you really serious about this ‘zombie hero’ thing?”

  “Hmm, to be honest, I think it has something to do with Saveer. And that boy Jason killed.” she replied melancholically. “I know you regret saving them, so I thought getting to save other people would make up for that. Hmm, no, maybe there’s more to it. I wonder if I’m the one with the problem?”

  I wanted to ask who Saveer was, but something within me prevented me from doing so. It was like my mouth was shut with every attempt to say his name.

  “Are you… also thinking about… your mom?” I waited for the girl to answer, though she never did. “Hey, let’s not think about all that negative stuff, alright? You finally got that bed to sleep on. Bet that feels good, huh?”

  “Do you think Mom would’ve eaten me if we kept her alive?”

  The question nearly threw me off the stool. “Wh-what kind of question is that!? Of course she wouldn’t.”

  “What about you? Would you eat me?”

  “Not even if my life depended on it.”

  Sunshine laughed softly, slowly sitting up. “If I became a zombie, I wouldn’t eat you either.”

  “You’re never becoming a zombie,” I said, my fist tightening. “I’ll make sure of that. As long as danger exists in the world, I’ll protect you from it.”

  Despite that sentiment, one question still wouldn’t leave my mind—what if I was the danger I had to protect her from?

  And by the time I realized the answer, it was already too late.

  I leapt from my seat and slammed her down onto the bed, my jaw twitching, green saliva thick in my mouth. The hunger was stronger than reason.

  If I didn’t stop myself now, these teeth of mine would do the talking for me.