I am Bexley: The Bloodletter’s Scourge part 17

My mother has had ALS all her life, but my father had always taken care of her, until he passed away. He would lift her up and dance with her on her birthdays. He was the rock of our family. He enforced his roots and his ideas on how a man should act right from the start.

If I had gotten hurt or into a fight, he wouldn’t ever let me cry. It wasn’t even a sissy thing that he’d say about crying, it was more that a man continues to persevere no matter what happens to him.

It was when I was still in the cusp between adulthood and childhood that my father had been bitten in the arm while he had been illegally hunting with some of the other men in our bunker. I know now it was most likely a Bloodletter, as zombies do not generally attack humans.

I had learned since my father died that being the rock in our family meant to be a stone cold wall. My mother needed care 24/7. I am an only child but I never felt alone. By the time my mother had me, there was Stan and my anchor, Asher.

Stan was my best friend and knew from when we were kids that I had something special for Ash.

“Don't let it get you down. My dad is always acting tough. It doesn't mean he doesn't care,” Ash told me as I held in my breath, refusing to cry. My father had just yelled at me badly for trying to catch a rabbit outside of the time humans are allowed to gather supplies.

“I feel like I'm always going to be nothing, Ash. He didn't even tell me I broke the rules. He just said he didn't think I was cut out for it.”

Ash blinked. “Wow. That's harsh.” He leaned into my shoulder and his curls hur my face. I spit them out, as they got near my mouth.

“Asher, get outta my space, man!”

Asher laughed. “Shut up. You know you like me!”

I frowned, shaking my head. “Do you want my dad to add a beating on top of his yelling?” I shoved him away, though Asher kept his signature sarcastic smile on his face.

“Don't be a putz. He won't beat you.” Asher looked worried and whispered, “Would he?”

I shrugged. Being almost a teenager (twelve-years-young as Ash says), I didn't quite realize why I felt different than everyone else. I suspected my father knew something was off with me even though I never said anything to a single soul.

Ash held on to my arm. “Just let out that breath you seem to be holding.”

I immediately let out my breath. Tears ran down my face.

Asher wiped one away and we sat in silence. I knew from that moment onward he was my soulmate. No one else could make me feel whole and like life was easy than Ash could on a whim.

Stan always hung out with us as well but usually he'd be trying to recruit us to write songs together or start up a band.

“Come. On. Lets try to make something new. I bet we could even sneak on a radio one day,” Stan dreamily tried to convince us.

“Hudson is not really a musical type, Stan,” Ash quipped, “If a Mockingbird heard him sing? Hah, he would just fly away hurriedly. The sounds he makes singing might as well be a dying animal!”

Stan laughed, and heck, I laughed too. Ash had such a nonsensical and over-the-top kind of humor.
Its moments like that I realized rocks needed movement to survive. Even mountains could collapse if the tide reached it with enough strength and consistency.

It was then I realized even as I felt my weakest as a child, that I'd rather struggle than be complacent. Being like a happy hog in a fat farm, my mom used to say, was the worst sort of way to live. You might have everything you ever wanted or needed, but death was just lurking around the corner. Complacency in life is like death. You never grow, you never learn, you never change.

Now that I had an extended family of My adopted daughter, Shadow, Ash and I are a complete family. Sometimes, Ash and I are the rock together. Other times, its him. But either way, we have each other.

Until now. Asher was bit by a Bloodletter last year in a battle. He's turned ever since. A zombie that's supposed to be more mutated and violent than ever, but not my Ash. He still raised our daughter with me.

He was my rock more than ever. Now, he's in a coma and I feel lost. I want to see my mother. I miss her so much.

We just got attacked on our way to these mountains that have gems for Ash to help him wake up. Unfortunately, my best friend Bexley was the one that was attacked. Some of our friends were able to get them to run off with an impromptu defense.

But, I needed to talk to her since she was the one who started this journey.

“Bex, can we talk a sec?” I asked her.

She looked so upset. Stan, her husband, was holding her. Water was dumped on her head, the most scary thing for a zombie.

Stan signed with an exhausted look, “She’s still trying to calm down.”

“Bex, you are so strong. The water won't hurt you,” Stan signed to her.

“Yeah. Remember when we first met, how you pretended you were feral? Hah, that was still awesome,” I said.

Bexley twitched. “I’m still going to bite you one day!” She signed with a growl. Stan and I laughed, (though Stan can't laugh he smiled).

“So, what's up?” Bex signed.

“I really would like to see my mom before we get to the mountains. I know its sort of out of the way…”

Stan groaned, “Why didn't you say something earlier? That's about five miles away from our bearing!” He jumped up but tripped, something that sounded like bone cracking.

“Oh shit, Stan. Are you ok?” I ran over and he motioned for me to stay there.

Bexley signed, “That happens. Bones break, we move on.” She kissed Stan on the cheek and held his hand, almost looking like he was keeping him from falling.

Suddenly, our eyes met and I saw something strange hitting her face: a rosy color. She almost looked glowing, bright. As if a halo was over her eyes.

“Bex, you feel ok? Normal?” I asked her.

“I never feel normal,” she teased. “Why?”

“You just look a bit different. Not in a bad way.”

She shrugged, and her arms convulsed as she signed, “I did think that water felt different. Almost… refreshing.”

Stan looked at her and I swear he saw it too. He looked at her as if she were a goddess descending from the heavens.

“What? Seriously?” Stan excitedly asked her.

She nodded.

“Lets go see your mom. We can tell Ash’s parents what is going on, too,” Bex signs. “Hudson, since you can yell, let everyone know the plan and to start moving!” She clapped but it accidently hit Stan’s backside. I laughed so hard I fell down.

They were not amused.

I believe that a real rock meant that even as we keep pushing forward no matter what, we can always appreciate the little things. That was the only way to survive in this undead world.