Say if she was in her right mind, she would've brained him for saying that. I won't eat you. Fool me fucking once, Mr. Zombie. Fool me once, shame on me.

She wish she could keep pretending she was brave as all hell, but she's not. She's scared to death of him because of what he means. Why was it the world made more sense when death was permanent? Now even the dead can't die, and suddenly here, more than ever, it's like the people who get too close get offed. She still sees Howard's flood of blood from his throat when she closes her eyes. Still sees the same flood from R's mouth.

She misses when people groaned cleanly and collapsed.

"Don't." She outlines it in hot pink highlighter. They can both commit to one-syllable commands if they had to. Her fingers twist on the bat. It's stupid to compare him to weeks ago, but she does. Holding his hand and watching him fold in on himself. Now the thought of those Boney talons brushing her skin makes her shiver in disgust. "You're supposed to be rotting back there. Miles back. I didn't want to leave you and I did because you were dead. What am I supposed to do with that, R?"