Zombies'n'S**t Ep. 53

Trick or Treat? They Obviously Got the Trick

The two of them stared at me, Sophia with her compassion and Carl with his usual bored expression, but underneath, I I could see a hint of shame.  He felt it too.  We had been forced into this life by something out of our control and we all wanted our former lives back.  Even though I remembered nothing from my previous life, I too wanted to have it back.  I guess it was something none of us acknowledged to each other or ourselves.  We wore our new lives as a mask over our old ones.

Masks that we tricked ourselves into believing were real.  We put on costumes consisting of laughter, happiness, anger, irritation and all other emotions.  All in an effort to feel something, anything from our previous existence.

My mind was suddenly flooded by what I could only think were memories.  Children running through streets, shrieking with laughter, faces and bodies covered with those of monsters and heroes.  I shuddered as the images flashed through my head and the sound echoed in my ears.  I blinked up at the others.  I wasn't sure what that was.

Jesus, what was happening to me?  I never had memories, and that was definitely before our current condition.  I shook myself and finally found my voice, "I wanted to remember my old life and return to it when I ate that chocolate.  I wanted to be normal again.  When I didn't remember you, I guess remembering that I wanted to be normal helped me remember you."  Carl shuffled his feet on the floor, "Yeah.  You're weird John."

I walked up to him, "Piss off, asshat, I'm dealing with some profound emotions here."  Carl got in my face, "Yeah!  And you're weird!"  As we stood a few inches apart, Sophia stepped up next to us and smacked us both upside the head, hard enough that our foreheads knocked together.  When we turned to growl at her, she said, "Quit growling at each other like hungry dogs, this isn't productive."  Carl backed down and sat down muttering.

I, however, in my infinite wisdom, pressed onward, "Hey!  This is a conversation between A and B, so C your way out!"  I earned another slap on the head.  Before I could stick my foot further down my proverbial throat, I settled into a sullen silence.  Sophia turned to Carl and hooked a thumb at me, "Does he always do this?  Lapse into these petulant attitudes?"  Carl stuck his tongue out at her.

She sighed, "I thought so.  It seems you all do it.  Right. Anyway, you remembered how you wanted to be normal, and that reminded you of me?"  When I nodded, she continued, "If this want is shared like your childishness, then that may be a good thing.  If either of you forget me, then I can remind you that you just want to be normal."  She turned towards Carl, "Well?  Do you want to be normal?"

Carl looked between us, "Oh hell no!  John is just weird, like I said earlier."  I raised an eyebrow and Sophia didn't seem to believe him either, "C'mon.  We're all friends here.  I won't make fun.  Do you want to be normal again?"  I opened my mouth to disagree with her, but she held a finger out to me, without looking in my direction, and shushed me.  Carl scoffed, but the longer she stared him down, the less confident he became.  Eventually, he capitulated and sheepishly nodded, "Yes."

Sophia nodded in satisfaction and clapped her hands together suddenly, "There you have it!  That's the solution!"  She bounced away to the other side of the store, happy as can be.  Carl sidled up to me and muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Jesus, she's bubbly."  I grunted in agreement and Carl continued, "Yet somehow intimidating as all hell."

I looked at him and muttered, "You have no idea, hombre."

Author's Note

I hope the Halloween references weren't too forced. However, on the flip side of the same token, I think analogy is apt.