A Shephard- ZoC Main Story Vol 1 Chapter 12

Part 12 - There Will be Sunny Days

That dream has come back again. Constantly assailed by glass in this ocean of torment. You’re not sure how you can quantify pain like this, but it’s somehow worse than before. Screaming, but no sound can be heard over the torrential downpour. Something is still dragging you, but you're paralyzed body cannot move to look. And you gasp as you are suddenly lifted up out of the water.

You breathe heavily as you look around. That abandoned room greets you as you look through the window. The sky a dark shade of blue as dawn looks to break over the horizon.

The breathing calming down, you try to get up but are unable to move. The effect from the dream? But instead, as you look down at yourself, you see a figure pinning your waist down. Her incredibly tall figure is sprawled across you in a perpendicular fashion to the bed, her legs and knees resting on the floor as her body comes up and over the bed, laying on your chest. She’s definitely awake, as she looks up at you.

“Uh, Lucy, I’m-”

“No more screaming. Please.” She mumbles softly. The dream must have been really bad if that were the case. Her presence is rapidly evaporating the fading memory of it, whatever it was.
“Okay, I’ll try not to.” You’re tempted to place your free hand on top of her head, but refrain as you don’t want to scare her back into a rifle. You think for a moment, the silence filling the room as it grows ever brighter with the rising sun.

“Thanks.” you say, trying your best to give a winning smile. The corners of her eyes lift a bit, and she starts to move off.

“Lucy wait. Please.” you state suddenly. She does, looking back now with a tinge of curiosity.

“You don’t have to talk, or do anything right now, but please stay and listen.”

She nods, and sits on her knees on the side of her cot.

“Does it hurt? Being like you are right now?”

Her chestnut hair shakes from side to side.

“Does it tire you?”

Another negative sway of her head.

“Then please listen to my request. You said you would protect me,” you say, a little guilt ridden you have to resort to this, “then I would like you to try it in a different way. Just for today, can you follow me? Just as you are?”

A complicated expression washes over her face.
But all this was wishful thinking if you couldn’t get out the door.

Lucy was now standing behind you, doing your backpack. That was the only way you could think of making this work. Crouching down, you motioned for her to climb onto your back. Since she would be the one initiating the touch, you figure she wouldn’t freak out as much..

An agonizing amount of time later, she was now on your back.

“Lucy, I’m going to move my arms back and below to help support your weight. Don’t be alarmed, okay?”

“Y-yes.” you hear her stammer, as you proceed to do that. And in one swift motion, you grab her and lift yourselves up.

A small “eeep” escapes her lips, muffled by the gasmask you asked her to wear again.

And damn it, already you feel this is going to hurt.

She’s not as heavy as she looks, but she’s also no longer the 10lb weight of a standard issue SVD. Plus with the added weight of your backpack, you’re starting to have doubts about how long you can do this, if you should even do it at all. But the sudden squeeze around your chest as she latches on for dear life makes it all worth it, and you commit onwards.

First challenge over with, the next is walking.

Down three flights of stairs. With this much offset weight.

You step out, the familiar loud echo of the metal greeting you every heavy step down the stairs.

Making it down an eternity later, the weight has shifted a bit now to where it’s a bit more comfortable.

“Are you okay up there Lucy?” you ask.

You feel a soft sensation on your back as she presses into you, her arms completing the sensation. This envelopment of warmth is the damn happiest you’ve been in a long time, even if your legs are already protesting. They’ll learn to shut the fuck up if you want to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Seeing her lack of comment as consent, you carry onwards. There’s a break in the wall 100 feet to your right, and you set off in that direction to leave the compound. The pda hasn’t beeped with new contacts, so for now you take it a bit easy. You do have a really good pair of eyes resting above your shoulders, after all.

You can’t help but grin from ear to ear under your mask as you carry the cutest girl this side of The Cordon through the early morning light, as she looks every which way and shifts her weight around you.

It’s a quiet morning, the gentle rays of sunlight filtering through the branches as the trees softly sway in a mild wind. Lucy looks onwards, left and right, taking it all in.

You’ve only made it a couple of yards out of the compound, but your legs are telling you no more. But the heart keeps you going, as you try clumsily to climb the first hill. She leans back in surprise, and almost takes you both for a tumble down the hill if not for your last minute correction.
Cresting the hill, you look onward. It’s a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky. Just a perfect time to collapse from exhaustion. But not yet. Her head, now resting gently on your shoulder, makes your spirit fight on longer.

Well, fight on long enough to take one more step, and then fall right on your face. Lucy had the reflexes enough to jump backwards and off, so the only thing lying on the ground is you in shame. Your legs and back are extremely tired, and it’s not even 0800 yet. Lucy says nothing, as you roll yourself over so you were now looking up at her.

“Lucy.”

She stares at you, not sure what to do.

“Could I have my water please?” you ask in a defeated groan.

She pauses for a moment, and then springs into action once she gets what you're asking for. Nervously undoing the cap, you shake your head.

“I’m fine, just let me sit up and have some of this.”

Removing your mask to drink the water, you now face the south end of the valley, looking onward as the sun rises higher in the sky. The vibrant green hills spread onwards, as you realize this is probably the most tranquil moment you’ve had in the zone since coming here. Your legs may be defeated, but your spirit soars this day.

“Lucy, don’t just stand there, I said sit in!” you say, patting the grass to your left.

She quickly obliges.

The scene is now perfect. You’re not sure how the rest of the day will go, but right now you feel incredibly accomplished.

She’s now staring out into the short valley below.

“Okay.”

You crouch down, ready to initiate the piggyback again.

“It’s okay, I can walk” she says out of consideration for your tired body.

Your legs are now crying in joy but your soul is no longer soaring.

Donning the dropped backpack, you finally look back at her.

“Lucy, you may want to put on your mask,” you remind, and she quickly obliges. One of the straps cutely pinching a part of her animal ears down.

“Uh Lucy, hood first.” you remind.

As she is slowly pulling off her mask again to fix the mess, she freezes.

And looks at you.

And then moves her hand to her head, right atop one of her ears.

Like a deer caught in headlights she remains frozen in this pose for a moment.

And her face is now glowing an incredible red.

And then with lightning speed she dons her hood once more, shoves her gasmask into her face, swivels her head, and takes off in a random direction. Your pleas fall on panic-stricken deaf ears as she proceeds to stumble down the hill and hit a rock; rolling the rest of the way to the bottom.

This is going to be a long day.