Zach Needs Help

The girl looked at Zach, her head just tipped to the left.

“So, um, you’re from…where?”

“Outside.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about this.

“Outside?”

“Yeah.  Outside.”

Then she spotted his hand as it slipped from behind his back. She shifted her weight to her back foot.  “Oh.  Um…”

The rot was bad right now, and Zach swore under his breath as he slid his hand behind his back again.  “It’s not what you think.  Really.  Please.  I need your help.”

“Look, I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.  How did you get in here?  You can’t be here.”  Her eyes locked on his arm.

“No, really.  I’m not going to hurt you.  I won’t touch you.  It doesn’t spread.  I don’t eat brains.  None of us do.  You gotta believe me.  I’m just trying to find out how this happened, and how I can stop it.  I know there’s a Book here in the City.  Can you please help me?  Please?”

She finally looked up at his face.

“What about everything else?  You’re not supposed to be here.  It’s not safe for us. Are there more of you?  You’re not supposed to be here….”

Zach knew this was his only chance at finding a helper inside the City.  “Please.  I know I’m not supposed to be here.  I know that you think we’re dangerous, that we will hurt you, infect you, but we won’t.  We’re not what you think.  Sure there are a few whose brains have rotted, who’ve gone a little crazy, who cat really think right anymore.  But we keep them contained.  We’re not dangerous.  We just need a little bit of help to find the cure and then I promise we’ll leave you alone.  No one will ever even know we were here.  Please.  We’re not what you think.  Please??”