Zombie Parade

2: Confused

Annabeth POV

The body sunk into the grimy Hudson River. 

I didn't have time to see if he resurfaced or not. I didn't have time to even double-check if he was human or not. The zombies swarmed me from all sides. I let go of the railing and slashed my way through the crowd of zombies. 

The jeep's engine was roaring with life. The group was waiting for me. Luke was bashing a few zombies with a metal baseball bat. He was trying to clear a way for me. I appreciated his help, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that he possibly just killed a man. 

That zombie wasn't like the others. He was NOT a zombie. 

It had to be a person. 

"ANNABETH, Come on," Luke Castellan shouted. 

He swung at another fat zombie before shoving him into a group of them to his right. I slashed at a nearby zombie before launching myself into the jeep's trunk. Luke followed just as the jeep started cruising. 

Beckendorf was shooting at any zombie that came too close. However, the faster we drove, the more we lost the zombies. Leo was having too much fun steamrolling the undead. 

That's right. Leo Valdez is still alive. He stumbled upon our camp a few weeks after I joined. I was surveying the perimeter traps that Charles had set when he drove up in a jeep. The museum was maintaining a radio broadcast of its own, and Leo heard it. He came to the camp seeking refuge, and he quickly became a valuable asset. 

I sat in the trunk next to some canned foods. We raided an entire grocery store today, and we filed as much stuff onto the jeep as possible. 

Charles and Silena were also sitting now. Jason was in the passenger seat with Leo. Luke was standing and watching the bridge of zombies with a determined expression. Before long, we crossed the bridge and entered Manhattan. The streets of Manhattan are always overflowed with zombies. After all, New York City is one of the most populated cities in the world. The major cities are dangerous to be in. 

However, the major cities also have the most resources. There were so many restaurants and stores that we could raid for resources. 

The zombies are a nuisance though. 

My mind wandered back to the 'zombie.' That man was not a zombie. There was life in his beautiful sea-green eyes. Furthermore, he had grabbed my wrist for several seconds, but he made no motion to bite. 

No, that was a human being in zombie disguise. If I have to guess, he bloodied himself with zombies' guts to cross the bridge. 

I'm so confused right now. 

This could easily be my mind playing tricks. Maybe, he is a zombie, who's just very slow. Yet, he fought them beside me. Ugh, what the hell is going on?

Either way, Luke shot him to save me. Of course, from a distance, Luke probably thought he was a zombie. Well, maybe, he is a zombie, and I'm just being paranoid. 

I shook my head before standing up again. The zombies were lazily chasing our jeep around the streets, but Leo was driving pretty fast. Zombies are quite slow, so they weren't even coming near us. 

"Luke, what are you thinking?" I asked. 

"You put yourself in some real danger, Annabeth. Why would you leave yourself vulnerable on the bridge like that?" he said angrily. Luke cared about me, and that's why he's angry. 

"I thought I saw something. It won't happen again," I shrugged.

"It better not happen again. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you," he expressed quietly. His jaw was set with tension.