Chapter Text
It was a fairly long walk from The Lonesome Boatman to her apartment, but Cathy Stewart didn’t have much of a choice. She needed to get to her home so she could sleep after her evening shift. She had to trudge through the cold night and thick layer of frost under her feet. The frost was threatening to turn to snow. She glanced up at the thick layer of clouds across the sky.
“Oh, come on.” She muttered to herself. Rain, or worse, snow was the last thing she needed right now. Cars drove past her and the other pedestrians, almost splashing them with puddle water. Even though it was almost February, winter was still bleak in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Cathy pulled her blue scarf tighter around her neck. She turned a corner, walking past Winter Gifts and Creatures Great & Small, the crowd of pedestrians dissipated, going off in various directions. She continued walking, crossing the road at the traffic lights and passed a set of steps that led to a different apartment block.
“Excuse me, miss? I think you dropped something.” A deep and gravelly voice asked.
Cathy whirled around, but couldn’t spot anything on the ground. She didn’t know what it could have been. She shrugged it off and continued walking. She was almost there, she could see the gate of her apartment block up ahead. The many storeys of the building loomed over her. She glanced up at it and was about to push the gate open when she realised she had indeed, dropped something.
She bent down and picked up her water bottle that had fallen out of her bag. There was a thud and a sudden force behind her. She could feel someone breathing on her neck. A cold sweat began to form and she turned to look behind her.
“You know, it’s not polite to scare someone.”
The water bottle was taken out of her hand and used to whack her across the head. Cathy tried to rub her head but was knocked off her feet and landed on the ground. “Ah!” She yelled as she skidded across the cold, frosty ground. She held her hands out to try to protect herself. It was no use, the attacker kicked her in the chest.
She collided with the gate, her face going full force into it. Blood began to drip from a cut on her cheek. Cathy screamed in pain, rolling away but her escape route was blocked by the attacker. They punched Cathy in the arm, causing bruises to form.
The attacker leaned down to her. “Don’t bother screaming. No one’s coming.” The attacker dragged her by the legs. Cathy kicked out but couldn’t escape the iron-strong grip. The attacker dragged her across the road, picked her up and shoved her against the wall opposite Cathy’s building.
Cathy bit back a scream, trying to suppress tears. Maybe if she gave them what they wanted, they’d let her go.
The attacker loosened their grip and kicked her in the chest again, their boot colliding with the skin. The coat had come loose, and her body was exposed. She was winded by the blow and winced in pain. She tried to push off the wall but the attacker beat her to it.
They restrained her with one average length, gym toned arm, using their other to get in a few more hits. Cathy reeled in pain, tears welling in her eyes and the water mixing with the blood trickling down her face and onto her neck.
“Open your eyes,” they instructed. “I want you to see this.”
Cathy did so, forcing her eyes to open. When she did, she realised she was looking at a long, sharp knife glinting in the attacker’s black, gloved hand. Dread filled every ounce of her being. She knew exactly what that meant. She couldn’t suppress her fear. “Please, I don’t want to die. No, no, no, no, please don’t kill me. Please don’t- I don’t want to die!” She begged.
“I know you’re scared, but this won’t hurt. I promise,” the attacker slashed their knife across Cathy’s torso, just beneath her neck. Cathy screamed in pain, her cries getting louder. “I lied, I just wanted you to shut the fuck up.”
That was the last thing Cathy heard before she was given a final blow to the temple that caused her to black out. Her head slammed against the wall, and she went limp. The attacker yanked her down into a puddle of her own blood that was beginning to freeze over.
The Next Morning
Holly Stern slowly opened her blue eyes, she rubbed at her face brushing layers of ash blonde hair out of the way. Her thumb ran over one of the scars on her forehead. She lowered her hand. She rolled over in bed to gaze at her fiancée, Pippa Rooke, who slowly opened her dark brown eyes. She was lying on her side, burrowed underneath the shared blanket.
“I could stay here forever.” She said, smiling at the beautiful, kind, amazing woman with caramel skin tone next to her.
Pippa lifted herself on to her elbow. “Your leg is saying something else honey.” She smiled softly.
“What-?” Holly rolled back over. Her disembodied leg was lying on the floor. “Oh, looks like I’m making coffee this morning.”
“Looks like it.” Pippa grinned and flopped back down onto her pillow.
Holly sighed deeply and sat up. She rolled up her pyjama pants and reattached her lower leg to her knee stump. She moved the limb from side to side to make sure it was secure. Her body falling apart was the main long term side effect of being a cured zombie. She drew the curtains open, letting in some light.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Uh huh.” Holly left the bedroom to go into the kitchen. She switched the kettle on and got two mugs ready. She opened the window a crack before pulling down bowls and filled them with Granola.
Pippa soon joined her. They sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat. Holly shoved mouthfuls of mixed oats, berries, nuts and seeds into her mouth. She hadn’t realised how hungry she was before sitting down to eat. She drank the steaming hot liquid. “Thank God for hot coffee. I need it on a day like today.” She took another sip.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a long day,” Pippa agreed. “Don’t forget we’re checking out Stonewall manor in Denver tonight.” She said while eating her own bowl of Granola. She chewed the mouthful of food thoroughly.
“Not to mention dealing with whatever criminals and animals have gotten up to in the past 24 hours,” Holly paused, staring off at the nearby open window. “I’ll pick you up after work.”
“I’ll bring cookies.”
“The ones you made the other night?”
“Yup. I’ll be sure to put some in my bag.”
“That is why I’m marrying you.” Holly quipped.
Pippa arched an eyebrow. “Really, and I thought it was for my sparkling personality and great looks as you detailed a couple months ago.”
“They’re good too, but I should have included your baking skills in that proposal.”
Before she could respond, there was a swishing noise at the window. It was followed by the sound of four paws landing softly on the windowsill which signified the arrival of their cat, Scratch. His long tail swished gently as he pushed himself down onto the counter. Holly got up and shuffled over to him.
“What have you got there?” she looked closer. “Oh, fucking gross!”
“He brought in a dead bird, didn’t he?” Pippa asked. She turned to look. It was, indeed, a dead bird.
“Yup.” Holly said, covering her mouth. Scratch didn’t seem phased, he leapt off the counter and landed on the floor.
“Don’t worry I’ll deal with it. I will never understand how you can see dead bodies almost every day and feel repulsed at the occasional animal.”
Holly bent down and patted the tabby cat on the head, stroking the soft, brown, and white fur. Scratch meowed at the touch. “Whatever, I’m going to get ready while you deal with… this.”
“You’re just using that as an excuse to get out of washing the dishes.”
“I am perfectly capable of doing the dishes. As you know.”
She left before Pippa could respond. They both knew what she meant but now was not the time to get into it.
By the time she returned fully dressed in her usual blouse, tie and dark pants, the dead bird was gone, and the kitchen was clean. Pippa rushed past her into the bathroom to get ready. Holly grabbed her green bomber jacket off its hook by the door and pulled it on. She fastened the round, pink, red and white pin to the jacket. She laced up her Ugg boots, making sure the laces were bound tightly.
Scratch padded over to her, curling up by her legs. Holly picked him up by his torso. She was one of the few people who could do so without receiving scratches all over any exposed skin. He leaned his head on her shoulder and she stroked his fur gently. “You better not get fur over my jacket, ok?”
The cat hissed in response.
“Are you ready?” She yelled over her shoulder, her fingers still on the cat’s fur.
“Coming!” Pippa ran in. She grabbed her jacket from the hook and slung it on over her vet’s scrubs. She got her long, dark brown braid out of the way of her bag’s strap. “Ok, now I’m almost ready. Just one more thing.”
“What?” Holly asked, putting Scratch back down. The two women stood in front of the door.
“This.” Pippa grabbed Holly by the shoulders and kissed her on the mouth. Holly returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Pippa’s waist. They pushed against each other, staying like this for a few moments. Pippa’s mouth tasted like mint and lip gloss.
It was all they had before having to leave for work, so they had to make use of it. “Just wanted to do that.”
“Ok, let’s go.” Holly cleared her throat before opening the apartment door.