What I assumed to be a dark, gloomy cave was anything but. Sure it was darker for human eyes, I suppose, but the infected had seemed to collect usable furniture, dragging them in the caves and making separate rooms for their own.

As if to resemble their lost human lives.

Shock was slowly seeping into my body as I was carried around the place. Normal infected didn't have any social interactions with one another, nor did they display any sense of emotion or sign of cognitive thinking.

What I've seen of infected, was very little but enough to solidify that they had no communication between them. They simply triggered from sound that was produced by any shape or form. The screams of a Viral locking onto their prey could easily trigger other infected to investigate the source. On the other hand, I've also heard stories of infected crawling over one another as they were shot down, ignoring one another's condition and wounds.

Yet these infected...they acted like ... people.

We walked past several curtains that divided the rooms, infected huffing in greeting as I was carried past them. It was odd though, these people looked the same yet behaved differently. From what I could catch from little glimpses, they were very tactile, nudging and rubbing against one another, almost like cats would do in greeting.

Even now, when Jeremy slowly set me down on the floor, more infected were roaming around and walking up to us. They seemed curious and awed as they approached, yet wary when Jeremy growled from deep within his chest.

Every little movement I made hurt, almost as if I'd overdone it with a workout and had to pay for it the day after. All my joints and muscles seemed locked up, tensed and twitching even if I didn't use them.

The second a slight whimper slipped from my lips, Jeremy was on his knees before me, gently rubbing and soothing the aching muscles while the rest of the group gathered around, sniffing at my hair and arms as if to try and detect what was wrong.

"Hush," Jeremy husked, holding me as I tried to move away when he stretched my legs, which protested against the painful movement. "I know you are not feeling well but this helps in the long run. Trust me."

He looked up, eyes burning into mine and stealing my breath away. There was an odd sensation between us, as if an invisible line wrapped around my soul and tugged me closer. I licked my lips nervously, averting my eyes as he massaged my legs as gently as he could.

The sensation of his fingers gently pressing against my sore muscles was immense though. I could almost feel my heartbeat thrum against his fingertips, could feel the heat they emitted through my skin and sending shivers down my spine.

I let out a small sound and he looked up, gaze softening as he leaned forwards to nuzzle against my cheek. The content sound he produced was enough to make me shiver, both in excitement and fear.

What the hell was going on? It seemed as every emotion, every little touch and sound was amplified immensely. Jeremy let out a low growl, though I was surprised when he wasn't even looking at me. He shot a look at the other infected and strangely enough, I felt better once they all sat back and relaxed.

"As Wyatt said before; You are Queen; You respond to them and they respond to you. Ever since I was awakened, I've felt the urge to go out and look. Even when others were awoken, I felt utterly alone. I called out to you, hoping that I would find you." He glanced at me before sitting back, allowing me to stand on my own legs, albeit a bit wobbly.

Wyatt was quick to stumble over, grasping a few of my fingers in his hand before flashing me a toothy grin. A wave of happiness and protectiveness flooded my being as I watched the little boy looking at me with childlike awe and innocence.

I observed him just the same, realizing that I've never seen an infected child before. All the infected were adults; young children died during the infection process. Yet Wyatt's existence was a clear proof that infected children did exist.

Feeling my curiosity, Jeremy glanced at the boy and ruffled his hair, getting a chirp of laughter out of Wyatt "He was born this way, his mother got infected a few days before giving birth to him."

My eyes widened at that as the consequences of that sentence slowly penetrated my mind. If Wyatt was born an infected, that meant he was healthy and, well, alive. He looked to be five years old now, which meant that he was actually growing, even though most of the infected I've encountered had entered some form of stasis.

The little fingers squeezed in my hand before Wyatt pulled me forwards. My muscles protested sharply but I bit through it when he looked back, head tilted and curious. Just like they responded to my emotions, I could feel a hesitance coming from Wyatt, as if wondering why I walked so slowly.

He tugged again, forcing me to follow him as he smiled along the way. My legs still felt sore, as if I had been exercising for far too long but it was manageable. No longer was my body assaulted by the stabbing pain of the infection settling in.

Wyatt guided me through the cave, an ever-growing group of infected gathering behind us. It seemed as if my mere presence attracted them, a glance over my shoulder showed that Jeremy was following closely behind.

The infected bundled up around me the second I made it outside, eyes wary and glancing around. I had to blink several times against the light, the slight distress I felt enough for the infected to gather closer in a protective circle.

Fingers soothingly caressed over my back and shoulders, a nose nudging against my cheek as soft rumbles vibrated through the crowd and in my body. Even though I was newly changed and should've been revolted, my body and mind rejected the idea.

I felt safe. Comforted. Loved. The infected parted when I took a step forwards, eyes tracking my every movement as my stunned awe flashed through them and echoed back.

I couldn't quite believe how much my senses had improved. Looking around, I could see the microscopic detail of the tree bark even from where I stood at the cave entrance. A small flutter sounded almost like a gunshot as a dove took flight, my eyes tracking its wings effortlessly and I could actually see the sunlight pry through the miniscule threads that made up the individual feathers.     

A twig snapped under my foot, making me pause and focus on my sense of touch. Normally walking around barefooted would've been a pain on these rocks and twigs covering the mossy floor. Yet, I didn't feel any pain as I put my foot down again, taking a cautious step forwards. It seemed as if my skin had grown thicker to endure and ignore the minor pain, yet it didn't lose any sensitivity at all.

Each step I took was a small ripple of vibration that pierced through the ground and bounced off of the nearby infected. Without using my eyes, I could feel them around me. And they could sense me, I could tell. Their attention flickered between my presence and our surroundings, making sure we were safe.

Instinctively, I knew why. These creatures worked with a hive mind, a shared union of peace and joy. Even if Jeremy had been able to form a substitute link to them all, it was nowhere near what they seemed to feel for me.

I shivered, dreading of what would happen if a fool dared to try and break that bond. The hive would grow mad now that they knew what it was like to be unified... they'd do anything, kill anyone just to get that feeling back.

A memory popped in my mind and sadness slowly filled me. The infected stirred, huddling closer while Jeremy pressed against my back, a question filling his mind.

"I... I'll never see my old friend back..."

Jeremy chuffed, a sound I'd expect from a big cat like a tiger before heaving me in his arms. "It is not I that prevent it..." He murmured, making my shoulders sag. He was right. The second I was within view of their encampment, I'd be shot down.

I didn't even know if I'd still be able to speak, on the off chance that they didn't kill me on sight...

"Come..." Jeremy cooed softly, clearing some distance between the other infected and us. "Run with me." I frowned at the odd question, once more feeling the slight tremors in the grass as he put me down. A twinkle of delight sparked in his eye before he took a few steps backwards, waiting for me to follow.

I took a hesitant step forwards, followed by another at his encouraging smile that bloomed over his gorgeous face. A bolt of happiness quivered through my veins, lingering in my chest and stomach as he sped off in the woods, never leaving me out of his sight.

And surprisingly, I could follow easily. I could hear the others follow us as the world passed by in a blur of color, yet I could process the surroundings easily and see minute details. And all of us shared the same joy, the same freedom.

"I had no idea I was missing all this..."I thought to myself, watching as Beasts ran the second they spied our approach and observed how several of the males effortlessly ripped into the Walkers we encountered.

I shivered, for some odd reason remembering my brother's favorite movie and the quote he'd picked up from it.

Life will find a way.

Its a short one but I'm sick with the flu, muscles bunching up and aching like mad. Or perhaps I am changing as well, we'll never know ;) 

Anyways, like the little twist? I've seen plenty of zombie stories that follow the humans  but I thought it would be neat to write one that actually follows a species of highly intelligent infected.

What do you think?

Do you guys want to see more of Ash and Jeremy? Or perhaps, a chapter or two of his human friend Eric?

See you next time wolfpack 

<3 Shifting