Jack remained on his knees for an entire hour, oblivious to the moment when tears started streaming down his face and to when they dried. Concern for his son snapped him out of his stupor, and he reached out to Ralph, he realized the fever had subsided.

 

A faint smile spread across his heartbroken face as he gently caressed his son's head, placing him in his own bedroom. He softly closed the door, Jack returned to confront his guilt in front of Ralph's room.

 

He concluded, “I can't end my life; my son needs me. There are too many dangers outside. After the monsters are gone, and Ralph is old enough, I will be with her. I have a responsibility. For him, I will live.”

 

With a deep breath, Jack returned to Lilith's side. Confusion gripped him as he saw a pale white ball floating on top of Lilith, attached with a small black string that seemed ready to snap.

 

Looking at the ball, a frightening hunger overcame Jack. He wanted to consume it more and more each moment, but his intense desire turned into hostility. Not because the desire felt perverse, but because he loathed himself. He wouldn't allow himself even a hint of happiness.

 

He pushed the soul back down, coincidentally placing it atop Lilith’s head. The ball disappeared into her head, and Lilith's awkwardly twisted head returned to its original position. A healthy color returned to her skin, and even her gray eyes regained their hazel color.

 

Confusion and happiness filled Jack as he embraced his beloved. Tears flowed for another hour, but then he realized something was wrong. Lilith did not hug him back. Letting her go, he noticed her eyes, though regaining color, were blank and emotionless like a doll.

 

Calling her with dying hope, Jack pitifully begged, “Lilith, please look at me.” Miraculously, she moved her eyes and head to look at him. Hope surged, but it died again when she didn't respond.

 

“Lillith?”

 

No response.

 

After a moment Jack said, “Lillith, please go sit on the bed.”

 

Lilith stood up and sat on the bed in the exact same manner she always did. Jack's emotions returned to normal, he thought, “She's not dead, but she's not sentient yet. She will heed my commands. I still need to conduct more testing.”

 

He became distracted by the face of his wife, Jack thought, “It was just yesterday everything was perfect. Today, there are monsters everywhere. Lilith, we must keep our son safe.”

 

*Sigh*

 

Jack composed himself again and began experimenting.

 

“Lilith, please write your name,” he said with a slight frown.

 

She stood up, walked to their bedside table, took out a pen and paper, and wrote her name. Jack nodded at her beautiful penmanship.

 

Concluding she could perform tasks she did before. Jack then wondered about tasks she couldn't do.

 

“Lilith, compose a simple rhyme,” he requested, smiling a little.

 

She took up the pen again and wrote “Roses are red and violets are blue ….”

 

The pen instantly stopped.

 

Jack burst out laughing. “Honey, you still can't even finish the simplest rhyme.”

 

Jack reflexively hid his head behind his arms, but no strike was felt. Looking at Lilith, he saw no reaction to his taunt. Her expression seemed half-empty.

 

Clutching his chest due to heartache. He then swore, “I will bring you back Lilith.”

 

Jack confirmed, “She could only do things she was able to do before.”

 

He chuckled to himself, “Well, she was amazing at everything besides anything to do with art.”

 

“Mom, Dad, I am thirsty.”

 

Ralph's sleepy voice could be heard. Jack immediately started moving towards Ralph’s room, thinking, “Lilith should get the water while I go check on him.”

 

Before he could say anything, Lilith stood up and briskly walked downstairs.

 

Learning she could hear his commands even through his thoughts, Jack stepped into Ralph’s room. “Hey, Raphy, how are you feeling, buddy?”

 

Ralph sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. The window was open, and the February air rushed in. The wind gave Jack a refreshing feeling, and the thought he had last night before losing consciousness occurred again. If he had his son and wife, even if the world ended, it wouldn't matter.

 

Jack sat beside Ralph, checked his temperature, and felt it cool.

 

Thinking his fever finally died down, Jack kissed his son’s head and composed himself. Then said, “Okay, big guy, go change your clothes and shower. You sweated a lot last night; you stink.” While holding his nose and making a vomiting face.

 

Ralph laughed. “I smell amazing, don't lie.”

 

Jack said to Lilith, “Honey, you should shower and change too.”

 

Ralph looked at his phone next to his table. It read:

 

“February 11, 2025”

         “1100”

 

He jumped up, ran to Lilith and hurriedly hugged her. “Mom, I am so sorry I didn't wake up. Please don't be mad and make me eat broccoli for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Please, anything but that again.”

 

Completely forgetting her state,Jack asked her, “You use to make him eat broccoli if he stayed home?” Lilith nodded. Ralph saw her nod and was petrified on the spot.

 

He then yelled, “Please, Mom, Noooo!” 

“Shhhhh,” Jack said, grabbing his mouth.

 

Yet it was too late.

 

The signature low growl was heard by Jack. Cold sweat ran down his back. He saw three gray figures from his right side neighbor and one from his left side neighbor  making their way to his house from the window.

 

Ralph saw them too and he became too scared to speak. His eyes were fixated on their rotting flesh. 

 

Jack dryly swallowed and said, “Lilith close all windows  and doors make sure to lock them. Ralph goes to the bathroom and lock the door.  Only come out when I call you.”

 

Ralph, too scared to question anything, was staring at the gray figures and their bloody mouths. Jack stood up and blocked his vision with his body. Still terrified, Ralph looked up at his father's face. 

 

He nodded and went to the bathroom and sat down in the tub.He hugged his knees and was shaking.

Lilith instantly went to work the moment Jack’s order was released.

 

Jack went to his closet and found a baseball bat. He felt a small shiver run down his spine. He recalled the image he saw of the old woman on his way home, but he knew he had to protect his wife and child. He took in a deep breath and swung the bat in his room. He felt the weight of the bat decreased by more than half since the last time he held it. Swinging the bat made him reminiscence. 

 

He recalled his friends and family playing baseball just a few months ago in the summer, Lilith with her expressionless face would make a home runs every time she would bat.

 

Jack smiled as he was strengthened by his memories.

 

He went downstairs. He saw Lilith who had just completed closing all the windows and door.

 

He said close all the curtains too, and “When I go outside, close the door and always protect Ralph now and forever. You hear me?”

 

Lilith nodded. Whether she understood his words no one knows. He did not even consider if after his death would Lilith revert back, because he could not even imagine her hurting Ralph.

 

In his blissful ignorance, Jack walked out the door. The zombies looked to be slowly making their way to him from both sides.

 

He noticed how slow they moved. When he was escaping the school, he had been running at his maximum speed, but Jack had never been athletic. For the scholarly man to outrun anyone was a miracle in itself. But out running these walking corpses wouldn't be difficult.

 

He looked to the right and left. He knew this would be his first true fight and this would also be a struggle for survival.