My Husband The Dog Of The Apocalypse

Four years into the apocalypse, and I had just led the survivors to beat back the largest zombie horde in recorded history. My reward? Not gratitude. But a frantic, brutal rush—a swarm of human bodies fighting over the chance to violate me. The only reason? My bodily fluids could neutralize the zombie virus. When my husband carried me back, I wanted to bite through my own tongue. But then I heard him speaking with my mother. “Jake, are we sure we did the right thing, broadcasting Aurora’s ability like that? She’s been… ravaged. Doesn’t that feel monstrous?” Jake Porter stared at me, his eyes overflowing with a cheap, churning imitation of love. “Mom, Summer is pregnant with my child. If Aurora found out, she’d kill them both first thing. I won’t let that happen!” he hissed. “She’s dependent on us now. She won’t mind one more child joining the family. Don’t worry, even if she’s been used by every filth-ridden wretch out there, I will never abandon her. I’ll always be the husband to both sisters.” The words rattled my mind and soul. The raw, chilling truth: humanity was a far greater horror than the horde outside. My fingers brushed the fresh, gnarly bite mark on my wrist, and a searing, white-hot hatred surged through me. If this is how mankind repays me, then so be it. I will flatten this entire survivor settlement, and I will build a New World on the rubble—a kingdom for the infected. Let these beasts kneel and beg for mercy!

1. “Jake,” my mother, Carol, suggested, her voice laced with pain. “Aurora’s hurting so badly. Maybe let Summer give her a small blood donation? Just enough to help the wounds close faster.” “No!” Jake shook his head violently. “Summer is pregnant and struggling enough. We can’t ask her to bleed herself for a few minor injuries.” Carol was about to argue, her heart aching for me, but Jake cut her off, looking at me with a sickening expression of pride. “Aurora is a strong, brave woman. She can handle a little pain. And I know she wouldn’t want to take her own sister’s blood for a scratch.” He leaned in and gently kissed the back of my hand. “She’s always been so competitive, so jealous of Summer. This is just a small lesson.” The sheer disgust made me want to slap him across the face. But after three days and three nights of unspeakable horror, with what felt like a hundred bodies having used mine, I couldn’t even summon the strength to pull my hand away from his repulsive kiss. We were identical twins, Summer and I, cut from the same cloth, even sharing the same face. So why this chasm between us? A crushing, suffocating feeling washed over me. The heartache was so immense I thought I might simply die. I didn’t have Jake’s powerful lightning ability, but I was always the one on the front lines, fighting until I bled dry, killing every zombie I could find. I did it only to be worthy of him, to be the shield that protected our family. And while I risked my life in the blood and grime of the night, my own sister, Summer, was busy making herself comfortable. In every stolen moment, in every cozy night I missed, they were building a life together. They were having a child. My mother’s favoritism I could endure. But the man I had loved for ten years—my husband—was now my destroyer. All my sacrifice, all my power, meant nothing compared to the sweet, useless presence of Summer Reed. My tears broke the dam. My body, used and broken, gave way, and I lost control, wetting the bed beneath me. Carol saw my body spasm and rushed over, pulling me into a hug, crying herself. “Don’t be afraid, my daughter! Mama is here. I’m here for you.” Jake’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed his weapon and gritted his teeth. “Aurora, don’t you worry. I’m going to find every one of those bastards and slaughter them. I’ll atone for this for you!” But he just stood there, his feet rooted to the spot. I managed a bitter, hollow laugh. I had seen enough of their magnificent performance. “Forget it,” I whispered, my voice barely a rasp. Jake immediately rushed over, pressing his face close to mine and kissing my cheek with a practiced tenderness. “My love, you’re finally seeing reason. What happened… just treat it as a nightmare. It’s over now. Purity means nothing to me, Aurora. I love you. The person.” He wiped a tear from my eye. “Why are you crying? Don’t worry, your husband will always be by your side.” Only then did Carol notice the soaking wet sheets beneath me. She gasped. “Aurora, you wet the bed! Quick, we need to change you. Lying here like this is awful.” The sheer, burning humiliation made me want to smash my head into the wall and end it all. But I couldn’t. Not yet. I hadn’t had my vengeance. I closed my eyes in despair, submitting as Jake gently used a towel to wipe my body clean. Carol continued to sob softly. Jake’s eyes were full of a theatrical shame, and he couldn’t bear to look at the worst of my wounds. It was as if the pain in my body was a wound in his soul. Truly moving. Yet they were the ones who pushed me into the abyss. I watched their flawless act, realizing that the physical agony was less than one-thousandth of the pain in my heart. With a monumental effort, I reached down and touched my flat stomach. When I spoke, my voice was thick with an uncontrollable sob. “My baby. Mama couldn’t protect you.” 2. Jake stared at me in shock. “What? You were pregnant?” I gave a bitter nod. “A month along.” The irony was a cruel joke. The child Jake had longed for, finally conceived, was now lost—at his own hands. A flicker of remorse crossed his face, but it vanished instantly. He squeezed my hand and swore, “My love, I’m devastated about the baby, too. But you are my first priority. Get better, and we will have another one.” “Will we?” My smile was brittle, and I didn’t care what else he was saying. I closed my eyes, a single tear tracing a quick path down my temple. There would be no ‘later.’ My uterus had been destroyed by those beasts. In the apocalypse, supplies were precious. My mother brought me a rare, nutrient-rich broth to help me recover. If I hadn’t overheard their vile scheme, I would have broken down in grateful tears, drowning in the fake warmth of a happy family. It was all a lie. The last, fragile thread of my sanity snapped. I passed out on the bed. I was only woken later by the low murmur of Carol and Jake’s conversation. “Aurora is broken now. Why advertise that she’s still alive? I’m afraid those men will come back…” Jake’s eyes were suspiciously moist. “I’ve just established myself as the Settlement Leader, Mom, but there are still so many who question my authority. As long as this apocalypse rages, people will need Aurora. No one will dare challenge me as long as I hold your leash.” He paused, his voice softening with his disgusting self-justification. “Aurora loves me enough. She’ll understand.” I didn’t open my eyes until they had left. A line of bloody tears traced a path from the corner of my eye. My family was climbing to the top, standing on my ravaged body. My fellow survivors, desperate to live, had treated me like livestock, a thing to be abused. Was there no justice? Why did I have to be the one with this impossible, one-in-a-million healing ability? Why was I doomed to be sacrificed for the sake of everyone else? The whites of my eyes began to recede, the pupils quickly bleeding out into a dark, swirling ink. The distinctive eyes of the infected now held a terrifying, boundless hatred. I was going to get my justice. In the distance, the sickening shriek of a zombie could be heard. The infected who had fed on my flesh and blood were stirring. Humanity’s final 48 hours began. In 48 hours, the massive horde outside the city walls would surge in and level the settlement. I heard approaching footsteps and instantly flipped my eyes back to normal. A woman carrying a first-aid kit entered the room. My eyes welled up. “Bev. Aunt Bev, are you here to help me?” “Pfft! Don’t call me Auntie, you slut. Don’t you dare claim kinship with me.” Beverly ‘Bev’ Jenkins spat on the floor near my bed. “This is all your fault, you selfish bitch! You could have saved my husband, old man Leo, why didn’t you? You just stood there and watched him turn!” Her eyes were twin daggers. “This is what you deserve! You’re getting what’s coming to you! If Jake hadn’t forced me to come here and dress your wounds, I wouldn’t touch you. Who knows what kind of dirty diseases you picked up. You’re disgusting.” She glowered at me. “I suggest you hurry up and go to hell to beg for forgiveness from my Leo. Grovel to all the people you let die.” She murdered me a thousand times with her eyes. She forgot the truth: I built this entire settlement with my sweat and blood. Without me, it would have been a ruin long ago. They owed me their lives. I was a woman. My dignity would not allow me to save a life through such a dirty, dehumanizing method. Did I not deserve basic human rights? I could save them a thousand times, but if I refused just once, I deserved to die? I was choked with sobs. Humanity was rotten to the core. Jake finally arrived, offering a half-hearted, performative scolding to Bev, and that was that. He wiped the tears from my face and spoke in a gentle, coaxing voice. “It’s my fault. I should have come and dressed your wounds myself.” He sighed. “Bev always adored you, I never thought she’d say such things. She’s just grieving too much. You have to forgive her.” I was so angry I wanted to tear out his throat. A single, flimsy excuse, and he expected me to just forgive their sins? I spat out the tiny pieces of tooth I had crushed while biting down on my jaw. He leaned in, still acting the part of the devoted husband, gently cleaning my wounds. So convincing. A dull, heavy ache settled in my heart. “How… how did they know I could cure the virus, Jake? I never told anyone but you…” 3. Jake flinched, his hand unconsciously squeezing too hard. The movement sent a sharp jolt of agony through my already weak body. “Aurora, what you went through was agonizing, and it’s torturing me, too. But how can you accuse me? What kind of man would deliberately subject his wife to that?” He held my hands tightly. “Tell me who is spreading these lies. I’ll rip the tongue out of anyone who tries to turn you against me!” “Who are you planning to rip the tongue out of, Jake?” Summer’s sweet, bright voice chimed in from the doorway. She was peeking in, her face the very picture of pure innocence. Her unexpected arrival sent me into a panic. I scrambled to pull the blanket higher, trying to hide my naked, ravaged body. To be this exposed, this low, in front of the one person I loathed most made the shame unbearable. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Summer’s eyes welled up instantly. “Sister, why are you covering yourself? I’ve already seen everything.” She pranced closer, holding out a glass jar like a priceless gift. “Look what I brought you! Just one sip of my blood, and you’ll heal immediately.” Jake’s expression darkened. “Don’t be ridiculous! Summer, you’re pregnant, you can’t just hurt yourself like that.” Summer immediately pouted and burst into tears. “I’m only worried about my sister!” Jake immediately caved, sighing and wiping her tears away. “Oh, you silly girl. Aurora’s wounds are small. She doesn’t need your blood. She’ll be fine in a day or two.” He lowered his head and gently sucked the tiny pinprick wound on her finger, his brow furrowed with a depth of concern that felt entirely real. It was a small scratch. It would have healed on its own in minutes. Was Jake truly so blind he didn’t see her pathetic trick? Or was he simply tired of feigning devotion to my ‘used-up’ self? Because of that innocent, tear-stained face, I had taken the blame for every transgression since we were children. I had been grounded countless times because of her fake tears. My own twin, Summer Reed, was a master manipulator, a cruel, calculating liar. But no one ever believed me. “Sister, please drink it. It will help,” she urged. The intense enthusiasm in her eyes set off every warning bell in my head. Before I could object, she roughly forced the jar to my lips and poured the blood down my throat. The metallic stench hit me like a physical blow, and I retched violently. I tried to roll onto my side to throw up, but I was too weak and tumbled off the bed. “Jake, what’s wrong with her? Is it because I didn’t give her enough blood? Did I fail her?” Summer fretted, her beautiful brow creased with self-reproach. Jake gently smoothed the wrinkles from her forehead. “No, honey. Your blood has stabilized her. She just needs rest. Let’s go, we’ll leave her alone.” It was patently obvious who he truly cherished. I watched them leave with a strange, chilling sense of calm. But Summer abruptly reappeared. She saw me lying in the pile of filth and urine, and a malicious smile spread across her face. “Why so clumsy, Sister? Look at the mess. So gross.” She stepped closer. “Jake is really a fool, making a big deal out of a little wound. Anyone would think I was his wife.” She lowered her voice, her eyes burning with pure venom. “Do you think the baby that died in your belly—do you think it hates you? Hates the fact that its own mother’s body was violated by so many men… that it was killed by the filth they left behind?” My pupils shrank. My trembling finger pointed at her, my throat too dry to utter a single curse. The more agony she caused me, the happier she became. Summer burst into a triumphant, mocking laugh, but she wasn’t finished. “It was worth the effort of scooping up the blood that had been draining from your wounds that day. And you drank it. Was it tasty? Maybe some of your baby’s remains were in there.” She looked down at me, her chin tilted in victory. “Aurora Reed, we might be twins, but you will never win against me! Did you really believe he would stay with you, the damaged goods, for a lifetime? Keep dreaming, Sister! A whore is a whore. You’ll never be clean.” I realized that beyond the sharpest pain was only numb silence. I stared up at her, my gaze cold and still. Summer Reed. Wait until the news that your blood can instantly heal external wounds gets out. Let’s see if you can still laugh then. The mockery on my face infuriated her. She pulled a dagger from her waistband and walked toward me. “Bitch! I’m going to cut your eyes out!” I didn’t flinch. I watched her, utterly unafraid, seeing only a pathetic clown. But then, in a flash, she turned the blade, grabbed my hand, and plunged it into her own side. The next second, the door flew open, and Jake rushed in, his eyes wide with horror. “No!” 4. Summer’s body went limp, and she crumpled backward. Jake’s eyes were bloodshot. He lunged forward and cradled her in his arms. “What happened?” he demanded. Summer whimpered, “I… I just wanted to help clean my sister’s wounds… but she suddenly grabbed the knife and stabbed me. She said she wanted to blind me.” She shook her head tragically. “It’s my fault. I must have hurt her accidentally. Jake, please, quickly explain to Aurora. Tell her she’s mistaken about us. Don’t let her be angry over me. I’m not worth it.” My mother, Carol, heard the noise and rushed in. She didn’t hesitate. She hauled off and slapped me hard across the face. “You have such a tiny, vicious heart! What has Summer ever done to you? She was trying to help you, and you tried to stab her?!” Her eyes were blazing. “You’ve always hated it when Summer had something better than you. And now you’re blaming her for your own suffering! From this day forward, I have no daughter named Aurora!” She slapped me again with the back of her hand and stormed out, her face contorted with rage. Jake was focused on Summer’s midsection, protecting her belly. He glared at me, the hatred in his eyes practically lethal. “Let me be perfectly clear. Summer is carrying my child. If you so much as lay one finger on her again, we’re done. We’re getting a divorce! Who the hell would want a piece of trash like you after what you’ve been through?” My laugh was a wretched, broken sound. “What a magnificent act of charity, Jake. Should I spend the rest of my life groveling at your feet for not abandoning me yet?” He sneered. “If it weren’t for the fact that we’ve been married for ten years, I’d be sick just looking at you. You’re disgusting. You don’t even compare to the hair on Summer’s head.” Summer, leaning against Jake, lifted her chin in a triumphant, cat-like gaze. Jake, worried about her wound, scooped her up and rushed out. I lay there, counting the minutes until the three-hour mark. Jake came back unexpectedly. He was crying, falling to his knees beside my bed. “I’m sorry, Aurora. I was under so much pressure, I just couldn’t resist the temptation with Summer. I swear I know what I did was wrong. Please, forgive me.” I was busy listening to the frantic, rising screeches of the infected outside the window. I ignored him. Soon, I would get to watch them all be torn apart. Three. Two. One. The ear-splitting siren blared across the settlement. Panic broke out—a cacophony of human screams mingling with the savage zombie howls. I smiled, a dark, satisfied grin spreading across my face. Suddenly, I was hauled up and dragged to the top of the towering defense wall. Below, the massive zombie army was an overwhelming, terrifying sight. Jake tore my clothes off. He shrieked at the panicked survivors. “Aurora Reed is here! Everyone who’s been bitten—come now!” My body was seized with uncontrollable tremors. I flailed my arms, but I couldn’t stop the wolfish, desperate eyes from all sides. “Me first! I was bitten first, I get to go first!” “I was earlier! Me!” I was pinned down, my limbs restrained. I watched them climb onto me, one after the other. Around the wall, rows of people knelt, begging me to save them. The irony was breathtaking. Humanity was drinking my blood and feeding on my flesh, yet they knelt and screamed my name like I was their savior. The zombies began to scale the wall, and the situation devolved into chaos. Then, a pair of hands shoved me hard. “Die—!” My body plummeted. I closed my eyes, a sense of bitter dissatisfaction flooding me. I couldn’t die until I saw their final fate. Then, a pair of arms caught me.