Rockin Skin Walkers

Zacky met Jessi at her at her door that afternoon. They’d decided to go back to the pool and escape the heat. She had a green tank top over her favorite blue, leopard spotted bikini top and swim trunks. He had a sleeveless t-shirt with an unfamiliar band on it and swim trunk on.

“Hi baby”, he said with a devastating smile as they walked through the forest.

“Hi”, she smiled back.

“How’s your day going?”

“Good. Yours?”

“Great”, he looked at her meaningfully.

Jessi felt butterflies in her stomach.

“That’s good”.

“Very”.

Just then her keen Walker senses picked up on something near by.

“Wait”, she shushed as she ducked behind a fallen tree.

“What is it?” Zacky asked.

She didn’t reply for a moment. Then the creature came into view. A sneaky red fox was sniffing around in the leaf litter. They were down wind of it so it had no idea they were there.

“Do you see it?” Jessi whispered pointing to it.

“Yea”, he whispered excitedly.

The slight breeze turned and the fox lifted its head up sniffing the air, its ears perked forward. It must have smelled them because it looped off into the forest.

“That was cool”, he said as they stood up.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say that was Alyssa’s brother Alex”, she said thoughtfully.

“Is he a Walker too?”

“Yea. He’s a red fox. But this one’s too small to be him any he’s back with the tribe anyway”.

“Do you have any siblings?” he asked curiously as they made their way to the pool.

“Nope, only child. Actually I don’t have any blood kin that are still living. What about you?”

“I’m sorry about that. I have a brother and sister”.

“That’s cool”.

He smiled at her.

“What?”

“Green looks good on you”, he replied.

“Thanks. Just a guess but your favorite color is probably green, isn’t it?” she chuckled.

“Yep!”

“Figures”.

“Why is that?” he laughed.

“You’ve got those beautiful, bright green eyes”, she said.

“Well then you must like blue because of your very lovely blue eyes”, a charming grin on his face.

“Actually I do”.

“Good to know”.

Conversation continued like that until they reached the pool. When they reached it Jessi striped off the tank top, noticing Zacky’s admiring gaze, and jumped into the water. Not long after, he jumped in and they were splashing and having fun. It started getting dark way too soon and they had to go back. They joked the whole way back, walking hand in hand.

<{*~*}>

A few nights later

"Psst! Jessi? Are you awake?” a knock at her door and Zacky's voice waking her up.

"I am now", she replied groggily.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure", she was slightly irritated, being woken up tended to piss her off.

Zacky quietly came in wearing just basketball shorts.

"I woke up feeling really weird and sick. Is it weird I was able to see better coming here in the dark than I've ever been able to at night?" he said.

When he turned to look at her, Jessi gasped. His eyes weren't normal.

"What?!" he asked sounding nervous.

"Oh my God Zacky! What's wrong with your eyes?"

"What do you mean? Other than I can see in the dark nothing's changed!" he was sounding really freaked out.

"You might wanna sit down for this", she said leading him to the bed and sitting him down. "Your eyes look like leopard eyes, babe".



"WHAT?! Is this some kind of joke?"

"I'll get a mirror", she said getting up and going to the bathroom.

When she returned there was a very large, black leopard sitting on her bed.

"Well this explains the eyes at least", she sighed. "We have two of them now!"

Zacky cocked his furry head to the side.

"Umm look down at your paws", she said to answer his question.

As soon as he saw that he had two large paws instead of hands, he leapt back in alarm. The added springiness of the bed and his powerful hind feet lifted him high into the air.

*Zacky! Chill! It's alright*, she said using Alyssa's telepathy as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

*So does thing mean I'm a Walker like you, Alyssa and Johnny?* he asked.

*Yep*, she smiled

*AWESOME!!*

They were silent as they were wrapped up in their own thoughts.

*As cool as this is...when can I turn back and how?* he asked after a moment.

"Well it varies with each person as to when and how just imagine yourself human again. But don't worry about that now. Now we should go back to bed", chuckled Jessi.

*Would it be ok if I slept with you tonight?* he asked timidly. *You know all about this and I'm...well...still a bit freaked out*.

He gave her this pleading, innocent face and she just couldn't say no.

"Alright", she laughed. "But any funny business and you're getting neutered", she said pointing her finger close to his face and making him go cross-eyed looking at it.

He snorted and bobbed his head. Jessi pet him on the head before climbing under the covers. Zacky plopped down beside her and she wiggled around so she could use him as a pillow. He was actually very comfy.

He made a funny little sound and licked her cheek with is rough, scratchy tongue.

"Good night Zacky", she laughed.

Within a few moments they were fast asleep.