Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 487: The Fine Line

I didn’t realize the jungle was moving until the very trees around us bowed. And I don’t mean that as a joke... they literally bent, creaking and groaning like old men with old bones. Their branches folded toward the ground, the vines unraveling like ribbons at my feet.

In front of us, the path opened, as the jungle forged a new route for us. And one that I hadn’t seen before.

Apparently, something wanted me to go deeper into the jungle.

"Should I be concerned?" I asked, glancing back at Papa Khaos. I mean, there was only so much crazy that I could take, and bowing trees and a sentient jungle was one of them. What can I say? I have a weird line.

Sentient jungle? Hell no.

Sentient house? Sure! That sounds like a good idea.

Papa Khaos was following like a man on a casual stroll, twirling a vine around his fingers like it was a string of pearls. "Only if they start singing. Or—worse—offering gluten-free muffins. I don’t suggest you try them. Dry as all get out."

"You’re enjoying this," I scoffed, raising an eyebrow as I looked at the man.

In return, he gave me a look of complete offense. "I only enjoy important things, and this is very important. You’re on the menu today, Hattie. Front and center. The universe is serving you up with a side of prophecy and a drizzle of chaos."

"That’s disgusting," I replied, wrinkling my nose. I didn’t care whose menu it was... I didn’t want to be on any menu.

"Delicious," he countered cheerfully, booping me on the nose with a bright smile on his face.

The path curved downward, and the roots thickened, curling into spiral steps beneath my feet. The deeper we went, the quieter the jungle became. The air grew warmer. Denser. Buzzing like a whisper caught in a thunderstorm.

There was a sense of anticipation, of the very world around me holding its breath. It was clear that I was being summoned.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To where old gods go when they forget who they are," he said with a dramatic spin. "Or where they find thrones with really good lumbar support."

I slowed, eyeing him. "Seriously."

He raised his hand solemnly. "Seriously? We’re going to meet your chair."

I blinked rapidly. "...My what?!?" I hissed? I had a throne already, one that held a special place in my heart, and I wasn’t willing to give that up for anything.

He pointed ahead. "You’ll see," he shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

I kept walking. Barefoot now—my shoes long abandoned, the dirt cool against my skin. Each step felt heavier and lighter at the same time, like gravity was shifting to accommodate me.

"You know," Papa said behind me, "the fine line between sanity and insanity has a name."

"Is this going somewhere useful?" I sighed, smacking a mosquito that was the size of my palm.

"Yes," he said brightly. "It’s called Hattie LaRue."

I snorted despite myself.

"You’re the knife-edge," he continued. "The break in the wheel. The one who doesn’t sit still, doesn’t play nice, and doesn’t shut up when gods tell her to behave. You are madness wrapped in balance. A paradox in pigtails."

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is. That’s why you need a throne."

"I already have one," I replied with a shake of my head. "It came with the whole Devil gig."

Before Papa could reply, the staircase came to an end, and the earth opened.

It was like we stepped into the bowels of hell, so deep in the earth that the air was no longer cold, but hot. The cavern that we found ourselves in was made from obsidian, a shiny black stone that looked both living and dead. Water dripped from the ceiling into a small pool, and I could smell the wet earth all around us.

And in the center of everything was a throne.

My throne.

I let out a sigh of relief as I spotted the black throne with bones at its base. However, in and amongst the bones were roses, ranging from black to white to red, each one emitting a smell that drew you in.

"Careful," chuckled Papa as he saw what caught my attention. "Those roses have teeth."

Looking closer, I could see what he meant. In the very center of the flower was a small gaping mouth with piranha-like teeth. Vines that I hadn’t seen before swayed in the non-existent breeze, but I knew if the wrong person tried to sniff the flower, the vines would grab it and pull it into the mouth.

I liked this upgrade a lot.

"Go on," Papa Khaos said, waving a hand like he was ushering a tourist into a photo op. "Sit. Or don’t. But it’ll follow you home either way."

I stepped forward slowly.

The vines didn’t move until I reached them. Then they parted—gently, reverently—offering me the seat like it had been waiting for this moment since the jungle took its first breath.

I sat, and the world went still. The vines slid over my arms, across my shoulders, and around my waist. Not to trap me, but to accept me, as the roses around the base grew so large, so fragrant, that it was almost intoxicating.

Something ancient pushed into my chest like a key turning in a lock. There was no pain. No pressure, just a sense of rightness. Breath returned to my lungs like I hadn’t been breathing fully until now.

Papa’s voice came quieter, more grounded than I’d ever heard it. "Balance... isn’t peace. It isn’t justice. And it sure as hell isn’t fair."

I looked at the man, the one who had helped me take that final step.

He was standing beside the throne now, one hand resting against the living wall, his eyes flickering with something that looked almost like pride.

"Balance is brutal. Balance is the fire that comes after the storm. You don’t keep the scales level, baby girl. You tip them. You watch the world break—then you build it again."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, my hands stroking the armrests of my throne. "I’m pretty sure that I tend to destroy shit."

"You restore," he corrected, crouching so we were eye to eye. "Don’t forget, the first step of construction is deconstruction."

Looking down at my hands, I couldn’t help but smile. I had always thought that I was weak, that I couldn’t make a decision, that I had nothing to offer before I could offer wishes. But now? Now I could level kingdoms.

"Now what?" I asked.

Papa appeared beside me, arms crossed, hair full of moss, he didn’t seem to notice.

"Now?" he said, smile widening. "Now we go tell the boys you’ve upgraded."