CHAPTER 14: BETH, YOU SMELL AMAZING
Upstairs in the farmhouse, Maggie had already crashed from sheer mental and emotional exhaustion, her breathing deep and heavy.
Beth, on the other hand, tossed and turned, staring out the window at the silent yet danger-filled darkness.
She thought about her critically ill brother, her sister's harsh warning before bed, the heart-pounding events of the day, that face—calm to the point of cold—all the images weaving through her mind, keeping sleep far away.
She quietly got up and walked to the window, hoping the cool night air might calm her nerves.
That's when she saw him.
Moonlight spilled down like liquid silver, outlining his silhouette with perfect clarity.
Beth saw the man she'd been dreaming about...
Jumping around like a monkey?
No, no, no!
He moved like a panther in the darkness!
She watched him leap effortlessly onto the tall barn roof, watched him crouch on the eaves scanning alertly, watched him roll to the ground with perfect grace!
That focus! That strength!
Her heart raced for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
"He's... he's really something..." Beth whispered to herself, her cheeks flushing warm.
Then she saw him pull out a can and devour it like he was starving, that desperately hungry look creating a strange contrast with the power he'd just displayed—revealing something almost... vulnerably real?
"He must not have eaten enough. After such a hard day, and now he's keeping watch at night..." Beth's heart melted.
Maternal instinct and some other indescribable feeling intertwined, and her sister's warning flew straight out of her mind.
Beth barely hesitated. Moving quietly, she opened her bedroom door, glanced at Maggie sleeping soundly, then slipped downstairs like a nimble cat, silent as a ghost.
She knew the family's storage inside and out.
She filled a small basket with several slices of ham wrapped in wax paper, two apples, and a few cans of premium luncheon meat.
Beth took a deep breath and pushed open the farmhouse door. Cool night air washed over her face.
Gathering her courage, she walked toward the barn, toward that figure sitting in the moonlight.
Hanks was absorbed in the weakness and exhilaration brought on by his comprehensive attribute boost. The massive energy drain had every cell in his body screaming with hunger.
"Hey, you... you need help? You look really hungry!"
His head snapped up, sharp gaze cutting through the moonlight like a hawk's, right hand automatically moving to his holster.
It was Beth Greene.
She stood a few steps away holding a cloth-covered basket, the night breeze stirring the edge of her skirt, golden hair rippling slightly.
With his perception and enhanced senses far exceeding normal humans, the world's information came at Hanks in an explosion of detail.
He didn't just see her—he smelled...
A fresh, faint scent belonging to a young woman, mixed with the clean smell of soap.
But stronger than that, wafting from the basket in her hands—irresistible! Rich and tempting!
The smell of meat! Salty ham!
His throat worked almost involuntarily, swallowing hard. His eyes locked uncontrollably on that basket, and he blurted out:
"Baby, you smell amazing!"
Beth's face went instantly scarlet, her heart nearly stopping, the hand holding the basket trembling.
Especially those blue eyes practically glowing green—it scared her back two steps.
"No, please!"
"Officer, I'm only seventeen!"
Hanks realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, pointing at the basket, eyes going straight: "It's the ham, right?!"
His tone carried an almost painful longing, like a wolf that hadn't eaten in three days spotting fresh meat.
"Pfft." Beth burst into laughter, unable to help taking three steps forward.
He wasn't flirting—he was genuinely starving!
A feeling both funny and heartbreaking welled up inside her.
She held the basket out to him and lifted the cloth: "Yes! It's all for you! Eat up!"
Hanks couldn't care less about appearances anymore. He forgot to even say thanks, grabbing the largest wax-paper-wrapped ham and biting down hard!
Rich meat flavor and fatty aroma instantly filled his mouth. His Iron Gut passive kicked into overdrive, efficiently absorbing every bit of energy.
Beth crouched nearby, arms wrapped around her knees, quietly watching him wolf down the food.
Moonlight bathed them both, sketching out a somewhat strange yet remarkably harmonious picture—a powerful warrior accepting a quiet gift from a young woman.
"Slow down, drink some water." She spoke softly, unscrewing a canteen she'd brought and passing it over.
Hanks took the canteen, gulped down several large mouthfuls, and let out a long breath. That unsettling weakness finally retreated.
"Thank you, Beth." He exhaled deeply, feeling like he'd come back to life.
Beth's face showed a shy smile: "I'm glad I could help."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "Um... my sister, she... she might've been a little tense today. Don't take what she said too seriously..."
Hanks looked into her pure blue eyes and immediately understood what she meant.
"It's fine. I'm not perfect either." He shook his head slightly, not wanting to go deeper into that topic.
Beth smiled gently and tactfully changed the subject. "Hanks, what did you do for work?"
"Huh? Do I look like an HVAC guy?" Hanks pointed at his own face with complete seriousness.
Beth blinked in confusion, then couldn't help laughing again, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
"No, no, no!" She quickly waved her hands, voice filled with amusement. "I meant... before. Before you became a cop, what did you do? You seem... well... different."
She searched for the right words, her gaze falling on his well-defined arms and sharp blue eyes.
"Oh, that." Hanks bit into an apple—crisp and juicy, making him sigh contentedly.
His Iron Gut was working efficiently, converting food into energy to support his enhanced physique.
"Used to sit in an office. Statistics and planning. Stared at computers and numbers all day."
He shrugged. "Basically... your stereotypical scrawny programmer-in-training?"
"Really? I can't tell at all!" Beth exclaimed, her bright blue eyes full of curiosity.
"So how did you..." She wanted to ask how he got so capable, but felt that was too direct.
Hanks swallowed the last bite of apple, a complicated smile crossing his face: "How do I put it... necessity?"
"Or maybe God thought me sitting in an office was boring, so He opened up this massive... uh... hardcore survival mode for me?"
He used a reference only he would understand, but the self-deprecation and helplessness in his tone were genuine.
Beth didn't understand what he meant by "survival mode," but she could sense the twist-of-fate quality in his words.
She hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, tilting her head to look at him: "So... do you like being this way better, or how you were before?"
Hanks paused at the question.
He looked at his powerful hands, then at the silent darkness in the distance, and finally at the pure blue eyes of the young woman before him.
"Before... safe, but boring as tap water." He chose his words carefully.
"Now... way too intense. Could die at any moment." He paused, voice dropping lower.
"But at least I can clearly feel myself alive. Right now I'm searching for what it means to be alive."
Right. After he got Clementine to Savannah, where would he go next?
Beth's cheeks flushed pink again, as if she'd read something in his expression.
She lowered her head and hummed softly.
A comfortable silence spread between them, only the whisper of wind through grass.
After a while,
Hanks stood up and stretched. The abundant strength inside him brought considerable peace of mind.
"It's late, Beth." His voice had softened considerably. "You should go back and rest. Tomorrow... who knows what'll happen."
Beth stood too, a trace of reluctance on her face, but she nodded obediently: "Okay... you too. Don't push yourself too hard."
She pointed at the empty basket and canteen on the ground. "I'll come get these tomorrow."
"Sure." Hanks nodded, watching her turn, her slender figure moving toward the farmhouse in the moonlight.
At the door, Beth suddenly stopped, turned back, and gathered her courage to say quietly: "Hanks... thank you. For everything."
"And, you... don't be in too much of a hurry. Wait until I'm a little older. One year! Just one year!"
With that, she darted inside like a startled deer, pushing the door open and slipping through, closing it gently behind her.
Hanks stared at that softly closed farmhouse door. That last line—like a small stone tossed into the lake of his heart, ripples spreading in circles.
Had this girl... misunderstood something?
He couldn't help but smile wryly, shaking his head. In their current situation, barely surviving day to day, he had no room in his head for things like that.
Still, the food Beth brought and that pure-hearted kindness—it was like a warm current temporarily dispersing the apocalypse's gloom.
That clumsy but sincere concern felt especially precious in this dying world.
Hanks settled back down on the hay pile beside Clementine, leaning against the rough wooden wall.
He closed his eyes but didn't fully sleep, maintaining an alert, shallow rest.
This night, at least, seemed like it might pass without incident.
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