Silver held his gun at the ready, glancing fearfully around him. Fallen zombie bodies lay strewn around the street. He had shot and dispatched of those zombies, and he hated himself for it. The cure for the Infection was easy - it was just the power of love, given to a zombie from someone who had loved the person before he or she got infected. But once a person became infected and turned into a zombie, he or she would become aggressive, and attack any uninfected living being. For his own safety and the safety of others, Silver had to kill every zombie he came across, even though they could be cured.

Silver turned a corner and spotted another zombie, ambling around aimlessly in the street. She was a young woman, with brown hair and a large white hat. And Silver's heart shattered as he realized in horror that she was Lyra.

They got his girlfriend.

"Lyra… Lyra, no," Silver gasped. He began to shake ever so slightly, and just barely prevented himself from falling over.

At the sound of his voice, the zombie woman began ambling towards him. With a rush of sheer panic, Silver pointed his gun at her and placed his finger on the trigger. He was about to fire when a voice inside his head stopped him.

She's a zombie, but she's Lyra, the voice spoke steadily. She's your girlfriend. The one person you love more than anyone else.

Eyes wide, Silver lowered with gun, realizing with horror that the zombie would be dead had he not stopped himself. He felt faint, not wanting to think about what his life would be like had he shot her. It would be so unbearable, because he loved her...

He loved her. Suddenly, he realized something. He could cure her.

I think, Silver thought, feeling a flicker of doubt. He had been raised by an abusive father, which had left him cold and distant for most of his life. He had only recently had begun opening up to positive people and experiences - he had Lyra to thank for that. So he wasn't sure if he had enough love in his heart to cure Lyra…

But she was steadily approaching him. He had to try.

"Lyra, it's me, Silver," Silver said steadily, shouldering his gun again and gazing unwavering into the zombie's orange eyes. "Don't you recognize me? I'm not going to hurt you."

The woman continued walking towards him, and his heart quickened as he stepped backwards.

"I'm your boyfriend. Remember?" His voice rose shrilly. "I know you're in there somewhere! Please! I love you!"

Suddenly, the zombie stopped in her tracks. Slowly, the gray tint faded from her skin, her fangs shrunk into teeth, and her unnatural orange eyes faded to a warm shade of brown. She shook her head and blinked a few times, confused but definitely human.

Silver's heart flooded with joy. He had cured her. She was Lyra again.