Out of the corner of my eye, I see Maya enter the lounge with the young girl behind her. "Everyone feast your eyes!" She grabs our attention. "This young lady is called Alice and she's sixteen. She and her brother have been held up in a cabin off into the forest" The tense Maya's voice rings out all the information we need for this mission.
Marcus nods. "We leave as soon as possible. Oh, and Maya-" Marcus gets up and approaches her. I follow in pursuit. "We decided to on group vote to leave Patrick behind" Marcus whispers.
Whispering was useless. Narrowing my eyes, I see Patrick appear behind Maya. "No. I am coming" His dark voice sternly says. The young girl shrieks and dashes behind me. Maya jumps slightly, something that concerns Marcus but he dismisses what he saw. Seeing Maya jolt like that is out of character for her. But of course, Marcus doesn't know the truth about what's really going on in her head and between us.
"I want to come-" Patrick deadpans us. "Please" he adds on. He sounded, almost genuine that time. Marcus sighs, and nods. "Fine, Chloe. Patrick will be coming. You don't mind staying here with Ben, do you? We can't leave the ranger station guarded with too few"
"Okay," she says without objection. I suppose you’re better off fighting some mutated monster than a human being. Could any of us do it? Are any of us that close to the edge we could kill one of our own...?
"We leave in ten minutes" Marcus shouts to the group. Even though I am standing here on the sidelines, I can't help but be in awe of how much of a leader Marcus has become. Alice walks beside me and quietly says, "Can I stay with you?" "Well, of course," I give her my best and brightest smile. "You don't have to ask by the way" I reassure. The young girl smiles; glances at Patrick and taps me. "T-thank you!" she says hastily with her voice a little more high pitched then either of us would have liked. I chuckle at her modesty. If she survived this long, she has nothing to fear with Patrick. Alice then taps me again, "Also the scary man is staring at you..."
And, he is. Patrick just stares at me, unblinking, a passion in his eyes, hungry for revenge. I refuse to falter in his gaze.
I am not scared of him anymore. He tries anything, I am ready...
Chapter 35 - Cruel World
Armed to the teeth, the cautious group tread quietly, keeping close to one another as they travel across the cracked roads. Mother Nature is back with a passion for what was once hers. The lack of human life has allowed the conquest of the wild. The small team of anxious survivors keep to themselves for a majority of the trip. Alice is kept near the centre for safety reasons. As time goes on, a few members of the group begin to nervously chatter. Uneasiness falls over them as the sun begins to fade across the mountainside. Out in the open, they are more vulnerable than a fox in a room of hungry lions. Yet, said lions are nowhere to be seen. It's, eerily calm. No monsters, creatures or anything in general. All life is gone, leaving an empty void in the once blissful world. Picking up the pace, the group proceed to fasten themselves hurriedly.
Patrick, the man who attempted to take the life of another, trails at the rear of the group with a face of steel - grudgingly, the rage-stricken man suddenly brings up the simple idea of, "Is this a trap?" No one so far has stopped to consider this. An outsider by the name of Alice pops up and maybe has already begun to fill their minds with lies. Slowly, she might be drawing them out from the confines of their home, taken away from safety, into the danger of the world. The group is weak. The trust between them is hollow. Is Alice a traitor under the disguise of a weak, helpless girl? The group hears Patrick's comment, and no one really comes up with an answer. Some of them mumble to themselves, eventually looking to Alice for an answer. Frightened, the poor girl scrambles behind Maya out of fear.
Stopping in her path, Maya turns; looking past the young girl at the man she deems a monster. "If it was a trap, then the way Alice went about it is not very good at getting us into a trap now, is it dickhead?" Maya's snarly voice and hard glare do little to faze Patrick. The roughened up man doesn't move his gaze from Maya to test her will. The group stops, turning their attention to the small friction between the two. Realising the potential, unnecessary commotion he could cause, Patrick gives her no more than a mere nod of understanding. "I'm sorry, I was only stating what should be considered" Forcing his trust into the group, he backs down from the warrior who beat him down yesterday in a single move. Avoiding any further conflict, Maya offers him a nod back. The look of disliking between the two shines through, making their feelings for the other obvious to the group. One could kill the other and vice versa. It's only a matter of time in their minds.
While Patrick grumbles incoherent thoughts to himself openly, Maya moves forward, walking closely with Alice. Cody pays no mind to the brewing conflict, choosing to stay near the front of the group; the twitchy man leads the way based on the basic directions Alice had provided them.
"First, we get to the bridge that leads south, right Alice?" Maya beams a half-hearted smile at the young, fearful girl. With a shallow nod, Alice confirms this wordlessly...
"How are you feeling?" Marcus shifts his walking pattern so he is walking with his agitated friend. "Jumpy" Ed replies simply, his hand has been wrapped tightly around his machete ever since they left. Is it because of the monsters or because of the monster within the group? "What he did was despicable... As much as I want to rationalise it, I know Patrick has well and truly fucked up this time..." Marcus's voice rings in Ed's mind. What Patrick has done, was attempted murder on his life. Is Patrick breaking? This world has changed all of them in many ways. The weak have become strong, and the strong have broken under the pressure of protecting the weak...
Strength only lasts so long. Hopes, dreams... The strong are like anyone else. Burdened with the tasks the weak cannot handle, so that when the day comes, the pressure breaks the strong, for it is the weak who take their place. "What about you?" Ed changes the subject, turning it back on his friend who eyes up Alice suspiciously. No doubt he is acknowledging Patrick's statement from earlier.
"I'm fine. Just stressed, and trying to make things, not personal"
Ed is perplexed by his words and can't help but be intrigued to ask. "What do you mean?"
Marcus nods, moving onto explaining, "In these times, what is the most important thing?" Ed thinks about this question, and quickly answers, "Survival"
Marcus nods, with a smile, "Exactly... But, if you make it personal, others will get hurt. It's difficult to let go, obviously it is normal as a human to care for others... The problem is, can you put aside how you feel for the better of the group-" Marcus turns his gaze downward before he turns his gaze to Ed. His face made of stone, Marcus asks a new question that throws Ed off his guard. "What matters more Ed, the one, or the many?"
Ed shakes his head. "I don't get it"
Marcus sighs at his answer and says, "Would you sacrifice me for the better of the group?" He persists with his questioning by changing up the question a little bit. Ed does not reply. Marcus hums. "Ed, if you're not willing to let go. Then you might as well die now" Marcus's voice is cold, his words vicious. But, his words hold truth. As he is right, as much as Ed wants to think different, he can't change the truth. Turning to look over his shoulder, Ed catches a glance at Maya who talks happily with Alice. 'Don't make it personal' He thinks, remembering that Maya had told him something similar. But what if, no matter how hard you try, it already is personal?
"You get my point though, right?" Marcus checks, his eyes turning back on the path ahead of them, his eyes lighting up when he sees the broken bridge in the distance.
"Yeah, I do," Ed says quietly. The bridge is a welcome sight; it means they are almost there. Upon reaching the bridge, the group separate into two smaller groups: Ed, Maya and Marcus huddle together by a crashed car. The three of them chatting casually, Alice joins them after a few minutes of awkwardly standing with nobody.. Cody stands at the bridge edge with Patrick, the two of them silently exchanging words to the other in an air of secrecy.
"So, wher
e do we go now?" Marcus stands up, rubbing his back as he goes. Alice nods, turning and gesturing deep into the forest to the west. "That way..." She whispers. Marcus nods and immediately gathers the group together so they can continue on their way. The group do not question Alice. Solely going along with her words, they put their faith in the young girl.
Soon enough, Marcus begins asking her how she was able to travel to their home twice without any problems. The better question being, "Did you have any problems?" The sceptical Marcus asks, his high-tone proves his distrust but Alice shows no signs of lying. She easily answers back with, "The spooky people disappeared..."
Marcus wonders if she really just said, ‘spooky people’.
Unable to contain himself, Marcus bursts out into laughter. The rest of the group find smiles work their way onto their face. Even the solemn Patrick can't help but slip through the stony cracks he created. "Spooky people?" The loud-mouthed, amused man repeats her words. Alice blushes and bows her head down in embarrassment. "It is more of a nice term so it wouldn't scare my brother" She beams a shy smile at Marcus who shakes his head in amusement at her.
"Fair enough Alice,"
It takes half an hour before the group approach the burnt down cabin, hidden and out of sight by an unknown area of the lake.
"Here?" Marcus asks curiously.
"We hid in the garage..." Alice trembles slightly. "Right there" She holds out a shaky hand, pointing at the closed garage door, the last, untouched part of the cabin that didn't collapse in on itself. The place she had been surviving for over two weeks alongside those who had already passed. She and her brother are all that's left. She rests on private land, being distant and far from everyone else. It’s peaceful, but dangerous. You’re all alone out here. At the entrance, Alice is the first to slowly open the garage door. Despite their trust in Alice, the group stands back with weapons drawn in the emergency that this is indeed a trap.
* * *
Bundled up in the corner of the dirty, rotten stench-filled garage, is Alice's younger brother who, pale and weak, is on the brink of death. The garage is a mess, full of empty supplies, unused weapons and sleeping arrangements. Kneeling down, Alice tends to her dying brother. "Please drink it..." Alice's voice breaks as she begs her brother. She leans him up and rests him on her thigh. Trying her best to get him to sip some water the group brought with them. Marcus kneels down with her, a worried look in his eyes and a doomed look on his face. He has something he needs to know.
Marcus
"May I check him?" I ask kindly. Without objection, Alice moves back slightly. Removing the covers, blankets and finally, the duvet, I finally satisfy the hunch I have brewing inside me. Checking the boy's body, it takes me barely five seconds to find it. The nightmare is real; the boy has a horrible, infected wound on his hip. Red, pulsating gloop is already starting to form, indicating this boy could change any minute now. Standing up, I step away. I can't move my eyes from the dying boy who can barely keep his own faded green eyes open. My hand twitches against my pistol. It is right there on my belt. I could end the boy's misery right now. I know that I don't have the balls to do it.
Putting it bluntly, I get honest with Alice because as much as I wish there was an alternative, there isn't one. "Alice, he is bitten. You know what that means right?" Suddenly, Alice leaps up, ready for a fight! The shy girl is gone and the true, confident one shines through. The soft features on her face bend to anger as she shouts back in my face, "You don't know that! The medicine could save him!"
Pointing to the red gloop, I make my argument. Alice looks at me, and then she looks at the red gloop. This boy is already past the point of no return. He was weak, and whatever disease is plaguing us took the opportunity. I shake my head at her and she begins to cry...
"I wish I didn't have to lose everyone..." She chokes out in a whisper.
I sigh, "I will let you think it over. But, I think you know that no matter what, we need to stop him now before it's too late" I have to be persistent with her. It's too late now Alice, I'm sorry.
"I won't let you..." Her voice is low, barely a whisper. She shifts from one foot to another, edging herself closer to the nearest weapon she can find. I don't act; I know she is stronger than she looks. She didn't get this far on crying and wining. No, she has had to kill before. She has lost everyone. Her family and friends are dead. Everything she had is gone. Yet, she is still here. Just like the rest of us.
Her small hand menacingly wraps itself around a crowbar; I know her mindset right now. She will do anything to protect him, even though it's a futile cause to save what's already dead.
"It's okay..." Her brother gasps out, and Alice softens in an instant. Leaving the weapon in its place; she drops to her knees so she can hear him easier. I kneel down with her. This is an important, no, vital moment for all of us. "I love you, thank you for everything-" Alice wraps him up in her arms and pulls him close. "I love you too..."
I can't do this. I move away and rejoin the others who form a small circle. We all look at one another anxiously. "We all know what needs to be done, guys..." Maya whispers. "It should be Alice's choice" I protest quietly. "We do it regardless" Patrick steps in, voice a little louder than it should be.
"Shut up" I mutter. We shouldn't disturb Alice right now.
"What? We're gonna kill him anyway right?" Patrick innocently says.
"You're heartless!" I seethe through my teeth.
Patrick ignores me and lets' Maya speaks for him. "I agree with Patrick. Sorry, but it is the right thing to do..."
"No, we let Alice choose" Ed leaps to my side. It's almost undetectable, but I see hurt on Maya's face and a pained look on Ed's. The two stare at the other, a distrust between them. Ed listened to what I said and didn't make it personal in a time of need. I know he and Maya are closer than any of us. Heck, she is closer to Ed than I am. However, Ed isn't being manipulated by his feelings. Choosing what he believes is right, Ed stays by my side. I see the little glances Ed and Maya share, both of them have more or less backed down from the little argument we are about to have. Unable to confront one another, they are basically cancelling the other out. Maybe it is more personal than I thought? It doesn't matter. I turn to Cody who stays silent for the whole ordeal. Refusing to speak up and offer his opinion. Patrick starts to get a little bit pissed off, I know him. I can see it. "I refuse to bring an infected into our home"
I know we can't do that. I want to be fair and just with Alice. The reality is, I think Patrick and Maya are right.
"Um, Marcus?" Maya directs her eyes to Alice who waits for us all to stop talking. She stands there, hands behind her back, her head down as her long hair covers her features.
"My brother chose for me... We've said goodbye-" Alice's voice heightens, tears flood her pale face. Before she can say any-more, she scrambles to Ed in tears. She falls into his arms and buries her head in his chest. Ed gives us an uncertain, estranged look. "I'm sorry, I can't do it. Killing a creature is one thing. A human is another..." He glances down at Alice and gently eases her off him. "Come on, we're waiting outside" He whispers, placing a hand on her shoulder before steering her away from this horrid place.
"I understand" Is all I offer him. Once they have left, I face the truth as well. "I don't have the guts either" There is nothing wrong with my words. Everyone else feels the same and is just as understanding. Who here could kill a young boy?
"I suppose I could do it..." Maya puts herself forward. She says she'll do it but I am not no fool. Her stone cold persona is a sham, deep down, she can't do it either. I don't want her to do something that'll break her.
Patrick huffs. "I'll do it" Reaching for the pistol on his side, Patrick withdraws it from its resting place. Then, in the blink of an eye, Cody snatches Patrick's hand away from his weapon.
"No, I'll do it"
Cody finally says something...
Shocked and, to be honest, concerned; we all turn to face Cody who has perked up out of nowhere. "I've ha
d to do this before. I won't let anyone else suffer the same guilt I have" Cody's voice is clear and loud for all to hear, he has made his choice and isn't in the mood for a debate. Besides, no one dares protest. Cody prepares his pistol, grabs a pillow from the make-shift bed we can only guess Alice used, and finally, he approaches the boy.
The Carnage Trilogy (Book 1): The Carnage [Unbending, Unyielding, Unforgiving] Page 29