The Aftermath

A crackle of thunder hissed into the sky and the light drizzle of rain began. I lifted myself from my sleeping bag like a mist and stared around. There was Alex, pressing his finger to his lips and hand out for me to grab.

It was time to go. Our group had talked it over and we planned to leave in the dead of the night. Now the sky was map of darkness with the stars and the creases of thunder crackling down.

Alex tossed me a gun as Rodney tiptoed over to the roof’s door. We hadn’t expected rain to come so soon. We had to hurry before anyone woke up and saw us moving. I tucked the gun into my back pocket and Ryant helped me to the door. Lion, Uncle Trevor, and my father were downstairs on the third floor. They’d get to the car first. We’d try to raid for weapons.

“Thanks.” I muttered as Ryant held onto my hand in the steep downhill slope of the stairs leading to the third floor.

“No problem.”

The darkness was choking now and it was even hard to see your own hand residing before your face. I simply breathed and sighed as we reached the landing. The hallway was long and silent and cement. Ashley, Kyle, and Cece would be busy going after their food supply, trying to get us some for our own travels.

Rodney and Alex walked ahead of me and Ryant. It was just the two of us strutting side by side. The hallway was all cement with a single window behind us letting in the full moon as light.

“I never meant to make him cry.” Ryant whispered. “Those were horrible things to say.”

I looked to him now, my heart melting with pride. “It’s okay. At least you’re realizing what a jerk you were. I just don’t want you to go flying off the deep end because things are changing so fast.”

He swallowed, nodding. “I’m just so scared sometimes I can’t even sleep sometimes. All I can see is the virus and my dad dying and I just try to...”

“Try to blame someone so it all makes sense?”

His chocolate brown eyes softened on me and he nodded. “Yeah and you smacked some sense into me.”

I giggled. “I’m glad you’re realizing your mistakes and you can some to me about anything, remember? We protect each other, no exceptions.”

He bit down to his lip, then crossing his arms before him.

“What if I had something else to tell you a secret then?”

My eyebrows rose and I nearly froze in step, but we had to turn a corner.

“Mmhm.” I muttered, encouraging him to go on.

“If I liked that guy, Damien, would that be weird?”

Of all the things on my mind, sexuality was not one of them. Ryant gay or bisexual?

Then, I smiled at him, giving him my warmest gaze. “Then, that’s awesome.”

At the same time I couldn’t help, but notice Rodney’s small glance in our direction. Had he heard?

Ryant gave a gushing smile and thanked me. Something told me our friendship wasn’t the least bit movable despite all the things this new world threw at us.

“We’re almost there. There’s a container area they keep their weapons in.” Alex instructed. “It’s off a hallway on the first floor.”

We reached another flight of stairs then, climbed down, arriving to yet another dark hallway dimly lit by moon light. Down a long corridor, we reached a metal mesh door and Alex pushed his way on through, grabbing onto my hand as he did so.

Inside the room was lit by a single must stained light bulb that stuck to one wall. The air smelled of moth balls and past yet another metal mesh protected door was closets filled with cabinets upon cabinets of guns.

“Holy smokes.” Ryant muttered. “They sure have been holding out on us.”

We all stepped into the room and my fingers tightened around Alex’s hand.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” I voiced.

“Damn right.”

We all whirled around at the voice. Low and behold, it was Riley sitting in a chair with a gun to her lap. She looked slightly drowsy, but simply just as hormonal.

“Riley, we were just…” Alex started.

“Shut up! I’m not fucking stupid. You guys were going to rob us blind. That’s the reason you came here, right?” She stood up from her withered arm chair and pointed her gun. “Throw me your guns.”

“What?” Ryant uttered.

She stepped forward, pressing the barrel of her gun against his temple, and staring into his eyes. “Give me your gun now.”

Rodney looked more panicked than anyone. “Get away from him.”

“Shut up.” Ryant hissed, reaching for the back waist of his jeans and throwing the gun to the ground. The rest of us followed suit, tossing our guns to the ground as well. Finally she removed the gun from his temple.

And then she laughed. “You guys must think I’m pretty crazy, right? Sitting here at night, no sleep with a gun guarding a bunch of weapons? Sound crazy, hm?”

Her head of glossy brown hair tilted to the side and the smile on her face disappeared once her gaze reached Alex and I. Her eyes dropped to our hands.

“Let go of her hand.”

Alex’s grip never moved.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you. I just don’t feel like listening to your psychobabble.” He stared back at her coldly, tightening his grip even more.

Then, Riley stepped forward and pressed the barrel of her gun to my temple and pulled the click back. Her eyes stayed glued to Alex.

“Feel like letting go now?” His fingers pried their way from mine’s and then Riley’s eyes moved to me. “Good. Now you guys should tell me why you’re in such a rush to get to D.C. because it seems important enough for you to steal.”

“We don’t need to tell you anything. We don’t owe you anything.”

“Really?!” Riley gaped. “Because I seem to remember saving all of your asses by telling you not to get yourselves killed and gave you somewhere to sleep, right?”

“And we didn’t ask for any of that. Maybe if you could pull your head out of your ass long enough you’d stop lying to yourself.”

Riley glared to Ryant for the longest moment and then she turned to me.

“What do you think of me? Hm?”

I wondered how it was possible for a heart to be frozen in a chest, but I didn’t feel mine’s beating. There was just ice in its place. Just ice. The light on the wall flickered.

“I think you’re confused and crazy.”

Then, her face made the ugliest, most heart wrenching expression ever and fat tears began to wobble out her eyes.

“Really?” She gasped. “You really think I’m crazy, Christie? Do you hate me?”

She just kept crying and staring at me.

“I-I’m not Christie.” I uttered.

Then, she started to back away, her footsteps wobbly and unmeasured while her hand went up to her shuddering lips. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed into her palm.

“I know.”

Then, bullet warfare could be heard being waged outside.

“Riley! RILEY!” Shouts came from the hallway and dark figures came rushing. They were dressed in various rags and I saw the boy from earlier in all white. “They’re coming! They rushed into town and they’re coming. No denying it now.”

Riley froze, swallowed, and then her eyes went to the weapon supply closet behind us.

“What are we gonna?”

“Go upstairs and wake up everyone. Get the weapons. Get the weapons and get them in as many hands as possible. “

No one moved and she turned to us. “You guys too! We need you too!” She was already running out the door, gun at the ready.

The boy in all white flew to the weapon closet and heaved it open. “Come on! We’ve gotta get moving before they start throwing grenades!”

Alex tossed me a shotgun and a box of bullets.

“Grenades? How can they even throw grenades?!” Ryant shouted.

One of them laughed. “You guys must not know what we’re up against!”

We all sped out the door and half of our group split for upstairs. Alex, Ryant, and I ran with the two other snipers. Rodney had gone upstairs.

I loaded the shotgun shakily as we ran outside into the pouring rain and blinding thunder. The streets were soiled with mud and bullets were flying everywhere. A gun battle of epic proportions were going down. Our side with ten shooters already into the streets and the other side…

My breath lodged in my throat as I jumped down from the building’s steps.

The other side weren’t zombies. They were humans and they were shooting at us. There had to be at least sixty of them.

“Don’t let them get inside the building!” Riley’s roar was animalistic as she slammed the butt of her gun forward into someone’s head and shot at someone with the other.

“Oh shit.” Alex cursed.

Then something flew into the air and we all looked up despite the drenching rain. the object sailed through the sky and through a window’s glass. Then the second floor of the building behind us exploded in flames and Ryant was screaming.

“THERE’S PEOPLE INSIDE!”