The End of Days: Chapter 12

Chapter Index
Chapter 1: A New End
Chapter 2: What Family?
Chapter 3: Hope
Chapter 4: Chivalry is Dead
Chapter 5: A Different World
Chapter 6: Beginning at Death
Chapter 7: Debt
Chapter 8: The Good Ones Last
Chapter 9: First Blood
Chapter 10: Disobedience
Chapter 11: Threatening Circumstances

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Chapter 12

Because we saved him

    "You mean to tell me that this boy is part of the group, that just declared a death sign on us!" Yelled Frank, the entire group huddled around in a loose circle most staring in silence at Ben and Frank who were forced to have the discussion over the movie theatre that me and Ben had kept secret.

    "He's a boy. What is he going to do? He probably didn't even know what those men are capable of." Barked Ben back, Frank's face flushed and red looking as though he was going to snap and attack Ben at any minute.

    "We need to defend ourselves!" Cried Julie, a women who served as a sort of nurse in the group even though she was only a CNA. She tended to stick around the medical supplies so I rarely saw her or have spoken to her.

    "Maybe if we give the boy up..." Suggested Pete, stroking his chin with a concerned look on his face looking unsure about the decision he had just suggested.

    "He's a boy! What's wrong with you people!" Cried Molly out from the back, next to Harry who looked suprisingly sober at the moment but still having that scowl he always honed to his face.

    "He's a danger to the community!" Recanted Frank angerly, taking a step toward Molly and Molly immedietely bursting from Harry and making her way to stare down Frank in the middle of the group.

    "A little boy? A five year old is a danger to our community? He needs us! You want to cast him out to those savages, those people that want to kill ask?" Cried Molly, having tears streaming down her face but looking much more angry than saddened by the situation.

    "Molly everything I've done for you, everything I've done for all of you! Was to keep you, keep us alive! You can constantly question my judgement, but this is my group! If you don't like it you can leave! His death will be quick and painless..." Bursted Frank, as he jumped from the platform pulling the knife out from his belt loop and shoved Molly out of the way.

    Everything happened so fast, I bursted forward at Frank and slammed my bodyweight into him knocking him over to the ground knife sliding over across the ground that was quickly scooped up by Ben. I crawled over to Frank weary, but ready to make my point. I slammed a fist down into Frank's face, and then another and then another. Frank gasped as blood poured from his nose and he rolled away onto his stomach. I quickly slammed a jab into the back of his head causing him to grunt into pain.

    "Your not doing this! You've lost it! This isn't just about you, this is about all of us!" I screamed as I pushed the palms of my hands down on his shoulder and applied pressure to keep him on the ground, he only struggling for a moment before resting in place panting heavily.

    "This is a mistake... So careless. How can you be so careless? They know this boy, this boy knows them. He needs to die or they could kill us. Do you want to take a chance of dying on a boy that you met six days ago?" Frank exploded, as he shot up to his foot blood smeared on his lips and nose, the whole group looked on in fear at their leader exploding like this, looking worse than the undead.

    "This isn't your decision... Not anymore." I said quietly before walking away from the group toward Adam and Molly pulling Adam along with me which prompted Molly to follow, luckily Harry decided to not follow looking amused by Frank's sudden outbrust.

    "Your scaring everybody Nate... Nobody had to deal with eachother being a threat in our group before. People think your threat." Molly said, grabbing my arm to stop me and look at me with sorrowful eyes.

    "Everybody knows deep down this is the right thing to do, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Worry about Adam." I said with a soft smile before pulling away from Molly's grasp and continuing into the store.

    "Nate!" Called out a voice, through an aisle and Ben came running down the aisle waving his hand to call me over.

    "Since giving Adam to them is off the table, we need a stategy. I say we have two men keep guard each night, do rotations ya know? One man sleeps, the other keeps guard so in case they show the other can wake them up." Explained Adam, giving a slight smirk as if proud of himself over the simple plan.

    "Sounds good. What else can we do? We have no idea where they are. We have no choice but to wait." I sighed before nodding my head toward Ben and a dissapearing into the Wal Mart again holding Adam's hand to keep him along.

    We all voted for myself and Pete to keep watch for the first night, Pete being the regular door watcher and myself wanting to set an example leaving Molly to take care of Adam. I couldn't sleep for my shift, I only watched Pete look out the window in silence. I wanted to sleep, and knew I needed it but something made me feel uneasy. I didn't know what it was. I had only gotten a half an hour of sleep when I felt tugging at my shirt, I letting out a grunt as my eyes peaked open.

    "Hey... Nate. Your shift man. I'm gonna pass out." Explained Pete letting out a tired chuckle. I let out a loud yawn and crawled up to my feet, Pete immedietely falling onto the makeshift bed and closing his eyes.

    I made my way over to the stool, and plopped myself down. It was difficult to keep my eyes open I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep. I wish I had slept before, as I was beating myself up I realized my eyes had been closed the entire time and they shot open. I quickly peered through the curtain to see darkness out in the courtyard and let out a sigh of relief. My eyes closed yet again, this time falling into a sleep. I don't know how long I was asleep, but I was woken up by a loud clang on the tiles, like metal chains.

    My eyes darted open, and I shot forward from the stool and saw Adam standing the entrance, Pete's padlock key in hand and the chain at the ground. Adam turned to me and looked to me with fearful eyes before pushing open the door with all his might to reveal a beam of light shooting through the door, so bright that I couldn't make it out as I stumbled into its ray. I didn't know what to think, what was Adam doing, why? I held my arm up to block the light but couldn't see any better.

    After a moment, two shadows stepped into the light and a light laugh wreaked out from the parking lot. I saw Adam dissapear into the light and looked on in horror as his shadow appear next to one of the men.