𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 ᵀᵂᴰ¹

24. 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙁𝙐𝙇 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙎

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 || 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘎𝘏𝘛𝘍𝘜𝘓 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘋𝘚
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[ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜ
ɪ'ᴅ ꜱᴜʀᴇʟʏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ
ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀʀ
ɪ'ᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ ]

A SUNSET BARELY peaked over the horizon as Roland stood outside the white pickup truck. His hand was occupied with the papers that he took and scanned every piece of the information placed on the documents. Trying to process it all, rereading it all over and over again. Hoping that sometime soon, his mind would finally understand what was on the papers and being told to him. Another hand was cupping his mouth as he digested every single bit of detail in the pictures and words. Knowing what it all meant, but not liking how it was the truth.

He was broken, disgusted, relieved, even distraught. Now the thought of everything he's done, everything he's said or acted upon. Was it all worth it? Was it all worth it in the end after finding out about this immunity relating to Emily? Did he set the world down the course of devastation? Or did he just continue the evolution that will come? Did his actions just speed up the process or keep the process in motion for the world's final end?

At this point, he wasn't sure anymore. But staring at these papers and holding back the selfishness and concerning thoughts from his mind. Roland now believed that he set the course of history. Except, deep down he knew he did the right thing, at least that's what he believed. It was the thought of what Mandy would've done to keep this dream and belief alive. And her willingness to put Emily naked in front of a grown man was enough to say how far she would go. That could've just been the tip of the iceberg of what the woman could or would do to make sure she kept power. Emily had been her trophy to keep power over people.

So, him believing that he was probably being too selfish for his own mental health wasn't bothering him. It was the fact that if he hadn't done what he did, things would be different. He would either be alone, travelling along the quiet roads of Georgia. Or maybe even with Matt, but their goals wouldn't align since he was seeking revenge and a desperate goal to kill Mandy. While Roland was seeking the relationship of a daughter he only dreamed of having in a world like this.

It was his goal to keep the ones he loved close and to protect them at all costs. But also give them the urge and motivation to keep fighting on. Because every person now mattered so the recovery and build would be worth it. And the people who die along the way, friends or acquaintances, will live on within them. Finding that reason to fight or to recover from whatever mattered the most out of everything else in the world.