The Dead Live (Book 3)

Chapter 33: Safer Now (Bens POV)

I looked at Shannon for some time, as I saw her head held quite low to the ground, after she had heard what it was that Christian had said to her. I kind of felt bad, and I almost wanted to take her side, as I knew that she did not have much of a choice, and she was just trying to save our people.
I felt like others were not going to view it in the same light as I was. It kind of felt a bit crazy to me, as a few months before now, I would have been against Shannon, such as my sister usually was, but as I got to know her a little bit more how ever, I saw that she was not a bad person, and she had only wanted the best for our community.
There was some thing that seemed a bit off about her at the same time too how ever, as if she was not telling us the full truth of what had really happened, but I shook that off, as I knew that she had only done what she had to do, for the best intent of our community. It was not her decision for them to go and kill a bunch of our people.
I let out a bit of a sigh at the same time as well, as I joined her in the fact that we both had our heads low to the ground, as it was clear that the both of us were in some deep thought on all that she had just said. Christian did not join us in that how ever, as I saw that he still had her eyes squinted at her.
It was as if he saw some thing in her that I was some how missing, as if she was lying about all that she had just said to us. I did not think she was lying about any of it though, as it felt like she would not have opened up like that, to us, if she did not feel guilty, or she had not done that on purpose.
There was simply one thing that she had in fact told me, that still did not make much sense to me, which was the fact that my sister might have betrayed us. I lifted my head up at the same time as well, as I squinted my eyes at Shannon, who seemed to be paying me no sort of attention, to even notice that I had done so in the first place.
I blinked a few times, as I saw Christian turn his head over to me, as he kept his eyes squinted at me now, as if I was now the one that was some how acting a little bit suspicious. If any thing, he would be the guy that should be the one that I should not trust, rather than me. I was a young kid that grew up in this place, he was a mysterious guy that did not talk to very many people.
I blinked a few times, as I shook off those thoughts, as I ignored the fact that I could see Christian staring at me from the corner of my eye. I put my focus on Shannon instead, who was the real person that I should be asking more questions about at the moment. I kept my eyes squinted at Shannon, at the same time as well, as I then began to speak up to her too.
"So... What about my sister then... You said that she had betrayed us... How do you know that? Besides the fact that she was with them, what exactly was going on that day?" I asked her, as I did it in a vit of the nicest way that I possible could, so that neither her, or Christian would get too upset on the fact of what I had just said.
Surely Christian could not blame me for the fact that I had a lot of questions going through my head all at the exact moment, and that I wanted answers to those questions as well. Shannon was just about the only person that I could get answers to, as she was the only person that had been there when it had happened, and she was the only person here that had made it out alive as well.
I did my best to just continue to ignore Christian, as I saw him finally look away from me, from the corner of my eye, as I let out a bit of a soft and grateful sigh that he was no longer staring at me, due to the fact that he seemed to do that a lot, as if I was being suspicious all of the time for some reason, and it kind of built up my stress and anxiety levels.
That was not a good look for him either as well, as it only made me look even more suspicious to him. I suppose, it was hard for him to notice the big difference between a guilty look on my face, and the look of stress. I shook off those thoughts at the same time as well, as I knew that Christian was none of my concern at the current moment in time.
I kept my eyes locked on Shannon for quite a bit of some time, as I saw the same look of guilt on her face, that she had just before, as well as the fact that she seemed to be in quite a bit of some immense pain as well. I was tempted to say some thing to calm her down just a little bit, but if I was going to be honest, I did not know her at all, and I was not so sure as to what would even do that to her.
I gulped a little bit, for some reason, as if I was the one that was being questioned at the moment. I shook my head at the same time as well how ever, as I saw Shannon finally lift her head up, and then nod to me at the same time too. I nodded back to her, and then I listened to hear what it was that she had to say back to both me and Christian.
"To be truthful, I am just going to be honest with you, I just said that in the heat of the moment... I was just angry and I needed some one, or some thing to blame." She said to us. I looked at her for a few moments, as I tilted my head at her at the exact same time as well, as I was not sure whether to be upset at her for lying, or to be surprised at the fact that she had admitted to lying about it.
I saw Christian begin to squint his eyes at her once again, which I could tell got to the head of Shannon at the same time too, as she turned her head away from him, and she did her best to ignore him at the same time too, as this time, finally, for once, she looked at me, as it seemed like I was now the main focal point in a conversation.
It made me feel a bit better, and a lot stronger as well, to know that for once I was the center of attention, and it might stay that way for a bit of some time as well, as it did not seem like Christian had any thing to add on to this just yet, as it looked as if he was a bit lost in his head, thinking about what it was that she had just said, as even though I saw him staring at her, he actually was not paying her all that much attention.
Shannon clearly did not seem to notice that at all how ever, as she kept her eyes locked on me, as it looked like she was crying, but I did not see any tears drop from her eyes. It was like several people had told me before, that Shannon did not have a soul, and she could not experience pain, joy, or laughter.
It looked like she was being pushed to the point of pain, which would be the first out of any of those 3, that I had ever seen. She still had not dropped a tear, so it was too hard for me to say that just yet. I shook my head how ever, as I did my best to shake off those thoughts at the same time as well, as I knew that they were not important at all, and it railed me away of the fact of what this conversation was even about in the first place.
I blinked a few times as well, as I looked down at the ground, doing my best to try to remember what it was that we had even been talking about. As I looked down, I saw the dead lying all across the ground, as it then slowly began to grow on me, as to what it was that we had been talking about in the first place.
When we had first found this place, the dead had been every where, and one of the first things Shannon had said, was the fact as to where she had told me that my sister was a traitor, and she had let them in, and she had let them kill all of us, or at least, half of us, as Shannon had said to me.
She then took it back, as she had told me that she had only said it because she was angry, and she had felt like she needed some one to blame. It made me feel a little bit better, but I still could not stop thinking about the fact that Tony, Angelas ex boy friend, that she was still madly in love with, had been with that group for several years.
I still could not throw away the fact that she might have known about it. It kind of made me feel sick, as I wish that I could say that she would never do that, but I did not know her as well as I would have liked, and I could not just simply say that because she was a part of my family.
I shivered a little bit, as I lifted my head back up to Shannon, who I saw was still staring at me, though she had a bit of a blank look on her face how ever, as I could tell that she was a bit lost in her own thoughts, such as Christian was right now. To be fair as well, I had been the same as the both of them too.
I blinked a few times though, as I got my mind back on the present, as I also remembered that Shannon had just spoke to me, and she had admitted to the fact that my sister might not have in fact betrayed us. I was not sure as to what was real any more at this point, or what was fake either. It felt like any one could be lying to me.
Except, for maybe my brother, as it felt like he was the most real person out of any that I had ever met. It made me feel sick as to what it was that he had to witness at such a young age, and what it was that he had to do as well, to make sure that he stayed alive, and did not end up such as Lilly had.
I shook off those thoughts how ever, as I let out quite the heavy sigh, which I knew that the both of them had heard, but it seemed like neither of them were paying any sort of attention to though. I then nodded to her, as she did did not notice me do so, as I rolled my eyes, and I then began to speak back to her, after the minute or so of silence.
"So... If my sister did not betray us, and she did not let those people in, than was it just meer coincidence? How long had they known about us?" I asked her, as I knew that it was a lot of questions all at once, and I kind of felt a bit bad for putting her in to so much stress, to have to answer it, but at the same time, I felt like I needed answers.
I needed to know for sure, that my sister had not been the one that had betrayed us, or if there could be a person here that might have done so. Even if she told me that she thought that she might not have done so, I still felt there was a chance that she might have let those people in on purpose, as other wise, my sister was good at reading peoples intent.
I looked at the ground once again, though I ignored the fact that there was a bunch of dead laid sprawling on the ground, as I thought back on the vivid memory of the day that my sister had brought those people in. They seemed to be normal, as it was a man, and wife, and a daughter, I supposed I could see how my sister might not have seen it out of them.
They did not seem to have an evil look in their eyes, but at the same time as well how ever, I also knew that they were the people that had done this to us, as I had seen them just a few nights ago, in the prison that we had been locked up in. They had been the ones that had let that bad guy out of the jail cell down stairs.
I shivered just a bit, as I shook off those thoughts at the same time as well, as I then saw Shannon look at me, and then nod to me. I nodded back to her too, as I then waited for her to begin to speak to me, which after a little bit more time had come to pass, she did in fact do so, as I listened as to what it was that she had to say back to me at the same time as well.
"I do not think your sister was the one that did it, as they had her cuffed down and had a bag over her head... I don't know how long they knew about us... There is a possibility that no one betrayed us, but we also can't rule out the fact that some one might have either." Shannon said to me, with her eyes squinted at me, as if I might have been the one that had done so.
I blinked a few times, as I was quite a bit lost as well, as I was not so sure as to what it was that was real or not any more. I felt like I should not trust any one at all, such as Christian had said for me not to do. At first, I had thought that he said it, because he was afraid that some one was always going to do so, but I was now beginning to realize that he was right.
I could not trust any one, perhaps not even my own sister, even if she was in fact not the one that had betrayed us, or not even my own mentor, who was the person that had told me that in the first place. I was starting to think at the same time too, just based off of the looks that he gave me some times, that he might actually not trust me.
I kept my head low to the ground, as there was a lot racing through my head all at the same time, as tried my best to try to shake it off, but it was a bit hard for me to, even if I tried to close my eyes, or shake my head, like most people did, to try to shake off the thoughts that were going through their head.
I almost, as bad as it was to even think in that way, kind of wished that the dead were still all around us, as it was at least enough to not let me be stuck in my head, as to the fact that I was so worried at the time, that the dead might sneak up on me, and tear me apart, like I had seen, or been told about happening so many times.
I shook my head, as I then lifted my head up at the same time as well. I heard Christian begin to speak finally, for the first time in perhaps maybe 10 minutes, as I saw that the sun was dipping further and further to the ground, and we were running a bit low on time right now.
Just because there were perhaps a couple thousand dead all across the ground right now, did not mean that we had necessarily got every single one of them out of our community. I knew it, as I felt like I should warn the both of them that we should get inside to stay safe for the night, before it was too late.
I shook my head at the same time as well though, as I blinked my eyes a few times, and I stared at Christian as well, as I realized that he was in fact speaking to not me, but Shannon, as I still knew that I had to listen to what it was that he had to say to her, which I in fact did so.
"Well... It is starting to get quite a bit dark out, and I think you should tell every one about it... At least tell them tomorrow that it is safe to go and get food and water at the very least. I still think you should admit to them about the deal that you made." He said to Shannon, as he once again squinted his eyes at her, to let her know that it was not really an idea, so much as it was him telling her to do so.
Shannon looked at him for a few more moments as well, as she blinked her eyes a few times, and then she nodded to him too, as it was clear that she got the general jest of what it was that he had just said to her. I was glad that she had as well, as luckily enough too, Christian had brought up the fact we needed to get inside soon.
Shannon still seemed to be a little bit lost in a fold in her head, as I could tell that she was thinking too far in to the future at the current moment in time, rather than thinking in the present, and all that was going on around her right now. I did not blame her for it either, as it seemed to happen a lot for me as well.
After a little while longer how ever, she finally shook her head, as it was clear that she was shaking off all of those thoughts that were going through her head. After a little while longer too, she then looked at Christian, and then nodded to him, to let him know she had heard what she had said too.
I looked over at Christian, as I waited for him to nod back to her, to let her know that she was okay to talk back to him. Christian just kept his eyes squinted at her how ever, instead of nodding to her, which I could tell got Shannon quite a bit stressed out about, as I squinted my eyes at Christian, as I was not sure what was up with him at the current moment.
I looked back over to Shannon, who I saw had her head to the ground. She then let out quite a bit of a heavy sigh, which was louder than the one even I had done earlier, as she made sure both of us could hear it, though I was not the one to be upset at right now. I shook off those thoughts how ever, as she finally began to speak, and I listened to what it was that she had to say as well.
"Very well... You are right..." She said back to him. I blinked a few times, as I was a bit lost, until it came back to me, as to what it was that Christian had said not too long before now. I nodded for her to continue to speak, as she nodded back to me, and she did in fact do so, as she looked away from us, and began to yell loudly to get every ones attention around us. "Every one come over, and meet up in a little circle! I have one last thing I must say before it gets too dark!"
As she yelled it to every one that was around us, many of the people turned their heads over, as I saw that many of them were quite a bit confused with what was going on, as I saw them all looking at one another, as if they were going to get answers from them, even though Shannon was the only one with the answers.
After just a few more seconds had passed, I saw the people that were closer to us, begin to head over to the 3 of us. As those people came over first, that was when the rest of them realized that they should do the same as well, as all of the people slowly began to head over to us, in a big circle, rather than a little, just as Shannon had asked for them to do.
Once every one was all close to one another, things seemed to settle down a little bit, as I could tell a lot of them were still uneasy, as they had good reason to be as well, as we had just had a bunch of the dead crawling all over our community not too long before now.
Once people began to realized that nothing bad seemed to be going on, they began to nod to each other, as they looked over at Shannon, to hear what it was that she should say. Shannon stayed silent for a few moments how ever, so I heard a person speak up to get her attention, as I looked over to see it was my old friend/enemy Jordan.
I looked at him for a few moments, as I nodded to him as well, to hear what it was that he had to say. He nodded back as well, which I was not sure if he was nodding to me, or nodding to Shannon, to make sure that she was paying attention to him, and what it was that he had to say as well. I looked over at Shannon to as I saw her nod, as finally Jordan continued to speak, and I listened to hear what it was that he had to say as well.
"We were almost done... What was it that you had to say to us?" He asked Shannon, as he squinted his eyes at her as well. I felt a bit bad for Shannon too, as it felt like there had been a lot of people doing that over the past couple of days. Though she was acting a bit odd, so I could not blame all of us for doing so.
I blinked a few times as well, as I turned my head over to Shannon at the exact same time too, as I saw her nod back to him, as she did not seem too bothered by it this time. I then saw her breath in heavily how ever, as I could tell that she was under a lot of stress at the current moment. She shook her head and began to speak back, as I listened as to what it was that she had to say too.
"You all can go and finish that... But I just wanted to tell you all, that it is getting dark, and you should all stay inside for the night... We wake up at down to let people know that it is Safer now..."