The Dead war.

Chapter Sixteen: Return Home

Samuel woke up the next morning and saw me sitting awake with my head in my hands.

"Hey, why don't you take a break? I'll sit with her for a few hours. Get some sleep." Samuel offered. I wanted to decline his offer and tell him off but I was too exhausted to say or do anything. I got up and moved over to the couch where Samuel had laid last night and dropped onto the couch. I heard people say all the time how as soon as their head hit the pillow they were asleep, I never believed it until now. As soon as my head landed on that pillow, sleep enveloped me. Everything went silent and everything went black. I don't remember a single thing or if I dreamed at all. But all I knew is that I was exhausted and this was the best sleep I had gotten in a long time. I slept for what felt like minutes when Alex was walking me up.

"Wake up sleeping beauty, you've been asleep for over 36 hours." Alex said laughing. I rolled my eyes at him and got ready. We decided we were gonna leave today and take turns Carrying serena. Later we decided to make a makeshift cot that all four of us could carry her on. We moved her to the cot and stood up carrying her on our backs.

"Are you ready?" I asked everyone.

"As we'll ever be." Samuel replied grunting, lifting his portion of the cot up. We walked out the door with our guns outstretched. We walked for at least 3 miles before we had to stop and rest. We made a fire and sat down all around the fire. Alex walked over to the small stream and played with rocks in the creek Samuel was constructing a fort of some kind. He reminded me of a little kid so excited about the little things. I sat with my knees close to my chest, my arms over my knees leaning against a tree with Serena lying beside me. She looked so peaceful and calm. If it wasn't for her sucken body frame and her cheeks and eyes I could have believed she was perfectly healthy. My heart hurt seeing my wife so frail and weak. The entire year I had been with her she was one of the strongest women I had ever met. She was fearless and selfless; she loved to teach and help whenever she could. She was the strongest woman both physically and mentally I had ever been around. So to see my wife who used to be the toughest woman to walk this earth now lying close to death her body frail and cold to the touch. Her hair was growing thin and parts of her ribs stuck out. She looked sickly how I imagined a elderly woman to look moments before she passed away. I sat looking at her and just holding her hands for hours, eventually I got up and walked away from Serena. I couldn't bear to see her so weak anymore. This wasn't my wife, this was someone else.

"Oliver, are you alright?" Samuel asked while walking over to me.

"I don't know, I have never seen Serena so helpless so weak and frail. That isn't my wife, that is someone else. The Serena I know would have fought it." I said punching a tree. I knew I broke my hand because of the pain being excruciating but I didn't care.

"I know this doesn't feel like her, it doesn't seem real, but like we saw Oliver she fought back. She tried to fight back, she tried to escape but someone had the upper hand. Don't you think she tried to fight it. She would have fought it and escaped and you know she would have." Samuel said defensively.

"Well she didn't try hard enough!" I screamed before walking away deeper into the bushes. Samuel backed up in complete shock over my boldness. He walked away and sat next to his sister and I continued to walk away. I stopped and sat down on a branch before I heard Alex behind me.

"That was bold of you." He said sternly. "Look I know you care about my sister and you're hurting and don't want to see her like this. But leave Samuel out of this." He said again very sternly.

"Why didn't you?" I bit back.

"Look! He is my brother. We love each other. He knows that, that is my sister as well as it is your wife. She fought back and you know that! Fix your attitude Oliver we are not enemies in this we are supposed to be working together." He bit back, the anger was apparent in his voice he wasn't trying to hide how pissed off he was with me. I heard him huff when I didn't respond and he turned to walk away. I heard his footsteps retreat and I grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as I could. I slumped to the ground. Suddenly she appeared in front of me. My wife was standing in front of me in a black long sleeve dress, the sleeves were tights against her arms. The dress was tight against her waist and chest but it flowed and dragged behind her. She was barefoot and had her nails painted black and she had what looked like makeup on. This definitely wasn't my wife and as soon as she looked at me I knew something was wrong. She approached me and knelt down in front of me.