After Death

Chapter 20 (Christmas)

Chapter 20: Christmas

Ethan Warren

December 2022

Seven months after outbreak

Apartment, Minnesota

Season 1

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Khai found her tree, it was small but it made sense because she had only gone out on her own. She was strong but she couldn't carry a huge tree on her own. Rudi, Olivia, Ash, and Edin decorated it with the lights that Aiden had brought back.

"Ethan?" Rudi asked.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Do you think this is stupid, celebrating a holiday in the middle of the apocalypse?"

"No, of course not. We need this, Rudi, we've earned this. Why would you think it's stupid anyways?"

"Leah, she said it was a waste of time."

"Don't take it to heart, our family never celebrated Christmas," Amy interrupted with a smile on her face. Leah was really an ass, I thought she just hated me for what I did before but I guess it was a bit more complicated than that.

We ate dinner that night, the smell of the meat lingered with the fresh pine. There were laughs, the sound of people talking. The candles made their happy faces glow even brighter. Our stomachs were so full afterwards, we all slept well that night.

I heard someone outside my door at some time past midnight. I was almost asleep before I heard the wooden floorboards creak from outside. The steps got to my door before stopping. I waited for something, a sound, but it never came.

I grabbed my knife from under my pillow. It could have just been Khai but it was unlikely. Why would she come into Dallen and I's apartment in the middle of the night?

The doorknob turned slowly, I gripped the knife tighter and waited with anticipation to see whoever was on the other side of that door.

Through the darkness, I saw the tall figure and my face changed immediately when I saw who it was. I was filled with anger

It was Lucas, he held a gun in his hand. He pointed it at me who still sat upon my bed. Dallen slept in the bed across from me. I prayed he didn't wake up. If I needed to kill this man, I'd rather do it without an audience.

We didn't say a word to each other, we both had the exact same look on our face.

"I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen," he whispered, slowly walking towards me. "there doesn't have to be blood." I didn't respond, I just kept my hand wrapped around the knife.