After Death

Chapter 5 (Trip across the Country)

Chapter 5: Trip across the country

Ethan Warren

April 2023

11 months after outbreak

Minnesota

Season 2

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There was more of the dead out now, I don't know if it was the warmer weather or what but it gave me bad memories.

The school.

Connor.

The apartment.

I wanted to kill every single one of them that I saw. I blamed them for everything they've done to us.

"Khai had a good idea yesterday," I said when I noticed everyone but Juna was awake.

"What was it?" Dallen asked.

"We're going to head to the west coast. We're going to California."

"What's in California?" Rudi asked.

"We can find a boat, get to an island. Have a fresh start," Khai smiled to herself. She was proud of her idea.

"We need supplies, we're low on food and ammo. We have no idea what's out there," Aiden pointed out.

"Exactly. We're not gonna find those things if we don't look. There's nothing left for us in Minnesota. Why stay here?" I asked, taking a glance in my rear view mirror.

"What about our families? What if they're looking for us? Come on, Ethan, think about your sister," Ash said. I really didn't want to think about her. I've already come to accept that she's dead.

"We've practically gone all over the state, if your families are alive, they're not here anyways," Leah blankly said.

"We're going to the coast, it's not up for debate. Besides, you all know it's a good idea, you just have your doubts because you're scared. And that's fine, it's fine to be scared but this is our lives that we're talking about, this is Juna's life that we're talking about," I said, taking charge of the situation.

"Okay," Rudi sighed, "we'll go."

"But what if there are no boats?" Edin asked

"We'll figure something out, Edin. And who knows, maybe we'll find some place on the way, a community, then we can forget about the coast because we'll be safe there," I said abruptly. The others stayed silent now. Though I could sense their doubt, I like to think I knew what was best.

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Rudolph Alinsky

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I hated Ethan's plan. Something about it just seemed off. He was being selfish. He wasn't letting any of us speak our mind. He just took the first sliver of hope he could find and clung on to it like a drunk man to vodka.

We are weak, self taught fighters with a baby on our hands now. We needed to be more careful. The dead aren't what we should be running from, they're not what we should be afraid of. The dead are mindless creatures, the living are dangerous. I know what Lucas is, Ethan does too. But he's looking past that when he shouldn't. Ethan may not have noticed it but I did. The whole time we were at the apartment, Lucas was nothing more then a homophobic, pedophilic asshole. He threatened Ethan and while I know Ethan hates keeping him in this group, I know he thinks that people like Lucas are as bad as it gets. You don't survive in this world unless you're a murderer. Most of us aren't but we will be, otherwise we'll just be rotting flesh.