After Death

Chapter 24 (The Split Finale)

Chapter 24: The Split Finale

Ethan Warren

December 2023

19 months after outbreak

Nevada

Season 2

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I've been walking for weeks now. I haven't eaten, haven't slept, haven't killed any dead ones in days. I just keep looking for them even though I'm not at all worthy of finding them.

I murdered every single one of those people for what they did to Ash. I was covered in their blood. Maybe that's why the dead stayed away from me. But I didn't get out of there without a scratch on me. I was shot twice, once in the shoulder and once in my lower leg. I was amazed that I haven't bled out yet. I patched it up with some loose pieces of cloth but the bleeding hadn't stopped. The bullet was still in my shoulder, I could feel it starting to get infected.

I didn't know where I was going. My mind was blank as I walked on the open road. Maybe a part of me hoped this was the end. After how stupid I've been, maybe I deserved this. At some point my body would simply just give out and I'd be destined to become a living-dead's lost and forgotten meal.

The burning sun didn't help at all, it just made me more lightheaded. I was dehydrated, malnourished, pretty much everything that could be wrong with me was wrong. I wanted to rest, I felt my body slowly sink into the pavement of the road. Sweat dripped from my eyelashes, then everything went dark.

I woke up on an air mattress inside of what seemed to be once a restaurant. An IV was in my hand and Ace bandages were wrapped around my wounds. Someone patched me up, they got the bullet out of my arm and stitched me up, clean.

I wanted to know the person that I owe my life to, but the place was empty. All that was left with me was medication, water, food, and a note.

"You looked like you could use the help. Sorry I couldn't stick around, trusting people's not the easiest thing for me to do. There's some new clothes in the back kitchen, you should take them. Otherwise, someone might mistake you for a rotting flesh bag like I almost did. Please don't come looking for me, you don't owe me anything except for the fact that you have to live now. At least try until you can't. If I ever see you again I won't let you know that it was me, that's just something I can't do. Stay safe out there, the place is yours if you want it."

For some reason the note made me feel devastated. I packed my stuff and left. I thought about writing back but I'm not sure if that would have been a good idea. Whoever this person was I was grateful but a part of me still felt like it was missing and I didn't know how I was going to get it back.

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End of Season 2