After Death

Chapter 14 (Hide Secrets with Lies)

Chapter 14: Hide Secrets with Lies

Rudolph Alinsky

Estimated, May 2024

About two years after outbreak

California, The Circus

Season 3

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I was walking through the town with Juna and Airianna when I saw Ethan leave The Big Top. He looked angry and he was talking to himself.

"Airi, take Juna and go see Dallen," I told Airianna.

"No," she refused, "you can't keep pushing me away when something important happens. I'm not a child anymore." I tried not to let a smile creep onto my face. I wanted to be able to take her seriously but she was still very young.

"The girl turns eleven and suddenly she's a woman. Fine Airianna, but try not to say anything that you might regret. Keep Juna close." She nodded and we went to find where Ethan had gone. Turns out he didn't go too far from The Big Top, he sat on a bench outside the food distributions site. I sat down next to him, he didn't turn to face me. I'm not even sure if he realized I was there.

"What happened in there?" I asked as I pulled Juna onto my lap.

"It's nothing really. Just a damn grown man who insists on playing make-believe."

"It's not nothing. Look, I know he upsets you but there's got to be a reason for it." I could tell something was on Ethan's mind. Like he either knew something or had something he wanted to tell me but he didn't. I don't know why but he didn't.

"I said it's nothing Rudolph. Just leave it be. We all have shit to do, don't we. So let's just stick to doing what matters." He got up and left. I didn't chase after him but I like to think I left him with something to think about.

"Why did we separate when we got to a place that's supposed to bring us together? Ethan, you wanted a home for us but now we hardly see each other anymore and now we don't even tell each other anything. Is that what you wanted, for us to become strangers?"

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Ethan Warren

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I was an idiot, a coward, and a selfish asshole for not telling Rudi what I knew about Thomas. He was right in that this place was changing us. I think I just didn't want to tell him because trust is something that can fade away and I wasn't sure if he had lost mine or not.

I don't know why I kept what I knew a secret for so long. I wanted to believe that it wasn't true, I guess. I wanted to make what we had here work even if I knew what Rudi said was starting to be true. We were becoming distant. I didn't know where Dallen, Khai, Steve, Tai, and Leah even were. Aiden was in prison because of me and I couldn't even get him out. I was too focused on trying to make sure that we really could be safe here that I was forgetting what was really important.

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Leah Souixer

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"Dallen, open the gate."

"Where are you going?"

"Is that any of your business?"

"Yeah it is, after what you did to me I think I deserve more than you just telling me where you're going." He looked at me with anger that I've never seen in him before and it made me feel terrible. He didn't deserve the shit I put him through. He deserved much more than some girl playing his heart.

"Dallen, I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have left and avoided you."

"It doesn't matter but I still need to know where you're going. The Ringmaster told me to write down the destination of anyone who leaves in case they aren't back for a while."

"The Ringmaster?" You're calling him "The Ringmaster" now?" I laughed in disappointment.

"Is that not what he is?"

"No it's not. Not at all. He's just a crazy old man with childhood trauma, but if you really need to know where I'm going, why don't you come with me?" I suggested.

"Is this your way of apologizing?" He gave me a sad smile.

"You could say that, I guess."

"Well I appreciate the offer but I can't leave my post. Maybe another time." He went to sit back down on his chair by the gate, I smiled to myself and pulled up a chair next to him.

"I guess I'll just join you here then."

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Rudolph Alinsky

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Steve and I took a walk when the sun began to set. Airianna stayed at the house watching the neighbor's kids with Piper and Juna had already gone to sleep.

"I'm worried about Aiden. What do you think they're doing to him?"

"They're probably just trying to figure out why he did it. Wasn't Marcus your friend? Shouldn't you be more mad rather than worried?"

"He wasn't necessarily my friend, just someone I knew. Aiden means more to me than Marcus ever did. I don't know what I'd do if they end up killing him." I tried to hold myself back from crying but it was obvious I wanted to.

"They won't kill him, that would go against everything they imprisoned him for in the first place. They just need some time, we all do. He'll be okay, Rudi."

"I hope you're right. I just wish I could see him, they wont even let me go visit him. I should talk to Thomas myself. Ethan's doing a shit job, but I don't even know where to begin."

"Thomas seems like a reasonable man, I'm sure he'd understand if you just talked to him. Everything will work out, this place will be the start of something great, I'm sure of it. Maybe Aiden's case is all we need to begin that.