Chapter 22: Here for a Reason
Ethan Warren
Estimated, October 2024
About 29 months after outbreak
California, The Circus
Season 3
-------------------------------------------
There's peace now and it's all because of me. There's finally hope in this world and it's because of all of us. We're still alive for this reason, to build a better world. To take back the life that was stolen from us at such a young age.
No matter what happens to us, we'll never leave each other. This place is only here because of us all, it can't be any different.
I will never stop being there for my family and I know they will never stop being there for me. We've had it lucky for now, it was only a matter of time until that changed. We had to be ready for anything because I couldn't afford to lose anyone else.
I wish there could be hope in every part of our lives, I wished the dead stayed dead, I wished we could be truly happy for once.
---
An attack happened after the sun went down. I woke to the sound of gunshots and the dead. The only problem was that it wasn't us fighting off the nonliving, it was the living using the dead to fight us. I watched in horror as my people bleed out in the streets. Women, children, elders, all dead because of these people and I didn't even know who they were. Our population was decreasing and now there were almost none of us left.
The attack was quick and no attacker was left behind. I thought it had been a dream, I hoped it had been a dream but I knew it wasn't. Nothing could last no matter how hard we tried. There would always be someone who disagreed and there was nothing we could do about that.
Death to the Ringmaster, Death to his followers, you did this to yourself Thomas.
That note had been painted on the walls surrounded by the community and we knew exactly why. Thomas fucked up before and now karma was being a bitch.
------------------------
Leah Souixer
-----------------------
I met with Ethan in the office that used to be Thomas'. We shared our concern but neither one of us had a plan of attack, we didn't even know what hit us. Rudi and Steve buried the dead citizens instead of burning them, their funeral was peaceful but not many people were left to show up. Some of the people wanted to leave the community and take their chances on the road. Ethan wanted them to not feel trapped here but it was necessary. These people had only ever lived inside walls and not even Tai's training could prepare them for what was out there. None of us would be able to send them out there without feeling guilty for the rest of our lives.
I'm surprised that Ethan included me in his meetings as much as he did. After all the shit I put him through about not killing people now we were deeply considering killing whoever destroyed our town. That was different though, killing had exceptions.
Thomas mostly stayed out of the way now, I think he felt ashamed about what was happening. He knew the attack was because of him, he knew he was responsible for everything that's happened, and I even think he felt embarrassed. He was embarrassed for being a coward and I didn't feel pity for him.
We never figured out who stole our medicine and guns. It didn't really matter anymore because ten guns was enough now that everyone was dead. I think Ethan tried not to worry about it, there was more important shit right now and he was being a leader and focusing on that first.
For the next few weeks, those of us who were left rebuilt the community as much as we could. The bullet holes were unable to be fixed and the fire damage was obvious but we did our best. Our goal was to make this place not look like a war zone and I think we at least made it a little better.
I wanted to go out and look for more people. Before us, The Circus never really left the walls but I wanted to change that. We needed more people and that was how we got more. The reason no one with experience was here except us is because no one knew this place was here. If we wanted to build this future we needed people, we needed this place to have a future. I knew Ethan agreed with me that this place had no future without us. The citizen's weren't about to protect this place with their lives, they might try but they'd lose without a doubt. It wasn't safe to leave the walls now, we didn't know who was waiting behind it.
------------------------
Rudolph Alinsky
-----------------------
The Circus looked like a ghost town now, no one walked the streets, no one left their homes unless they had to. The streets were stained with blood and the hope of the people was lost. Airianna, Juna, and I didn't leave unless we had to either. We lived in fear, this wasn't living anymore. Ethan tried to give the people hope but it didn't work no matter how hard he tried. I hate to admit it but I lost hope for this town too.
I wanted a place for my children but I didn't want somewhere where they had to hide in cabinets and my eldest had to carry a knife of mine. I didn't know if there was any fixing this either. If we caught the people nothing would change, there'd always be more, it was inevitable.
We needed more protection, more coverage, more weapons but we had no way of getting that. We were imprisoned in our own homes.
YOU ARE READING
After Death (Season 3)
HororSeason 3 of the After Death novel After the fall of Loveland and the death of their friends, the group is unsure where to go from here. Previously, after the attack, they were all separated but after a few months they managed to make their way back...
