After Death

(Season 5) Chapter 1 (Every Wrong Choice You've Ever Made)

Chapter 1: Every Wrong Choice You've Ever Made

Ethan Warren

January 2028

About 68 months after outbreak

California

Season 5/The Final Season

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It didn't last, and I think deep down, I knew it never would. The dead ruin everything, this is their world now, we can't control them. It was silly of me to think we would be able to live peacefully, grow old and die in our sleep. I wanted that life, for my family, but I didn't get the chance to find out if that was the life for me or not.

So many people have died in less than a week and I haven't been able to bring myself to wash their blood off of my hands. Most of them were just faces, people we saved and people whose leader I shot in the head, I didn't take the time to know their names. Something told me they wouldn't make it but it doesn't make it hurt any less.

"We'll start over, like we did both times before."

"I can't, Rudi. I tried to ignore it for so long but now I know, places like that, Loveland, The Circus, Home, they're not meant to exist. Kind of glad I learned that now though," I admit, feeling relief from finally getting that off of my chest. Rudolph signs and hugs Juna closer as he shifts his body away from me ever so slightly.

"I don't think you're right," he states just above a whisper. I nod, not feeling in the mood to argue. It wouldn't do any of us any good.

"He is," Zahir agrees, "communities will always fall. We're just wasting time pretending that they won't.

Lila Jane signs in disagreement, "the children deserve a place to be safe, to learn and to grow. We can't think of ourselves when it comes to this."

"Darling, Eli will be fine. He is safe and he is smart. Your mother would be proud," Emilio smiled as he kissed his wife gently, holding back tears as he internally felt his words were untruthful.

"Don't cry, Mama," Eli interrupted quietly as he awoke briefly from his nap in his father's arms.

"Ethan?" Evelyn asked from behind me, tear stains on her cheeks and a nervous expression in her eyes.

"You don't have to ask me, Eve, you can go look for Khai."

"She's looking for us, I know she is."

"We can't go far," Zahir suggested, "many people may have died but we're not the only ones still here."

I knew he was right, I knew they were all right in their own way but I didn't want to deal with that right now. Death seemed so inviting, internal sleep and no worrying, but I knew what I had to do. I knew who was counting on me and I didn't have the heart to give up.