The Mercy of the living

Chapter 16. It doesn't get any easier

I woke up on a bed in a dark room. "What the hell happened?", I thought. Taylor walked in. " I knocked you out Ryan.", she told me. "WHAT!??", I yelled. " Why? ". " I saved you from yourself. You're right Ryan, these people don't know how to live. They do suck.", Taylor said. I sighed. "There's going to be a meeting tonight. I would show up if I were you.", she said. " A meeting?", I asked. " About what?". "The people are going to talk about kicking you out". " They what?!?!", I yelled angrily. "I got to do something about it.", I said. I rolled back over and just went back to sleep, thinking about what I was going to do.

Later during the day, I woke up and walked outside. I saw Jessie and walked over to her. " Hey.", I said. "Oh, hey Ryan.", she said. " Everything OK?" "Yeah, yeah it's fine. Everythings fine.", she told me. " Oh, well then, OK!", I said as I smiled."Look, Ryan. I don't blame you for what you did the other day. You were one hundred percent  right on what you were doing.", Jessie told me. "I know.", I replied.   I continued talking to Jessie for a while more as Pete watched me angrily from a distance. I eventually said goodbye and walked off.

I walked around Alexandria and noticed the gate was OPEN. "Oh shit.", I thought. I quickly raced over to the gate and closed it. Night was coming. " The meeting!", I thought. I started running around to the courtyard as a biter grabbed me. I tried shaking it off as I grabbed it's head. It was leaning in for a bite when I squeezed its eyes and it's head exploded. I had an idea. I picked up the body and dragged it along with me.

I went inside the meeting and dropped the body of the biter on the floor. Everyone gasped with fear. "I didn't bring it in.", I told everyone. " There was no guard on the gate. It was open!". Everyone stared at me. "It got inside, on it's own. They always will. The dead AND the living. They'll find us. They'll hunt us. And they'll kill us. We'll survive, I'll show you how. Now, I was thinking, how many of you, do I have to kill, to save your lives?", I said. " But I'm not gonna do that. You're gonna change. And I'm not sorry for what I said last night. I'm sorry for not saying it sooner. You're not ready, but you have to be. Right now, you have to be. Luck runs out.". Just then, Pete came in with a sword. "You're not one of us. YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US!!!", Pete yelled. Dianna's husband walked up to Pete to try to calm him down. I reached for my gun. " Not now Ryan.", Taylor warned me with a whisper. "Pete, you don't want to do this.", Dianna's husband warned. " Get the hell away from me man.", Pete threatened. "Pete, just stop." "Get away, GET AWAY!!", Pete yelled as he accidentally slit Dianna's husband's throat. " NOOOO! My love! My love!", Dianna screamed and sobbed. She held her dying husband in her arms. Pete got restrained by another resident. "THIS IS HIM!!! THIS IS HIM!!!", Pete yelled. Dianna looked up. " Ryan ", she said coldly. " Do it.". I turned around, pulled out my gun from the front of my belt,  and with out any hesitation at all, shot Pete in the head.

"Ryan?", I heard a voice. I turned around. Morgan was standing there, watching me.