Dead Parade

Smiling(Kinda) But We're Close To Tears

Chapter 9
10:12 A.M.
Riley didn't drop her gun, nor raise it either. She didn't know what to do. This was a kind man who had welcomed all of them into his home, only to get bit in the end.

"Dad! No, maybe it was just your skin, maybe we can scrape it off or something," Kimmie tried to suggest. Harvey nodded a no, "On the collar bone dear? Its not a big bite, but I'm afraid we can't do that."

Her eye's were tearing up, and there really was nothing they could do.

Suddenly some of the group came downstairs. Steve, Jayna, and Angelo peered down the staircase. It wasn't easy to witness this.

"Yo-you were right. Its not safe here. You and your friends need to go, okay?" Harvey stuttered. Kimmie denied, "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have argued we should've just stayed upstairs, maybe it was safer there."

"Sir we could just try to leave you be, or something. We don't know if you were bit completely," Queen tried to say with a positive tone.

"Riley, is it?" Harvey asked, turning to Riley. She nodded.

"Do me a favor," he directed. "With that rifle of yours, I'm going to need you to use it...on me."

"Riley don't you dare!" Kimmie cried.

"Riley, please. This is for the better," Harvey insisted.

All eyes were heavily on Riley. This would have big consequences on her, all because of this one decision. So much intensity was filling up the room, or even more, the entire building.

She raised her gun, unevenly aiming it towards Harvey's head. Her hands were trembling.
No, she thought. Can't go through this sh*t again.

Kimmie was spaced away, standing nearby Queen. Her eyes were squinting, unsure whether to look away or not, and she was sniffling, her nose red and her eyes slightly puffy. From the staircase, Steve, Jayna, and Angelo remained silent, just making the suspense increase.

But at the last moment, finger on the trigger, she decided to lower the gun.

"I can't do it," Riley stated.

Kimmie ran up to her dad and hugged him, "We're not going to kill you."

"Okay, here. We'll, Jayna," Queen said, calling down Jayna. "Grab that rope, and Angelo, grab that lock. Steve get down here and do what I say."

"I think I know where this is going," Harvey said, taking a seat on the ground. He was sitting by pipes that were attached from the ceiling to the floor.

With Queen's directions, Jayna unraveled the rope, while Angelo stayed put with the padlock. Steve steadily wrapped the rope around Harvey's waist and to the pipes. He felt that if it was too tight they would be killing him slowly.

"Still a kind young man.  And Queen, such a good friend too. Take care of my daughter, won't ya chap? Along with the rest of your buddies here," Harvey said with a soft smile.

"I'll go call the rest," Angelo said, as he locked the last of the rope together. He took off, climbing upstairs and into the house. Queen stood there, standing alongside Kimmie. Riley was out of words, as she stood nearby Jayna and Steve.

You could hear the rest of the group scurrying down the hall. They all made their way down the staircase, the shock in the majority of their eyes.

Hau was near to tears, and so was Ellie. Connor stood with Haru, unsure of what to do, since they hardly knew Harvey. Scarlet sighed, grief written all over her face.