The Rot: Book 3

Chapter 22

What Cynthia was telling me wasn't quite registering. I just could not believe what Cyn was saying.

"S-say that again?" I asked.

Cynthia sighed. "How many different ways can I tell you, Reid?" Cyn responded.

Cynthia explained that these 'bandits' weren't really 'bandits' at all. Actually they were more like hunters.

"So these charming fellows go out and hunt...people?" I inquired.

Cyn nodded. "Yeah."

"For food?"

"Yes. But not for themselves. They're not cannibals."

To be honest, I was actually shocked that we hadn't run into any cannibals yet. But, that was beside the point. "Then who are they feeding?"

"Their friends and family."

"Okay, so their friends and family, they're the cannibals?" I know I'm asking a lot of questions here, but so what.

"No. The friends and family, they're the dead things."

"Oh, you cannot be serious, Cyn. Are you fucking with me?"

"I wish I was."

"So Joshua's feeding people to his undead family members?"

"Yeah."

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. "And you and Mick are helping these fuckers?!?"

"No, no, no. Absolutely not. I go out with Desmond to find supplies. Mick stays here and repairs their vehicles and works on the fence around the building. Joshua and the others, they think there will be a cure for whatever the hell this is. And since the dead fuckers only eat live people, Joshua, Tyson, and Curtis think that feeding them to their undead family will keep them 'alive,' so to speak. Until there's a cure."

I stood up and walked over to the apartment window. "Whew."

Cyn joined me, "I've been able to stall Joshua from feeding the people he does have. But I don't know how much longer I can. Joshua's running out of patience."

"The screaming and yelling coming from the basement? Those are Joshua's prisoners, aren't they?"

"Yeah."

Here's the thing, Reid. Mick, Desmond, and I, we've been planning."

"To do what?"

"Get the survivors and get the fuck out of here. One of them has a place. He offered to take us in if we helped get him out of here."

"Please tell me you weren't planning on leaving the rest of us behind."

Cynthia laughed, "No, of course not. Just you."

"Oh, okay. Hey, wait a minute."

Cyn smiled at me. "I better get back. In case one of them wanders by and hears us talking. I'll try to fill you in on more of the plan tomorrow, when Des and I get back from our run, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I guess I'll try and get some rest."

"Go for it. I'll try and see you tomorrow."

Cynthia hurried out of the apartment while I just stayed by the window. I was still trying to process what Cyn had just told me.

"They're feeding the biters?" That was my last thought before I curled up on the floor and tried to get some rest.

Early the next morning, the apartment door burst open, waking me up. Tyson and Curtis stormed in.