Until the world falls apart - Fear The Walking Dead

VI- Incandescent Glow

I had decided to have lunch at the ranch cafeteria after a busy morning. As I grabbed a tray, my gaze was drawn to a man sitting at a table in the back of the room. It was the man who had made inappropriate advances towards me the day before. His face bore numerous bruises, and I felt a knot form in my stomach as I understood what might have happened.

While I searched for a place to sit, my eyes met Troy's. There was determination and anger in his eyes, but also something deeper, something more profound. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized that Troy knew I had noticed the man's injuries and was aware that I understood he was behind it all.

I sat at a nearby table, close to Nick and Alicia, unable to take my eyes off Troy. Despite the physical distance between us, it seemed like he could read my thoughts. A silent tension settled between us, charged with emotions and implications.

While I continued to gaze at Troy, he made a slight, almost imperceptible nod, as if signaling me not to say anything, to leave things as they were. A sense of mutual understanding seemed to arise between us, an unspoken agreement that this conversation would remain unsaid, at least for the moment.

I felt a wave of conflicting emotions wash over me as I finally looked away. I knew this situation was not resolved, that there were unanswered questions. But for now, I chose to respect the silence between Troy and me, realizing that sometimes, some stories must remain buried, at least until they are ready to be revealed.

"Your attention, please. I wanted to talk to you about Outpost Alpha. McCarthy and his unit have been gone for 36 hours, and we still have no news. There could be a hundred possible scenarios, the first 99 not being alarming, but we always need to prepare for the worst. My son, Troy, will go and see what's going on, but we need volunteers," Jeremiah concluded.

Men raised their hands to volunteer after Jeremiah called them, and I saw my mother raise her hand as well. Nick and Alicia didn't understand why she was doing that, and I must admit, neither did I. It was a dangerous mission, and if something happened to them, my mother would have to rely on the militia, and I didn't trust them.

My mother headed towards our house to pack her bag for the expedition; we followed, the three of us, without a word. Once the whole family was in the cabin, Nick began:

"You can't go, Mom, it's too dangerous!" 

"I have to go, alright? We need to help here," she explained. 

"But not like this! We can help in many different ways, but this, this is madness, Mom!" I exclaimed.

 "Bella's right, Mom. I don't trust these people," added Alicia. 

"Listen, my decision is made, and I won't go back on it. Nothing will happen to me, I promise you," she insisted. 

"Mom, please," I said, worried. 

"It's decided, I'll be back; we leave tomorrow, it'll be fine."

She hugged the three of us and repeated that everything would be alright and that she would come back.

A few hours later:

The peaceful silence of the cabin was abruptly shattered by the incandescent glow of flames that engulfed the night sky and the desperate screams of the inhabitants. The ranch, once a haven of peace, was now in the grip of frantic activity, desperately trying to contain the fire that had engulfed a small isolated cottage on top of the hill.

"What's happening?" Luciana asked.

 "I'll go check," replied Nick. 

"Where's Alicia?" my mother worried.

 "At her Bible study," I affirmed. 

"Wait for us, Nick; we're coming!"

Awakened by the screams, we ran straight towards the fire. Troy and his men rushed to fight the blaze. Buckets of water were thrown in vain at the ravenous flames, battling against a fire that seemed insatiable.

Anxious and determined to save anyone who might be trapped, I ventured dangerously close to the flames, ignoring the warnings of caution.

Troy, alerted by my movements, rushed towards me, firmly grabbing my arm before I could get any closer. "Stop, Bella, you can't go there, are you crazy?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with concern and firmness.

With a pounding heart, I tried to free myself from Troy's grip. "I have to go see! They might still be in there!" referring to the old couple.

Troy shook his head gravely. "It's too dangerous, Bella. We can't risk more lives."

Helpless, I watched the cottage, flames dancing around it, while the rest of the group tried to keep the fire under control. A heaviness settled on my heart, anticipating the horrible truth that would follow. Jeremiah decided to call it quits and save water; unfortunately, the couple was gone; they had passed away together, in life and in death. Sadness and desolation were evident on everyone's faces. The loss of these lives in a world already devastated by tragedy was unbearable.

I stood there, watching the flames rage on the cottage, families had left, not wanting to witness this horror show any longer. A few remained; Jack, Troy, Nick, and I, stayed in front of the flames without a word. We shared a moment of silent mourning, linked by the pain of this heartbreaking loss, our differences momentarily erased by the cruel reality of life in this apocalyptic world."