The Rift

Chapter Six: Return

Darkness has fallen across the land by the time we're almost to Haven.

The entire ride home we sit in silence, only moving around a few times to have enough room for the many tall cans of gasoline in one corner.
Trevor's body lay lifeless, his face covered by my gray jacket which is drenched with blood.

I thought I could save his life.

But I couldn't. His blood is literally on my hands, my fingers caked with crimson red. What's worse is that he left me with the responsibility of telling his brothers. I decide to clean the blood from my hands with a damp cloth using a water bottle that DJ had in the front of the moving van. I roll up the sleeves of my red flannel shirt, the M-16 sitting beside me.

"Hey", Eli says to me, trying to catch my attention while sitting on the metal floor across from me, the long sword lay beside him. I look up at him with a guilty look in my eyes, my arms resting on my knees.
"None of this is on you", Eli assures me.

"Of course it is", I tell Eli, "I was the one who fucking cut his hand off."

"He was going to die either way, David. Don't drown yourself in guilt. You have a lot to be thankful for."
"Like what?', I ask Eli.

"You're alive, and you get to go home. That's all any of us gets."

The moving van slowly rumbles to a stop in front of the north gate of Haven. I hear the sound of the metal barred gate sliding open, then the van drives into the community, parked near the wall beside a few other vehicles. DJ and Anna climb out of the van through the driver and passenger doors, then Anna slides up the back door to let the rest of us out.
We are greeted by the fresh, cold air of autumn.

The nearby streetlamps illuminate our friends and loved ones waiting for us.

I'm the first one to climb down, practically running to Grace who's standing there waiting for me. I am met with a kiss on the lips and a tight embrace from her. She wears the same white long sleeved shirt and black pants from earlier, and her long golden brown hair hangs down from her head.
"I'm so glad you're okay", she tells me through my ear as she hugs me.

I close my eyes for a few moments and enjoy this embrace.
"Yo, David!", I hear from behind me.

Grace and I pull away from each other and see Evan, Lisbeth, and Cody coming toward us. Evan pats me on the shoulder and says, "Really glad you made it back in one piece."
"Thanks", I tell him.
"I mean, I woulda gone too but of course I suck with shooting a gun", Evan then says to me.
"Maybe next time", I joke.

"Did you get into any trouble out there?", Cody asks me, a beanie covering his blonde hair.
"Well, the thing is...", I trail off and look past Cody to see Trevor's two older brothers standing there, waiting for Trevor.

"Trevor didn't make it", I tell my friends and girlfriend.
"The southern guy?", Evan asks. I nod.

"Oh god", Grace says in anguish, "What happened?"

"He got bit", I inform her.
"And the gas? You got the gas?", Lisbeth asks.
"Yeah. It's a lot. Enough to last us a while."
I turn around to see Theo and Ben near the moving van, embracing like they haven't seen each other in weeks. DJ starts to unload the gas cans.

Emma hugs her sister Lauren as well. I glance over at Trevor's brothers, waiting there with concerned looks.

"Hey guys, I uh...I'm gonna go tell them", I say to my friends, referring to the brothers.
"You don't have to. Someone else could", Lisbeth says to me.
"Yeah, but...I was the last one to talk to Trevor. He wanted me to tell his brothers some advice."

"We understand, David", Grace says.

I turn away from my comrades and walk toward Trevor's brothers.

"David, right?", the taller, brown haired one named Jackson asks in his Southern accent, "Where in the hell's our brother?"

"Yeah", the shorter, chunkier brother named Russ says, "We know he went with you guys, so where the hell is...", Russ trails off as he sees Anna come back from the small storage facility on main street with a white sheet. She and Eli climb into the back of the moving van, then come out a few moments later with Trevor's lifeless corpse wrapped in the white sheet, setting him on the ground.

"W...what? What is...?", Jackson chokes.

"I'm so sorry", I tell the two brothers. I pull Trevor's knife from my back pocket and hand it to Jackson, saying, "I think he'd want you to have this."

Jackson slowly takes it from my hand and holds it to the side.

Russ sniffs deeply and growls, "Tell me. How the fuck did this happen?!"

I glance over at Grace and my other friends who are turning to look at me. I stare Russ in the eye and tell him, "Trevor was bitten. There was no other way he could survive, so I thought I could save him by-"

"You thought?!", Russ shouts, "You thought you could save my brother?! What the fuck did you do?!"

Russ then grabs me by the collar of my flannel shirt and yells in my face as everyone watches, "It's probably because of you my brother is dead!"

"Russ! C'mon man, there's no need for this!", Jackson pleads to his brother, grabbing his shoulder.

Russ almost picks me up off the ground with his strength, his fat fingers gripping onto the collar of my shirt. He ignores Jackson and breathes heavily through his nose, his bull-like eyes staring into mine. I only glare at him.
"Russ", a voice calls from behind me. Russ glances over my shoulder and so do I, and we both see Anna standing there, reaching behind her back for her gun.

"Stop", she tells Russ with a stern tone.

I spot Grace there with Evan, Lisbeth, and Cody. She has this terrified look across her face. It seems like forever until Russ releases my flannel shirt from his grip and backs away. Anna relaxes and puts her hand down.

"Forget this shit", Russ growls, then turns and walks down main street with Jackson trailing behind him.

"You okay, man?", Evan asks me, walking over to where I am.

"Yeah. I'm fine", I reply as I watch Russ and Jackson disappear at the end of the street.

"He doesn't have to be such a dick. Sure, his brother just died but people always die", Cody says.
"There hasn't been a death in Haven for a long time, Cody", Lisbeth tells Cody.

"Whatever, I just hope that Russ stays the hell away from you, David", Grace says to me.

Lauren then approaches us and says, "So um, we're having a big feast in the cafeteria. It would be great if you guys could come."

"Yeah", I tell her, then turn to my friends, "I'll join you guys in a bit. I'm gonna go wash up."

"You better bring your ass to the cafeteria, though. You still have to challenge me to that game of soda pong", Evan waves a finger at me jokingly as he walks to the cafeteria with the others.

I chuckle loudly and head down the street to the house.