The Rift

Chapter Thirteen: Open Your Eyes

So I tried my best and created a map of Haven finally. Forgive my small writing XD if you can't read then some of the buildings at the top are the armory, infirmary, generators, and cafeteria. Then in the middle far right it says "David's house"

As people grow older, they start to grow wiser, stronger.

For sure I'm one of them, and I hope that it's that way with everyone.
But what if instead of growing wiser, someone just gets more stubborn and ill-minded.
In this world, that'll cost you your life.

I fiddle with my hawk necklace as I stand near the south gate, watching Lauren teaching a self defense class to over a dozen people.
All of them with knives in their grasp, standing there patiently as Lauren shows them how to defend themselves in a readied stance.

I then look toward the iron barred gate, several walkers reaching their arms out and gnashing their teeth in my direction.
I think to myself Ha. They can't do shit.
I walk past the self defense class towards the center of Haven with my hands in the pocket of my gray jacket. I soon reach Main Street, and then I walk past Bella with Grace. Bella just had her hair dyed a bright green while everyone was else was at breakfast. She waves hi to me and I wave back. I head toward a small fitness center built within one of the long rows of shops and businesses. That's where I'll find Eli.

I head inside, walking past many pieces of exercise equipment, such as treadmills, ellipticals, and racks of dumbbells.

I walk into a back room, where Eli repeatedly strikes a dark blue punching bag hanging from the ceiling. The lights inside the room are slightly dim, and in one corner is a pile of yoga mats and spare punching bags. Eli wears a sleeveless gray t-shirt and sweatpants, sweating building on the back of his neck, muscled arms and shoulders.
"What're you doing?", I ask, leaning on the doorway.
Eli stops his punching, catches his breath and says, "Need to blow off some steam."
He continues his routine, and I then ask him, "What's going to happen with Matt?"
Eli delivers a hard punch at the piece of equipment, then says, "What do you think's gonna happen? He's gonna be questioned and possibly punished."

I push myself off the doorway, walking towards Eli.
"What do you mean punished?", I question, "Last time I checked, Haven doesn't exactly have a system of laws."
"Well we do now", Eli sternly tells me, swinging at the punching bag.

"So, you're trying to make people more scared than they are now?", I ask in an angry tone.
Eli then pulls his right arm back, and delivers a hard punch to the swinging bag, sending it practically to the ceiling.

Eli breathes angrily while unwrapping bandages from his hands, "It was Lauren's fucking decision, and don't act like this isn't right. People are scared, yes, and that means that they act out in fear. We have to keep these walls up."
"And what if it was me?", I get up in Eli's face, "What if it was me who pulled that trigger out there? Would you still care enough about the community to punish someone then?"

He looks at the floor, gives off a loud sigh and tells me, "I don't know."

I nod, and mutter, "Right."

I turn around and walk out of the training room, heading toward the door that leads out onto Main Street.

---------

"Do you think things will calm down soon?", Lisbeth asks me with baby Oliver sitting up on her lap. We're sitting on the porch swing in the front of my house, taking in the autumn breeze. Above Haven, dark storm clouds start to move in from the east.

"Yeah, I think so", I answer. Oliver blows on his lips, sending drool down his tan skinned chin and his tiny jean shorts.
I chuckle. Lisbeth then adds, "You know that saying, 'it'll get worse before it gets better'? What if that's the case?"
I give a shrug and say, "I guess we're just gonna have to be prepared."

Lisbeth throws her dark brown hair over her shoulder, then asks me, referring to Oliver, "You wanna hold him for a minute?"
"Sure", I answer, lifting Oliver up from her lap and putting him on mine. I haven't really held him in a while, but I can surely say that he's grown. His short, black hair comes in curls, and his eyes are a piercing blue. Caesar and Tina would have been so happy to see their baby grow.
Oliver looks up at me, and giggles. I smile down at the one year old baby.

Grace then walks up the porch steps and tells me, "Hey, David, I saw Cody at the top of the south gate. He seems like he needs someone to talk to."
I give a quiet sigh and say, "Okay, I'll go try to talk to him."
I hand Oliver back to Lisbeth, then walk down the porch toward the south wall.

As I approach the wall, I spot Cody up top, leaning on the railing of the walkway with his back facing me.

I climb the ladder and step onto the walkway.
"Hey", I say as I take a spot at the railing next to Cody, his blonde hair flowing in the breeze.
"Hey", he mumbles.
We both stare silently at the horizon, the sky slowly being taken over by storm clouds.
"Do you wanna talk?", I ask him.
"I don't know", Cody answers, "I don't even know what to talk about."

"Just let it out", I assure Cody, "Whatever's on your mind, go ahead and go with the flow."

"Okay", Cody breathes, "I've been feeling...alone. And I know that I've been pushing my friends away, so I'm sorry. Looking around, all I see is sorrow. We're both sixteen. We should be finishing school, playing video games, living a normal life. And what do we get? A world of endless death and monsters that eat you alive."
I turn my head to face him, watching him wipe tears from his eyes.
"There", Cody sniffs, "I let it out."
He gives a chuckle.
I turn away from the horizon, holding back my hands and resting them on the railing as I face the community.

"I guess that you heard what happened with Matt?", I ask out of the blue.

"Yeah", Cody replies, "What are they gonna do with Matt?"

"Eli said something about...punishing him. Like a law system", I tell Cody.
"Shit", I hear Cody mutter from behind me.
"Yeah, it's bullshit I know", I say.

"No", I hear Cody say, "Look."

I turn around and look out on the late morning horizon towards the road, and my mouth drops.

Even from here, I can smell the stench of decay and hear their moans and snarls.

Cody and I stare in awe at the approaching herd of walkers, hundreds of them filling up the road that leads to the gate.

"We should...tell Lauren", I say, my grip tightening on the railing.

Well shit XD