Glitch in the System

Chapter 8: Untimely Demise

    As soon as he felt her go still, Drew checked for a pulse. When he didn't find one he slowly slouched away from the body of the small girl that had become his sister. He had left and came back to such a huge mess. If he had only stayed there with them and not run off to get more supplies, maybe things would be different. Maybe he would still have his little sister. A sudden pain snatched Drew out of his thoughts, his face stung and a red handprint had started to form on his left cheek. Astonished at the fact that he had just been hit, Drew looks up to see Adelina towering over him.

   "Get up. Now," she said firmly, holding her hand out to help him up. Cautiously he took hold of her hand and pulled himself from the hard tile floor.

   "Adelina I tried. I tried so hard but I failed and now your little girl is gone." Tears started to flow freely down his face, creating streaks of down his face in a light rusty color.

   "I know she is going to a better place now Drew and you should believe that too," she smiled softly down at him " It will help to ease the pain of her loss."

   "I just can't shake the feeling that if I hadn't left she would still be here," he stared down at the laces of his shoes.

   "I want you to stop that mess. Go get yourself washed up and then let's go to bed. It has been a very long day for both of us." once again she smiled at him. This time Drew flashed the best fake smile that he could muster before heading back to the bathroom area. He has set up a bucket to put water in so that they could bathe. It wasn't the best in the world but it was something and it helped them to get cleaned up so it was better than nothing.

   After getting himself as clean as he could and putting some clean clothes on Drew slouched out to where he left Adelina. She was laying on her bed, looking at the lifeless body of her little girl. Drew couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. A long sigh escaped his lips as he sat in his own bed.

   Long after Adelina had fallen asleep Drew lay awake, staring up at the high ceiling of what used to be a grocery store. Now it was just vacant, abandoned by those running away from the dead who had so suddenly decided to walk among the living once more. The faint sound of movement to his left pulled his attention from the ceiling and over to where Adelina slept. Just as he went to turn his head away he heard it again. That was when he realized that it wasn't Adelina at all, but rather it was Sammi. Her eyes were a milky white color and her skin still quite pale. She was one of the undead and she had a hungry look in her eyes. Drew sat there, petrified as she dragged herself over to her mother sleeping form. Just before she could take a bite out of Adelina's face, Drew shoved her off. A low growl escaped her small lips as she crawled over to him. Drew didn't think he could do it. He used all of his strength to hold her back but was careful not to harm her. He had done enough already and it was his own fault that she was like this. If she bit him and took him with her, all he could do was accept it. He probably deserved it.

   Just as Drew lost all his strength to hold her back he closed his eyes. He didn't want to see her in this state. Suddenly a strange warmth spread over his face. He opened his eyes to see Adelina standing above him holding a kitchen knife which was buried deep in Sammis' head. He hadn't been bitten or scratched. He was safe and it was all thanks to Adelina. As she pulled the truly lifeless body of her daughter off of Drew he realized that she had just been forced to kill her own daughter.

   "Adelina I am so terribly sorry. You should never have had to do that. Every bit of this is my fault," he sobbed.

   "Drew that was not my daughter. It was an empty shell brought back with no other goal than to eat. You will not insult my daughter by calling that thing Sammi," she hissed.

   "Yes ma'am, I p-promise it won't happen again," he shuddered.

   With the help of Drew, the corpse was thrown outside. After getting cleaned up once again Drew finally laid down and tried to relax. Just as his head hit his pillow, the first rays of sunlight flooded through the windows in the roof. Drew turned over on his side and fell fast asleep.