Gift: A Story Of Love, Hope And Zombies (Work In Progress)

9. Act

Hannah was leaving first thing in the morning. What did she mean she was leaving first thing in the morning? She had to fix her mess first! Of course, she said that by leaving she would be fixing this mess. That didn't make anyone any less distraught.

Ben personally didn't know how to react. Ben hadn't lost as much as most others had. He didn't have to watch his family die like everyone else had. He truly could live in the lie that his family was probably still alive. Those they had lost had been his friends, but he never quite understood the pain the others went through as they mourned the death of siblings.

He wondered if this was what it was like to lose a sister. He had lost one friend to another.

Kelby and Ben held a... special relationship, one that made her death all the more harder for him.

Hannah and he had a different kind of  special bond. They had the kind of bond that made you want to calmly say "Bro" in admiration. They had the kind of bond that made him feel safe in the kind of person he was. Free to talk about whatever, say whatever joke. Disscuss the undiscussible and plan the unplannable. Not free from criticism, but knowing it would always be given with love. They had the kind of bond that never felt short of family. She was his sister.

He had lost one friend to another. Lost his friend to his sister. How was he supposed to process that? How was he supposed to feel? He almost couldn't bring himself to look at Kelbys limp body, or Hannah's self conscious one. He didn't know what to think, how to feel or what to do. How was he supposed to act in a situation like this?

How was he supposed to act?

Act. He had to act.

He walks over to Hannah. All eyes in the room follow him, desperate for a new sourse of attention to distract them from the alternative for a moment. He can barely look her in the eye as he mutters,

"I'm coming with you."

A shudder of surprise crosses around the room. Coming... with her? What could he mean? Hannah looks afraid.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm really disappointed in you." He chokes, feeling a little sadness begging to make a scene. Oh no, he hasn't cried in over a decade, and he isn't starting now! "But I know... That you whenever hurt someone intentionally. I'm still going to be here to support you. Ill even come with you if thats what it takes. We're a family now, right? We gotta stick together."

He can't believe how cheesy he sounds. He feels like there's an emotional teenage girl controlling his words. How embarrassing.

Hannah's eyes widen. What was he saying?

"I'm coming too." Hannah looks at Elliann in shock. Ellianns eyes are still red from crying, but she seems confident.

"Me too" Aravis.

"Me too" Jessica.

"Me too." Ellissa.

"You know I'm here." Ethan.

Hannahs jaw drops in surprise. They wanted to come with her? After all she had done?

"But Kelby-"

"We know Hannah. This is your opportunity to make it... better" Elliann says it with a kind of hope that  sounds like she almost doesn't believe it will, but she's standing her ground.

"I- Kelby- wha-"

Don't worry. She's with you too.