Don't Be Scared

S.1 E.6 ~ RZ (Ch. 34)

Their faces were determine to get in here, or do something worse; I can't figure out if it's good or bad. Consciously, when Mack reached my side, I wrapped my arm around one of his.

"Watch.. out.." I muttered so no one could hear us, correctly.

I know it's really hard to believe, but I can tell when something bad or good is about to happen. I don't know how but I can. Maybe it has something to do with reading their faces? Mom always called it my sixth sense.

Dad just told me I had good guesses. I don't like it, because sometimes it can be confusing and be a curse. I had this really good friend during my sixth year in school. We were super close.

Then, this 'sixth sense' decided to kick in and when I thought she was planning against me, she was actually getting the teacher to plan a surprise birthday party for me during class. Almost lost that friendship.

Almost. Now, I think she's dead. Mack was quiet at my confession, but I knew he had heard me. He always does.

"We'd like to come back." The Asian male pleaded, hands clinging to the fence.

To the second-in-command's dismay. An electric fence would suit them better instead of just a regular fence.

"We were wrong to leave. Jacob turned out to be some crazy cult leader." The better built male tried to give them evidence that they were still loyal to Joe.

It was a lie; it had to be.

"We brought food."

To prove they did want to offer their services, again, she held up a basket full of fruit higher than before. That does look good, but where did they get the fruit from? How did they escape from Jacob with that many nutrients?

They couldn't have picked it out of the supermarket or asked Jacob to let them have it as a peace offering for Joe.

"What do you want us to do?" Joe's second-in-command asked, watching the three teenagers wary.

"If they're clean, let'em back in. Probably won't be the last of his sheep to wander back in."

After giving his orders, Joe motioned for us to keep walking to the compound.

"When we started out, everyone was armed. Then, one day, a guy decided to shoot his wife's boyfriend. He turned and we lost five people. So, we made a rule, only guards could carry inside. Then, a trading group came in. Took a gun off of the guard. Seven dead that time. We were lucky it wasn't worse."

These people have bad luck with letting guns and people come in; why not stop? Maybe letting those teens in wasn't such a good idea. As we walked, Joe pointed towards the simple fence with barbed wire at the top.

"We have a strong perimeter. Never been breached. All of our problems happen inside. So, we removed all threats. No weapons inside the walls, period. It's a better way to live. Safer. Being armed all the time has an effect on people."

Joe faltered to say his next words, "Maybe I'm naive but this gives me hope."

Hope is just a deadly thing to this world. Hope got all of those people in Blue Sky killed. I think I rather die believing in nothing.

"Is that a zombie cage?"

At the mention of that thing, I turned to look back at Cassandra. You could tell she was uncomfortable at the past's reminder. I removed my body from my brother and pushed pass 10K to get beside her.

Perhaps being close to someone who was the same gender would help with the trauma. I wrapped my arm around hers, catching the woman's concentration.

"I'm fine, (Y/N)."

"I know but I'm not." I lied as we continued to walk with Joe, who was steadily talking.

"It's the people we have to worry about. Since going weapon-free, we've gone over a year without fatality. Think about that. You've been out in the world. How many deaths have you seen in the last year?"

Who's keeping up with the year?

"Enough for a lifetime." Charlie scoffed, not liking the score comparison.

Charlie's wife and kids died during the first part of the apocalypse. Warren lost her husband. Doc lost his business. Murphy lost his trade in the prison and probably someone he loved outside of the hell-hole.

Addy lost her family the first night. We've all lost at least one person, and that is enough for an individual's lifetime. I don't think I could take another death. Especially if it was someone close to me.

"What if someone, you know, dies of natural causes?" I spoke up.

Joe glanced at me before answering, "Sure, that could happen. All the doors and gates close automatically, sealing off each section of the compound."

"Like a submarine." I smiled.

"Can't be opened up by Zs. Everything's been zombie-proofed."

Murphy snorted at the comparable two, "You ever heard of the Titanic."

"You're welcome to wait outside in your vehicle."

Warren swerved around to give Murphy a parent scowl while Charlie tried to apologize for someone else's behavior, "You have to forgive my friend. He's been through a lot."

Always the parental figures of the group; Warren gives the warning and Charlie makes up for our mistakes.

"We all have. Nothing's perfect, but this is as close as it gets."

The military man pushed pass twin doors, walking inside the cool hallway. I haven't felt air conditioning in almost three years. Let me tell you when I say this almost felt like Heaven, I would gladly be shot right here, right now.

"After awhile, most people find they can actually sleep through the night." Joe glowed over the assessment.

A military major actually made a compound where people can feel safe and protected. That is pretty amazing. At Blue Sky, I couldn't sleep half the nights. I relied on energy bars and pure adrenaline.

This man did something that thousands have tried to contain over the years.

"Really? I can't imagine that."

Joe pushed pass another door, allowing us to see a buffet of fruits, vegetables, water battles, clean plates, and room full of people. Kind of like a hospital cafeteria. But with better food. It may not even be that good, but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I'm just hungry. Immediately at the sight of the delicious nutritional buffet, I unlatched from Cassandra. At the lost of touch, she grabbed my hand to bring me back to her side.

"We grow all of our own fruits and veggies, don't worry. There isn't any poison in them as you can see." Joe reassured Cassandra when he saw her holding me back from the food.

After finishing his sentence, he motioned towards all the people eating the displayed food. I could hear and feel my stomach start to growl at the meal before me. God, I'm hungry as an ox.

|| Hope is just a deadly thing to this world ||