Discernment

Chapter 12 - The Zealots' POV

Three cars pulled up to the lumber factory and Joel gets out. "Get our people to clean up these bodies damn it!" Joel screams with his scratchy voice. Him and Ryan start walking toward the stair case to Joel's office. "That group would be a nice addition to our family.. You know that." Joel says and stops at the bottom. "Ryan, good boy..I want that group. As soon as possible." Joel continues. "Sir, we're trying our best.." Ryan explains. "Your best isn't fucking good enough!" Joel exclaims. "By tomorrow night, I want at least one of those people. Just.. One.." He says. Joel then heads up the stairs to his room.

Ryan shakes his head. "Crazy bastard." He mutters to himself. Joel stops in the middle of the catwalk and leans over the railing. "Tomorrow, Ryan. You and a group will head out and get at least one!" Joel reassures. "What's your deal with them? Just because that guy took our girl in and killed Johnson, does not mean you have to get all of those people?" Ryan says. "Yes it does! They pretty much stole from us! Now start helping to clean up the bodies of those precious creatures that were killed earlier." Joel says and turns to his room following him slamming the door.

Ryan starts carrying bodies to a wood chipper, as was everyone else, and throwing them in. splattering the remains of the corpses all over large bags. "Keep it moving. I need to check up on something." Ryan says to the people that were working. Ryan begins to start walking down the room and and near the cages of people. "Dani.. Wake up. I have something for you." Ryan says, crouching down at one of the cages. After a few minutes, a little girl, about 7, slowly walks up to the bars. "Ryan!" She says loudly. "Shh, I'm not supposed to be here. But I wanted to give you this.." Ryan says. He then reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a chocolate bar. "Here, you go, Dani." Ryan smiles and unwraps it, handing it to her. Dani smiles and grabs it, taking a bite out of it. "Thank you Ryan!" She whispers.

Ryan nods letting her know that it wasn't a problem and then looks up at a man starting to walk down the aisle. "It's time to let the out for a little while." The man says. "Alright, I'll handle it, William." 

Joel is in his room, looking over a large map and a billboard next to him. Even though his back is sorta hunched, he's always hopping around. Like he's on drugs. He's way too skinny, seems like he hasn't eaten in weeks. Though he acts healthier than ever. His scratchy voice piercing. His teeth are rotten, and his skin is pale, dirty, and wrinkled. "There's new things I want to try out.." He mutters. He picks up a medical syringe and studies it.

Ryan starts unlocking the cages, letting the people out. He then gets back to Dani's cage and let's her out. With his left hand, he grabs her right, since she was eating the chocolate bar with her left. Then they walk to a corner of the place that they always go to. "So, did you sleep well, Dani?" He questions. "It was good." She smiles. As they were walking in plain sight, Ryan notices a noise off to the side of them. He then stops Dani and walks over to the noise. Right then, he sees a biter lurk around the corner. "Oh shit!" He yells. Dani's eyes get wide and she runs off. "Dani! Get back!" He yells, not even knowing she was away. Ryan then grasps the biter by its dirty, blood stained shirt and throws it near a crowd, who was watching everything.

Ryan kicks it down while it tried getting back up and he pulls his knife out. Ryan tilts his head and reaches in to stab it, when it grabs ahold of his leg. "Stupid thing.." He says and continues to enter the knife in it's skull. Its hands then drop, letting go of Ryan's pants. "Someone get this fucking thing out of here." Ryan states. "Where's Dani?" Ryan questions. He starts looking around and then sees Joel in the corner of his eye. "Hey, Joel, have you seen the little o-" Ryan begins to say. but was interrupted by Joel springing towards him, and hits Ryan upside the head, knocking him out cold.

It looked like morning, now and Ryan wakes up. There's a crowd all around him and a single light shining. Shining right on him. "Oh good, he's awake." Joel says. Joel then comes from the crowd and crouches down by Ryan. "You have no fucking clue what's happening right now, do you?" Joel smirks. Ryan was restrained in a chair, so he couldn't do anything. "Let me explain to you, and everyone else that's happening right now." Joel says. His breath was terrible, causing Ryan to turn his head. When Ryan turned his head, he saw little Dani standing there, watching along with the rest of the crowd. "Well let's see.. Yesterday, when our three friends escaped, Ryan here.. Killed some of the innocent creatures. I was kind enough to let it slide, these things did nothing wrong to Ryan, but he killed them anyways. Now, again, later yesterday night.. When you all were having your free time. Ryan here, kills another.. Another one of them. They.. Sprung out after him. He could have pinned it down; Let someone restrain it back into their resting areas, but no.. No no no.. Ryan killed it. He plunged his knife into it, and put it in it's final stage. Now, did he think about resources? Of course not. He was being selfish. Thinking of his own safety over everyone else's. Now, this heathen.. Needs to be punished." Joel states with a stern tone.

"Bring in one of God's gifts for me.." Joel smirks. The crowd moves aside and William is holding a biter in one of the holders, and he throws his gun over his shoulder and moves it slowly toward Ryan and Joel. Joel puts his hand on Ryan's shoulder and pulls out a medical syringe from his back pocket and shows it to Ryan, letting him look over it. "Now, what am I possibly going to do with this, you wonder? I'm going to show you!" Joel exclaims. He then takes the needle and runs his hand across the biter's skin. While he does that, the biter tries to get ahold of Joel. "Calm down.. It's okay.. It's just a pinch and it'll be over." Joel says, then follows with jamming the needle in the biter's neck sucking its blood through the needle. He then pulls the needle out.

Walking back to Ryan, Joel's smiling the whole time. "And now, everyone.. This is Ryan's punishment!" Joel says.

Joel then grabs Ryan's Right shoulder, and takes the needle, slamming it into his left arm, then proceeds to push the biter's blood into his arm. Ryan screams in pain, and looks over to Dani, while the crowd begins to go back.

Dani's crying, watching Ryan in pain, and then looks up as Joel walks passed her. Joel left the needle in Ryan's arm, and Dani walks over to Ryan. "Dani.. T-Take the needle out.. I need you to do something.. You're not.. Going to like it.." Ryan says, breathing heavily. Dani nods and slowly pulls the needle out. "Dani.. Go grab the hatchet over there.. And that cloth.." Ryan says. "Ryan.. Are you going to be okay?" She asks him. "Just go do it.." Ryan commands her. She slowly walks over to the hatchet and cloth in front of him against the wall, and comes back. "Put the cloth in my mouth, fold it first." Ryan says. She does as he asks, and then starts to untie him. "No, leave me tied, Dani.." He says through the cloth. "Grab the hatchet.." He says. "Ryan.. What do I have to do?" She wimpers.

"Cut off my arm.."

Dani's eyes widen and she stops breathing for a second. "Why.. Ryan?" She asks. "It's the only way I'll live, Dani! Now do it!" He yells, trying to rush her. "Ryan.. I-I'm sorry.." Dani says. "Dani.. It's going to be okay.. Just trust me. I need you to do this.."  Ryan says quietly. Dani nods and brings the axe high above her head, then swings it down on his arm. Dani comes down after a second swing, this time, breaking the bone, and releasing the infected forearm off of him. Dani then starts cutting the ropes off of Ryan and Ryan takes the cloth from his mouth and covers the wound, tying it well.

"G-Good job.. Dani.." Ryan struggles to say.