The Touch of Infection

Chapter 28: You deserve a choice

When Carisa woke up the vehicle had already been set in motion. But Amite still dreaded having to talk to Marnik about Carisa, and how they'd need to part ways for a while. Marnik was holding her in his arms and noticed her stir up. He pulled her hair away from her face and helped her sit up, "We're headed to HQ."

She looked at him with eyes wide, he really did mean it when he said they'd leave the next day, "Marnik, I can't go there."

He questioned her with his eyes, "Why? Are you sick?"

"No... Marnik I don't wanna go... take me back." She whispered the last part, getting up and standing on her own. Rubbing her arm and waiting for what he'd say.

"But I'll protect you Carisa. Why would you want to go back? It's dangerous!" He couldn't understand, he told her she was safe with him. This was only part of the process.

Holding her head down she answered, "Because it's home... I was there for just a few days... but I hadn't been there in two years... Marnik I missed it. I miss seeing the world as to how it was... not what it became. Please understand, I don't want to leave that place so soon."

He hovered over her, walking past her to Amite and shutting the door behind him, so she couldn't see or listen. The two look at him in question at what he'd just done.

"She wants to go back." He explained simply.

Ezhno squared up, "Well we can't, we've already left the place far behind."

Amite didn't even look at him and continued driving, just listening to the conversation. Marnik didn't know what else to say now. If he told Carisa they couldn't go back he was sure she'd be upset.

He turned around and opened the door, might as well be done with it now. Looking at her he huffed, "We can't go back anymore Carisa... we're too far."

She sat back down on the seat, looking at the floor and bringing her hands to her hair, pulling the strands down slightly, "Leave me here then."

"No!" He answered immediately denying her wishes, "Not happening in a thousand years."

Crossing her arms she turned away from him, "You can't keep me here against my will Marnik!
Let me go!"

He kneeled down to her level, "I will keep you, but it's just to keep you safe Carisa... I... I -" he couldn't find the words to describe it and continued in his native tongue, "I promise it's for your own good. Don't hate me for it... please."

Carisa didn't blink an eye at him. Continuing to look away and not seeing the door open to reveal Ezhno who came walking out with a scowl. Pulling Marnik away from her he grabbed her. The vehicle stopped and he walked out with her, closing the door before Marnik could follow him.

Pushing her to the floor he looked down at her, and then their surroundings. It was an empty area, no zombies around and the vegetation looked low.

"What now? What do you do? We leave you here and you die!" He spoke to her loudly, so any zombies lurking in the area would be coming their way shortly.

She didn't answer him and kept quiet.

"So what if you manage to live past this. You'd run and survive... but surviving isn't living, it's pathetic!"

Even with him saying all that she still didn't look at him, and didn't respond.

He pulled her up making her stand, "That moron in there is in love with you... you're everything to him now." While he even spoke she could hear Marnik banging on the door and screaming,

The zombies began approaching, still not catching her scent but going by noise. Ezhno leaned down at her, "I'm giving you one chance to leave, I'll make sure he never finds you. Or you can come with us and stay with him. What do you pick?"

Her panic from the zombies didn't let her think, the banging sounds Marnik kept making causing things to be so much harder.

He snapped his fingers, "Ignore them, and tell me what you pick already."

To stay or to go. She stayed she'd be dead, she left she could also be dead.

She closed her firsts and looked back at him, "Well, what would you pick? My back is against the wall here, you're not really giving me an option."

"No, you don't get to ask, so just answer me." Ezhno paid no mind to the zombies or Marnik, wanting her to just answer, he knew how much she meant to Marnik. He knew Amite didn't like the way he did things. But he wasn't about to take a human hostage just because Marnik says he'll protect her.

Carisa looked bald at the zombies who had to begin to noticed her scent, would it but such a bad end. Her mom died like that, her father died like that, wouldn't it just be a fitting end, "I'm leaving."

He roared at her hoisting her up and opening the vehicle's door again to get her in. Questioning why he didn't just let her go and meet her demise. Her eyes falling upon the very angry Marnik who was just about to fight with Ezhno.

Marnik didn't miss a heartbeat punching Ezhno square in the face. Sending him back against the door, Ezhno got back up and smirked at him, "She wants to leave, she doesn't belong with us. She doesn't love you or cares about you enough to stay!"

Amite walked in and stood in between the two, "Shut up both of you!" She smiled at Carisa and grabbed her hand nicely, "Carisa, come sit in the front while we discuss things here real quick."

She didn't question it and followed Amite's directions. Looking at the floor The Whole time, escaping Marnik's gaze, those eyes that could look into her soul.

Amite looked at Ezhno and then at Marnik, "If she doesn't want to go we shouldn't force her to. Marnik think about it, she's survived an alien based apocalypse... going back home is something she never imagined possible. With us she goes around like all is fine... alone she just survives, with constant fear."

"That's why I need to protect her!" He flung hot back, wanting to leave this as it was and speaking to her personally.

"No! Marnik!" She grabbed his arm keeping him in place, "She isn't used to that, she might never be used to that! And the time this planet has left... she could end up dying with it."

"THEN SO WILL I." He pushed her away from him and Ezhno stood in his way.

Ezhno stood like a stone in his way, "We care about you Marnik. Just... we can both see you love her. But... maybe she's just not sure what she wants."

Amite continued what he meant, "Don't get us wrong, she does seem to care about you. She just... she's a human... we're Alaois. She doesn't understand us well enough yet. Let's just go ask the commanders if she can stay first... if they say yes we'll slowly integrate her to our kind. And if they say no... we'll make sure the time she has left on earth is a happy one."