The Outbreak Chronicles Book One Survival Ties

Chapter 9

The holes were dug; Sam was gently laying both Angela and Thomas into them. We all threw a handful of dirt onto them and said our silent goodbyes. Sam and Axel worked together to fill in the graves. Axel was shaking with every shovelful of dirt he placed over Angela.

"I don't know which religion they were so I'm not going to quote the bible here." Sam started, "We are all here today to say goodbye to Angela and Thomas. Both were too young to be taken away but we'll remember them always."

No one said "Amen" or anything. Mostly everyone just kept their heads down. Saying whatever silent prayers would send Angela and Thomas on their way. We all stood there for a while before Sam started tapping us on the shoulder and sending us back onto the bus. He stood next to Axel for a few minutes before he did the same. Sam kept his arm over Axel's shoulders, it looked like that was the only thing propelling him back onto the bus. Axel didn't even look at any of us he went straight to the room Angela and Thomas had shared and shut the door.

"He'll be ok just give him some time." Sam told everyone as he headed to the driver's seat followed by Tone.

"How's everyone else holding up?" Sydney asked as she looked around the bus.

No one answered her, she got a few nods or shrugs but we were all silent. Everyone found a place to sit and was just taking comfort in the silence. We had all forgotten how bad things could be. We were in our own little bubble of safety on the bus, which kept us moving away from most of the bad things going on. The horror hadn't touched us as much as it could have without our bubble as we headed to our destination. Losing both Angela and Thomas left us drained. I sat by Aaron and just watched everyone else on the bus for a while.

"How you holding up?" He asked me.

"I don't know." I answered looking at him.

"Maybe Tone was right and you should have stayed back. Then you wouldn't have seen all that in the RV." Aaron said as he rubbed his temple.

"You know I would have gone anyway. I just would have been sneaking and who knows what would have happened then." I told him, "What I saw isn't your fault. I just keep thinking if we would have found them sooner maybe Angela would still be alive."

"Don't take me wrong, but maybe it is better this way. I mean how would Angela have dealt with losing Thomas?" Aaron said, "I don't want to sound like I don't care because I do. I just picture them somewhere wonderful together. Where none of this is happening and they are safe, maybe with their parents."

"That is a nice thought." I agreed, "I like to think that they are someplace safe and happy. Maybe they'll even watch over us wherever they are."

"Like our very own guardian angels?" Aaron asked.

"I guess." I answered, "I just wish Axel wasn't locking himself away from everyone right now."

"He'll be fine. I think he had a crush on Angela and now she's gone." Aaron said, "He'll come out when he's ready to face everyone."

It was another day we didn't stop to eat lunch. Sydney just passed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to everyone. Axel had come out of the room that he claimed as his now, but he wasn't talking to anyone. He had the chutes and ladders game in his lap and he was just staring at it. He was barely eating his sandwich. Daisy was sitting near him. He wouldn't even let her get to close, he may have left the room, but he was still shutting all of us out. He ate about half his sandwich before he got up to return to his room, he took chutes and ladders with him. As soon as his door closed, Daisy came and sat by Aaron and I.

"Has Axel said anything to you?" I asked her.

"No but I didn't really think he would. He got close to Angela based on them both losing their parents." Daisy answered.