Matthew enters Michaels room. Kurt is sitting on the bed with his shirt off. Shelby is cleaning his wound with a rag. Kurt seems to be in pain, most likely because Shelby is applying rubbing alcohol to disinfect the wound. Matthew looks around Michael's room. He remembers it being a little cleaner, but he still feels a great sense of nostalgia. Him and Michael always had sleepovers when they were younger, and always hung out in this room playing video games together. Matthew goes and sits on the floor near Michaels bed. Sydney and Michael walk in the room as well. Michael goes to sit next to Matthew on the floor, while Sydney leans on the wall near the door to the room. Kurt looks in less pain now, probably because he is used to the stinging of the alcohol.
“What did you do before all this?” Shelby asks.
“I was at school with your cousin.” Kurt explains.
“Oh, so you guys knew each other from before? That’s cool.”
“What about you guys? What did you do?” Kurt asks.
Sydney looks at Kurt, “Shelby and I were at medical school. Mikey was still in High School.”
Matthew looks over to Michael. He realizes they never spoke about what his plans were after high school. He knows it's not important now, but he is still curious.
“You never did end up telling us what you planned on doing after school.”
Michael laughs to himself, “I honestly have no fucking clue.”
Matthew laughs a little too. Michael was always a spur of the moment guy. He lived in the ‘now’, never really thinking about the future. That must have changed a little in a world like this. You never know when it’s your time to go, so Michael has probably given the future some thought. Shelby had been wondering this entire time what happened in the last month that took Matthew so long to get here. She remembers Michael telling their family a month ago that Matthew would meet them with his own family, but it took so long. She can't help but wonder why.
“Matthew, what have you been doing this entire time? Michael said that you were going to come right when people started turning.” Shelby asks.
“Yeah, I did say that. Well once I got home from school the day it happened, I planned on waiting for my parents and my brother to show up. I told myself that I would wait for them, no matter how long it took. Day after day, I started to lose hope. I started to question whether or not they were still alive. Eventually a month passed by. Yesterday morning, not long after I woke up, some people broke into my house. They never found me, so I got out of there and ran. I came across Kurt and a few others, and for a while I felt safe. But those men who broke into my house came back. They killed everyone we were with and took me back to their camp. They brought me there to kill me. Right before they did, Kurt showed up and killed all those sick bastards. Blew them all to bits. He saved me. I remembered what I told Michael, and I knew that you guys could help with our wounds, so here we are.”
Shelby, Sydney, and Michael are all in disbelief. They never imagined such cruel things to happen in this world. Michael thinks about what had happened earlier in the day with the woman in the woods, but quickly realizes he had it easy. He never thought about fighting other people. He never thought about other people collectively wanting to kill him. Michael feels sick to the stomach, not knowing whether or not he would still be alive if he was in his cousin’s shoes. Kurt looks to the ground, thinking about what had happened to him and his friends only one day ago. He becomes angry with himself as Shelby applies a bandage.
“It’s sad what this world has come to. Every single person I came across yesterday is dead now.” Matthew says.
“Did you kill anyone?” Michael asks.
“No.”
Michael thinks about what his cousin just told him. Even though he had encountered such evil people who only wanted to kill him, he didn't kill anyone. Michael on the other hand, murdered a woman who had lost her mind due to the loss of her son. Up until now he has not given it much thought. He begins to wonder if he had made the right choice earlier today.
Shelby finishes applying the bandage on both sides of Kurt’s shoulder. The bullet travelled straight through, so he was luck this time. Kurt gets up from the bed and puts his shirt back on.
“There you go. It’s gonna be a little sore for a while so go easy on yourself.” Shelby says.
“Kurt looks around and realizes that everyone in this house is crammed in the same room. He looks a little angry.
“Why is no one keeping watch?” Kurt asks.
“What?’ Sydney asks.
“No one is keeping an eye out. We can't just sit here and talk all night!”
Kurt picks up his carbine rifle and storms out of the room. Everyone is startled by this. Matthew understands his paranoia. Just a day earlier the safety of his own home was breached. Michael and his sisters look concerned, but don’t blame anyone for being paranoid in world like this. Shelby looks at Matthew and remembers he is hurt as well.
“Come here, Matthew. Let me look at your arm.”
Matthew gets up and sits next to Shelby on the bed. Shelby begins to inspect Matthews wound. She is relieved to see it isn't that bad.
“You were just grazed by the bullet. I’m just gonna clean it for you and wrap your arm. Shelby looks in her medical supply kit and takes out the supplies she needs. Matthew thinks about how close he was from being killed. He honestly believed he was going to die by the hands of those bandits.
“I really thought they were gonna kill me.” Matthew says.
Shelby begins cleaning the wound on Matthews arm. Sydney looks at Matthew, thinking about what it would have been like to experience what he had experienced.
“I could never imagine myself ever killing anyone. I don't know how any of us could.” Sydney says.
Michael feels guilty for what he did. He never told his sisters what happened to him when he was out earlier. He feels he should come clean and just tell them.
“I killed someone today.”
They all turn to look at Michael. Matthew is confused, but Sydney is more shocked. She believes him when he says it, but questions what could have happened to bring her brother to make that choice. She steps forward and looks at her brother. She can see the guilt in his eyes.
“I found this woman. She wanted to come back with me because she was out there from the start. I followed her into the woods to find her son, so we could come home together, but she was sick. She was luring me into the woods to kill me and feed me to her son. He was already dead, and he turned. She said that she had to keep him ‘alive’ because she couldn't live without him. I had to shoot her once she attacked me. I would be dead if I didn't. I don't know if I made the right choice.” Michael comes out.
“You did. If it was the only choice, then it was the right one. You can feel bad, but don't feel sorry Michael.” Matthew explains.
Michael turns to Matthew, “It’s easy for you to say. You never had to do anything like that before.”
Matthew realizes he is right. He never did have to do anything like that before. Maybe he shouldn't say anything if he doesn't know what it feels like. But he still knows it was the only choice.
“You’re right, but if you didn't shoot her, you’d be dead. You made the choice that allowed you to come home tonight. You can live with that… you have to.” Matthew says.
Michael looks down. He knows Matthew is right, but he still feels guilty for it. Sydney looks at her brother, a little disappointed, but also sympathetic. She can't judge him, because she is grateful for him still being alive. She is just sad her brother had to do something like that.
Shelby finishes cleaning Matthews wound, and wraps his arm with a bandage.
“Good as new, kind of.” Shelby says.
“Thanks.” Matthew looks at his cousins, “Where are we all going to sleep tonight anyways?”
“Oh, I think we have some sleeping bags in the closet.” Sydney says.
“We can all sleep in the basement. Just like when we were kids.” Shelby suggests.
“Sounds good to me.” Matthew says.
Matthew and Shelby get off the bed and walk toward the bedroom door. They leave the room and go down stairs. Sydney looks down at her brother, who is still sitting on the floor. She knows he is having a hard time dealing with the loss of his parents and killing the woman in the woods. She begins to feel bad for even being disappointed in Michael. She knows how hard it must be to do something like that, and she knows what he is going through.
“You coming?” Shelby asks.
Michael slowly gets up and walks out of the room, and toward the stairs. Sydney follows him.
“Michael.”
Michael stops and slowly turns to face his sister.
“You’re going to be alright.” Sydney says.
She has a subtle smile while looking at Michael. She doesn't want to see him this way. She is his older sister after all, so she does feel responsible for making sure he is okay. Michael nods his head and continues to walk down the stairs to the basement. Sydney takes a moment, but eventually follows her brother down stairs.
The four of them walk down stairs and head for the basement. Michael and Shelby head down into the basement to get everything set up. Matthew follows behind, but he sees something odd outside of the window to the backyard. Matthew stops and takes a closer look. It doesn't take him long to understand what he is looking at. Right in the center of the backyard are the graves of his aunt and uncle. He knew they were dead but seeing this made it feel so much more real. Matthews eyes fill with tears once the harsh reality quickly sets in. Sindy sees Matthew looking outside, but she does nothing. She also understands what is happening. Matthew takes a moment, but eventually decides to exit through the back door of the house to see the graves.
Matthew steps outside and walks down the steps of the back door. He begins to feel sick in the stomach the closer he gets to the grave. With every step he takes, he becomes more anxious and aware of what's around him. Matthew walks up to the two graves and looks down at them both. He never imagined being faced with this so soon in his life. He knew at one point his older relatives would pass away, but it all happened so soon. Matthew stares at the homemade crosses that stick out of the ground at each end of the graves. He begins to cry to himself, and slowly lowers to his knees. Not only is it hard for him to accept this, but he also acknowledges the pain that his cousins must be going through. Matthew kneels in front of the graves, crying to himself.
Suddenly, Matthew hears the door to the house shut from behind him. He slowly turns to see Sydney standing at the top of the steps look down at him. Matthew is quick to wipe the tears from his cheeks, but she knows that he is crying. Sydney slowly walks down from the steps toward her cousin. She too is becoming emotional after looking at the graves of her parents. Matthew sees this and turns away. He doesn't know why, but he feels a great sense of guilt at this moment. He feels somewhat responsible for the chaos that has befallen his family. Sydney stops walking a few feet away from Matthew once she realizes that he doesn't want to look at her. She holds back the tears and just looks at him.
“How did it happen? How did they die?” Matthew asks.
“They were bit… we had to put them down…”
Matthews eyes fill with tears once again. Sydney’s voice begins to shake up.
“Michael… he was the one who did it. He put them to rest…” Sydney says.
A moment of silence ensures. Matthew is heartbroken at the thought of Michael having to go through something like that. Sydney is on the brink of crying, but she still manages to hold back the tears. Matthew cries to himself but doesn't make a sound.
“If I made it here faster… maybe they would still-” Matthew chokes up, “Maybe I could have done something.”
Sydney can hear the guilt and emotion in his voice. She can no longer control herself. Sydney bursts out into tears and runs up to Matthew. She hugs him from behind and presses her face into his back while she cries. Matthew continues to stand there, fighting the internal pain. He slowly begins to cry as well.
“How? How did it come to this? So many people are just… gone…” Matthew cries.
Sydney doesn't respond. She needs to let out the pain, as she has had to be the strong sibling when compared to her sister and brother. Matthew is someone that she can be open with, so she just needs him at this moment. The two continue to stand and cry in front of the graves. The reality in front of them is more evident than ever before.
Matthew, Kurt, and the siblings set up sleeping bags and blankets on the carpeted basement floor. Matthew rolls out his sleeping bag and grabs a pillow on the couch next to him. He can't help but remember all the times him, his brother, and his cousins would all have sleepovers down here and stay up all night talking and doing stupid things. They got so hyper and loud to the point where they would wake up their aunt and uncle. Matthew remembers one time where him and Michael stayed up all night playing a game while the others slept. They got so immersed in the game that they didn't realize how much time had passed by. Eventually morning came, and the others woke up. As soon as they did, Matthew and Michael fell asleep of exhaustion. The rest of them went upstairs to eat pancakes that Matthews aunt had made. Matthew remembers waking up around lunch and going upstairs to see all the pancakes gone. He was so angry when that happened, but he was glad he stayed up with Michael. Memories like that are what make him grateful for having such a close relationship with him.
The thought of his brother’s absence crosses his mind. It doesn't feel right not having the entire family here. Matthew wonders how different things might have turned out if his family had made it home, and they ended up coming to find Michael and his family sooner. Maybe Michaels parents would still be alive, and maybe they would have left here and found somewhere safer to live. It’s too bad this is how things turned out, but he’s grateful he can still be here with people he loves.
Matthew looks up to see the rest of them. They all finished setting up where they are going to sleep. Matthew, Sydney, and Shelby are going to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. Michael is going to sleep on the couch next to Matthew, and Kurt is going to sleep on some blankets near the stairs of the basement. Matthew is becoming concerned with Kurt. He doesn't understand why he is creating so much space between him, but he figures that he is still shaken up from yesterday.
Matthew and the others get into their sleeping bags and get ready to sleep. Michael rolls over onto his side and faces the couch. Matthew notices this but doesn't say anything.
“Good night.” Shelby says.
A few minutes pass by. It seems like everyone is asleep, but Matthew is still awake. He hasn't been able to have a good night rest ever since the world ended. He isn't concerned by it, but it starts to bother him. Eventually, Sydney rolls over to face Matthew. She is still awake as well.
“You can't sleep either?” Sydney whispers.
“No. I never really could.”
“Same. It feels like I’ve been sleeping with my eye open for the last month.” Sydney says.
There is a pause. Matthew thinks about the events that took place a day earlier. He remembers Laura and the promise he made her. He still feels guilty about it, but he tried to find her. He wonders if she is still alive out there. If she is, he can only imagine that she is mad at him.
“Can I tell you something?” Matthew asks.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Yesterday, there was this girl in our group. She had just lost her brother and her father. Me and her were being chased by those guys, and I told her to hide and wait for me to come back. She made me promise that I would. Well… after me and Kurt dealt with them, we went back for her, but she was gone. We never found her. I couldn't keep my promise, and I don't know if she’s even alive.” Matthew explains.
“What was her name?” Sydney asks.
“Laura.”
Matthew stares at the ceiling, thinking about Laura and her situation. Seeing her family die right in front of her must be very traumatic. He feels
guilty for never finding her.
“I’m sure she’s okay.” Sydney says.
“How do you know that?”
“I don't. But there's no reason in beating yourself up over it. You did everything you could.” Sydney whispers.
Matthew looks over at Sydney, “I guess you're right. We should leave tomorrow. We gotta find somewhere safer than here. Somewhere secluded, you know?” Matthew asks.
Sydney smiles at Matthew. She agrees, and she feels safer now that they are all together. This is the first time Matthew felt safe since the start. He had never been with this many people since then, so he feels right at home now. Matthew rolls onto his back and shuts his eyes. Sydney closes her eyes and tries to sleep as well.
The entire time, Michael had been listening to their conversation. He doesn't know if he is ready to go out there and face the cruel world again. He doesn't know what he would do if he encountered other survivors. Michael shuts his eyes and tries to sleep.
The sun rises, and the sound of distant birds chirping can be heard. Shelby opens her eyes as she lays in her sleeping bag on the basement floor. She rolls over, but no one else is around. She quickly notices the sunlight beaming through the small window near the ceiling. It must be morning, and the others must be upstairs. Shelby slowly gets up and stretches. She feels good after having a peaceful sleep. It's been a long time since she had been able to sleep and feel safe.
Matthew stands next to Michael in the kitchen. They are packing their bags with food, and other supplies that might be useful. Michael doesn't bother interacting with anyone. He has his mind on other things right now. Matthew looks over at Kurt, who is just standing near the sink, looking outside. Matthew realizes how odd Kurt has been acting recently. He has barely spoke since he got here, and he seems more untrusting. He understands what he could be going through, but he wants his friend to get along with his family.
Mankind Page 9
