by W. A. R.
“They helped us…” Amber began but Miles cut her off easily. He did not raise his voice, but his tone demanded understanding and finality.
“They brought them here.”
Shelly stared hard at him for a moment. “That isn’t fair to them. Not everything is so black and white.”
Brian stared a hole through Shelly before sighing. “How do we know they are telling the truth? They are desperate. They could be doing and telling us anything that would lead us to believe them. Once we trust them, it could be game over. Do you want that?” He said motioning to them, and although they shifted uneasily in their places, they remained silent. It was like a slap in the face, especially after how welcoming they had been just an hour before. Katie understood their fear, however; how could she not? They had just discovered that someone was creating new and modified monsters. Amber squared her shoulders in front of Miles and George and for a moment Katie envied her. She held herself up tall and she was strong and was determined, compassionate…she had a family that supported her. Amber eyed George curiously and almost pleadingly.
“Well, what do you think?” she asked of him calmly, and Katie sensed a form of comradery that lay beneath her words and she wondered how it came about. His eyes rose to meet hers and once again there was an unspoken communication. A part of Katie longed to belong somewhere, to be so close and protective of the people around her as they seemed to be. His vivid green eyes then left Amber’s and he scanned each and every foreign individual in the room. Katie again shifted on her feet, the amount of scrutiny they were under putting her nerves on edge.
“I’m not sure. I mean, I can see why you would want them to stay. They would be helpful around here, especially if someone else did create those things, and…if someone did, if they decided to come around, we could use their help, but on the flip side, what they said rings true too, and you know it. How can we trust them? What if they are the ones that created them?” he asked and Shelly looked over at him.
“I distinctly remember us helping you. Both of you actually.” She said harshly to both Miles and George, who had the good grace to look away ashamedly. Miles however did not. Instead, he stared hard at her, his eyes hardening at her words.
“We knew them, Shells. This is different.” Brian said and from the look that Amber and Shelly cast his direction, he knew he had opened a can of worms that should have stayed closed.
“Oh no, we didn’t know either of them when we first found them. Amber knew them, you didn’t and you still trusted them after the initial round of questioning. Enough to go off alone with Miles.” Shelly spat out at him and he looked away to the boarded up window, and Katie wondered what he thought he would have found there. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, contemplating his next words and visibly attempting to reign in his tempter before he turned back to her.
“I knew them well enough. Besides, we were going to kill George before he said he was looking for Amber and you damn well know it.” Brian spat back at her bitterly. This seemed to surprise Amber for a moment, but she quickly gathered her wits about her.
She spoke out, her voice gentle and reassuring. “Regardless of whether you were going to kill him or not, you believed his story. Miles helped you and you had no idea who he was. The same judgment applies here.”
“I was in the trunk of your car, for crying out loud. They knew I was linked to your disappearance.” George lashed out at her before Miles jumped in.
“He knew that I saved your life before and that was enough for him. Wouldn’t it be for you?” he asked her venomously, and Katie felt as if it were a trick question with no real answer. She felt surprised and uneasy. They had obviously been through a lot, and knew they were fighting between doing what they thought was right.
Pain filled Amber’s eyes. “How can you say that to me?” she asked softly and he remained silent, refusing to answer. He turned from her, regret obvious in his brown depths. Katie questioned their history, the relationship that these people had with one another. Amber sighed. “Do you all make it a mission to disagree with whatever we say? Because this is getting to be exhausting.” She addressed the men before her.
“No, you both throw caution to the wind when things become too emotionally unbearable.” Miles told her simply, and she watched Amber visibly shake with anger. Again, her eyes looked pained.
“And then you leave it to us to be the bad guys and make the decision that you know is right. We carry that burden, not you.” Brian expressed angrily. The five of them stared at one another heatedly. Katie felt as if they weren’t discussing them anymore, and if they were, they were bringing up a past situation in which something horrible had happened.
“What happened to you?” they heard Jackson speak, his voice thin and shaky. The old man ventured forward, Bobby-Jean at his side. Everyone looked at them in surprise, but despite the shock written on all of their faces, he continued. He looked George dead in his eye. “You were a teacher. You were a kind, friendly man and everyone in town knew it. You wouldn’t have turned your back on anyone in need. You have helped complete strangers. What happened to you?” Everything became silent as he lowered his head, examining his shoes. Jackson’s description seemed a better fit for the man than his now rough exterior.
“Life.” George replied solemnly. “Life happened, Mr. McDermott.” He said gently and the old man shook his head.
“And you are going to let life change everything about the person you once were?” he asked him. George did not reply to this, which left Katie surprised. George appeared ashamed and looked away, clearly chastised and dwelling on what the old man had asked him. She turned her eyes to Miles as Bobby-Jean then stepped forward, acknowledging him. He lifted his eyebrows in surprise and curiosity.
“And you,” she began pointing a finger at him. It was stern, and he was taken aback at her accusing tone.
“Me?” he asked, pointing at himself. “Mrs. McDermott, I am only trying to protect…” he began but Bobby-Jean interrupted him, her face turned into a scowl.
“I know what you are trying to do. I may be old but I am not senile.” She told him sternly. He sighed. “These people need something. You know a thing or two about faith don’t you?” she asked him and he looked around at everyone, his eyes finally landing on Brian and then settling on Amber before turning back to Bobby-Jean. Amber shifted her eyes from him. Katie looked around and saw that everyone was watching the scene before them with immense interest.
“Yes ma’am.” He said lowly, shuffling his feet, staring at the ground. He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and shrugged his tense shoulders. She reached forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. He did not resist her, did not even try to. His eyes seemed tired and worn.
“Then you know that these people don’t have any. Don’t you know how that feels, son?” She asked him, and Katie felt a sadness overcome the room, replacing the uneasy tension. Miles swallowed thickly, taking a moment before he answered. Bobby-Jean raised her eyebrows, waiting for a reply.
“Yes ma’am.” He said, his voice thick with emotion. Bobby-Jean released him and stepped back, placing her hands on her hips. Clearly, she had made her point to him.
“Then you understand how lost they are right now. You should consider that before deciding.” She said, and then both Jackson and Bobby-Jean turned to look at Amber, Shelly, and Brian. All three of them shifted towards one another and away from the two older people.
“You don’t even have to say it.” Brian told them, holding up a hand in defeat. Jackson shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Oh but I do, my boy. I have always been proud of my children, and I have been proud of you Shelly my dear. You have all been so understanding when it came to others; maybe not so much of yourselves, but you could always agree that whenever someone else needed help, they came first. I used to think it was going to be such a self-destructive trait, but look at how far you have all come. Why change who you are now? What happened to
the man and women that always stood for what was right, even when you were standing alone? Is this what you have become?” he stopped for a moment, eyeing each of them, his grey eyes holding tears. “If it is, I must tell you that I am disappointed and I expected better of you.” He said softly before turning from them and escorting Bobby-Jean, who stood with tears in her eyes, from the living-room. Once they left, everything became quiet as the five of them looked around at one another apologetically and shamefully.
“Miles, George, Brian…”Amber began, and Katie could tell that she was trying to choose her next words wisely. She sighed. “We wouldn’t send Jacob and Brittany out. They are just kids.” She said softly and Miles and George gazed up at her simply, nodding.
“We know.” Miles said softly, his bruised face seemingly more brutal in the dim light while he frowned. George reached forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Shelly stepped towards Brian, taking his hand. He turned up his eyes to look at her.
“Brian, honey, we can at least try it. If it doesn’t work, we will know, and we will know what to do.” She told him gently and he nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist in an embrace. He was saddened by his father’s words and she simply held him. Silence reined yet again, and Katie glanced around, seeing Buddy and Damien becoming uneasy. Elva Jo had disappeared with Bobby-Jean and Jackson, and Katie knew that she hoped she could comfort them and ease whatever pain they were feeling. Katie only wished she were that comfortable; instead, she felt exhausted, her heart heavy and her nerves causing her hands to tremble uncontrollably. Finally, the movement of them all turning to face the others caught her attention. George, Amber, Miles, Shelly, and Brian all stared at them, analyzing each of them.
“Here is what is going to happen.” Brian said sternly, his grey eyes that he had gotten from his father skimming over every one of them. “If you wish to stay here, you are welcome to under some conditions. We have rules. This is your trial basis. We have moral ethics, obviously, and those ethics have saved your lives and provided you with sanctuary. I expect you to respect them.” Brian turned to glance as his sister. “Amber?” he asked of her and she sighed.
Amber picked up where he left off. “We remain a team, and we do what is best for everyone. We do not provide for our own selfish needs, and instead attempt to provide for everyone especially in the wake of what we just discovered. If you cannot do that, then you may leave. We each have chores of sorts that we must complete on a daily basis. You will be involved in them from now on.”
“We must have trust because without it we will only fall apart. The first time you decide to betray us, lie to us, or attempt to harm us in any way we will handle the situation however we see fit. And believe me, we can get mean.” George picked up, and Katie saw how they built off of one another; she saw how they gained strength and wisdom from each other, trusting their lives in the hands of their small family. Katie nodded at his words, understanding the amount of faith it took for them to entrust these strangers with their safety.
Miles turned his softened brown eyes to them and sighed. “We are a family. We are friends. In order to survive this, we have to communicate, be able to rely on one another.” He said, and his eyes flicked over everyone else in his group before turning back to them, his eyes harsher than before. “You will get one chance. I recommend you don’t fuck it up.” After that, Brian easily shifted around Shelly, walking over to Buddy, holding his hand out for him to shake. Buddy easily took it, shaking it firmly. Katie could see the relief in his eyes.
“If you agree to those conditions, welcome home.” He told them all, and Katie felt immense relief overcome her. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she smiled. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay for them. Maybe they could survive what was thrown their way. Everyone moved, reacquainting themselves with one another once again, everyone readily agreeing to the conditions set before them and then it happened: they intermingled around the room once again, as if the previous conversation had never happened. Derek looked around at everyone, sighing. He was about to address the next important matter at hand and the thought bothered Katie like no other.
“Now, about those Biters…” he began, addressing the elephant in the room. “Let’s start with the other Biter you had mentioned.” He offered, effectively changing the subject, and George sighed, looking across the room at Miles who stood between Damien and Derek. Miles nodded, catching Amber’s questioning glance.
“A few days ago there was another Biter at the back gate. Amber had seen it, but it didn’t worry itself with her. Instead it dropped to its knees and began clawing and digging at the dirt by the gate, almost as if it were trying to dig its way in.” Miles began tepidly. He looked around the room, his eyes jumping from Brian to Amber to Shelly and back. He sighed. “After Amber and Brian went into the house, George and I checked it out to see if there was any reason it acted that way. There were track marks in the crook of its elbow, and a bite mark on the top left shoulder. It was just like the two outside…and the bite mark was in the exact same place as the one from Angola.” He said, and Katie saw so many questions reflecting in the eyes of the other three of their group. Things grew silent and a nervous feeling settled like a rock in the pit of Katie’s stomach.
Brian was the first to speak. He looked at Amber, eyes wide with surprise as she looked at Miles sadly. “Did you know about this?” he asked her calmly, and she looked up at him, shaking her head.
“I had no idea.” She replied and Brian nodded slowly before turning to look between George and Miles. Miles stared back at her, remorse flashing across his features briefly. Amber shook her head and turned from him, crossing her arms.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” he asked, and he asked the question in such a way that he knew there was a reasonable explanation.
George stepped forward, glancing between the three of them before answering. “We didn’t think it was important. I mean, anyone could be doing anything these days and they, well…they could be bitten anywhere.” He offered in their defense.
Buddy eased forward then from his place towards Amber. “Move over, sweetness.” He said roughly. Amber glanced back at him, watching as he placed himself beside her. He looked at everyone before him while Miles narrowed his eyes to slits at the man. “So, let’s have the run down. How many…things…have you all seen? Why do we think that someone created them? And how?” he asked and Amber shifted next to him. Miles stepped forward, his focus on the man that had entered their circle.
“Including the two outside, that makes four within a month.” He stated. Amber sighed, shifting uneasily.
“Four?” he asked incredulously. Amber nodded at him.
“Yes The first one we encountered could run.” Buddy’s eyes widened at this, but she continued. “And it just…died. We didn’t kill it. The second dug at the fence. And well…The two outside had impossible strength, all four seemed to have some form of brain function…” she began when George interceded.
“Don’t forget about how quick they were, they have the same marks, and they were all pretty recent…within the last few months.” He said and Katie looked at him.
“How would that work? I mean, they were Biters…” Damien began before trailing off. He shook his head. “Wait…you said they all had brain function?”
Miles studied the man before answering him. “Yes. The first one seemed to sense danger…the second seemed to be digging to reach the other side of the fence. And the two last night…well, you know how that went.” He said gently. Katie eased up a bit, removing her arms from across her abdomen and placing them firmly on her hips. Her mind rallied through all of the possibilities.
“Well…” she began, unsure of how to begin, “they were obviously Biters, but they were different. Very different. So, it could have gone one of two ways…either they were injected with something before they were bitten or they were bitten and then given something…”
Shelly shook her head. “They had to have been bitt
en first, right? In order for the parasite to spread before they were given anything. If they were given something first, what would be the point of the bite? Why would they turn them if they were searching for something? The bite was planned. They had to have been wanting to create something ruthless and damn near invincible with the expendable provisions they had.”
“There is no parasite so it could have gone either way.” Amber told them all calmly. They each turned to her curiously and Katie shuddered, knowing that her statement outside had altered something within their minds; had opened doors that they had willingly shut due to their unfamiliarity.
“Yes there is, it was broadcasted…” Buddy began but Amber shook her head and he stopped the train of thought he had.
“Katie explained it earlier and she was right. A parasite is spread through wounds, bodily fluids, feces, blood, etc…if it was a parasite we would have already been infected. I don’t know why we didn’t think of that before.” She said to everyone, and their eyes shifted from Amber to Katie. She felt as if she were on the spot then and her mind drew a blank.
“So the news?” Damien asked her, but Miles answered for her.
“It was a lie formulated by the government as an attempt to divert total chaos.” He said swiftly and Buddy looked around them all, seemingly frustrated, and possibly betrayed.
“Could someone have made Biters…Biters in general?” he asked, the tone of his voice slightly hostile. Amber took a step from him slowly, unsure of his actions to intense moments. He watched her and slowly closed his eyes, attempting to calm down.
Katie shook her head. “No. It was so widespread it took out entire continents when it first came about. The government itself is gone. It had to have been some new virus, some new disease that ran rampant before anyone knew what was happening. They were right in one aspect, though…it completely destroys the brain, so whatever was given to these new Biters altered the genetic coding of the virus, leaving them with some form of brain function.”
