The Dead Live (Book 3)

Chapter 35: Goodnight Kid (Bens POV)

I walked in to the community home, as I expected it to be completely dark, besides the fact that there would be candles on the wall, just as it had been a few days before, when I had been at this place. To my surprise how ever, I saw that the lights were all on, and I blinked a few times as well, due to the fact that I was so shocked.
I had heard that they had destroyed all of the solar panels, and a bunch of other things that had electricity. Last time we had that happen, it took up to a couple of months to get the power back up in the entire community. I suppose of course, I was not all too sure if the power in fact was back up in the entire community in the first place.
It hit me at the same time as well, when I had been with my mother a very long time ago, she had some people working on this place, and she had told me that they were working on a back up power generator. Of course, just a few weeks after that, that was when the storm hit, and it took down our walls, killing my mother and my step father in the process too.
I closed my eyes for just a few seconds, as I continued to follow the foot steps of many of the others that were in front of me, down this hall way. I was not quite sure as to where it was that we were even going in the first place, due to the fact that we had already gone past so many rooms, and no one had stopped to go in to any of those rooms.
I was a bit confused, and a bit lost due to that, as I had remembered Shannon telling us that we were welcome to stay in the community house for the night, until we knew that it was safe to come out in the morning. That went for not just us, but also the people that had not been there, to witness all of that mayhem go down.
They were probably more scared than they had ever been before, due to the fact that they had heard non stop gun shots for about an hour on end. I was sure that no one in their right mind was going to be coming out of their home any time soon. Which I was not sure whether or not that was a good, or a bad thing just yet.
I suppose, it was good, just based off of the fact that they would more than likely be staying in their homes, due to the fact that they were far too scared to come out of them right now, which of course I completely understood. How ever, I was not sure if that were the best thing for them at the exact same time either.
I was fairly certain that a lot of people were running low on food and water, just based off of the fact that Shannon made it to where we could only go and get a certain amount of food and water from the market place, once every few weeks or so. It was smart to be fair, but it was not good for us now, at a time such as this one, when people needed to be staying in their homes, and they needed supplies as well.
I felt that there had been a few people sneak out as well, and just based off of how I saw most peoples reactions when they saw the dead, I had to assume that it had not ended well for them. I was fairly certain that there was still a lot of the dead in the community, but I could at least say for a fact, that Shannon had done a very good job of clearing it.
I let out a little bit of a sigh at the same time as well, as I then heard all of the foot steps that I had been following, down the extra long hall way that I used to play in just about every day with a lot of my friends, even though I knew that it was against the rules, and my mother had told me not to do any of that nonsense.
I opened my eyes at the same time too, as I was a bit confused as to why every one had stopped walking. I looked around at all of the faces that were around me at the current moment, as it seemed that most of them had a bit of a blank look on their face, which did not tell me all that much at all.
I turned my head to Christian, who I knew was standing right beside me still, as I saw that though he was looking at the middle of the corridor, which was where we were at right now, splitting in between 4 different sections of the long hall way that we had just been walking down, I still could see that Christian, as per usual, had his eyes on me still, as he was looking at me from the corner of his eye.
As he saw me looking at him with quite the confused look on my face, he then turned his head over to me, staring at me for just a few seconds, until he then rolled his eyes at me at the same time as well. I was a bit confused as to what he was getting at, and what it was that I might be missing in all of this that was going on around me.
I blinked a few times, keeping the same blank look on my face at the same time too. Maybe I was just missing some thing important, due to the fact that I was so tired. I just wanted to get some sleep, which was why I was so confused in the first place, as I thought that was why we had come in to the community house in the first place.
Christian pointed in the middle of the corridor, as I was a little bit confused as to what it was that he was telling me in the first place. I blinked just a few times as well, as I then in fact did what it was that he was suggesting for me to do, as I looked over to the middle of the corridor, seeing that it was Jordans father Andrew in the middle of it all.
I was a little bit confused as to why it was not Shannon that was in the middle of this, as I could tell that he was about to say some thing important, and typically, that was Shannon's job to do as such. I stared at him with a blank look, as it then hit me at the same time too, that Shannon had said she was going to stay out with a few others, just to make sure it was all clear.
I knew that she felt quite a bit guilty for making a deal with them, and I wanted to blame her for it, just like I knew a lot of others would do, if she was to tell every one about it. At the same time as well how ever, I also knew that she did not have much of a choice, and it was not her decision that the man had killed over half of our people.
I sighed a little bit, as I shook off all of those thoughts at the same time as well, as I then looked back up to the middle of the big circle of people, where Andrew was standing right now, with what it looked to be, that he had his eyes squinted at all of us, as if all of us were being oddly suspicious for some odd reason or another.
I shivered a little bit, as it felt like a lot of people had lost a lot of trust in one another after all of this. I sighed just a bit, as I tilted my head a little bit at the same time too. After a few more seconds as well, Andrew finally decided that he was going to speak to all of us, as he did in fact do so, as I listened to hear what it was that he had to say to us at the same time too.
"Every one, there is 24 of us, so we are going to split in to 4 groups of 6, and we are going to each go down the long sections and check every single house to see if any one is going to be alive in there... It will take just about all day, so be ready..." He said to all of us. I looked at him for quite a few moments, as I saw from the corner of my eye at the same time too, that a lot of people were nodding in response to him. I stood there for a little bit of some more time, until I decided that I was going to do the same as the rest of them.
Andrew continued to have his eyes squinted at us for quite a bit of some time, as it did not seem like us nodding was a good enough response to him. I was not sure as to why, as it was clear that all of us were tired mentally, after the crazy last few days that we had just been having.
Maybe he was just too tired to notice that as well, as I let out a little bit of a soft sigh at the same time as well, as I could tell that every one here just wanted to find a room, and go get some rest for the night, which I did not blame them for feeling that way at all, as I felt the exact same way as the rest of them did, even if I was in fact worried about my brother with Chester.
It was not the fact that I was worried that Chester might do some thing to him, it was more the fact that even if Chester had said he would make sure that Liam was okay, I knew that once he fell asleep on that couch in the living room, he was not going to wake up, and I was worried that Liam might do some thing stupid, such as go out side and look for me.
I knew at the same time too how ever, that we had also told Liam that we might be gone for a few days, which was not a first for him to hear, so I just had to hope that was good enough for him. He was a smart kid... Hell, what was I on? I was sure that he would not do some thing as dumb as that.
I lifted my head back up to Andrew at the same time too, as he no longer had his eyes squinted at most of us, but he still did not look all that happy with just about 0 response to what it was that he had said to all of us. I suppose if I looked at both sides of the spectrum, I could see as to why he would not be all that happy.
I felt like I should step up to all of these people how ever, as I could tell that they just wanted a place to lay their heads for the night, and it did not seem like it was going to be Christian, that was going to be the one to step up for then this time. Why would he any ways? It felt like at times, he did not care for any human... Not even him self.
I shook off those thoughts, as I stared at Andrew, even though he did not seem to notice me do so. I could tell that his son Jordan was just as tired as every one else as well, as I blinked my eyes at the both of them. I sighed a little bit louder this time, which I could tell got the attention of Andrew, and a few others as well, as I then began to speak up to him at the same time too.
"We heard you Andrew... People just want to get some sleep right now... We will be up in the morning..." I said to him at the same time too. I almost expected Andrew to squint his eyes at me, just as he had been doing to all of the others that were in the big room with us, just a few seconds ago.
He did not do so how ever, as I saw that Andrew began to look all across the room, as if he needed to look at all of these people, to see if what I had just said had really been true or not. I looked around the room at the same time too, as I saw a lot of the people in here, nod to me in a bit of a thanks, and in agreement as well.
It seemed like that was enough for me, as I looked back over the Andrew at the same time as well, seeing Jordan right behind him have a little bit of a smile on his face as he looked at me. I was a little bit confused by it, as this really did not feel like a situation to be smiling about at all right now, so I just ignored it, and I kept my eyes locked on his father, Andrew, instead.
Andrew was still looking around the room, as if he still could not take in the fact that what I had said had in fact been true. After a few more seconds how ever, he did in fact turn his head back over to me, and he then nodded to me at the same time too, as it was clear that he now realized that what I had just said to him, had in fact been truth.
He dipped his head a little bit low, as I could tell he felt a little bit guilty for trying to push these people so hard. I did not really have any thing good to say to him, to make him feel any sort of better at the moment, as I felt like I was on the side with every one else that was in this room at the current moment in time.
Andrew stared down at the ground for just a little while longer, until he finally seemed to grow him self a little bit stronger, and mentally stable, which I could tell none of us really felt that way right now, as he then slowly lifted his head back up to me at the exact same time too, and he then nodded to me.
I stared at him for a little bit longer, as I then squinted my eyes at him at the same time too. It seemed like he was wasting a fair amount of time, as it was clear that a lot of the people that were here with us right now, were just waiting for him to give the go ahead, for him to let them all go in to a room and get some rest.
I suppose now, it was me that was wasting the time how ever, as it was clear that he was waiting for me to nod back, until he began to speak to all of the people that were with us. After I realized that, I did not hesitate to nod back to him, as he then nodded to him self after I did so, and he began to speak to every one, as I listened to what it was that he had to say to all of us, at the exact same time as well.
"Very well... Every one go get some sleep, and do not what Shannon told us..." He began to say. I was a bit confused as to what it was that he was getting at, at the exact same time as well, as I tilted my head at him. He no longer had his eyes on me how ever, so he could not see me do so. I blinked a few times, as I waited for him to continue to speak, which after a few more seconds of silence, he did in fact do so, as I listened as to what it was that he had to say at the same time too. "We need to be up by the brink of dawn... I know that you are all tired and all, but it is just one last day of this... We can go get some sleep after this is done... Now, every one, go find a room..."
I kept my eyes squinted at Andrew for a little bit more of some time, though he still did not seem to notice me do so at all how ever. I looked at him, as he then turned his head over to his son, Jordan, and he nodded to his son at the same time too. I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and what it was that he was even getting at in the first place with him.
I then saw Jordan nod back to his father how ever, as all of the sudden, they then began to walk out if the corridor. I blinked a few times, as I was still a little bit lost with what was even going on in the first place, as I saw them head over to a certain room, which was bigger than most, as I used to live here, and I knew that there were 2 beds in that one.
It was more than likely the same room that they had been staying in the last few nights, even though I had not been here to say if that was true or not. I shook my head at the same time as well, as I knew that those were useless thoughts, and they did not help me at all at the current moment in time either.
I let out a little bit of a sigh, as it then hit me, as to what was even going on in the first place, as I saw many of the others that had been with us, start to follow in his foot steps, as they went to their own rooms. I blinked a few times too, as it felt like I was just stuck in place, and I was not sure what to do.
As I looked around me for quite a bit of some time, I all of the sudden felt some thing grab on to my shoulder, as I jumped up high, almost up to the sky, as it had freaked me out quite a bit, as I had not expected it to happen at all. I turned my head over, to see that it had just simply been Christian, as I expected him to be laughing, or have a smirk on his face like he usually did when he scared me like that.
That did not seem to be the case at all how ever, as I could tell that he was just as tired as I was, and as tired as the rest of the people were, that had just been in the room with all of us, for him to find it funny at all. I blinked a few times too, as I shook my head at the same time as well, as I could almost feel my heart pounding.
I let out a bit of a soft sigh, as I breathed in heavily as well, that way I could at least regain some sort of control over my self, as I then nodded to Christian at the same time as well, as I could tell that he was waiting, to make sure that I was paying attention to him, before he began to speak.
Christian blinked a few times, as it took him just a few seconds to react to it, as I saw him then nod back to me after a little bit more time had passed. Christian then stared at me in to my eyes, as he then began to speak to me at the exact same time too, as I then listened to what it was that he had to say to me as well.
"Alright kid... Lets go find a room with 2 beds... I want to make sure that you are up quick in the morning." He said to me at the same time too. I blinked a few times, as I was quite a bit confused on what it was that he was even getting at in the first place. I usually woke up fairly early most mornings, even when I was fairly tired.
I shook my head at the same time too, as I also had to figure that he was just making sure, and he did not want to be behind the others in the morning. I let out a little bit of a sigh at the same time too, as I then nodded to him as well, after just a few more seconds of us just sitting in the corridor, staring at one another, with no one around, as they had all, already gone to their own rooms to get some sleep.
After a few more seconds again, Christian nodded back to me, as this time, finally, and thankfully as well, he did not hesitate, as I saw him squint his eyes at one of the big rooms in specific, that I had to assume that no one had gone in to, as he then began to walk over to it at the same time too.
I followed close behind him, looking around at the lights in the hall way, as they began to fade a little bit more dim, as if some one was doing some thing to them. I looked around me at the same time too, as at first, I had thought, and I had wondered if that had perhaps been the case, until I did not see any one in the hall way with us, messing with the lights.
I then remembered as to why that was happening at the same time as well, as my mother had told me all about her plans with the back up power, and how they would automatically dimmer at night so it didn't waste any power, as I had also remembered how excited she had been about it too. It felt like she was more of a happy person after her husband had died, and many others as well, than she had been before the world had gone as crazy as it was right now.
I knew that she loved her job as leader, even if it did hurt her when we lost a life of a person, she was always excited to make things better, which was a lot of the reason that many people had voted on my sister at the same time too, as they had expected her to be just the same as our mother, which unfortunately was not the case at all, as I was still worried about the fact that she might have betrayed us as well.
I sighed just a bit, as I then shook my head at the same time too, as I saw Christian walk over to the door of the room that we were about to be staying the night in together, which still felt a bit strange to me, as even out side of the walls, we typically did not sleep in the same room as one another, as he said he enjoyed his 'privacy'.
I was not sure as to what it was that he had meant by it, but I suppose there was not really much of a reason to question him at this point, as he was usually right with what he had said, even at times I disagreed with him, I always tended to see him in fact be correct with all that he had said in the end.
A lot of that also had to do with the fact that he had been doing this for 10 years, and I was lucky to say if I might have been doing the same as him, for maybe 10 weeks. So it was clear to me that he knew what he was talking about over me, and my brain was just an idiot at times.
I sighed a bit, as we both then walked in to the dark room with one another, as I looked around in the dark, as if I expected to see one of the dead in here for some odd reason or another, which happened to not be the case at all, as I saw Christian walk further in to the room, as suddenly a bright light popped up at the same time too.
I put a hand in front of my eyes, that way I could see what it was that I was even looking at in the first place, as my eyes then began to get used to the bright light after a little while longer as well. I looked around the room, as I saw that Christian had already sat down on his bed, and it looked like he was ready to go to sleep at any second now.
I rolled my eyes at the same too, as I turned my head, and my eyes to the other side of the room, as I spotted another bed, the same size as his, with its own lamp that I was not going to be using. I slowly began to walk over to it, as I did the same as I had seen Christian just do, as I sat right down in to it.
Just as soon as I had done so, that was when the light turned off, and it was just pure darkness in the room that I was in. This time it did not scare me at all how ever, as I knew that nothing was going to be able to get to me, or hurt me in here... Unless... Well... Of course... Those people came back for more of us.
I shook my head though, as I shook off all of those thoughts, and I just stared at the ceiling for quite a bit of some time. I knew I smelt nasty, as I could smell the rotten stench coming from my clothes. I had not showered in about a week, and I had been sweating like crazy. I figured I should throw away these clothes when all was said and done.
I shook my head, as I shook off those thoughts at the same time too, as I moved around in my bed at the same time too. Even though I was in fact very tired, it felt like it was hard to sleep. Maybe I just needed to clear my thoughts. I shivered a little bit, as I spoke loudly to Christian, hoping I had not woken him at the same time either.
"Christian... Good night..." I said to him, as I stared in the direction that he was laid in his own bed, as if I would be able to see him, even though it was pitch black in the room. I blinked a few times as well, as I did not here any sort of movement come from his side of the room at all.
I figured that maybe he had already some how managed to fall asleep, as I sighed just a bit, and then I slowly began to close my eyes at the same time too. It felt like he never fell asleep, but I suppose this time he was just too tired to hear what it was that I had just said to him.
Once my eyes seemed to be closed for the most part, that was when I heard a little bit of creaking, and movement fron the bed of Christian, on the far side of the room from me. I lifted my head up, and looked right over to his bed, as I was a little bit afraid, and scared with what was going on in the first place.
I then heard a little bit of a groan come from him. As I was about to jump out of the bed in panic, and run to the door, as it sounded like it was the groan of the dead. Just as I was about to do so how ever, that was when I heard his voice, as he then began to talk to me at the same time too.
"Goodnight kid..."