Episode 7: Young Angels

Episode 7

"Young Angels"

(Kayla's Point of View)

I woke up the next morning after having a rough night. I found it really hard to sleep last night, I kept thinking about Brandy. I wonder if he's okay, he really freaked out last night. I left my room and walked downstairs, everyone was awake, and there was a strange mood that was in the air this morning. People just didn't seem right. Stan was sitting at the table with his head buried in his arms, Mark and Jess were talking, and they both looked very upset. Ned was watching television with Bay, and I could tell the both of them looked upset as well. They don't like to show it, but I could tell.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Nobody responded, I saw Julie talking with Brandy outside on the porch, I went outside to see what was going on. Brandy looked really upset, and Julie was trying to comfort him.

"What going on?" I asked.

They took a long pause, but Julie finally answered me.

"It's Ryan," she said, "Something has happened to him. It's not looking good."

"What do you mean?" I asked, shocked.

"When Brandy hit him, he must have really done some damage. He hasn't woken up since, and Elise hasn't said a word."

I ran inside and looked around for Elise and Ryan, I found them in the hospital room. Ryan was lying there almost lifeless, and Elise was sitting next to his bed with her head down, holding his hand.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked.

Elise didn't answer, she just sat there as lifeless as Ryan and moped.

"Look Elise, I'm sure he'll be-"

Jus then, Ryan woke up, he started coughing, panicking and all. Elise snapped out of it and started trying to calm him down. He couldn't stop coughing though. Everyone ran upstairs to see what was happening, even Brandy and Julie. We all stood at the doorway, some people pitched in to try and help, but he wouldn't calm down. After about a minute of straight coughing, he stopped, and teared up. He looked me in the eyes and said,

"I'm sorry."

He closed his eyes. Mark walked over and felt his pulse, he stayed there and waited for a little while, nothing. He couldn't feel anything, I could tell by the look on his face. He looked at Elise, she didn't believe him.

"No! No, it's not right. He's fine." she said, she felt his pulse, she kept trying and wouldn't stop.

You could tell by the look of Ryan, he was dead. Brandy had beaten him to death. It was over. No matter how many times Elise felt his wrist, he would still have no pulse, he was dead.

I turned around and looked at Brandy, he realized what he had done and ran away. He ran down the stairs, I let him go. I could only imagine how he feels right now. Elise finally gave up. She sunk into the chair and put her head down.

"Everyone leave," she said, "just leave me with my boy."

There was no hesitation, everyone left the room and Mark shut the door behind us. There were no words, we all walked downstairs. I couldn't believe it, Brandy killed Ryan. He killed him. I walked outside in hope to find Brandy, I did. He was sitting on the porch looking off at the forest. I sat beside him, he was crying.

"I didn't mean to." he said, sniffling.

I hugged him, I held on tight. The guilt he must be feeling now is horrible. The least I could do is comfort him.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, "why did you attack him so aggressively last night?"

"He tried to hurt you Kayla." he cried.

"I could handle myself."

"He was going to shoot you. I had to stop him."

"Even when you did stop him, you kept hitting him. You kept hitting him."

"I don't know what happened, I'm sorry Kayla."

I got up, to let Brandy think about what has happened. He was going to need time, and I have no idea how Elise is going to deal with this. First her husband, now her child. That's rough. I walked out into the front yard of the mansion, the snowy yard. I walked around where it was quiet, and where I was alone. I pulled out a pistol from my pocket. It was the one Ryan used last night, the one he pointed at me. The one Brandy beat him to death with. I unloaded it again, it was empty. It had no bullets in it to begin with. Ryan wasn't trying to kill me, he was trying to make a point. He was just a stupid kid, and it was a last minute decision. He was angry, and he wanted to blame someone. He never planned on anyone dying last night. Unfortunately he was the one to pay the price. I can't show this to Brandy, that would only make him feel worse about the whole situation. I tossed the pistol into the snow and kept walking, it was over.

Hours passed, and I saw a bunch of people digging a hole in the backyard. They was struggling. The ground was frozen, there was no digging holes out here. We all knew there was only one way to deal with Ryan's body. It had to be done.

Elise brought Ryan outside in her arms, she had been upstairs grieving for hours. She was strong for doing this. She had him wrapped up in bedsheets. Elise then placed him down in the backyard and we all watched him just lie there. Mark poured some gasoline over his body and backed up. We took one last look at him and Stan lit a match, he flicked it onto Ryan's body and we watched him burn. It was the only thing to do, we can't leave him to rot, and we can't bury him. Everyone was here, except for Brandy. He was still dealing with what he did.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm sorry for what my dad did to you."

(Julie's Point of View)

After the funeral, I went back to the infirmary and just sat around. I was still thinking over everything that's happened. I worked in here with Elise and Ryan, they were like family to me. Everyone in this group is like family to me. Ryan didn't talk much, and he always looked sad whenever I saw him. What Jeff did to Terrence, I don't know if I will ever be able to forget that. If somehow we meet Jeff again, I don't think I could ever forgive him. He ruined Ryan's life, and it got him killed. I stared at the bed, it had blood over it from when he coughed up blood. I don't know if I can take anymore death, this group is falling apart, we don't like to admit it, but it is. Jess tries to keep everyone's spirits up, but sometimes it takes a little more than that. I closed my eyes and tears fell down my face. How many more of us are going to have to die before we realize that it's not helping anyone? The stranglers don't kill each other, but the living kill each other. It's almost like the stranglers have this all figured out, if they all work together they survive, I don't think the living quite has this figured out yet.

I heard a sound by the door, I turned to see Elise standing there. She was trying to hold in her tears, but it just wasn't working. She walked over to me and hugged me.

"Why did this happen to me?" she asked, "why did I lose my family so quickly?"

"It happens to the best of us." I said.

"Just promise that you will keep the infirmary running while I'm gone. You never know when someone will need help."

"Wait what? What do you mean when you're gone? Where are you going?"

Elise backed away and looked me straight in the eyes, she simply said,

"Away."

She turned away and started walking down the stairs, I followed her. She went out the front door and stood on the porch, I caught up to her.

"What are you doing Elise?" I asked.

"I can't be here anymore," she said, "I lost everything I ever cared about. I am leaving, you have to understand that."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know, I'll find something."

I didn't try to stop her, I understood her fully. I could handle the infirmary by myself. I learned enough from Elise. She stepped off of the porch and walked through the snow, heading into the forest, disappearing into the trees. and I never saw her again.

(Brandy's Point of View)

I sat on the roof of the mansion, nobody knew I was up here. I hope it stays that way, I need to be alone. I didn't know what I was thinking when I beat Ryan. Something snapped. I am normally a passive person, I don't like to kill. I can barely kill stranglers without feeling upset about it. So why do I still not feel bad for what I did? Maybe I am finally adapting to the world, Kayla has killed plenty of living people before, she never feels too bad about it. Maybe this is just how the world works now. I heard creaking coming from behind me, and I saw Jess climb onto the roof. She walked over to me and sat beside me.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"I was doing a perimeter check and saw you from below, you're not very good at hiding if that's what you were trying to do." she said.

"I don't even know what I'm trying to do anymore." I buried my face in my hands.

Jess put her arm around me.

"Hey listen, it's gonna be fine. From what I've heard, you attacked Ryan to save Kayla. He pointed a gun at her. Don't beat yourself up."

"But I just kept going!" I cried, "I didn't stop! Even when I knew he was down, I just kept on hitting him! He could have still been alive if I just-"

"There was nothing you could do. This sick world makes people angry, it's just what it does. I'm not saying what you did was right, I'm just saying it's not your fault."

"How can it not be my fault?" I cried.

"Brandy," Jess said calmly, "Remember Winston? Remember how I killed him? I did it without hesitation, I could have spared him, but I didn't. Just like what you did with Ryan. I saw Winston as a threat to the group so I offed him, you saw Ryan as a threat, so you did the same. Who knows, if you let Ryan live, what makes you think he won't just try to attack you again?"

I sighed and looked at the forest, it calmed me to look at it.

"I'm not that type of person Jess, other people may find it easier to kill, but I don't. I'm not a killer Jess."

"Here is some tough love for you Brandy, whether you like it or not, we're all killers. We do what we have to do to live. To keep pushing through the virus. It's the only way to survive now. Don't beat yourself up about it too much, because some day, you will have to do it again. If you don't, you die instead."

Jess got up and climbed down off of the room and jumped into the snow. How could these people just act like killing was nothing? She was right though, next time a threat arises, I will have to kill again. Like it or not.