Killing Corpses (zombie novel)

Chapter Twenty-One

Despite my complete and utter shocked state, we decided to let them join us. They were only kids, after all.
Seth and I led Daisy and Renton down from their tree house and into the service station, barricading the front doors behind us. We searched them for bites or scratches, finding nothing. They waited patiently, standing very close to each other as we tied multiple chains and put plenty of chairs in front of the door, watching our every move.
"New arrivals," Seth announced, flouncing over to the room Abbie and Callum were still in, banging on the door. "Kids."
"What?" Abbie asked, opening the door. Her face fell when she saw Renton and Daisy, and she straightened herself up. Callum followed.
"Oh hey, guys..." She said awkwardly. "You're with us now?"
"How do we know we can trust you all?" Daisy sniffed. She looked terrified.
"Just trust us sweetie." Abbie said, bending down to her height. "We're only here to help you."
She continued to eye us up suspiciously.
"How about," Callum said. "We sleep in a different room. And we cant get to you guys?"
She nodded slowly. "I guess... I guess that could work."
"Okay," Seth said sternly. "Lets quit happy families, we have work to do in here."

We spent a while tidying up, deciding who was sleeping where and all of that fun stuff. Daisy and Renton were taking the smaller storage space in the back, while the four of us took the front.
As we tidied up, I watched Renton closely. He was very quiet, and very pale, but I kept getting distracted before I could say anything about it. Besides, we had already checked them for bites. He couldn't be sick.

Just as we were settling down, munching on some energy bars, Daisy shared her and Renton's story. We sat around an electric hob, in a circle as she spoke.
"When all of the sick came to our home, we didn't know what to do. They um... They tried to do some news reports and stuff but they didn't have time. As soon as Daddy heard he got us all in his jeep and started driving, and we stopped so Mommy could run into this little shop to get some water for us all. But then... We heard screaming, and Daddy ran in after her. It was too late, and she got... Eaten...
"So we kept going and going, but Daddy wasn't himself. He wouldn't eat and he wouldn't drink; he wouldn't even sleep. Then we came here, and he made us our little treehouse. It was good for a while, but then... One day he went out to get something, but he never came back. Ever. We had been living off of the supplies from the gas station, but that ran out a couple' weeks ago. We've coped, but barley."
Everyone was silent after hearing her story, Abbie was wiping away silent tears. None of us knew what to say.
We talked some more, regaining normality, and ate some more energy bars. Renton didn't eat much, and soon Daisy decided it was time for them to go to bed. They headed off, and so did Abbie and Callum. Seth and I were left.
"I'll take first watch," I said, sitting down with Senshi and a book.
"You sure?" He asked.
I nodded and he waved goodnight.
"Don't let the Reapers bite..." I muttered, opening to the first page of the book.

I jolted awake as I heard voices. I looked around myself, confused, but then realising what had happened. I had fallen asleep.
I looked to my left, panicking, but saw everyone still sleeping soundly. Good. But then, what had woken me up?
"Renton!" I heard a small voice hiss. I heard doors opening and closing, and the distant sound of scuffing shoes.
I picked up Senshi, just as a raspy morning voice whispered in my ear.
"Whats going on?"
My instincts told me to whack whatever it was, so I did, punching Seth hard in the gut. I clamped my hand over my mouth as i watched him double over, my hand throbbing.
"Sorry!" I tried not to laugh. He held up a hand.
"S'okay..." He panted. "That was... A hard... Punch..."
"And that was a hard stomach." I said, referring to his faint six-pack.
He smirked and I rolled my eyes, unsheathing Senshi.
"I think Daisy and Renton are outside," A new voice whispered. It was Abbie, Callum behind her.
I nodded. "Yeah. Lets go find them."
------------------
We snuck outside, in the pitch black, me leading the way with Callum, Abbie and Seth flanking us. We staked around the corner, until we saw two shapes in the near distance, one on the ground. We approached.
"Daisy?" I hiss. "Daisy!"
"Copsyn," She turns around, fear plain in her face. "I don't know whats happening!"
Renton was lying still on the ground, unmoving. He was paler than before.
"Daisy," Abbie said calmly. "We have to get out of here."
"W-why?"
"Trust us," Callum said. "Before-"
And at that moment, Renton got up. But he wasn't Renton anymore.
He was up and walking, but he wasn't alive. His face was sagging, and he had no visible injuries. But his eyes were glazed over, his hair tousled. He didn't look like a Reaper, but he sure as hell was one. Daisy didn't seem to think so.
"R-Renton!" She cried happily, running up to him.
"DAISY!" I screamed, but it was too late.
Daisy tried to hug Renton, but in the blink of an eye he had latched onto her arm, in a grip like a vice.
Daisy screamed in agony, and I quickly struck a knife through the Reaper, Daisy collapsing on the floor. She sobbed in a heap, clutching her arm tightly. Renton had taken a large chunk out of her forearm, and Daisy wouldn't stop screaming.
"What do we do?!" Abbie panicked, trying to hush her.
"I-I don't know!" I replied, trying to stop the bleeding with my hands.
And before we knew what was happening, Seth burned a bullet through the little girl's head.
She fell limp to the floor, no longer screaming, as we all fell silent.
I felt rage build up inside of me, like I had never felt before, and turned slowly around to face Seth.
"What the HELL did you just DO?" I roared, running up to him. Hs face was taken by surprise, and Callum tried to restrain me from killing him.
"You inconsiderate, fucking idiotic, LOWLIFE of an ANIMAL. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!" i kept screaming, before Callum clamped his hand over my mouth.
"Stop it, you'll attract them!" He hissed in my ear.
As much as it pained me, I bit my tongue, and shrugged Callum's hands off of my shoulders.
Seth finally spoke up. "She was making too much noise. And she was going to die anyway. She was bit."
"Did you consider amputation?!" I whisper shouted through gritted teeth. "She could have lived!"
"And you would waste our recourses on a little girl?!"
"We kill the dead, not humans!"
"What if they're going to die? Huh?"
I walked up close to him, and pulled out my knife, pointing it at his chest.
"We're all going to die, smart-ass. One way or another. Does that mean I should kill you too? Right here? Now?" I questioned, staring him down. He looked down at me seriously, with dark eyes. "Sure she was bit." I continued. "But we could have fucking saved her, you asshole."
With that, I dropped my knife at his feet and stormed back inside, still fuming.