While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Nineteen

We all froze. I’d stopped breathing, but I couldn’t bring myself to gasp for air, too afraid that even a slight movement would cause Elliot to fire the gun.
Time slowed down, and the possibilities of how this could end started flying through my head, so many of them ending with Wyatt lying dead on the floor.
I was still holding the knife, I could lunge at him and stab him in the stomach.
But would I be quick enough? He’s so furiously insane, would that even be enough to stop him?
I knew I couldn’t risk it.

“Elliot,” said Wyatt, pleading with him. “She’s going to die. We need to save her.”
“She’s been bitten.” Said Elliot. “She’s already dead.”
“We can still save her.” I said, and Elliot spun around to turn the gun at me. I felt my legs start to shake as my gaze moved between the barrel of the gun and Elliot’s vacant eyes.
At that moment, Nikki began to scream. I knew it was too late.
I shut my eyes, waiting for her screams to stop, for her pain to be over. But her cries just became louder and more violent.
“We’re not saving her. She’s getting exactly what she deserves. And you’re all going to stand here and listen to every last wail. Because this is what happens when you try to destroy paradise.”

Each scream was more blood-curdling than the next. We all stood there, helpless as we listened to Nikki being eaten alive. Every now and then she managed to yell for help, and I wished Elliot would just go out there and shoot her, put her out of her misery, but he was enjoying this too much to end it himself.
I felt like I was going to be sick, and all I could think of was poor Nikki, lying on the ground, slowly dying a painful death while zombies tore through her flesh. I hoped she knew we wanted to help her, I hoped she wasn’t thinking she had been abandoned while she took her last breaths.
I tried to make eye contact with Jo, to somehow let her know that we’ll be alright, but her eyes were squeezed shut, tears falling down her face. She was the closest to the window, and every time Nikki let out another shriek, Jo cringed, her body shaking like a leaf.
The silence finally fell upon us like a heavy burden, and I didn’t know whether to be relieved that Nikki’s pain was over, or afraid because it seemed that ours was just beginning.

“Now, let’s everyone just relax and take a seat. We’ll discuss this like civilised folk.” Elliot lowered the gun slowly, watching each of us suspiciously as we moved over to the kitchen table.
Once we were all seated, Elliot took his place at the head of the table and placed the gun gently in front of him, pushing the dead rabbit aside.
“Do you see now why it’s impossible for you to leave?” He asked.
No one dared utter a word.
“You simply cannot survive out there. No-one can. Nikki just proved that. Your only option is to stay here. And if you would all just open your minds a little to see it my way, I know we could make this paradise thrive!”
We stayed silent. I could still hear Nikki’s screams echoing though my mind. All I wanted was to be away from this place, but I knew there was no way we would leave without a fight.

Elliot broke the silence. “People, you’re looking at this all wrong! Where’s your enthusiasm? Where’s the excitement?!”
“Excitement?” Wyatt asked. “What’s exciting about any of this?”
“Everything, my dear boy!” Elliot smiled. “It’s the apocalypse! Even the sound of that word just fills me with adrenaline and enthusiasm. Apocalypse! It’s spectacular! I adore that word and everything it means, I really do.”
We all stared at him, jaws open wide. I felt like I could see his last thread of sanity unravelling before my eyes.
“This is our chance to re-write our lives. To finally live like we were meant to, like hunters, like animals, like warriors!”
“Do you really think the world ending and everyone we love dying is a good thing, Elliot?” Wyatt asked.
“Yes.” Elliot replied, without even thinking about his answer.
We all gasped in horror.

“The world was a terrible, evil place before.” He explained. “We were controlled, treated like puppets by the Government to do their bidding. Slaving away at jobs we hate just to buy things we don’t need, then coming home to an empty house to spend hours on the couch watching reality television? We were the zombies, Wyatt. We went to war with each other. We were greedy, hateful people with no reason to live. We slaughtered each other long before the zombies came along. Don’t you see? It’s much better this way. It’s a level playing field, where only the strong survive. And now that we know we could die a violent, horrible death at any moment, we’re finally allowing ourselves to truly live!”
Wyatt rested his elbows on the table and dropped his face in his hands. “You’re insane.” He sighed, rubbing his face.
“I am not insane!” Elliot roared, jumping to his feet and pounding his fist on the table. “You want to sit around moping all day trying to wish the world back? Fine! But I see the truth! This world is ours for the taking!”

Wyatt slammed his chair back, causing it to tip over in a loud thud. “Elliot! Wake up!” he yelled. Jo, Ben and I didn’t know what to do. We had never seen Wyatt this furious before. “Nikki is dead! She was your best friend since you were kids, and you just let her die! What if it was me out there? Would you just let me die, too?”
“Well hopefully we’ll never have to find out.” Elliot yelled back. “Because as long as you stay here with me, you’ll survive. You can’t leave, Wyatt. Ever.”
“We’re not staying, Elliot.”
“You stay. Or you die.” Elliot said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Enraged, Wyatt ran towards his brother, punching him hard in the jaw.

“Wyatt!” I yelled, springing up from my chair.

“Wyatt, don’t! He’ll kill you! Let’s just get out of here.” Ben said as he tried to hold Wyatt back.

Elliot grabbed the shotgun from the table and held it against Wyatt’s head. Screams filled the room as we all pleaded with Elliot to stop.

A loud buzzing sound interrupted our warring, and I looked down to see Elliot’s warning beeper sitting on the dining table, vibrating wildly.

They were coming.

_______

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading!

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