Surviving The New World (Book Six in the Surviving The Walking Dead Series)

Uninvited Guest

     I walked out of the storage closet and sighed before removing my bloodied gloves. Arat looked at me without a hint of concern of disdain, Eugen, however, was looking rather pale, but still managing to keep it together. "Eugene," I sighed. "Ya don't gotta stick around for this, I can send for ya when I'm done."

     "I know." Eugene mumbled, as if fighting back the urge to vomit. "I want to make sure it goes alright."

     "No faith?"

     "Tons, I just want to see the bastard fry, is all."

     "Ah." I smiled. "Well, unfortunately, he isn't fryin'. He's gonna suffer for a really long time." I turned to Arat. "I gotta take a piss, make sure he stays awake."

     "Yes, ma'am." Arat nodded and walked past me, disappearing behind the door.

     "Radio me if anythin' goes south, but I highly doubt anythin' will; ya tie like a goddamn sailor." Eugene nodded in silence, causing me to sigh; he wouldn't even look at me. "Am I doin' the right thing?"

     "What do you mean?" Eugene asked.

     "Torturin' the bastard."

     "He deserves it."

     "Then why won't ya look at me?" Eugene fell silent, but slowly looked up at me. "Ya don't gotta stay, Eugene. Seriously, I know you're at stage 4 of survivin'; fuck, you're kickin' asses and takin' names, but if ya ain't comfortable stand in' here, I ain't gonna make ya stay; I can have Arat help me."

"I-I wanna stay."

"Ya sure? It won't upset me none of ya don't."

"I'm sure."

"Are ya gonna be able to look at me the same after all this?"

"Yes, ma'am." Eugene modded. "You're my sister till the end, my friend."

"As you are mine."

"A sister?" I looked at Eugene's mullet and smiled; it had grown out more than I realized. Marvelous how much time can change.

"Maybe." I teased, causing Eugene to smile. I hurried off to the bathroom as fast as my legs would let me, eventually barging into Regina's' room and apologizing as I ran to her bathroom. She paid me no attention, she just laid on her couch reading a book that was found on a run a few weeks back. When I returned to the storage room, Eugene was still standing at the door, but this time, his color had returned and he was standing to attention.

"Make it?" Eugene teased.

"Barely." In tittered. "If the fuckers would stop usin' my bladder as a damn trampoline, that'd be fan -fuckin'-tastic."

"Better your bladder than your colon."

"Eww!" I playfully smacked Eugene and fell silent. As I was in the bathroom, a thought came to mind. I knew Eugene wasn't thrilled with what was going on in the closet, he did not have the strongest stomach, nor the nerve to handle torture... so, why did he stay? "Eugene?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna ask ya somethin' personal; I don't want a story, just a yes or no, ya don't even gotta talk, just nod or shake your head, okay?"

"Okay?" Eugene raises his eyebrow with curiosity.

"The reason you're wantin' to stay, is it because ya feel connected to what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ya know what I mean." Eugene thought for a moment, but eventually lowered his head and slightly nodded.