Those Who Survive

The Decision She Made

"E-excuse me?" a man's voice suddenly speaks out from the department store Cry and his friends are currently trying to raid. Minx is the first to act, knife poised to hit a lethal point, eyes narrow, "What do you want?"

The man steps into the light, an older man with short dark, graying hair and green eyes. He holds his hands up, "Hey, now, I'm not here to trouble you folks."

"Then why are you here?" Dan steps up, crossing his arms. 

"I just want some food," the man replies and Cry sighs, "We can probably help you with that."

Thomas looks weary and Minx glares back at Cry, "Are you seriously thinking of giving this stranger our food?"

"Are you seriously thinking of telling an old man no?" Cry raises an eyebrow at her and she huffs, putting her attention back on the stranger in front of her.

The man's eyes brighten and a ghost of a smile pulls on his lips, "You'll really give me some food? Oh, bless you, child. How much food do you have? I have a sick little girl to look after.."

"Sick how?" Dan glares.

The man shakes his head, "She's not infected with whatever disease is making people eat other people. She's just sick, a simple little cold, but she won't get better if we don't get more food soon.."

"That's not our problem." Minx snaps, "If you need food so badly, find it like everyone else. There are no handouts here."

"I understand why you'd be cross with me, miss," the man states softly, still smiling that eerie, gentle smile as his eyes flit over every one of them, "But really, I mean you all no harm. I just want some food for me and my little girl, and I'll be on my way."

"What's your daughter's name?" Thomas suddenly speaks up in a soft voice.

"Emily," he says, his lips twitch, "Please, she's only five-years-old."

"And you  left her all alone to look for food?" Cry asks, frowning lightly.

"I come from a compound north of here, more like a community." the man grins, "You all could come back with me! It's safe there, no infected have breached our walls."

Minx exchanges looks with Cry and then with Dan, she didn't miss a move this guy has made, and she doesn't have a good feeling about him or anything he's saying. Cry looks uncertain and Dan slightly shakes his head. Minx's eyes flit back to the stranger, "What's your name?"

"Eric," he sighs, "So, what do you fine folks say? Come back with me? Or just give me some food, if working it alone is your thing."

Again, his eyes scan over the four of them. Minx's eyes narrow and Dan frowns, "If you come from a group, like you say, why are you all alone? Surely a community would send an entire group of its own out to find food for everyone."

If they weren't already, Cry and his friends are all on edge now. Eric holds his hands out towards them, "Really, why do you keep looking for reasons to distrust me? I'm offering you protection from the infection, is some food really too much to ask in return?"

"You never said we have to give you food even if we decide to go with you." Thomas crosses his arms, eyes lightly narrow as he looks the man over seemingly for the first time.

"Well, you know, a little food can go a long way and all that." Eric chuckles lightly.

"We're not joining any community, at least not right now." Cry sighs, now he just wants to send this guy on his way, "We can give you some food for your daughter, but then you leave us alone, alright?"

"Of course." Eric smiles pleasantly.

Cry sighs and turns to his friends, "Thomas, your bag?"

Thomas starts to take his backpack off, when Minx suddenly lunges and tackles Eric to the ground. Cry turns back with a gasp, "Minx!"

He moves to pull her off the stranger, but Dan stops him with a grip on his arm. The two glare at each other for a moment. Minx struggles against the older man, letting out a frustrated shout as she tries to stab her knife into his face. He manages to push her off and as he moves to stand, she lunges again, stabbing her knife into his stomach. He screams and punches her clear across the face. This only deters her for a moment, the force only helping her pull the knife free from Eric's body. 

Eric cradles his injury, glaring at her from where he's almost doubled over, "What the fuck, you stupid bitch?!"

"Minx!" Cry says forcefully, Dan still keeping a firm grip on his arm. He doesn't entirely trust Eric, but that doesn't mean the man should die, "Minx, stop!"

Minx ignores her friend's pleas as she stands, breathing heavy and glaring fiercely at the man kneeling before her. He glares up at her and she kneels as well, gripping the collar of his shirt and holding her knife to his throat. She speaks in a low voice, "I will only ask you once. Who else is with you, and who are you working for?"

"Guys.." Thomas looks around, his demeanor back to meek and uneasy as he looks around. He can hear the screams of runners in the distance. They're making too much noise. He looks to his friends, "Guys, we need to get going, the infected are coming.."

"Fuck you," Eric continues to glare, though there's a dark glint in his eyes, "You're damning a small child to death by killing me."

"I don't believe a damn word you've said," Minx growls back, "Now, answer me, last chance!"

"Guys," Thomas says with more urgency, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he's getting anxious, "We really should get back on the road. Just leave the guy, and let's go."

Cry looks back to Thomas, and then at Minx, glaring, "Minx, come on, just let him go!"

Dan releases Cry, looking back at Thomas, "Get the supplies we've gathered, I'll bring the truck around."

He leaves the store quickly and Thomas turns back, grabbing the extra two bags they've filled while here. Cry closes the distance between him and Minx, leaning down and gripping her shoulder roughly, "Minx, let's go!"

Minx shrugs him off, her eyes never leading Eric's. He sneers at her, "I hope you die a horrible death."

"You first." she replies as she stabs her knife into his stomach and chest a few times in quick succession. 

Cry stares at her, completely appalled. Minx stands as Eric slumps over, coughing on his own blood. She turns to Cry and her eyes are still dark and dangerous. No words are exchanged between them and then she turns and walks away, taking one of the bags from Thomas and he follows after her out of the store. Cry stares at the dying man before him and he doesn't know what to feel at this moment. But he knows he can't stay to process, he can hear the cries of the death clearly now, and they're getting close. He can't stay, and he has to live with Minx's decision to murder this man, and he has to live with his own decision not to try and save his life as he flees back to the truck that's now outside the door waiting for him.