Page 90 of Redemption
“Inevitably, David was informed of my deteriorating mental status, and, upon seeing that I was finally able to walk, he demanded I be taken out of the recovery room and given a purpose. The next morning, he collected me and gave me a tour of the facilities as well as the rest of the town. All except for a few places. He said they weren’t important at the moment and would show them to me when the time was right.
“In the beginning, I worked in the community hall, prepping meals and managing the town meetings. The haunting voices slowly faded but still stubbornly remained despite their diminished ability to shakingly echo the chambers of my mind—a bitter, ever-present reminder of my survivor status. More days had passed, filled with duty and responsibility, yet the urge to silence them still lingered.
“Death, after running from it for so long, seemed like a gentle guide offering me solace. A compassionate and understanding friend in the dark. It acted like a gift: a chance to see them all again....” I turn my saddened eyes towards Alessandra, gazing into those that I craved to see for so long that I was willing to end it all just to see her remarkable shade of blue one more time. “To seeyouagain. I only needed to take the step and make it permanent.” I shuffle my feet in front of me and resituate the way my hands are on my lap, feeling vulnerable at her concern and possible judgement of my past decisions. I don’t blame her if she does. It’s not easy to look back upon the person I was back then, or the methods I thought were my only way to find salvation amidst the darkness surrounding me. For all I know, she may have had similar moments during her time after the Fall. If she did, I’m glad she was unsuccessful in the task.
I hold her gaze for a moment longer, basking in Alessandra’s natural beauty. Through it all, she was the one person who kept me going for so long. The thought of her, still alive and unharmed, filled my mind and pushed me to continue on. But, after everything that happened—the zombie takeover, the rising death count, the immeasurable odds—it started to become too much to convince my addled brain of the impossible. I couldn’t see myself living a life in this world knowing she was probably no longer part of it.
But David saw otherwise.
Regardless of the heinous acts he and his supplicants commit on a daily basis, I am grateful he kept me here on this Earth. Even if it was only to see Alessandra one more time, it was worth it.
“David noticed the lack of mental improvement and changed my duty station, assigning me, instead, to the fields. Told me to find my inner spirit, to embrace life and the calming tranquility offered here, rather than seeking it elsewhere.
“Every day, I labored for hours amongst the crops, and then every night he had me hold counseling sessions, reacclimating any new arrivals that may have also been suffering the same way as I have. We founded a survivor’s group. Told our stories. We remembered the fallen. Honored them. Held memorials to say goodbye. Then, little by little, the voices softened, and eventually turned into nothing but whispers on the wind.
“The meetings continued, and the fields grew and prospered as we tended to them. It was a normal routine, day in and day out. And then, months later, David recognized my promise as a potential leader of the community. As a result, I was given the chance to pull back the curtain. To witness the inner workings of Phoenix Rising. It was then I finally found the answer that had been plaguing me the entire time I was in residence here. The one thing that was missing...”
“The women?” Alessandra asks.
“The women,” I confirm.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Dare
Last year...
“Good morning to you, good sir!” David announces as he walks excitedly towards me. “How’re you feeling?”
“Feeling good.” It was the truth. Being part of the community felt good. Being able to help those who were mentally in a bad place felt good. Along with my leg, I was healing. Both physically and mentally. I felt better than I had since before the hordes took over. My soul felt lighter, probably because I had a purpose again. My life held meaning in the aftermath of the contagion.
But I wasn’t whole.
Something was missing.
I was a Marine for years. Fighting was a part of what made me... me. Phoenix Rising held opportunities to join their security details but, after what occurred during my earlier days here, David was reluctant to give me a weapon. It was fine, though. Especially when all I wanted to do was stand on the barricade and shoot deadheads all day until the zombie threat was completely eradicated from the face of the earth. While it seemed a potentially efficient way to combat the influx, that lineof thinking didn’t exactly bode well for a person on the brink of a mental breakdown. Not when I could have turned the very same weapon I was using to protect the community on the individuals residing within.
The job I was assigned to wasn’t what I wanted.
But it was what I needed.
While it may not seem like it, helping people heal after they were welcomed into the community was a decent substitution for wanting to slaughter everything in my path. It forced me to slow down and reflect, not only on my own setbacks and bouts of depression, but also on the world in general. On how the remaining population needed to regress in order to survive. With the electrical grid offline and pump-fed water lines running dry, we, as a people, had to start over and rely on practices that haven’t needed to be used in over a hundred years, reverting to a simpler time of community and camaraderie. The simplicity I’ve since surrounded myself with gave me the chance to reset. To realize that death wasn’t my only option. That these people rely on me, even if it’s just for a short chat over a cup of poorly brewed coffee.
But now, after months of progress and mental clarity, learning the ins and outs of Phoenix Rising, and finding my place amongst its people, I’m finally being recognized as one of the top members of the community. And, as such, they’re giving me a chance at a new position on their security team, tasked with not only keeping the residents and the town safe, but also to go on field ops in search of other survivors as well as any remaining supplies scattered amidst the surrounding towns.
I can’t wait.
“Wonderful! Because we’re gonna need your strong back more than ever today.” David smacks his palm againstmy shoulder blade, patting the area with barely contained enthusiasm. “It’s Ascension Day, after all!”
“Ascension Day?” I ask, genuinely curious and eager to learn more.
“The day we call forth a select few members—ones we deem fit and trustworthy of the promotion—to solidify themselves within our inner sanctum. That includes you and a handful of others who will go through a set of trials to make sure you are worthy to help run this here community. Think of it as a test for upper management or rank, if you will. You were in the Marines, were you not?”
“Yes, sir. For far too long, if you ask me,” I respond, laughing and bantering back and forth as he leads me through the cornfields. At the far end, hidden deep in the back forty, there’s a cluster of massive, two-story, barn-like structures I’ve never been allowed into. To be honest, I didn’t even know these were back here; the outer walls were painted with such intricate detail that they blended in with the woodland backdrop, camouflaged to the point of precision. In addition, not only are they well concealed from prying eyes, but each is heavily fortified with security personnel. Even the doors are reinforced, utilizing heavy steel with impressive locking mechanisms rather than the usual wooden entries one would expect on a barn. It almost looks like what you would imagine a nuclear bunker to look like... only above ground. Despite my excitement at a chance to elevate my rank and status amongst the community, I can’t help but wonder what the hell kind of secrets they’re keeping in there.
Undeterred by my obvious gawking, David walks us over to one of the buildings. “Ain’t that the truth. Well now, shall we begin?” He instructs me to cover my face as we step up to the doors, cueing one of the security guards to lift the latch and openit for us. Upon entering, my hands instantly lift in front of me. Despite the candles neatly placed throughout the room, it’s still dark. I can hardly see anything. Minutes pass and I let my eyes adjust, but when I’m finally able to focus on what’s right there in front of me, my whole world turns upside down.
“What the fuck?”
