Clip 6 – Welcome to Abel
I love guns. Really, I don't think I've ever been filled with such joy as I was at the clatter of gunfire that greeted me as I broke the last two hundred yards. It's better than Christmas – maybe even better than sex. I'm not sure on that last one and now's not the time to stop and ponder.
With Alice behind me, I know what's going to happen – we all do – and Sam, I'm sorry.
Dr. Myers is spewing out useless platitudes that I don't even think are true and I hate her. I hate her so much. "She wouldn't have wanted to live like this?" Well, no, maybe not, but I'd bet my last goddamn Twinkie she wouldn't have wanted to die like this either!
I hear a sort of cough behind me and the footsteps shuffle and there's a heavy tumbling thud and I know she's down. Sam's voice is heavy and I don't even know him but I feel guilty about ragging on him the whole way here, even though he couldn't hear it.
And – wow – maybe they do all get excited about a new arrival. It looks like the entire village is there, crowded around the gates. They're all talking at once, but I close my eyes, breathing hard, and rest my hands on my thighs. All I really want to hear is the sound of the gates closing with me finally inside them.
I hear a familiar voice, and I look up. It's Sam. He's older than I'd originally thought, maybe in his early twenties or so. It's odd; everyone else I've seen in the past few weeks has kind of … weathered. Hardened, maybe, would be a better term. But there's an openness to this – well, I guess I can't call him a kid, now – I haven't seen anything like it in I don't know how long. Maybe months, though it feels even longer than that.
He puts a hand on my shoulder, trying to be cheerful again. It's just about the saddest thing I've seen, worse than Alice's empty eyes. But if he can believe that fluff that Myers was spouting, maybe he'll be all right. So I keep my suspicions to myself, I force a smile, and I let him lead me away from the crowd.
Fin! Hope you enjoyed. :D