The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Seventeen (Edited.)

Walter checked for Lucy's pulse, noticing what I had. It was pointless.

"No," he said, the horror in his voice sending a shock to my system. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Walter," I said, my voice cracking, my throat choking up. It happened again. She was dead. Only moments ago she was alive, but now, she's just gone.

"Come on, sweetheart, wake up," Walter cried, cupping her face in his hands. He started shaking her shoulders. "Come on!"

"Walter," I said, my voice cracking worse than before, the lump in my throat getting bigger. "She's gone."

"No!" He yelled, his face soaked in tears. "She's not! She's not gone!"

I felt numb as I watched him give her CPR. A sadness so deep crawled under my skin as I watched, trying to gather myself up to do what needed to be done. To do what I promised.

"Walter stop," I forced out, reaching out my shaky hand for his shoulder. He needed to get off of her. I couldn't do it when he was this close. "Please, just, stop."

Walter disregarded me. He was so lost in his denial, but there wasn't time to wait. My grip tightened on my machete as I stared at her lifeless eyes. The ghost of her smile was faded and despite the blood, she looked so delicate. Even in death she was still too good for this world.

I wanted to scream. There was no way I was ready for this. I thought I'd be gone before she had the baby, I never wanted to keep this promise. I never wanted any of this.

How was I supposed to do this?

Just like Noah, my heart whispered. You did it once, you can do it again.

"Walter," I said, somehow keeping my voice steady. "Get off of her. It's time."

He looked up at me slowly, his gaze meeting my eyes then flickering to my machete. He moved fast and it caught me off guard. I didn't realize what he had in his hand was until it was pointing right at me.

My body stiffened. I knew this wasn't the same man from yesterday. That's what this world did, now. It took away everyone you cared about till you snapped. It brakes you, it kills you, and it changes you till you aren't you at all.

"Put the gun down."

"You're not hurting my little girl," Walter replied, his finger grazing the trigger. I knew it was loaded; it was my gun. When he got it from me, I'm not sure, but I knew this wasn't going to end well. If anything had the chance to go wrong, it did. Every time.

"She's already gone, Walter," I said slowly. "She's going to turn. Do you want that?"

He hesitated and looked at me, then to Lucy. A small cry escaped his lips as he lowered the gun slightly. I finally let my breath go as I moved forward, still trying to gather the strength. It would be over soon, I told myself. And then it will be my turn.

"Lucy?" Walter breathed, catching my attention. I looked quickly back to him. He was inches away from her face, listening for a pulse. Her ankle twitched, sending a spasm up her body.

"Walter, get away from her," I said fast, my breathing and heart rate speeding up. He still had the gun in his hand and held it loosely, the barrel aiming at me. I wasn't looking at the gun, though. I was looking at Lucy. I promised her I wouldn't let this happen to her. I promised.

Loud cracks popped the air as her fingers moved. For a second I thought they were her bones, but then I remembered that she was tied down.

I couldn't move. I was captivated by her. With everything I had I wanted her to be okay, that she was just waking up from a nap. I wanted her to say something funny or show me that smile of hers that made everything seem okay. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted her to bring that warmth that she brought to this place. I wanted her to be human. I wanted her to be Lucy.

But then her eyes flashed open and every hope I had she was still human died, just like everything I cared about.

Lucy bared her teeth and looked at Walter, who still seemed oblivious to what she actually was. Walter had to move or else he'd get bitten. He just looked at her like he always did. That was his little girl who came back from the dead. She was a miracle in his eyes in this moment, but she was also his downfall.

This was it.

"No!" I screamed as a blur moved past me, shoving me out of the way as they charged toward Lucy with a blade.

I heard four things in that moment.

Jackal yelling at the door for help, the snappers beginning to overrun him.

Walters scream, as he held his shoulder, his blood dripping onto Lucy's body, the handle of Liam's knife sticking out of the back of her head as she lay their lifeless, finally dead.

The horrible, familiar sound of a gunshot.

And the fourth, the most horrifying one, which wasn't the gun shot, but the sound of Liam's body when it fell to the ground in front of me because of it.