Collision

Chapter Twenty Eight

~ Chapter Twenty Eight ~

Ellie's P.O.V.

I couldn't comprehend the shock in Carl's voice. "You can't just do that! What if it was someone else who did it! What if we were blaming it on the wrong person, on someone innocent!"

"That's why we're voting on this, Carl, as a group," Rick tried to soothe him, but Carl wouldn't budge.

"What happened the last time our group voted someone dead?" Carl pleaded, "Please, dad, we don't have to go through with this. I don't want to relive what happened to Dale."

"That won't happen again."

I sighed as I watched how Carl couldn't change his dad's mind. If his own son couldn't alter his thoughts, there was no way I could even get close to changing his opinion.

Rick walked to the middle of the room, calling everyone around. We gathered, forming a semi-circle with the woman behind Rick, still hugging her knees to her chest.

When the group was silent, and all we could hear was the soft buzz of the acid sprays beyond the walls, Rick stood up. Scratching his beard, he spoke in a deep, thought-worthy voice. "I think it comes as a surprise to everyone here what happened this morning. And I know she might have had family out there waiting for her, but who's to say we don't have family either? We all do, and the sooner we finish this decision, the faster we can get out of this hell hole." I rolled my eyes at this, everything in the world already was a hell hole.

"So what are going to be the two verdicts?" Carol asked innocently, playing along well in the game.

It took Rick a while before stepping down to let Joel speak. He must've been choked up and couldn't speak any longer. I mentally huffed, as if. 

"Now, we don't want a panic, but tonight we're going to decide whether we take a life for a life. Since all evidence points out to Priscilla we have no other choice but to decide for ourselves whether we need her in our group, or if she deserves to stay on that second button."

The air was sucked out of the atmosphere as everyone sat still, even the guilty. Carol was the first to break the silence, as expected. "I think we do what's best for the group. What needs to be done: and that is to use set her down on that button to get us out of here."

Oh, how glad I was that Priscilla was sound asleep. She'd cause more of a panic than the death already has if she heard her fate being tossed around by a bunch of murderers. You're a murderer too.

"I still don't know, Rick..." Michonne breathed, her eyes glued to her katana as if it were the only thing keeping her together at the moment. "We don't truly know if she's the one that did it."

"We don't know anything, but we're so fast at jumping to conclusions," Daryl spat on the cold cement in the corner. I had gotten used to his habits, as gross as they were. He made it seem as if he was comfortable in his own skin, something I needed to learn.

"We've done this with Randall before, we can decide together again," Rick's voice started getting firm. He was tense, either from anxiety or from impatience. The name 'Randall' didn't ring a bell, but I didn't have to be smart to understand. Maybe this had happened to them before. Maybe they'd killed an innocent person and blamed 'Randall' for the murder.

Thus started the longest silence of my life. It felt like hours, us just sitting there, answering a yes or no question to such a complex life. This was reality. This was the harsh reality that the world had brought upon everyone. I was sucked in, like a leaf in a whirlpool.

"I vote we do it. It's going to benefit us anyway." The voice came from Melanie. It was only then that Carol jumped in, agreeing with her. Afterwards, Michonne and Daryl took their side as well. I realized that Carl and I, no matter what we'd have voted, would not have made an impact.

"Then the verdict's been decided. I'll tie her up in case she tries running away. Meanwhile, Joel and I'll take first watch. Don't want anything like this happening again." Rick stated, his voice booming from every corner of the cold, barren room.

Michonne stood up when Joel proceeded to Priscilla with a rope in hand. As he was about to tie it around her wrists, Michonne laid a hand on his shoulder. Though her voice was soft, I heard every syllable, "don't. She's pitiful enough with the state that she's in. Just let her sleep peacefully like this. Besides, you and Rick are already on the lookout."

Joel slowly nodded in agreement then made his way back to Rick, chatting as if they'd both been pals since forever. I stared at the ground, guilty of what I'd just done. Actually, guilty would be an understatement. I felt horrified. Here Carl was, wondering if he'd lost his humanity, while I had just been part of two lives being lost.

"Hey... Let's take a rest, alright?" Carl's voice entered my ears, sweet and genuine. I nodded with a forced smile and laid down beside him.

That night, I didn't sleep at all whatsoever. It kept dawning on me what I'd just done, so I thought that sleep deprivation would be a good punishment. The tears kept drying on my cheeks because I didn't want to move a single inch. Joel and Rick were still awake and I didn't want to inform to them what I knew. Even though Carl held my hand tight throughout the whole night, I wanted to cut my hand off because I didn't deserve him. I didn't deserve someone as pure and as innocent as him.

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Hours went by, and everything the next day passed by in a blur. Since I didn't get any sleep, I was basically baggage that was lugged around, following them with every step they made. 

It went by fast: the procedure. They muzzled her during her peaceful rest and then stuck a knife in her head. Then, they took both of the women's bodies and each set off a different way for each button. Michonne, Carl and I stayed in front of the enormous door, wary of what was to happen. There was another click and then silence. Dead silence, as if the dead people were trying to tell us something.

Before long, Carol came from one side, Joel came from another side. The group emerged and we reunited once again. No one gave each other a long look of anticipation. No one looked back. We never wanted anything to do with that maze ever again.