Virus 3 - The Final Chapter

23rd July 2042

*Picture is of Rosie*

"Take aim." I said to Rosie as we spotted a Lurker slowly walking towards us. She looked through the scope, pointing the butt of her gun at the Lurker. I may not be the best shot, but I was a hell of a good teacher. "Shoot." I ordered. She pulled the trigger, hitting the Lurker in the ear. She grinned, looking up at me. "Take aim again." I sighed. Her smile faded as she turned back to the road.

"I can't see any." She said.

"Look harder." I hissed, as she looked up at me. She turned back to the road, frowning as her eyes searched.

"I can't see it." she shook her head.

"Look harder." I repeated.

"I'm looking I can't see it!" she yelled, her eyes frantically searched the entrance. "Take the gun - I-I can't see it Luis." She was beginning to panic.

"This is your Lurker, find it yourself." I said.

"Please Luis." She looked up at me; she looked like she was going to cry. "I can't be responsible for the fence being damaged, please shoot the Lurker."

"This is part of your training." I sighed. "If it damages the fence it's your fault; everyone will know."

"Luis no please." She stuck her eye on the scope, looking around. "Please I can't."

"This is just like if you go out of the gates." I said as she searched. "If someone dies on your watch, everyone will know and blame you."

"Luis." She cried. "Luis please!" I grabbed the gun off her, raising it and looking through the scope, sending multiple bullets flying towards the Lurker she had just shot. She hadn't been paying attention when the bullet only hit it in the ear. The Lurker needs a shot to the brain.

"When you're too confident you miss out on things." I spat handing back the gun to a silent Rosie. The tears on her face had left streaks, and she just stood there, staring at the ground. "If this was out there that would've cost you someone's life. And the only person to blame would be yourself."

"I'm sorry Luis." She whispered, looking up at me.

"Do you understand why I don't want you out there?" I asked. "You're careless, confident and arrogant, that's no attitude to have out there in the big world."

"I know -"

"I'm not finished." I interrupted. "You're also kind, caring and sensitive. To survive out there you need to be numb to death, you need to care for others but also yourself. You can't cry when you don't know how to do something, you can't run from your problems and expect others to fix it." I looked out at the road. "You're needed here Rosie; so take those idiotic theories out of your head and realise this is your home, with mum, dad, Amelia and me. We're your family; nothing out there will love you unconditionally like we do."

"Yes Luis." She whispered. I turned to see Noah reaching the top of the fence.

"Can you teach her how to reload in less than 5 seconds?" I said to him as I grabbed his hand, helping him up the last step.

"Sure." He nodded. I jumped down onto the ladder, looking up at a saddened Rosie.

"Hey; remember what I said to you." I said making her look at me. She nodded, trying to smile.

+++

"Mum?" I called walking into my old family home. When I got mayor I had to move into the main building we call the stately home. It's very big and very empty with just me there.

"In here." She yelled from the kitchen. I walked through the house and into the kitchen, to see her sitting at the table with Uncle Luis, Dad, Willow and Ruby.

"Oh - I'll come back later."

"No we were just talking about you." Dad smiled. I frowned, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "We're so proud of you."

"Huh?" I scoffed.

"Taking your sisters out to gain experience - that takes guts." Mum smiled.

"No - no." I shook my head. "I'm not taking them out."

"Well sure you are; even Max and Noah said they'd go." Willow said.

"NO!" I yelled. "I'm not taking anyone out of those gates!"

"Why not?" Dad asked.

"Why dad?" I scoffed. "I don't know; ever since you called me a failure 10 years ago I've never really had the confidence to even think about going outside the fence."

"Oh come on." He rolled his eyes. "I was doing that to motivate you."

"I was 15." I scoffed. "I needed you to tell me to get back up and keep trying."

"You would never get strong doing that." He argued.

"Whatever you say Dad cause you're always right." I nodded. "No one is leaving the gate and that's final. I'm not going to stand here while a bunch of 50 year olds tell me how to live my life. I am the mayor; you're not, get over it."

"Don't you dare walk away!" mum yelled as I stormed out. I walked out into the backyard and out her gate onto the road.

"SON!" I heard behind me, but I kept walking. I felt my father grab my shoulder, but I jolted away, ripping myself from his grip.

"Don't touch me." I hissed.

"Am I seriously the reason you don't want to go?" he asked.

"Yes; you ruined my childhood." I said. "Just because you and mum were heroes and amazing shots doesn't mean I get to be."

"We weren't heroes." He shook his head. "Quite the opposite really."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I haven't told your mother this, mostly because I'm scared she'll look at me different." He gulped. I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms. "You know the wedding blood bath?" he asked, and I nodded. "We had a friend Zara, lovely girl, well I - I thought she was. When the shit hit the roof she followed me, but we got cornered. We tried to get out, but the way we wanted to go could only fit 1 person. It was through a small gap in the fence and we'd only have time for 1 person. "

"She told you to go and you left her?" I interrupted.

"No - not quite." He shook his head. "She didn't sacrifice herself; she tried to sacrifice me. She pushed me into the heard, expecting me to be killed. Well, you know how your old man has a short temper. Well when I broke away from the heard she was half way through the fence. I was mad; I mean I had to get back to your mum. I grabbed Zara by the hair and pulled her back into the gardens, throwing her into the heard. They all got distracted by her and gave me enough time to get through the gate and close it up. I killed Zara in cold blood, is that something that a hero?" he asked.

"No." I shook my head. "But if you hadn't done that Mum would've been alone and we wouldn't have been here."

"I know." He nodded. "I have no regrets about that day. The only thing I regret is telling you you're a failure. You're not. You're perfect. You're my son."

"I know." I said. "But you can't just take back 10 years of feelings by saying sorry."

"I haven't said sorry." He smiled. "I know the thought of you going beyond the wall is scary, but it's easier to survive than you think."

"But I can't shoot." I said.

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head. "You'll learn, just think about it."

"Fine." I nodded. He clapped me on the arm, and I turned to walk off. But before I could even take a step, I felt a big pain on my head, and then I blacked out.