Walking with the Dead

Chapter 20

Ariel stared at me.

Her eyeballs are bulging from her sockets but didn't say anything.

In fact, I may have wanted her to lash out to me or say anything just not this silence between us.

"Please say something, Ariel."

That may have snapped her off her trance as she cleared her throat and stared at the floor instead. After five minutes of long silence, she looked up to me and opened her mouth to speak.

"How did this happen?" I could see the conflict on her eyes. Whether that may be fear or amazement, I can't put a finger on it. I explained to her the events that happened that day in History and Sociology class with Professor Andrew and blondie.

After retelling my story, Ariel fell back into silence again. I could see her warring with herself internally. Finally, after a long stretch of silence, she looked up at me, looking furious.

"Yes, well, it's the first time I've heard of this, Private. Something this important is kept from me for a very long time. We have known each other for, what? Two months, Keenan?! And yet, you never mentioned something like this to me?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yes, Ariel. You do know why I can't just tell anyone that I'm supposed to be infected! What? I come to you and say 'Hey, General. I was bitten by a blondie zombie in college! I'm supposed to be infected but I am not!' is that it? No! Because I'll be experimented at!"

"The fate of the world is lying in your hand, Keenan!" she shouted, her chains jingling in the process as she tried standing up ", you could've saved a lot of people for the cure in your blood! But no, you chose to be selfish and decided to just keep it to yourself."

"Listen to yourself! Are you even mad at me for not saying it or are you mad because it could've saved Kyle?"

"Not everything is about Kyle!" She shouted at me. I cringed at her but stood firm. Silence fell upon us again but this time, it's awkward silence.

I waited for her to say anything but she didn't. I cleared my throat. Okay, so maybe I am whipped with her but to hell with my pride. "I'm sorry, Ariel. I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry I was selfish."

We didn't speak for a full minute before Ariel smirked but there's no humor in it. "I'm sorry, Keenan," she said dropping back to the floor ", it's just that... Kyle didn't... he didn't tell me as well. I've just learned about it the night before he died. I'm sorry. I have trust issues, I know. I was just so mad at him that he didn't even tell me that. It's funny actually. You and Kyle... the only two people I've developed feelings for kept the same secret," she grimaced at the floor ", fate has a lot of shit on me."

Kyle kept the secret as well? Why?

"I'm sorry, Ariel." I muttered again and found entertainment in staring at the floor. We stayed like that for hours until I could make out Ariel's steady breathing. I think she has fallen asleep. With her breathing as a sweet lullaby to me, I managed to drift asleep as well.

That night, I've dreamt of the happy family with her once again. Only this time, she was holding two small lumps of cloths in her arms. Upon reaching her, I saw that the two lumps of cloths are babies. Twins to be exact.

Holy mother of God.

She stared at the two infants and smiled at me ",what do you want to name them, Keenan?"

Glancing back to the babies, I saw that the babies have morphed into a small Bounder and a small Cougar that gave shrill cries that seem to pierce my eardrums and make them bleed. Ariel is still smiling at me when her next words hit me.