The Aftermath

S2E10: The Aftermath

The diligent group walks off as they scan their surrounding area with caution. Myracle leads the way through the alarming stadium. Despite the reunion between the siblings, everyone is absolutely silent. Even with a complete stranger leading the way, they have no choice but to trust her.
The sound of the crawlers slowly begin to fade as the group almost reaches the doorway that they entered originally. Chris takes another look at Myracle and admires her confident presence. She looks to be rather serious, almost like she has no experience with fun.
She has a leadership-like personality. Her clothes are stained with blood and sweat, but she still showcases a tenacious look in her eye. Chris looks back at his group who seem to be the exact opposite of Myracle.
They look awkward and spineless. As of right now, it makes sense considering what they've just witnessed. They all look rather shaken, especially Ricky. Matthew is practically dragging him by the collar of his shirt.
Ryan has a rather jittery expression while witnessing half of his friends capsize under this immense pressure. He looks at Ricky, who seems to be the most vulnerable. Should I talk to him? Will Ricky be able to make it through this? Is this a wrong time? Ryan thinks to himself without breaking eye contact.
Ryan focuses his attention back in front of him to see Chris staring at him. He can see right through Ryan's thoughts as he shakes his head left and right. Chris gives off a sad smile before continuing his walk in this never ending, tension filled silence.
The group makes their way outside of the stadium with the similar sight of an empty parking lot. It was at this point where their fate was ultimately decided for them. Myracle turns around and locks eyes on the sorrow filled group.
"My campsite is up ahead. Once we get halfway along this road, we just head a few feet inwards," Myracle says in a hushed whisper before turning around.
"Are you sure that we'll be safe? No offense, but you kinda just showed up," Ryan says as the group finally escapes from their negative mindsets.
Myracle turned around with irritation written all over her face. She looks closely at the group and notices all their nods of agreement to Ryan's comment. Do I seriously look to be that untrustworthy? Is this what the commoners at the old base thought of me as well? Myracle thinks to herself before quickly setting back into her harsh reality.
"Look I understand your skepticism, but if I wanted to kill you, I could've already done so. We have to hurry back," Myracle says just before crawlers come into view.
Three crawlers leap out from behind the wall as Myracle yanks out her katana. She takes care of them in one swing. In just a blink of an eye, the threat has already dwindled down greatly. A few more slowly come out from the dark, ominous shadows as the group slowly begins to backpedal.
"Stay close to each other guys!" Matthew yells while pulling out his dagger from the straggler's head.
"This is the reason why I miss anime!" Ryan yells while his hands tremble from the nerves.
"Now's not the time Ryan!" Sarah yells nervously as she frantically searches her bag for some type of weapon.
Myracle fights off several crawlers as Chris handles the stragglers that sneak up behind her. Myracle nods her head, still showcasing her serious and courageous attitude in the process.
It's been a few minutes, and these two have already formed a sign of mutual respect. Ryan, Sarah and Simon bark orders at Myracle and Chris, making them aware of their surroundings.
Jeannie finishes off the few crawlers that wandered to her location while she protects the remainder of the group. Ricky, Rosie and Jess stand behind her as they watch the madness unfold. Rosie calls out any possible threats whenever there's a mutant.
Jeannie looks back at Chris and Myracle's sudden partnership which instantly rubs her the wrong way. Is there a way we can trust her? Why is she already showcasing such interest in Chris? Does she have bad intentions? Jeannie thinks to herself while zoning out from her current situation.
"Jeannie! Watch your left!" Rosie yells frantically as a mutant leaps at Jeannie.
The mutant is just a few inches away from her face. It's ever so close from sinking it's deadly, razor sharp claws into her body. She freezes before as she desperately scans for a possible solution.
Suddenly, before Jeannie succumbs to her near death experience, Skyy strikes the crawler with her makeshift crutch. The crutch breaks into smithereens almost instantly, but it interferes with the crawler's trajectory.
Skyy falls to the ground from not having the proper balance as the creature quickly stabilizes. The creature starts to lunge at her which instantly reminds her of the supermarket. The fear that shot through her body quickly returned as she cowers in fear.
"Skyy! Dodge it's attack!" Matthew yells as he sprints toward his vulnerable girlfriend.
Matthew hauls himself towards her location as his pace steadily increases. She's been through so much. He's been through so much. He can't lose her. He just can't. Every second that he wastes, is another second that could potentially kill Skyy.
While Matthew dashes toward the action, Jeannie quickly turns her body and strikes the crawler. Its body soars in the air for a moment before ungracefully slamming into the ground. Jess quickly helps Skyy to her feet while the rest of the group eliminates their targets.
Matthew swiftly finishes off the crawler in one action as he plunges the blade into its skull. Myracle and Chris join the rest of the group as the awkward silence returns. Matthew is fuming. He could've lost her. He could've lost the love of his life.
"Why didn't you just stay still? You could've been killed!" Matthew yells as tears drip down his cheeks.
Skyy stays silent. Matthew's entire body trembles as he grasps his head from the pain that shoots through his body. The tears won't stop. He can't control his emotions like he used to.
"Why couldn't you just listen? Why do you have to be so stupid? You have to be obedient otherwise you'll die!" Matthew roars as the rest of the group along Skyy grow irritable of his comments.
"Am I just a god damn object to you? You can't control me like how your dad controlled your spineless mother!" Skyy fires back as the rest of the group recoils in response.
Matthew is taken back by her comment. His fists clench as his grip tightens on his weapon. How could she bring that up? Who does she think she is? She's alive because of me! Matthew thinks to himself as he witnesses Skyy completely deceive him.
Jess rolls her eyes while Simon sighs to himself from this night filled with emotion. Jeannie walks closer to Matthew and rests her hand on his shoulder. It quickly gets swatted away. He glares at Jeannie while his knuckles turn white from his grip on the weapon.
"Matthew you need to calm the hell down, and I wouldn't be daring if I was you," Jeannie says with a rather hostile tone.
Matthew grows a smug expression on his face followed by a smirk. This smirk then turns into a small chuckle which then turns into a fit of laughter. It's like he's flipped a switch, almost like Tamara.
Tamara can't help but laugh at the sight. She has just been watching chaos unfold in front of her without sharing any words. Sarah notices Tamara's amusement as it sends a shiver down her spine. She's truly a wild card. She's untrustworthy.
"Why? Just cause you're Chris's brother? What're you gonna do? Vote me off the island?" Matthew says sarcastically, still getting over his laughing fit.
"Can we actually? You're such a buzzkill to be around," Simon says carelessly while Sarah quickly motions her to stop.
Rosie gets out from behind Jeannie, her body filled with rage. She's looking at Matthew like he was The Admiral. Hate fills her eyes as she forcibly kicks his knee. His knee locks in place, and he stumbles to the ground. He groans in pain as he looks up to see Rosie hanging over him.
"The next time you wanna start something, don't you dare get my family involved," Rosie mutters to him harshly.
Everyone regroups as the tension finally starts to fade as the original task gets set back into motion. Matthew rises up from the ground while Myracle starts the process of leading everyone back to her camp.
"Come on guys we should get moving. We would've already been there if it weren't for this incident," Myracle says with a slight hint of annoyance in her tone.
They all nod in response as they follow this complete stranger to a possible chance of safety. The get back onto the road as the wildlife can be heard in the forest beside them.
       Myracle takes a hard right into the dark and desolate forest as she disappears into the shadows. The group keeps with her as they battle through branches and leaves that hinder their sight. They finally persevere through the wildlife, and they walk into this open space.
       They notice a trail that leads to the rather small campsite. It's tidy but small. There's a campfire at the center with two tents surrounding it. There's a clothesline that has only two pieces of clothes on it. They see an old table that holds boxes of food and water.
       Myracle's face visibly beams as she walks into her little sanctuary. Chris keeps looking around and notices a car. It's looks to be in good condition. She has a car? Does it still work? How'd she even get one? Chris thinks to himself as he sets his backpack down next to the tent.
       "Nice place you got here!" Tamara says enthusiastically while looking around at her setup.
       The group doesn't say anything as all their eyes pinpoint on the car. Myracle grows anxious as she watches Tamara fiddle with her equipment. She looks like a kid in a toy store. She notices the group's glares pointing to her car.
       "I got this car at my old base. It primarily serves as a place to sleep since there's no gas," Myracle reveals as she opens the car door and throws her backpack in the backseat.
       "Where was your old base? How did you manage to even encounter a good looking car like that?" Ryan asks curiously.
       Myracle's facial expression quickly changes as the words come out of Ryan's mouth. She goes from her serious attitude to being nervous and fidgety. Old memories start flooding back. Her attitude starts to resemble Ricky's who still hasn't been active in conversation.
       "My old base was in a bunker. Bunker 02 to be exact," Myracle says while avoiding eye contact.
       "Wait! You were also in a bunker? What happened? Is that where you got the car from?" Jess asks almost like this is an interrogation.
       The rest of the group members start to join in on the conversation as they constantly bombarde her with questions. She quickly grasps her head and covers her ears. She can hear the sounds of voices in her head. They sound angry. She's scared.
       The group catches on as Chris silents them. He kneels on the floor while teardrops drip down. The memories hurt too much. The questions hurt too much. They remind her of the chaos that unleashed itself in the Bunker.
       Chris squats down in front of her while giving off a warm smile. She looks up at him, terror is all that she feels. She slowly gets persuaded by his demeanor. She breathes in. She breathes out. She repeats this process until she's back to her calm and collective nature.
       "You feel better?" Chris asks with the same warm smile.
       She didn't notice this before, but he's covered in just the same amount of blood and sweat that she is. He looks fatigued, but he's still comforting her. Despite all that he's been through, she can tell that he's an intriguing person.
       Chris helps her up as she finally calms down. She finally nods in response to his question while quickly turning away out of embarrassment. She slightly blushes at the thought of this random stranger knowing her vulnerable side.
       "Alright, lets get ready for bed then. You wanna show us around a little," Chris says while motioning towards the small campsite.
       Myracle doesn't answer, but instead recollects herself. She quickly stabilizes from her embarrassment and shows the group around. The break off into their individual sections as they prepare for bed. However, thoughts still linger in their minds.
       Skyy hobbles over towards the tent where Ricky is sleeping in. She has to check with him. Jess is beside her in case she loses her balance. Is this a stupid idea? Would he even want to talk to me? Should I just leave him alone? Skyy thinks to herself with a gloomy expression.
       Jess notices as she puts a hand on her shoulder. Skyy looks up at Jess who gives her a warm smile of reassurance. Skyy sighs and calms herself down from her current anxious state.
       "He'll be happy that you're checking on him," Jess says reassuringly.
       "Thanks Jess. I can take it from here. Good night!" Skyy says optimistically as if it were a normal day.
       Jess walks off as Skyy opens the tent flap. She can see Ricky set his backpack down. The sleeping bag is laid out and his flashlight is on in the corner of the tent. He looks at Skyy and gives her a fake smile. He looks to be on the verge of tears.
       "Hey Ricky. How ya holding up," Skyy says as she plops down next to Ricky.
       "Just trying to get by the best I can," Ricky says while clearly trying to hold back his emotions.
       A moment of awkwardness fell upon them for a second. They sit in silence as they think about the horrid events that occurred today. Jill's beautiful eyes still linger in the back of his mind. He clenches the sleeping bag while tears fall.
       "I'm so sorry Ricky," Skyy says with a hint of defeat in her tone.
       Skyy embraces Ricky as he cries into her shoulder. The tears just won't stop. No matter how hard Skyy tries, there's no way that Ricky will forget this horrendous day.
       "I'm sorry too. Matthew shouldn't have treated you the way he did earlier," Ricky says in between sobs.
       Skyy is a bit taken back that Ricky's talking about her problems while he's the one who just lost the love of his life. She too gets emotional at the sight of Ricky and the words that he uses.
       "This isn't about me right now. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you Ricky," Skyy says reassuringly.
       They remain there for a moment, crying into each other's arms. They have each other's back, through thick and thin. Skyy comforts Ricky and vice versa. He'll be ok. We'll all be ok. Skyy thinks to herself reassuringly as she supports one of her true friends.
       Meanwhile, Chris and his siblings make their ways to the tent. Ryan and Myracle are fidgeting with their equipment just a few feet behind them. His siblings  haven't spoken to him for a while. Questions and accusations still linger in Chris's mind. He needs to let something off of his chest.
       "Rosie what happened in the bunker?" Chris asks suddenly as Rosie stops short.
       Her entire body begins to tremble as her eyes widen. She starts to sob at the thought of losing her husband to those two crazed maniacs. She can still see the blood on her hands from that horrid day where she applied pressure to his wound.
       Jeannie avoids confrontation, afraid to hear the correct answer. It almost looks like she knows the answer. She just doesn't want to hear it. She doesn't want it to be true. Chris quickly catches on.
       "How did it happen?" Chris asks with a saddened expression.
       Rosie takes a minute to herself. She relives the memories in her head of what happened, specifically in the air lock. Jeannie nudges Chris to go easy on her with the questions. There's only so much trauma one person can take.
       "Sergeant Smith stabbed Zach, and The Admiral finishes him off by exploding the bunker. He told me to leave, but I didn't want to," Rosie says in between sobs.
       As the words come flooding out of Rosie's mouth, she becomes an emotional wreck. Jeannie walks off to while wiping away the occasional teardrops.
       At the sight of his sisters crying, Chris begins to get emotional as another family member of his is now gone. In the blink of an eye, Zach was dead. He will never see him again.
       "God damnit!" Chris yells which captures Myracle and Ryan's attention.
       He leans on the tree and looks up at the night sky. How could such a beautiful, starry night bring such hardships and pain? His scream reverberates throughout the isolated forest.
       Rosie confronts Chris and embraces him with a warm hug. They sob into each other's shoulder while Jeannie trudges along towards them. She joins in. They needed this. Zach may be gone, but they're still here. They're still alive, and they're going to keep it that way.
       "You already avenged him Rosie. He would be so proud of you," Jeannie says while trying to battle her emotions.
       Although they share this heartfelt moment, Chris doesn't feel any resolve. He's furious. He's upset. He's broken. First it was Sasha, next was Hayden, followed by Jill, and now Zach on top of that. He wants revenge. He wants to kill, no matter what the repercussions are.
       Suddenly, Myracle shushes everyone and quickly takes cover behind the tent. They all join but look around them with bewilderment. A few moments pass before they finally hear it, they hear the snarls of the mutants. Chris looks out from behind the tent and sees a whole horde of them.
       His entire body is enraged. His hand tightens on his weapons till his knuckles turn white. He grits his teeth while his eyes twitch from all the negative thoughts that reveal themselves in his mind.
       He rises up with a glint if determination. People are calling his name, but he's too angry to notice. He walks over towards the tent where Myracle took cover behind.
       The voice returns in the back of his mind. You should have died instead of everyone else. You're the leader aren't you? Then save your group for once Mr. Leader. Chris thinks to himself while snatching Myracle's katana.
       "Sorry Myracle. I'll return it back safely," Chris says with a dominant glare as he storms off beyond the forest.
       "Chris! Wait up!" Myracle says in a rather loud whisper.
       Chris battles back through the branches and leaves while taking out stragglers along the way. The closer they are to the camp, the more brutal he's going to act. He walks on the street and looks ahead to see the mutants' backs facing him.
       He swiftly makes his way over towards the creatures and takes a huge swing, instantly killing four of them. He grunts as he plunges the katana through all of these emotionless freaks. The thrill of it all, overpowers the fear that he has ever felt before.
       The black blood splatters on Chris's face every time his weapon makes contact. His body is sore and exhausted, but he has to clear them out. A crawler tears pieces of Chris's shirt which reveals his skin to the cold breeze of the night.
       Before he knows it, the creatures are all laying lifelessly on the pavement. He catches his breath from the adrenaline rush. Myracle and Ryan meets Chris on the street and notices his melancholy expression.
       "Chris are you okay?" Ryan asks as he runs toward him.
       Chris nods in response with a saddened expression on his face. His entire body is covered in sweat and blood with torn clothes. He looks exhausted yet satisfied.
       "You doing alright? That was some stunt you pulled. Jeannie and Rosie are going ballistic about it, so you're lucky that I'm here instead of them," Myracle says reassuringly.
       "Sorry you guys had to see me like that. Let's head back," Chris says with watery eyes.
       "Oh no you don't! Tell me what's wrong Chris," Ryan says kindly.
       Chris's rough exterior starts to crumble once again as his legs give out. He falls to his knees and looks up at the night sky. His eyes used to showcase life and happiness, but now, all Ryan can see his hopelessness and emptiness.
       "I just, feel useless. I couldn't save Sasha. I couldn't save Hayden. I couldn't save Jill, and now Zach's dead. The group doesn't need me," Chris mutters out with defeat.
       He tightly grips his pants as even more tears fall onto the pavement. He hates being vulnerable. It makes him feel weak. It makes him feel like he can't accomplish anything. Ryan puts his hand on his shoulder.
       "Of course we need you. I need you," Ryan says reassuringly.
       "He's right. I know I just met you guys, but I can already tell how much you care for your group. They need you," Myracle says as they both help him up.
       "Thanks guys, and sorry again for this whole thing. Here's your katana by the way," Chris says with a slight smile as he hands over the katana.
       Their hands interlock for a moment. The slight blush returns to Myracle's face as Chris nervously rubs the back of his neck. He seems like his normal self. Ryan nudges Chris playfully as he watched their interactions like some sappy romcom.
       "Just ask next time," Myracle chuckles as they make their ways back to the campsite.
       With the commotion finally dissolved, the group sets off into their original sleeping arrangements once again. Jess and Sarah prepare for bed as they turn off their flashlights. They try to drift off to sleep but ultimately fail. Too much happened in such little time.
       "Hey Sarah you still awake?" Jess asks rather weakly.
       "Yeah what's on your mind?" Sarah answers almost immediately.
       Jess shifts her body to face Sarah. Her hair is in a wild frenzy, and she has bags under her eyes. She can't sleep. They can't just simply go on without addressing the elephant in the room.
       "I miss Jill. She didn't deserve to die," Jess says while scooting closer towards Sarah for comfort.
       She starts to sob into her arms. Seems to be a common appearance nowadays. Everyone is at an all time low as they try to ignore the incidents that happened today. Sarah brushes her tears away.
       "I miss her too, but we have to move on. It's what she would've wanted. I will always be by your side Jess," Sarah says reassuringly as they support each other during this grueling time.
       They start to drift off to sleep. Surprisingly, they're some of the first people to have a chance to relax. All their limbs are achy, and their minds are completely disintegrated.
       Meanwhile, Matthew is left alone with his thoughts as he patrols the perimeter of the camp. He has to keep himself busy. He has to keep Skyy safe regardless of what occurred earlier. He sighs heavily in defeat.
       He feels alone. No one here appreciates him. No one here respects him. He's just a waste of space. You singlehandedly ruined your relationship. No one will ever love you the way she did. You should just walk away. He thinks to himself while occasional teardrops fall.
       "What are you doing out here?," Tamara asks in her menacing tone.
       Matthew jolts io while wiping the tears away from his eyes. He hates being vulnerable. Especially in front of people like her. Every time he looks at her, it sets his presence to be ablaze. He hates her. He absolutely despises her.
       He takes a long look at her expression. She's clearly portraying the terrifying side to her based off of her smug expression. She has a sinister smirk that could scare anyone off, let alone Matthew.
       "What's it to you?" Matthew asks aggressively.
       "I'm just checking on you that's all, honest! You're not so different from me you know," Tamara says while shifting through her personalities all at once.
       Matthew's eyes widen. That comment irked him. There's no way I'm like that beast! I can't be that much of a monster! Matthew thinks to himself while Tamara has complete control over his emotions.
       "I'm nothing like you! How dare you compare me to the monster that is yourself," Matthew says before storming off to the opposite side of the camp.
       Tamara remains there while the wildlife around her circuits through its daily routines. We hear the sound of crickets and the wind brushing through the leaves.
       "Still in denial I see. No matter, he will learn that he's not so perfect," Tamara mutters to herself.
       Back with Ricky and Skyy, they got past their emotional moments and starts the process of going to sleep. Skyy sits up and starts to walk out and find Matthew.
       "Are you seriously about to go and find that prick?" Ricky asks her while sitting up from his sleeping bag.
       "Why you asking? You'd rather me be here with you?" Skyy asks with a slight smirk.
       A slight blush formulates upon Ricky's face as he avoids her gaze. He likes a lot of things about her. Her personality, those beaming brown eyes, her curly hair.
       Ricky avoids eye contact once Skyy asks that question. Is it wrong for me to care for her? Should I be more worried about Jill? Do I want her to stay here with me? Ricky thinks to himself as he battles his morals.
       "Skyy, I just think you deserve better. You're such a nice and beautiful girl. I don't want to see you get hurt like that again," Ricky says while covering his face from the obvious blush.
       Skyy is stunned. She doesn't know whether to be happy, or to he sad of her current situation. She lays back down and faces Ricky. His stare comforts her as he brushes her hair back.
       She finds herself to be leaning in. What're you doing? You love Matthew don't you? Can't you stop yourself? Skyy thinks to herself as she continues this process.
       They inch closer and closer together until their lips brush up against each other. Skyy wraps her arms around Ricky while she deepens the kiss. They continue like this for a while before gasping for breath.
       They separate. They're silent. An awkward tension falls among them. They feel guilty as they try to mentally move past the kiss. Skyy twiddles with her hair while Ricky keeps to himself in the corner.
       "What did we just get ourselves into?" Skyy mumbles as another blush appears on her face.
       Ricky doesn't answer. He just lays there in silence, already aware of the possible mayhem that will commence if this information gets out. This just made their daily lives ten times harder.
       Several hours pass as the entire group drifts off. It's early morning with the moon and sun meeting in the middle. Natural light can be seen, but not too much. The birds chirp as static can be heard from the satellite phone.
       Chris and his siblings wake up from the noise in a rather groggy state. They can hear a woman's voice on the transmission. She seems to be talking about a safe haven at an abandoned hospital.
       Rosie quickly jolts up from her sleeping bag as she trudges toward the satellite phone while still half asleep. She wakes up Chris and Jeannie even further as they join her.
       Chris seems to be rather weak as vulnerable in this state. This is a similar situation as to when Jill disappeared in the morning. He shakes away the thought of Jill from his head and prepares to answer this broadcast.
       "Hello is anybody there?" Rosie asks the woman while Jeannie takes the phone from her.
       "Are you guys safe in your area?" Jeannie asks frantically.
       No answer. The woman abruptly stops speaking from her broadcast loop. They remain silent for a little before going back at it again. Jeannie and Rosie call out once again. No answer. Chris takes the satellite phone as he rubs his eyes.
       "Hello is anyone there?" Chris asks rather impatiently.
       Suddenly, they can hear the sound of the woman's sobs in the background. It's a mix of laughter and crying. A perplexed look explicates on all of their faces. Finally, the woman comes back on the transmission.
       "Jeannie? Rosie? Chris? Is that you guys?" The woman asks hopefully.
       Their eyes widen as their minds go into a wild frenzy. They knew the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Their bodies can't move, they're in shock. The woman eagerly waits for a response while they try to fathom their current situation
       "Mom?" Chris asks through the satellite phone, almost too afraid to hear the answer.
       The siblings wait impatiently for a response. There's no way it could be mom. Didn't she die along with dad? What's going on here? Rosie thinks to herself as tears begin to fall.
       "Hello my babies," Chris's mother says incoherently while sobbing into the transmission call.
       Any hope that they've lost originally, has now been restored. They have a chance to see their mother. An opportunity that not much kids have had during this supposed blast swept the nation. They have an opportunity to be a family again. They can be together again.