Revenge of the Dead

Chapter 31: The Revolution

I see pain flicker across Soph's face and she turns to Daniel slowly, hurt evident in her voice.

"Daniel, is this true? Do you love me?" she asks croakily. My heartbeat echoes in my ears as I wait for his answer to break the silence, anxiety rushing through me.

"To be honest sweet Sophie. No!" he replies, unfazed by my sister's questions. His words strike Soph hard and she stumbles back so she's pressed against the wall.

"N-no?" she whimpers and he smiles almost sympathetically.

"You see love, I needed a way to get to Madeline. Someone on the inside and when you came along to console me I knew you could be the insider, think of it as a temporary partnership," He explains and I see her flinch at Daniel's words.

"Temporary?" she says sadly, tears rolling down her cheeks softly. He nods slowly as pulls out a gun, I scream but it comes out as a whispered shriek and I'm frozen in place.

"No."

He pushes the gun against her head and I stumble forward, besides me, I feel Eli do the same but we're both restrained. Maria holds my arms tightly and Josh pulls back Eli.

"NO! NO! LET GO OF ME MARIA, LET GO! NO!" I shout but she shakes her head sadly.

"JOSH GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! I SWEAR TO GOD, LET ME GO RIGHT NOW!" Eli yells and I fight against Maria's grip harder, Elijah's anger only fuelling mine.

A lone tear drips down her face and I slump back against her, Maria's tears taking me back. She tilts her head down and I see a red spot of light on each of our chests, knowing instantly it's the government. They all shine their lasers towards us and I fall to a complete stop, if we move, we all die.

Ashia cries in the middle of us and Jaz yaps unhappily, but the noise glides past me. My eyes meet with Sophie's and they're full of everything: regret, sadness, fear, anxiety, anger and love.

"Any last words darling, before I put you to rest?" Daniel asks and she nods her head weakly.

"I'm so sorry Madeline, I was angry and I did all of this because I thought he loved me. I'm so sorry Eli, you did and I led you on, only to know now that I am indefinitely in love with you. I'm sorry Maria that I wasn't the best friend you'd thought I was, I'm sorry that I wasn't a good aunt to Ashia," she sniffles but I frown slightly at the tone of her voice, so bittersweet.

"But most of all, I'm sorry to you Daniel. I'm sorry that you have to live your life as an insane and murderous maniac that will never be loved, YOU ARE A KILLER AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE!" she screams and stares straight up at Daniel.

Anger washes over him and he shakes with visible fury, I close my eyes and cry into my hands. I can't watch my sister die, I can't watch. The echoing explosion of a bullet sounds through the air and I flinch violently, I hear Sophie let out a short-lived scream and I shout in despair before her body slumps to the ground.

She's dead. My sister is dead.

Anger bubbles inside me and I let out a cry of shock, there's nothing I can do. There's no good left in the world, nothing I can do but try and protect what remains of our group.

The zombies let out a whimper and my head snaps up to them, I meet eyes with the leader and I gasp. It's as if something snaps inside of me and my heartbeat rockets at the thought. Could I have been wrong? I thought it was a fight of our group versus the three evils, but maybe I was wrong. When you look, at who is truly evil, we were all wrong.

The zombies aren't evil, they never asked for this and I can't let them die. Our group will never survive alone, there's too few of us. I can almost hear Soph's words of encouragement in my head and I almost laugh at my crazy plan. But right now, it's all I have.

I have to do what's right. What Lara, Nicholas, Toby, Amelia, Mum, Dad and Sophie would want me to do.

I have to side with the zombies.

My enemies for so long have in an instant become my allies.

I get shakily to my feet and place the vial over my heart, I feel the group stand behind me and follow my lead warily but loyally, more trusting than I deserve. The government hold their fire but trace my every move, a look of astonishment on the Prime Minister's face.

Tears stream down my face again as I step over Soph's blood, the last blood family asides from Ashia that I had left. My sister who I loved with all my heart.

My footsteps echo across the room as I walk over to the leader, the zombies all stare at me in confusion, just like everyone else. As I stop in front of the leader I take a deep breath and look up to his eyes, pure white yet somehow full of passion and desire.

Then, ever so slowly I put up a hand,  he stares at me for a moment before mirroring my movement and raising his own hand. 

As soon as they touch a smile tugs at my lips and then, gently, he copies my expression; he lets out a low whimper full of kindness and I smile wider.

The zombies don't have to die, they deserve to live, only the Government and Daniel deserve a punishment that severe. For the first time, humans and infected have united.

This is a new start, this is the revolution.