Two days had passed since Gala went to thank Imboz, and the humans were finally able to move out of the zombie town. It came as a relief to both humans and zombies, since both sides faced problems with their arrangement.
Because of Ali's injury, it was necessary but neither side felt comfortable. They tried to respect each other as much as they could but it was a struggle to do so.
The humans were always on the lookout, terrified that zombies might attack them while they slept. Also, whenever a new zombie approached them, it took every ounce of their self-control to stop themselves from smashing the zombies' head.
After all the years they had spent in their own world, it became a reflex that they had to learn to control in the city of Slim. The zombies there were not violent, although their diet wasn't much different from the others, and they did help them out. That was the only thing that kept them in check.
As for the zombies, the challenges they faced were even more difficult. It was the instinctual need to feed, to devour human flesh and it wasn't easy for them to go against that instinct.
What kept them in check was the island Law and Imboz. Although most of them barely had any thinking ability, they knew that what kept them in one piece was the fact that they respected the Law and Imboz as their leader.
If they were to break the Law, they understood it would mean them not existing. Even with the little reasoning they had, they knew that was not what they wanted.
Upon leaving the dark and gloomy city of Slim, Gala remembered enough from their island tour to take them to the most beautiful and cheerful place on the island. She thought that it would have a healing effect on all of them.
Especially on Kay and Ali, who seemed to struggle with the readjustment more than others. Even though Gala would never admit it, she shared their struggle. Although Ali and Gala hadn't spent a lot of time in the gruesome, bloody version of Slim, it felt like a lifetime.
Once they reached the breathtaking beach with the gentle waves slowly hitting the shore, Kay and his friends were more confused than they had been in a long time. They forgot how beautiful the world could be.
After their families and friends died, slaughtered by the zombies, or killed by their own hands once they turned, nothing seemed to matter anymore. Their world turned gray, with no beauty, no life, no hope.
Faced with the vibrancy and energy of the ocean, they couldn't comprehend it. It was all too much for them.
What seemed to break them, were children walking down the beach, carefree, eating colorful ice cream while it melted down the cones. They were fascinated that something like that could even exist. Not only the happy children but the delicious treats, such as ice cream and the general beauty of it all.
People in the other Slim forgot how it felt to do something like that, just relax on the beach and enjoy a delicious ice cream with no fear of dying or being devoured by monsters.
Instead of enjoying the sunshine and the striking beauty they lacked for so many years, they hurried towards the little houses Gala told them they could stay in and shut themselves away from the world.
They needed some time to process everything, to understand fully what was happening, to understand that they would live. The adjustment was such a huge and sudden one that they couldn't make head or tails of it.
They didn't get a happy ending. Instead, it was filled with horrible nightmares, and for some of them a lot of sleepless nights. Bad things that happened followed them wherever they went, they could never be truly happy.
They woke up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, screaming the names of the ones they lost until they could scream no more.
What kept them going were the promises to the ones they loved, to always keep going, to keep living no matter what. They did their best to create even a semblance of life, but their best was not good enough, there was too much trauma, too much pain. Building up one's life again after all the pain and despair was much more difficult than they at first assumed.
There is blood everywhere. Why is there so much blood? Jessica! Jessica! What are you doing?! NOOOO!
What are you doing!? Stop! You are killing them! Why can't I break this glass!? Why can't I stop you? My precious children!
They are dead, they are all dead! Why is the ground spinning? I should have stopped her. I couldn't, I couldn't get in.
Their precious little heads smashed up with brains pouring out. Agh and my wife! My gentile, precious wife! Her mouth is smeared with the blood and the brains of our children.
Make it stop! Please, God, make it stop!
My knuckles hurt from repeatedly punching the glass. Trying to get in. Trying to stop the bloodshed.
Warm blood trickles down my hands but I don't care. I don't care about the pain that follows every punch I throw at the unyielding glass.
My wife! My children!
The children's screams still echo in my mind although I can see that there is no life in their small fragile bodies. It is all in my mind.
Darkness is all around me. I want to embrace it. It feels cold and unwelcoming, but I know that it is better than what I will find in the light. There is something terrible that I know I don't want to remember. It's too painful.
Let me stay here! Don't make me go! The world is nothing without them!
Without whom?
Oh, now I remember.
Her rabid lifeless eyes. Our children screaming for their mother that is no longer there.
Looking at me.
Trusting me to save them.
I failed them.
My heart breaks as I remember that I have failed them. My precious little ones. Not only are they dead but butchered, by their own mother. WHY!?
There is no use in me just lying on the ground a few steps away from where my family died.
There is screaming, so much screaming...
Why doesn't it ever stop?!
Another sound stops me from slipping away into the nothingness, the scraping of nails on the glass. My beautiful wife, now a monster is trying to escape. Trying to hurt more people. There is no way out for her.
But for me, there is one obvious way out. One that I need more than anything else. I need to join my children. That's the only way for my pain to stop.
I can't handle it! Life is not worth living without them!
Is that my precious Michael screaming!?
But no, he is dead. What is that sound then? Is it a scream for help?
Now I can see him. A small brown haired boy, the same age as my Michael is running down the street chased by two senseless adults, his parents I guess. They are covered in blood and the child is running terrified. It cries and screams.
"Mommy! Daddy! Please stop! I don't want to end up like Jack! It hurt him, mommy! You hurt him!" the child said.
The child reminds me so much of my dear boy. I have to help! Death will be there waiting for me, but now I need to help the poor boy.
Suddenly Kay was back in the small house, on the beach, disoriented, with his heart beating like crazy. He wasn't asleep, and yet he could see everything so clearly like it was happening right then and there.
For him, it felt like it was happening all over again, and he couldn't stop the hot tears from streaming down his face. An angry cry burst out of him without him being aware of it.
Dreams he could handle, but the horrific flashbacks turned him into a sobbing mess. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.
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