Chapter 10: Safe Place (Shannons PoV)

I blinked a few times, as I did my best to take that vivid memory off of my shelf. I had made myself a bit of a fool more than once, and it kind of scared me, I was always wanting to have a good image to all of the people around me, even if I was not a good person.

Sometimes it felt like I was not, and right now, I had once again let my own fear get the best of me, and told them that what they had thought, had not been true at all. Hell, was I really that stupid? I had not at all, seen the place for myself.

I knew that there were no survivors at all, but I just did not want to believe that someone, well, more than just 1 person I suppose, would be as evil as to do something like this. As I looked around the place though, it began to sink in to me, that this had to be an attack of some sorts.

I just could not see now, how this could at all have just been a storm. I wanted to say it, to get rid of all of the fear that was rushing through my body at the moment, but the way that things looked to be, it just did not make sense as to that being a possibility.

I saw that Tanner was looking at me, with his eyes squinted, which was not normal for him. I then looked over at Christian, to see that he was doing the same as well. I looked at the both of them for a few moments, as I was a bit confused as to what was going on.

I must have missed something, while I was lost in a memory, as if I was even dreaming. I shook my head, as I then began to look at the both of them, as I was still quite a bit confused as to what was going on at the exact moment in time.

As I looked at the both of them, I saw Christian shake his head, as if I was some sort of a fool. I got a bit angry at it as well, as I did not like to be looked at like that, by this man. I listened to what it was that he had to say though, as he eventually began to speak to me.

"Come on Shannon... We've still got to find a safe place before it gets dark too. We do not have much time, and I fear that it might not be safe to get out of here in the morning." He said to me. I looked at him for a few moments, quite a bit happy that he had not attacked me this time.

I then blinked a few times as well, as it then hit me as to what he had just said to me. I stared there for a few minutes, until I eventually began to look around the area, realizing as to what he had just said to me now. I saw a few of the dead moving around, the outskirts of the broken wall that was.

As far as I could tell, Christian, Tanner, and many others had done a good job as to clearing out all of the dead that were in this community. I still knew that it was not a good, and a safe place to live, at least at the exact moment that was.

Hell... It probably would not ever be a good idea to live in this place, ever again. Now that I began to think about this place being venerable to getting attacked by other people as well. I still was not sure if it were the case, or if it just had been the wrong time, and some random person had attacked them late at night.

I was not sure if that were really all that true or not though, and I was quite a bit sure that it was just me trying to get a little bit of false hope stirred up into my soul. I shook my head, as I knew that it was the reason that I was here in the first place.

I was here with them, for them to show me the real truth of what had happened here. I looked back over at Christian, as I could see that he still had his eyes squinted at me, as if he was worried for some reason, that I had been the one that had attacked them.

I blinked just a few times, as I knew that was not true. I had done some bad, and evil things in my life, but I would not ever do anything like that. I then eventually nodded to Christian, as he still was not too sure, until I began to speak.

"Alright... I am ready... Take me to the place that you must show me." I said to him. He looked at me for a few moments, as he then rolled his eyes at me at the same time too. I was a bit confused as to why that might be so as well.

Surely I had not done anything wrong, or anything stupid right? Maybe I had though, as I did not not know what it was like out here, nor was I sure what I was even doing. I felt a bit scared as well too, if he told everyone about it, the council might think bad about me.

I did not want that to be the case at all, and I knew that I had to do everything correctly from here on out. Christian eventually looked back over to me with a bit of a normal look on his face finally, as he decided to say what it was that he had in his head as well.

"Tie up your horse... We don't need them to be running off on us." He said to me. I looked at him for just a few moments, as I then suddenly took in what he had just said to me. I looked at my horse for just a few moments, as it almost seemed as if he had been talking to me.

I was worried for him, and I knew that if I tied him up, and the dead managed to get on him, than he would have no way out of it. I did not want that to be the case, as I looked over at Christian, and then I squinted my eyes at him, as I was not sure if that was really a good idea or not.

I saw him roll his eyes at me once again, as I could tell that he was starting to get a bit tired of me already. Maybe he was right, and I really was being dumb right now. I knew that he knew a lot more of what it was like out here, than I did.

Sometimes I wondered if maybe someone like him would do better as a leader. I then shook my head, as I realized that Angela was a person like him. I never wanted Angela in control of my community, I just did not trust her for some reason.

Maybe it was still because of the fact that I still hated her, because her father had been the reason that both of them had died, and then her mother had taken over as leader. I shook my head at the same time, as I knew that was not where my head space needed to be at right now.

I looked around for a few moments, as I could tell that Tanner was also getting a bit annoyed as well, due to the fact that I was taking so long. I then looked back over to Christian, and then I began to speak to him, after just a few more moments.

"My horse wouldn't run off... If the dead get to him, I want him to at least have a chance too." I said back to Christian. He stared at me for just a few moments, as if I was some kind of idiot. Maybe I was acting like one right now, but I was just so scared for my horse.

He was just about all that I had left, as a memory from my father, and I did not want to lose that. I could tell that Christian was getting quite a bit angry, and annoyed by me now. I had in fact remembered what he had said to me just the yesterday, while we were on our way here.

I closed my eyes, as Christian still had not responded to what I had just said to him, so I got myself lost into a memory once again, just as I had done a few moments ago. It all came back to me, as I remembered what it was that he had said to me.

I looked around, as my horse stayed steady with the rest of theirs. I wanted to fly free, past them though, and enjoy the fresh air, breezing by me, just like when I was much younger, and I remember opening up the window to the car door, and letting the cool air fly by me.

My father never liked when I did that, as he did not like the noise, nor the air flying through the car when he was driving, but my mother let me do it when it was just me and her in the car. I missed my mother so much as well, as I remembered the day she had passed along.

I had been at the DMV... I was getting my test to try to get my drivers license. I had been so excited, and my mom had a big smile on her face, as she too was excited for me, to reach this point in my life. I also could see a bit of a worried look on her face too.

She had been so worried about my father all day, there had been some sort of virus going around, that had been all over the news over the last couple of days, that some humans had turned into some crazy cannibals, it had been so bad that they had shut down a lot of stores and many other things.

People had been breaking into the stores though, and been stealing stuff, most people went in and got a lot of canned food, or other food that would last for a long period of time, but a lot of people had been doing some very violent crimes, and taken advantage of the crisis.

I felt bad for my mother, as the smile that she had on her face, it seemed to be a bit of a fake smile. I could tell that she was very lost in her head at the moment. I knew that she was very worried for my father as well, as he worked in the downtown of the city.

That was where a lot of the stuff about cannibals had been going on. I knew that she was scared for him, and I was too, but I was sure that in the end, just like most little viruses that seemed to come across the world, it would all be over in a flash.

I blinked a few times, as suddenly my mother got up from the chair that she had been sitting on for a while now. I was a bit confused as to what was going on at the moment, until I heard a loud voice come on to the intercom, that I had somehow missed just a few moments ago.

"I repeat! Number 666, please come up to the front!" The person that was on the intercom said. I realized right away that it was our number. Hearing it said again began to freak me out a bit too. I could tell that it kind of scared my mother as well.

It was a bit strange too, as I knew that both of my parents were heavy atheist, but instead of my mother seeing that number on our receipt, and thinking of it as a joke, it instead began to scare her a bit. It had taken me quite a while to calm her down too.

I could tell that hearing it said again, it kind of scared her a bit as well, but she got over it, as she nodded for me to follow her up to the front, where the lady had just called for us to head up to. My mom kind of walked slowly, which was not normal for her.

I did my best not to think about it, as I just kept on walking with her. We were just about over to the lady, when suddenly we heard a loud noise, and then a groan come from not too far away from us. Both me and my mother turned our heads over to it.

It had come from a nearby bathroom, it had kind of freaked the both of us out at the same time too. I shook my head, as I tried not to think about it, as the person inside continued to keep on groaning. The DMV lady then spoke to us, as hearing her voice seemed to freak my mother out even more, since it had come from so close to her.

My mom then realized that it was just the worker, and she turned her head over to the lady, a bit more calm, and relaxed, as she listened to what it was that the lady had to say to her. I turned my head over to her, and I did the same thing as well.

"Ma'am... Don't worry about that... I think it is just some guy that is sick, he might have had a rough night last night. All of us are too scared to go check it out, with all that is going on you know... I recommend that you do the same thing too." She said to my mother. My mother looked at her for a few moments, and then she squinted her eyes too.

I could tell that my mother, she too was a bit afraid of all of that, but I also knew that she had a bit of a rebellious nature in her too. She also was always worried for other people too, which had her a bit freaked out with all that was going on right now too.

My mother looked back over to the bathroom door for just a few seconds, as she then shook her head at the same time too. I knew what she had meant by that as well, as she then turned her head back over to the lady. She then began to speak back to her too.

"I am going to check, and make sure that they are okay..." She said to the lady. The lady looked at her, with quite the surprised look on her face. My mother then turned her head over to me, and then she began to speak to me too. "Shannon... You just stay here, I will be right back honey..."

I looked at my mom for just a few seconds, and then I nodded to her. I kind of wish, now that I began to think back on it, that I had not done so, at the exact time. If I had just told her to stay back, and to not worry about it, than perhaps she would still be alive to this day.

Instead though, I also knew that there was no telling her otherwise, as I sat down at the chair, beside the DMV lady. Both me, and the DMV lady did not have our eyes on each other, but instead on my mother, as she walked over to the bathroom door.

I had a blank look on my face, as I was not sure what to think at the moment. I just stared at her, as she walked over to the door, and then she knocked on it as well. She waited for just a few moments, as she listened for any sort of response from the person inside.

It was dead silent now though, and I knew that it only scared my mother even more than before. The DMV lady as I could tell from the corner of my eye, was also freaked out. She spoke to me a bit quietly for some reason, as if she did not want other people to hear her. I listened to what it was that she had to say, but I did not turn my head over to her.

"Everyone is freaked out that it might be one of the cannibals... That is why no one wants to go in..." She said to me. I did my best to ignore the lady too, as it was clear that she was stating the obvious too. I looked around at the DMV office too.

I could tell that many people had heard the guy moaning and groaning for help, but everyone was too scared to do anything about it. They were all doing their best to just ignore the man. I was starting to agree with my mother on this as well now too.

It was fairly inhumane for people to just ignore the fact that someone had been groaning for help, but it also made sense too, as they were all scared that 1 of the cannibals could be inside of that, and ready to tear the flesh off of one of us.

I shook my head, as I looked back over to my mother once again, as I watched her knock on the door one more time. I heard a quick little groan come from the bathroom, that at least told me that the guy that was in there, was still alive.

I began to calm down a bit, as my mother did not seem to feel the same way as me. I looked at my mother for just a little while longer, as my mother shook her head, to herself, and then she began to speak to the person that was on the other side of the door.

"Sir! If you need help, than please just tell me!" She said to the man that was on the other side of the door. It was all silence for a few moments, as I could tell that a lot of the people that were in the DMV at the moment, now seemed to be interested in what it was that was going on.

It was a bit funny to me, as it seemed as if they did not care just a few moments ago. If someone really was in trouble in there, and was sick, I would not be surprised if my mother was to save them, that they would take a lot of the credit for her saving the mans life.

That was just the society that we lived in nowadays, everyone wanted attention, and they wanted to look good to the general publics eye. I shook my head though, as I knew that it was not where my thoughts should be on at the exact moment.

I too, just like my mother was a bit worried for the guy that was inside of the bathroom, as still it did not seem that the man had any sort of response to what my mother had just said to him. I waited just a bit longer, as I wondered if I should go over, and help my mother.

I shook my head once again though, as I knew that my mother had told me to stay with the DMV lady at the booth. I just watched as to what was about to go down instead, as I was not expecting what it was that was about to happen next.

Suddenly there was a loud smash, and a much more angry groan from the bathroom. It kind of scared my mother as well, as she jumped back, quite a bit surprised to hear that come from the bathroom. I realized that maybe something had fallen over, if the dude had tried to go to the door.

Maybe the man was too sick to talk to my mother, and he was falling over, and doing his best to get some kind of help. I hoped it was not too late for the man either, if it had been true, the fact that people had been ignoring the man for a long time, because of the cannibal virus that was going around.

My mother looked at me for just a few moments, as she then turned her head over to me. She then nodded to me, and I knew what it was that she was trying to tell me as well. She was letting me know that I needed to learn this from her.

I nodded back to her as well, as my once my mother made sure that I was paying full attention, which of course, how could I not be right now? She then turned her head back over to the door, and then she began to speak to the man that was inside, once again.

"Alright sir... I am beginning to get very worried for you right now! Please have some clothes put on, because I am opening the door the the bathroom now!" She said to him. The person that was inside, made a loud and angry groan once again.

My mother shook her head though, as it was clear that she had made her decision, and there was no stopping her now. Now that I think back on it, and now that I knew in the end, what was going on, and what this all meant, I wish that I could have stopped her.

At the time though, I was just scared, but also proud for my mother, that she was stepping up, and potentially saving the life of a man. I did not know that those words, were going to be the last words that were going to come, from out of her mouth however.

She stood there for just a bit longer, as I could tell that she was a bit hesitant, to go through with what she had just said, but in the end, she did so anyways, as she began to open up the door. I also wished that the man had locked the door to, when he had gone in there.

I was not really too sure what had gone on through that mans head though, as he had taken his last breath as a human, inside of that bathroom. So I really could not blame him for all of that, now that I knew what this virus was nowadays.

I stood there, and I stared, as I saw a bit of a shocked look on the face of my mother, which confused me quite a bit. My mother began to draw closer to the door, as I could tell that she was very worried for the poor man, who was not actually a man anymore.

I then watched as the man walked through the doorway, as many people in the DMV office poked their heads out, to see what it was that was going on at the moment. The man was a bit strange looking to me, as it almost seemed to me, that he was no longer even a man.

He had his clothes on, and he was fine, but I saw that he had blood all over his mouth, and though it was hard to see from all the way over where I was at right now, it seemed as if he had no color in his eyes at all, almost as if he was blind.

I heard a lot of ushers from all of the people in the office, as it was clear that they were all just as shocked as I was, and a bit confused as to what it was that was going on with the man. My mother then moved up to the man, to try and help him.

She did not realize though, that it was her fatal mistake. I stared, with a blank look in my eyes, and in my soul, as the man suddenly hopped on top of my mother. I was so shocked at first, that I did not go over to try and help my mom, not that I could have really done much anyways.

A lot of people began to freak out in the DMV, as it was clear that every person that was in here, were all shocked with what it was that was going on at the exact moment. Many people began to run out of the DMV office, as I saw many other people take out their phones.

Most of them were to record what was going on, as it wad kind of sick to see them do so, but I saw that a few people were calling 911 for help, not that it would do much, due to the fact that they were so busy right now, that you could be on hold for hours.

I stared with a blank look on my face, as I looked around at the DMV office, waiting for someone to get up, from off of their asses, and go and help my mom from not getting killed by whatever it was, that was going on with this person right now.

I sat there for just a bit more time as well, as maybe just like me, all of the other people were just stuck right now, and not sure what to do. For me, it was quite a different reason however, as the lady that was on the ground right now, was my own mother.

I could tell that she was doing her best to fight off the man, as the man was trying to get close to her with his arms. He was a man after all though, and now knowing that the dead were insanely strong, I now knew that there was nothing that she could have done to stop the man.

I was racing through my mind, doing my best to try to tell myself to get up, and to try and help my mother, by at least running over, and trying to kick the man from off of her, but I was just stuck right now. I then heard one person yell loudly to all of the people that were still in the office.

"Its a cannibal! Everyone run!" He said to all the people that were inside. All of the people that were recording on their phones, or trying to call 911, suddenly then realized what it was that the man had just said, as they got up from their chairs, and quickly began to run out of the office.

I was a bit confused as to how the man could have assumed that, as I looked over at the man, but it seemed as if he had done what he had told the others to do, as I watched him with his back turned, as he quickly slammed open the doors, not giving a care in the world about anyone else.

I then turned my head, and my eyes over to my mother, as it then hit me as to what it was that he had just said. I then stared at my mother, as I saw the man now had his hands on her chest, she was doing her best to fight back, but it was no use now.

I then watched, as right in front of me, blood began to squirt out of her chest, and her stomach area, as the dead began to tear open that part of her body. I thought about throwing up, but my mind was going too fast at the moment to even do so.

I heard a loud crash from right beside me, from where the DMV worker just had been. I did not turn my eyes over, to see what it was, though I knew that the lady had just closed the window, and I had to assume that she had ran off, to try to get out of the place, like the rest of the people had.

My eyes were on my mom though, as I could hear her screaming in pain, as blood began to explode all over the place. That is when it all hit me, as I began to start yelling, and crying for help, though I knew that there was nothing that could be done to save her now.

The cannibals had got to her, just like they had gotten to thousands of other people that I had seen on the news too. I stood there, stuck, with a blank look on my face, as I suddenly heard an angry man speak from behind me, though I did not turn my head over to him, as my eyes were locked on my mother at the moment.

"God damn it! This shit happens to me on a day like today! I've been sitting here for 3 hours!" He yelled angrily. It got me a bit sick too, as it seemed as if he gave 0 shits about what was going on in front of him, and he only cared for himself right now.

I did not focus my mind on that, as I then suddenly saw 2 men begin to run over to where my mother was in the hallway. I realized that they were security guards, for the DMV... I began to get a false sense of hope, that they might somehow be able to save my mother.

These were security guards though, as I realized it right away. They were not cops, and I had just seen my mother torn apart in front of me, if there was an ambulance at the scene right now, I was not sure what help it could really do for her right now.

I began to cry, and sob even louder than I had been before, as I watched as one of the security guards pulled out a taser to try and stop the man. It seemed to do nothing at all though, besides seem to anger the man, as he got up from my mother, who I could tell was now dead.

This time I then vomited on the floor, as it seemed like this was a movie, even though I knew that this was real life that was going on right now. I watched as the man then began to move closer to the security guard, which surprised the security guard quite a bit, that the taser gun had done nothing at all.

The security guard then pulled out his small bat, that he had on his belt, as he waved it around at the man, to try to scare him. The man did not seem to have any response to what the guard had just done at all however, as the guard then began to yell at him.

"Stop right there, or I will swing at you!" He yelled to the man. The man did not seem to care at all, as he then suddenly lunged at the guard, biting right down into his arm. The guard then yelled in pain, as he then began to swing at the man to try to stop him.

It seemed to do no good at all however, as the man just kept on tearing into the arm of the man, squirting out blood all over the place, but not nearly as much blood as I had seen from my now dead mother. The guard did seem to have enough power to at least tear himself off of the man.

He yelled in sharp pain, as he moved a little back down the hallway, a bit closer to where I was, still on the chair, that I had been stuck on for a very long period of time now. It then hit me, that I needed to get out of here right now, if I did not want to end up like my mother.

I got up from the chair, but I still stood there, as I watched the man, with only 1 hand now, swing the bat at the man, but this time aiming it right at the mans head. This time it seemed to do a little bit of something however, as the man then fell to the ground.

It did not take him that long to get himself back up however, as he kept on going right after the guard. The guard realized that this was going to be quite the long fight, as he turned his head over to the other guard that was with us, who seemed to be just as stuck and surprised, as I was.

There was blood flying from all out of his arm, as it seemed as if he had been hit with a fairly deep gash. He was not yelling in pain however, just as he had been a few seconds ago, as it seemed as if his adrenaline had finally managed to kick in.

He kicked the man back quickly, it moved him back a few feet, but it did not shove him to the ground. The guard seemed to give up a bit, as he then looked over to the other guard quickly, and then he began to speak to her.

"Lily! Get the ladies daughter out of here now! Take her to a safe place!"