Chapter 29: Silence

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The snow began melting under the watch of the newly born sunshine in the east. The cold temperature slowly fading away when the heat started stalking inside the pretty much-abandoned prison.

"We bury our love ones, we burn the others." This is what I heard from Sehun who had a shovel in his hands. I tried to look away and busy myself instead, I focused on the metal screens that separate us from the outer world.

"Hey." I heard Kai's voice from behind me. I turned around.

"Kai." I addressed as I drank the clean water in my bottle that Lay tried to boil to kill any of the bacteria.

"I thought that you'd like to see Minho before we finally bury him." He trailed off carefully as he watched my expression.

I just stared in the burial place far away from me.

"I guess, yeah, I'll just get going. I'm sorry I-"

"No, I'm coming," I assured him as I swallowed the lump that built in my throat. There's no way that I wouldn't see him for the last time anyway. Lay, being the doctor he was, he preserved Minho's body using some supplies in the infirmary and with the help of the colder winter so we can give him a proper burial as fast as possible. He's just pale. Several bites on his body, nonetheless, he died peacefully.

Fuck these tears again.

I blinked the tears away. I don't need tears right now. I should be happy that he'd be with his family now.

I felt Kai held me beside him as he tried to comfort me. I just bit my lip. I don't need the weak Baekhyun at this moment.

"Yeah, you should bury him now," I said as I set the wildflowers that I painfully picked. It reminded me that these flowers are about to be given to someone I value. Someone who just passed away.

We all stood there. We are about in our thirties or forties. All are original members of the sanctuary except Kyungsoo. We told our last words on his grave before Sehun started scooping soil to finally cover his remains.

Upon watching how Sehun dig the ground to cover Minho hyung's body, over the other side where I was standing, I saw Chanyeol staring at me.

We had eye contact for a second before I looked away, wiping the tears on my eyes. Maybe he doesn't want to see me being vulnerable around the other fellows. He needs me to be strong right now, I guess. I could say that I'm the second in command after all that had happened.

I glanced at him again. The sunshine fanning over his face. His height outshines all of us. He stood with authority and just. I could say that he's handsome. But something caught my attention. His eyes. His eyes aren't on mine anymore. But I know he's looking somewhere else over my direction. He's still looking at me.

And then I found out. Yes. He was still looking in my direction. No delusions. He was staring at me but specifically on the hand that is wrapped around my waist. Kai's hand.

Why is he looking at me like that?

I'm about to react and think of pulling away from Kai but when I'm on the verge of doing it, he stepped back quickly as he pulled away from his stares, he whispered something to Suho's ears before backing away and leaving the area without uttering a single word.

My eyes followed his broad back. He got inside the cell alone. I shouldn't be worried anyway, the cell is zombie-free now. We checked that too many times that we are already had gotten familiarised with the place. We thought that the prison is small after all.

But the way he looked at me gives a slight tingle inside my stomach. I don't know, it doesn't bother me as much but it gives me weird feelings.

"I should check on the pigs," I said to Kai, excusing myself. Taehyung followed me and offered me some help to feed them while Luhan stayed with Sehun to finish burning the others.

"Chanyeol was quiet this past few days Baekhyun-hyung." He mumbled as we fed the three wild pigs that we caught. Fortunately, they are still in their hibernation state under winter before we got them inside the safe zone. They are impossible, how'd they even survived out there?

But going back to Taehyung's statement. Yes, he did become too quiet these past days. His plans are only known by the order, which he created carefully. I'm glad he counted me in. He can't say no to me either. I've done my part well, or even too much.

"Maybe he'd been thinking all his decisions too carefully. You know the rules. All the things we should and shouldn't do from now on." I told him. Yeah, we created some rules that we believe could help us endure and survive.

These rules are contained with curfews, night watches, day watches, security checks, attendance, safety precautions, coordination, chores, pretty much like a survival game. But the only difference was that it wasn't a game, it's more like a reality show.

Even how much I tried to ignore it, I could also feel like he was avoiding me but not that kind of typical avoiding? It's funny to say though but the only thing that detached between us was the distance and extra conversation that we used to have.

Yes, we still talk. That formal talk when we have a meeting along with the orders, that counts Sehun, Kai, Xiumin, Suho, Kris, Tao, Luhan, Kyungsoo, Lay, Chen, and me. This happened the last time we had a full conversation. The time I visited him in his cell block.

Chanyeol, Sehun, Kai, and Jungkook are in charge of the in and out of the safe zone. Using a safe zone, it was the prison perimeters. They do the scavenging and the checking outside the walls. They are the only ones to enter and exit the prison perimeters. That's one of the major rules.

Suho and Kris are the main guards on the main entrance and exit of the gates outside. They watch out over the night shifts on the two guard towers in the front liners on the gates but sometimes we take shifts too.

Luhan and Kyungsoo are the main lookouts on top of the prison. There's a central tower in the middle of the prison building so they can easily watch out for everything that moves around the prison cell kilometers away. They're the ones responsible for watching if there are some vehicles or hoards of walkers coming towards the prison. They are one of the best shooters we could have. Luhan had mastered using the sniper that he'd been carrying ever since while Kyungsoo is a knowledgeable shooter being a son of a general although he had, unfortunately, lost his left hand, thanks for Lay he's quickly recovering and the medicines are great, he could still use his right hand excellently.

Lay and Chen are the main security inside the prison with their personally hired others. They check the pathways and sections every day inside to be hundred percent secure for any problems and dangers. They are the main peacemaker inside the prison too whenever everything is quite busy. Lay being the experienced doctor he was, he also maintains our health.

As for me and Tao. Even though I feel disappointed and a little bit disagreed on being the field security who checks the insides of the metal screens if there's damage or whatsoever, I felt at least grateful. I just wished to join the team of Chanyeol to help them but it's a no-no to Chanyeol. We get communication from the center tower which Luhan and Kyungsoo were running to know which part of the surrounding of the walls needed to be secured because oftentimes, zombies fill up in just one place and we needed to immediately take them down before they break the wall which I think will never happen, yet we still needed precautions. We are not only dealing with zombies, we also deal with outsiders. They're the ones who are more dangerous in a situation like this.

Moreover, the in charge of the production of resources was Jin, being an experienced agricultural engineer before all of this happened. He has his subgroup that contained Suga, Jimin, and J-hope. Chanyeol and his subgroup provide raw materials while they make something out of it for crop productions and all.

Taehyung and pretty much the rest of the unmentioned are mainly in charge of the prison chores. They do the feeding of the pigs and watering the vegetables and crops as well as cleaning and preparing for meals. Well, that's an important role anyway in this kind of damned world where everything is in the breaking line of scarcity.

Days passed by, everything is going smoothly. No intrusions with the outside danger for the first couple of weeks and I hope it stays like that. But no matter how I ignore it, something is wrong. Not wrong, I guess something is off.

"You should sleep, I'll take the watch," I spoke in the bite of the silent night as I dusted off my pants after I climbed on the ladder.

"You are not supposed to be here in this kind of hour. You should be asleep by now." There goes again. That monotonous in his voice that I'm never accustomed to.

I sat on the cemented floor in an Indian sit beside the wooden chair he's using. Cool air fanned my face as I wandered my sight in the dark woods. There's nothing but silence. The stars still shine like the way it does when everything of this happened. The moon still looked bright above as it shone above the dying world.

"You have had no rest for the past few days," I spoke, not lifting my head to look at him although he knows that I'm referring to him.

"Don't exaggerate." Again, that monotonous deep voice.

"You need rest Baekhyun." He said. I could feel that he's staring at me.

There's no light in the surrounding. That's a defensive mechanism of the prison that we had talked about. We theoretically assumed that zombies get attracted to the lights besides noise and movements so every night, if there's no emergency or whatsoever, as much as possible, all lights or any brightness are off.

I turned my head to look at him. I know he was looking at me, even in the dim light of the moon, I could still feel his stares.

"Tell me," I spoke,

"Are you avoiding me?" I asked as I fixed my sitting position and finally faced him. I was used to be the one who always tries to avoid him, but now, I feel bothered.

"Why would I do that?" He asked back after a few seconds.

"I don't know. I just feel like you're avoiding me." I shrugged as I sighed silently, trying to act normal but in reality, I'm irked with the idea of him ignoring or avoiding me.

"I am not." He said briefly.

"Maybe... I'm just used to all our fights back then. All my rants and complaints about how you run things." I shrugged again. Deciding to take a glimpse on the edge of the guard tower as I swayed my feet over the edge of the cemented floor.

"Don't do that, you might fall." He said instead of responding to my statement.

"Then what if I fall?" I taunted as I craned my head to look down the guard tower. It might break some bones if I feel here though.

Our conversation is just whispered yet it sounded clear even under the aid of the noise of the crickets.

"Baekhyun, just please stop the nonsense, you're giving me headaches again." He sighed. A bit of frustration could trace to his baritone voice.

"Headaches? Again? What do you mean?" I raised my brow. I believe that I've been behaving and abiding by his rules for as long as I remembered.

"Just don't go near there, you might fall. Come here instead." He ordered. Sighing, I gathered myself and got back to his side as I sat on the cold floor again.

"You care but you're avoiding me." I stared at him.

"Baekhyun how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not avoiding you." He said a little out of patience. Irritation laced on his voice.

I smiled secretly. At least I could talk to him even with these nonsense conversations.

"Okay, okay. I believe you." I chuckled silently. This kind of silliness takes me away from the real world even just a moment.

"Thanks, Chanyeol," I spoke. Sincerely. He'd been doing his best to keep us all safe. I know his struggles. I don't know if everyone does see it but I found myself checking at him most times.

Do I care for him that much? I just realized that I've been observing him that others don't have time for. I found myself asking the others if they had eaten breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or if they're going out or doing something.

"You don't need to thank me." He spoke.

I laid my back on the hard floor and stared at the square hole on the ceiling where I could see the stars.

"I need to. Thanks to you, I'm still here." I mumbled, smiling at myself.

He didn't respond at that.

"The floor is cold Baekhyun." He stated.

"I know," I mumbled. I figured that his voice is so velvety deep. It's soothing.

"You'll get sick." He spoke again.

"Great." I smiled secretly as I closed my eyes. I put my hand on the back of my head and closed my eyes.

"Just talk while I sleep," I mumbled. I heard him groan.

"Seriously?" He spoke after a couple of seconds.

"Try me." Me and my cynical talkbacks.

"Why are you like this, Byun Baekhyun." I heard him grumbled. I just remained silent. And then I heard his heavy boots cluck on the floor. The sound got lower and lower until I realized that he'd climbed down the tower.

For some reason, I liked the way he pronounce my name, especially when he's a bit agitated.

And better, at least he could rest now in the prison. If that's the way to make him sleep at restless times like this, then I'll do it every time.

I calmed down and tried to sleep. The night is peaceful anyway, I should sleep here for a moment where there's fresh air.

My face frowned when I could hear him climbing back on the guard tower again. And before I could react, soft things had been thrown in my face.

"Here." He spat and sat on the chair again.

"What's this?" Well, I could see that it's a thick blanket and a soft pillow. But he bothered to bring me these? Seriously?

"Why don't you ask your stubborn self." He spoke back. I grinned as I hugged the soft pillow.

"Now sleep so I could do my job properly." He sternly spoke as he stared at me.

"Thanks again. Goodnight." I chuckled as I set the thick blanket on the floor and folded it in two to use the other half to cover myself.

"Chanyeol," I mumbled again after a few minutes of silence.

It took time before he responded.

"What?" He asked.

"The blanket is huge. I'm just thinking if you could at least sleep for a mo-"

"Byun Baekhyun, sleep now or I'll drag you out here." He threatened. I just chuckled and nuzzled on the comfortable blankets. Hey, I'm just concerned. But I did my best.

After that, there are no words came out between us.

But I swear I heard him whisper something after some time when he thought that I'm already deep in sleep.

Something resembles like 'You don't know the things you do to me, Baek.'

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