Call, safe zone

POV of Sonny.

"Goodbye, Miss… I trust this small effort will help you", I thought as I watched Tim take Emily away.

I staggered back to the first floor; it was vital to get as far away as possible from Tim, the Miss, and her companions so as not to put them at risk. The pain in my shoulder was unbearable, but I still pushed on.

I walked through the hallways looking for a secluded place to die. The idea of dying terrified me, but I was more afraid of becoming one of those things and perhaps harming someone.

After wandering for an uncertain time, I found a secluded spot.

My body felt weak, my vision blurred, but I persisted; I still wanted to do something.

A call.

"I hope the call connects", I thought as I collapsed next to a wall.

The phone, heavy and cold, felt slippery in my numb fingers. Every fiber of my body begged to surrender, but Ron's voice on the other end of the line, filled with desperate hope, forced me to hold on.

"What happened? Did you manage to get out?", Ron asked, his voice a distant echo of normalcy.

"We couldn't get out, sir… I'm so sorry", I managed to articulate, my own voice sounding strange, like a dry crackle. The apology was a knot in my throat, not for the mission's failure, but for the future that was fading away.

"What's wrong with you? How's Emily?", Ron's concern intensified, noticing the tremor in my words.

"The Miss is fine… Tim is taking care of her", the words came out with difficulty, each syllable a struggle against the pain spreading from the bite. Emily was safe. That was the only victory that mattered.

"And you? Why do you sound like that? Were you bitten?", Ron's tone turned somber, the truth already floating between us.

"Yes, sir… I'm afraid I won't be able to continue working for you", I confessed, the phrase an epitaph for my life, for my loyalty. I held back a sob, a pang of bitterness for everything I was leaving behind.

"Hold on… I'll try to find a doctor to help you", Ron's voice broke, a knot forming in his own throat.

A bitter smile appeared on my lips. A cure? What an irony. "Sir, we both know Alex warned there was no cure for this…", my voice choked on a groan. "I know I don't have much time left…".

Time. It was slipping like sand through my fingers, and the only thing I could see was Rony's face.

"But… There must be some way to save you", Ron tried to reason, but the doubt in his voice was palpable.

"Ron", I interrupted him, the name spilling out without the usual formality. What did protocol matter now? It was my last chance. "I need you to take care of my son… It's the only thing I ask", I pleaded, pure, raw desperation breaking through my control.

The tears I had tried to hold back finally rolled down my cheeks.

"I will, don't doubt it!", the firmness in his voice was an anchor in my storm.

I clung to that promise.

"Rony really likes chocolate… but, whenever he eats too much, his stomach hurts…", the memories of my little one, so vivid, so painful.

"He wants to be a teacher in the future… though he also wants to be a pilot and a firefighter… I hope you help him achieve those dreams…", my voice broke, the image of a future I wouldn't share with him. "Although I know that with how things are changing, it might not be possible", the harsh reality set in, a cold blow.

"I'll make sure of it", Ron's response was a comfort, though I felt his hand gripping the phone tightly, I felt his phone creak.

"Rony is very stubborn… He got that from his mother… though she says he got it from me… hahaha", a dry laugh, a desperate attempt to find a semblance of normalcy, of calm, in the chaos around me. The growls were getting closer; the air vibrated with their presence.

"You must be very strict with him… Only then will he be a great man in the future… Tell him it's his duty to protect his mother… Now he's the man of the house… Please, tell him his father loves him very much, and that he is now with the rest of the heroes who protect people… Tell him I'm sorry to leave him alone… but I know he's strong enough to protect himself and his mother…", my words tumbled out, the urgency in each one.

In the background, there was a metallic sound. The click of a gun loading. My weapon.

Ron kept talking, his voice choked with tears.

"I'll tell him everything you told me… He'll know his father is a hero… And I'll try to make him a great man just like you."

I heard the gunshots and screams from the gym. Also, growls were heard nearby.

One last joke, one last act of defiance. "Boss, did you know you owe me a vacation?", I asked suddenly, a sad smile on my face. "It seems I'll be taking a long vacation now…", I didn't wait for an answer.

Bang! ... Smack.

10 minutes later, Emily's POV.

"Calm down, Emily. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know something like this could happen", Amy comforted me as she stroked my back, her voice sounding distraught, trying with all her might to hold back her tears.

"If only I had stayed home… he wouldn't have died and wouldn't have turned into a zombie", I blamed myself, my voice broken by tears, as I poured out my heart in the comfort of Amy's arms.

My sobs were barely perceptible, not by choice. I understood that any excessive noise could summon more of those creatures, and if anyone else suffered because of my carelessness, I could never forgive myself for such a mistake.

The room remained in an oppressive silence, interrupted only by my repressed sobs and the discreet murmurs of those present. The fluorescent lamp light cast a cold, unreal sensation over our tired and terrified faces.

George and Louis remained posted at the entrance, wielding the weapons Rony's father had provided them, their unwavering gazes fixed in the hallway, as if waiting for the horror from the gym to seep into their location.

Sophie was sitting on the floor, with a rudimentary map of the high school spread out in front of her, marking possible escape routes and points of interest. Violet and Minerva, for their part, were helping Rose calm down and equip herself with some of the defenses they had made earlier with Brody.

The atmosphere was saturated with the same despair that engulfed me, but also with a peculiar and strong determination.

Tim, with a grave expression on his face, approached George and Louis, quietly giving them instructions to hold their position and assess the external situation. His imposing presence provided some relief, but he was unable to fill the immense void that Rony's father had left. He was the kind of individual who appeared rough, but whose behavior was contrary to all expectations.

Sonny had been the one who comforted us with reassuring words. In this pressing juncture, he guided and instructed us, without resorting to fear. His desire was for each of us to have the possibility of ensuring our own survival.

Rose, still pale-faced, had stopped crying, striving to assimilate Minerva and Violet's directives, though her gaze remained lost in nothingness, as if the scene of Rony's father sacrificing himself had been indelibly etched in her memory. She had witnessed the ferocity of the zombies, and now, the implacable harshness of the situation.

"He saved us, Emily", Amy whispered, her voice almost imperceptible. "He did what he had to do. There was nothing you could have done."

Her hand remained on my back, serving as an anchor in my agitated inner storm.

"But Rony… What will I tell Rony?", I managed to inquire, my voice broken by emotion.

Rony's figure, the offspring of the man who had just perished for our sake, shattered me. He was completely unaware of what had happened.

Amy pressed her lips together, and I could see tears welling up in her own eyes. "I don't know, Emily. I simply don't know."

The burden of that future conversation was almost as unbearable as the oppressive guilt that suffocated me.

Marlon approached us, his face serious.

"We must consider the next action. The gunshots from the gym are subsiding, but that doesn't mean we're safe. It's possible the military lost control of the gym and retreated to the high school entrance. Now, perhaps, more zombies have been released into the rest of the campus. Not to mention those that might have been inactive in the other facilities of the high school", Marlon explained.

His pragmatic approach, though severe, was indispensable.

I forced myself to lift my head from Amy's arms, wiping tears with the back of my hand.

He was right.

We couldn't stay here crying without a purpose.

We had to survive.

For Sonny.

But not just survive but give meaning to his sacrifice.

"Do you have any suggestions, Tim?", Marlon inquired, turning to him.

Tim turned his body towards us, with a serious expression on his face.

"Communication lines remain inoperative. We cannot await external assistance. And the gym… has become an infection hub. We require a plan to evacuate this facility. The high school represents a trap, and it is essential to find a haven."

"Leave?", Sophie inquired, her voice trembling. "Where would we go?"

"What good would it do to flee aimlessly if the whole world is in this condition?", I replied, my voice now with unwavering firmness, guilt transforming into a cold determination. "Sonny didn't die for us to escape aimlessly to another place that could be equally dangerous. He perished to give us the possibility to fight right here. This high school is extensive and has resources. We can turn it into our stronghold. We have the capacity to establish a safe zone here and gradually expand it, rescuing more people."

I was aware that my father was waiting for me, but the situation was complex, and no one was certain what would happen outside. The situation could be worse than inside these walls. However, a part of me resisted returning, feeling guilty for Sonny's death.

"What will I tell Rony?", I wondered as everyone weighed my words.

Some were reluctant, probably due to fear of not reuniting with their loved ones and friends. Nevertheless, their faces reflected perplexity and uncertainty. They were aware that it would be difficult to leave the high school unscathed, and my proposal, though utopian, could constitute the only way to preserve our existence in this new world order.

George joined the discussion.

"It represents a considerable risk. But… it's possible. It's preferable to blindly rushing into the unknown."

"We cannot place our trust in them", I stated with resolution, recalling the military personnel. "They opened fire on a comrade. And even when Rose was attacked by the zombies, they tried to cover up the situation. They will not protect us."

"Then, it's our own path", Marlon declared, nodding his head.

Tim looked at me, his eyes lingering on me for a moment, weighing my words with the urgency of the situation. His expression remained grave, but he nodded slowly. I knew he was worried about going back to my father.

That was his job. To protect me and take me back. But he also knew that now, without Sonny, things would get complicated, and even with my companions in tow, it was impossible to leave the high school.

"The plan is as follows: first, secure this floor. Then, search for supplies and fortify key points. Sonny gave us time. We cannot waste it", Tim said in a serious tone after thinking about it for a while.

His voice was a reminder of the complexity of the situation, and his gaze told me that, for now, my plan was the one we would follow.

Night was slowly falling over the high school, shadows lengthened, and with them, the feeling that danger lurked in every corner.

But this time, we were not alone or separated. We were together, a group of scared students, led by a silent man and a painful memory. Survival was now our only lesson.

As Tim prepared to give the final instructions, Emily approached him, her voice barely whispered. "Tim… a message arrived from my father. Alex is coming… He's coming to rescue me", I hesitated to tell him. Just when I was planning to help my companions survive and establish a refuge here at the high school, my father sends his friend for me.

Tim looked at me. A spark of something akin to hope appeared on his somber face, a hope tinged with the complexity of his mission and my new purpose. Apparently, he knew Alex.

"Could it be the same Alex who came to my birthday party almost two weeks ago?", I wondered, my curiosity and the anxiety this new variable generated prompted me to ask Tim who he was referring to.

"Who is Alex?", I asked Tim, who with a complex expression took his time to answer me.

"He is a friend of your father, Miss", he replied.

"Is he the same one who accompanied me at my birthday party?", I asked, seeking his confirmation.

"That's right, Miss."

"Why would he send him to look for me? Is he some kind of military or something?", I asked.

I didn't know much about this Alex.

He came to my party and, at my father's request, kept me company during my birthday celebration, but he seemed like a normal guy in person. However, if there was something different about him, it was that every time my father talked to him, he would get more serious, as if he feared that the information he exchanged with Alex would become reality. My father even started building his 'shelter' since he began talking to Alex.

"Wait a moment… He knew about the zombies!", I suddenly understood. "Now everything makes sense."

"No, Miss. Your father surely sent him because he knows how to get out of this situation", Tim replied with some doubts, but his confirmation validated what I believed.

"Did he know about the zombies before it happened?", I asked Tim.

Tim was immediately surprised by my question. His always serious and rough face had changed its appearance for the first time. Even his eyes opened wider than usual.

"Yes, Miss", Tim affirmed, returning to his usual serious expression.

"How did he know?", I asked him.

"I don't know, Miss", Tim denied. He seemed to know some things involving Alex, but not specifically this.

"Do you think he could help us establish a refuge here?", I asked expectantly.

"He… Well… He can", Tim replied with doubts. "He has the skills for that", he clarified.

This question-and-answer session with Tim hadn't given me important information, but it did give me what we needed most. Someone who could help us save more people and create a refuge. However, I didn't know Alex very well.

"Will he help me if I ask him? Or will he force me to go with my father?", I wondered.

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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED

Hello everyone.

A new chapter about Emily, but this time something changed inside her. She was already a determined person before, however, now she had to use that characteristic to take control of her own destiny, and if possible, save as many as she could.

The chapters will begin publishing on this schedule from now on.

By the way, the new spin-off is already on the way; it will be called; 'The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File'.

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Read my other novels

#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.

#Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time.

You can find them on my profile.]