Pt Three-Eight

8

Rick woke up the next morning with a weird feeling on the inside. Something did not feel right as he got up and surveyed the sanctuary. It looked as if though everyone was here, no one was missing as far as he could tell. He could hear cluttering in the kitchen so he walked towards it, walking past a sleeping Aaron on the way. Man there was something off about that kid, Rick thought to himself. He hadn't figured it out yet but ever since he had walked out of the bathroom when Danny was holding Kailee hostage something began to emanate from him that just rubbed Rick the wrong way. He been making an extra effort to keep an eye on the kid just so there wouldn't be anymore incidents like Danny. The morning they had gotten to the church the guy had just been here chilling as if there wasn't a psychopath waiting to spring in the womans bathroom. Kind of convenient actually, now that Rick started to think about it.

Rick was still thinking of that when he walked into the kitchen and was greeted by three smiley faces. Kailee looked one hundred percent better than when she had gone to sleep the night before. The three of them were laughing and playing like there wasn't flesh hungry monsters outside waiting to eat them all. Strange, Rick thought as he walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup of the delicious black liquid. Oh the small things, Rick thought to himself as he took the first sip which was always the best and then turned his attention to the trio behind him.

"Well you are looking good this morning." Rick said to Kailee whose smile was etched into her face from ear to ear.

"I know right? Jake and Dave prayed for me this morning when I woke up and I feel one hundred times better! There is a little tenderness but almost all the pain I had is gone, isn't that amazing!"

Rick had to admit, she did look ten times better then the day before, but that could easily be from all the sleep she had been getting. It was easier for Rick to believe that then her being healed by some all powerful deity. But still, something inside him was curious, very curious indeed but he would not let curiosity get the best of him. If it could kill cats then who knows what it would do to him.

"So you two are drinking the kool-aid now too?" Rick asked, "Now I have three religious nuts to watch and a kid who lays in a corner by himself and doesn't communicate with anyone else. Wow my luck just keeps getting better and better by the second."

Kailee had been raised in the church, her story was very similar to Jakes actually. She had been praying ever since the stuff that happened at the clinic and her healing was just icing on the cake and now she was back in the fold. Where else was she going to turn? The world was hopeless, so she might as well turn to the one person that offered her hope.

"You know, you could always just give in and realize the Truth that is right in front of you." Jake said with a smile. "When are you going to stop running Rick? When are you going to stop and turn to the one who loves you?"

When I have no where else to go, Rick thought to himself, choosing to keep that comment to himself.

"I'm glad that you can find someone to pressure even now," Rick said, "I have my opinions and you have yours. I think it would be best if we keep them to ourselves from now on."

The room grew extremely quiet, the three of them were looking at him with smiles of joy still on their face. Why were they so damn happy? Rick asked himself. There was absolutely nothing to be happy about, but still these three were acting as if there was nothing wrong outside.

"Very well Rick," Jake said, "We will leave it be for now. But just know when you are ready we will be here for you."

Rick turned around and walked out of the kitchen holding his coffee cup. He was trying to stuff down a sudden wave of feelings that were coming up. No dammit, Rick thought, no I won't do it. If only the three of them could have seen the single tear that started to drip down his cheek as he walked out of the room.

********

Aaron awoke late in the afternoon, rising from his spot of solace and began to make his way to the rest room. He ignored the greetings of the three people that had smiles on their faces. Kailee was up and about and Aaron had to stuff everything down to keep himself from vomiting on the floor. They were making him sick. Every part of this new person he had become was disgusted by all these people. He actually wouldn't have minded Rick, if only the guy wasn't always watching him with a scowl on his face. That guy has a hunch about me, Aaron thought to himself, I will have to be extra careful trying to get out of here with him around.

But something inside told him that he would have nothing to worry about. Tonight, when everyone was asleep he would slip out into the new worlds and into the new life that had been given to him. As he walked into the bathroom he couldn't help but smile at the idea of everyone realizing he was gone and noticing his exit spelled their doom. It would be too late for them of course, according to Legion they would all be dead by dawn.

As Aaron walked up to the bathroom sink, he turned the water on and waited for it to get warm and then made a cup with his hands, filled it with the warm water and then splashed it on his face. He looked into the mirror at the reflection staring back at him. The gash on his forehead where Legion had touched him was starting to scab up and early signs of healing were starting to show. Aaron reached up with a finger and dragged the fingernail across it until blood started dripping from the wound and began to trickle down his face.

Something about the blood intrigued him and he could feel something inside of him jump at the sight of it. He took the same finger that he had reopened the wound with and stuck it right into the blood that was on his forehead and began to draw shapes. He could suddenly hear whispers coming from all around him uttering strange words that he had never heard before but at the same time they felt familiar. Aaron joined in with the voices, whispering the words with them as he began to remove his clothes and then walked over to the separate adjoining room that housed th shower. He turned the water as hot as it would go and jumped in. A sharp burning pain touched him at first but eventually he just got use to it and stood in the middle of the shower still muttering the words as the water came down around him. He closed his eyes, and could feel a presence all around him as he continued the ritual that he had discovered. He felt reborn, a new person was standing her now, something inside him was different and he knew that he was going to do great things. He embraced the darkness, and continued to chant as the water got colder, he didn't move for an hour until he snapped back as though in a trance, realizing the coldness and got out. As Aaron got out and put his clothes back on he realized that tonight couldn't come fast enough.

********

Several miles away from the church a group of zombies were starting to form in one single location. The could not think for themselves, they had died and were now in the control of something evil. As these zombies had been roaming the small town and the surrounding area and they had suddenly felt an urge and pull to stop what they were doing and come in this direction.

It was like a mysterious song that they couldn't help but listen to, the melody washed over them and they had no choice but to do what the words commanded. The words were old. They had been around for thousands of years used in many different ways. And now someone was using them to bring these things to a place, and they listened. The group came together and then stopped suddenly, all of them stood still all at once and looked in the same direction.

It wasn't time yet, but soon they would walk, and soon they would eat. All they had to do was wait. The time would come, and the end would then begin.