Midnight Cry

The truth

"Rick. Remember when you fight the zombie alone? You told me to take care of everyone. Specially, your beloved Rease."

Kean grabbed Rease and started choking her with his arms and I feel shameful. I cannot do anything. I look at Josh and I think he wants to get a gun at the back of the car. He was just aiming for the right time.

Rick walks by to threaten Kean and he pulled his gun from his pocket and pointed it at Kean but then Kean manipulated Rease as his shield.

Rick didn't have any choice.

Rick pointed the gun down.

"Why her! Kill me instead! Kean, you coward!" Rick exclaimed. His fist curls up and suddenly, we saw his blood dripping on the ground. He must have gripped harder and that made Ms. Rease worried. I can see it through her eyes.

"I'm sorry, guys... I... I just don't know any other way to save my sister but this." Kean covered his face by hiding behind Ms. Rease. Is he crying? He showed his face that we didn't expect of him.

He's smiling and he started to laugh.

"He just snapped." Josh said while slowly cutting the rope tied on both his hands. He looked at me and signaled me that he needed my knife.

I can't believe him. He thinks so slow. I whispered at him that I don't want to but then I thought what if we escape without him? It would bore me to death so, I gave him my knife but I think Kean saw us both.

“Wait, sister? You told us that your father was the one inside the hospital. Wait, did you just lied to us?” I asked him.

Darn.

Kean pointed the gun to us then shoots.

It's not that loud. There's a gun that's made that way. I admit that's pretty cool. But hell!

I looked at Josh if he's okay and I checked my body if the bullet hits me.

Kean laughed again.

"I missed!" He said. He's starting to scare the heck out of me. He's a crazy lunatic. "No. body. move." He emphasized.

The bullet just landed on the ground.

"Kean… You won't get away with this!" Josh finally removed the rope tied on his hands.

"I SAID NOBODY MOVE, DARN IT, JOSH!" He pointed the gun upwards then shoots.

While he's distracted, Rick advances towards him and he pushed Rease. He's trying to get the gun off his hands.

"Get it, Rick! You can do it!" Rease cheers on the side while Rachel's face was buried on her. Rease doesn't want Rachel to see what's happening.

While they're on their business, Josh opened the back of the car and he looked for a pistol and finally, he found it on a brief case.

"You know how to use this?" He asked me.

"No. But I know how pull the trigger. " I said.

"That's the same thing. Don't play mind tricks on me Calvin." He gave me the gun. "Here." I get the gun and hurried.

"Sir Rick!" I shouted. "Catch!"

I threw the pistol for him to catch it.

And there he goes for it…

"Kean, you should stop now or else I'll shoot you." He just didn't try to tell those cool words. Tell me he didn't.

"Try! Go on. Shoot me." Kean spreads his arms wide open.

Lunatic.

Rick pulled the trigger.

Rachel gasps.

"What the?!" Rick nearly cursed. No bullet came out of the gun.

"He removed the bullets from all those pistols?!" Josh just stared at the pistol he's holding. I'm thinking the same thing. Why have it if it doesn't have any bullet in it? It's useless. But Josh did not let go of it.

"Sorry. I'm so, so, sorry guys. We could have been there at the airport by now, safe from the soul eating zombies…" He roamed at the place.

"But I decided to do this even if all of us will turn out to be like those soul eaters. I have to at least see her, dead or alive, monster or not. You wouldn’t understand.”

Exactly why I am really skeptical about his existence when we first met! I should have known that he's trouble in the first place. Rachel couldn't tell either. "I was shocked when Rick told me that he's a marine. It made me curious."

"Of what?" Rick asked.

"I'm curious if you could help me find my sister. In this Hospital."

Kean kneeled down on his knees and he throwed the gun at the side. I can see tears build up on his lower eyelid, keeping a cool composure but he's falling apart. I don't know what to say. It made me want to know what Rick would say to Kean after all he's done. Now, he's begging on his knees for he loves his sister so much but on the other side of this, I thought that maybe, this is just a trick for us to get in that horrible place no one wants to know what's inside. Maybe this is a decoy. I am getting paranoid. This is why I cannot ever trust anyone. Not even myself. People are full of bad lies themselves and that makes them extra evil. It's not the ghost that we should be scared off but the people living with us, eating, laughing with us. We're all not sure of what they're thinking, that's why if a person begs for grace, I couldn't give it that easily. Dang it, I would not even get involved with the mess they do for me to forgive them. It's just too hard to forgive that easily. I won't be fully convinced. Unless they're willing to give up, say sorry and won't ever do it again. But no one is worthy of my grace. Because they're sick liars. They promise me that they won't do it again but they did. I told myself to cut off connections with them. Start anew and live without ever calling someone a "friend."

"This is a trap" Rick blurted out unhesitant. Kean grabbed Rick's leg.

"No, please. I beg of you. Save my sister. I know that I behaved wrong. I shouldn't have threatened you all in the first place, I... I just can't live without my sister so even if she's ill, I always thought that she's the only one left in my life. The grocery that I bought was for her. I planned all this to save her. That’s why I lied. Please forgive me. All of you. What would you do if you're in my situation? I know that you'll do the same."

What's this drama? I shake my head a thousand times as I would exaggerate this much disapproval. But I am more concerned that's why I asked,

"What's her illness?"

"She's mentally ill." Kean said.

"What? Mentally ill? Is she kind of, you know what I mean..." Josh circling his finger at the side of his head.

"No, no, no. I mean she's had a tumor on her brain and so, she had a tendency to lose consciousness in any place that's why we brought her to Cleveland."

"How do we save her if she's always slacking off? We had to always carry her around? We're good as dead, then."

Josh pondered as he loads the gun 45 caliber. How did he get those?

"Don't worry, she takes meds. That'll keep her awake but she needs a sleeping pill to make her sleep at night. She rarely sleeps on time that's why. She's normal now but still under observation." Kean's eyes pacing left to right.

After Josh finished, he aims the gun coolly on the streets without anyone to shoot at.

"I could shoot you now in the head but thank me for I am just cool. I am just the only child that's why I don't know what it feels like... Like having a sibling. If I am in your shoes, I would rather save her than regret in the end."

This guy. If I had that gun, I already shot him dead so it's problem finish. Why do you hesitate, Josh?

Rease grab Josh's arms to put the gun down and she looked at me. I think she knows what I'm thinking. Why are girls like that? Are they all like that? Why do I feel like I’m the only sane person here? This is a bad idea. They all approve to keep him alive.

"We want to kill you right now Kean. Just being honest here." said Rease. Rachel ran towards her and hugged her, shaking her head but Rease continued.

"But I know that your intention is pure and so, I... I want to help too." I rolled my eyes. I saw Rachel smiled again. She's the one who's pure here.

"I don't like the idea. Cleveland hospital is no joke. There we're lots of mentally ill patients there and not to mention those people with disabilities. When I say mentally ill, I'm serious. There are bunch of insane people inside those rooms. Their insanity was rated severe in the neighborhood. Even the visitors who visits their normal child had this traumatic experience walking down the hall passing the rooms of those retards. Believe me. Zombies already invaded Cleveland. We may also encounter the crazy ones there. Are you sure about getting in there? And another thing, Kean, how sure are you that she's still alive? It’s been days…"

"She might survive. She’s different from all of us. I know the way she thinks. No, she will survive and might be hiding somewhere safe." Kean stood up.

"Rease works at Cleveland. She might have an idea." Rick looked at Rease

"What's her name and how old is she?" She asked Kean.

"Her name's Jean. She's as old as Calvin."

"Pfft. Calvin, She's as old as you." Josh teases me like I care. They say that the more you talk without thinking, the stupider you become.

"I can't remember Jean on my list. Maybe she's taken care of someone else. I just wonder why I didn't encounter her. I am sure that I check and do rounds on patients who undergo surgeries and also patients with incurable disease like cancer, stroke so it's impossible that I didn't check someone with tumor. Are you sure that she's in there?"

"I had a picture with her. You have to remember her." Everyone really wants to help him huh...

"But Rease should be the only one to see it." Rease asked permission to Rick and as expected, he nodded.

Kean then showed the said picture to Rease. They talked for like two minutes then they get back.

"I know her." Ms. Rease told us with determined eyes.

I don't know anymore. I raised my hands up as a sign that I'm so done with all of them. He’s a traitor but they all agree to help him?

Kean looks at me in the eye. I nodded. I have no choice but to cooperate. I only trust Sir Rick now. He told us to cooperate so, I’m in this crap too.

Great! Now we have to welcome sleeping beauty on our group. We now have 25% chance of survival but it seems that these people have thought the other way around. I don't have a choice but if Rachel and I get in trouble, I'd definitely curse them all.

"Let's get inside now. All guns loaded." Josh is fast.

But I was hesitant, still.

"I'm not coming. I'll stay here, with Rachel." I don't want us to get involved I swear.

"Calvin, you know how dangerous it is outside." Josh is breathing heavily. "Come with us. We better stick together."

"I warned you guys. If it's dangerous outside, it's the same inside that horrid hospital. I don't want to risk our lives. I already calculated the outcome." I said.

"Oh! I forgot that you're a genius. You're always calculating everything and not relying on your own!" Josh then walked towards me and grabbed my collar.

"Don't you ever know the word trust, huh, coward!?"

"Move" I shoved his hand.

"I’d say, let's ask Rachel if she wants to stay with you outside." Josh then looked at Rachel. He's getting in my nerves.

"I know what she'll say. No need to ask her." Rachel shrugged at me asking me why. I facepalmed.

"Calvin... My brother. You have to trust me. And if you trust me, you have to trust them too." Rachel nearly cried.

A minute of silenced passed.

Then I realized that I need them to understand my point so, I spoke of it.

"Rachel knows how I hate relying so much on people whom I just met. Even those whom I live with." Josh’s' eyes grew big.

"You don't know how hard it is for me to pretend like a fool and hide this genius self in order to protect my love ones." Rachel looked down

"I have trusted a lot of people that ended up betraying me!" I exclaimed, kicking the ground.

"That's why you can't blame me, Josh." I walk to where Rachel stood.

"I was sick of being used! If I had a chance to change something, I'd change this genius to an average. Damn!"

They're all startled.

"Why? Can't I express myself that well?" I shrugged.

"Zombie, behind you." Rick looked at Josh.

Josh gave Rick the gun.

And shoot.

Damn.

I looked back and found the zombie dead, lying on the ground.

I fell on the ground, crumbling in fear. I thought that it's the end of me. That time, I wonder if I was infected by the zombie. This genius self will disintegrate. I'll become of those monsters that only think of food which is human. There will be a 99.9 percent that I will be killed by Rick before I even try to kill them one by one. I know that he knows that I want the same to happen if that's the case…

But…

This was prevented by a phenomenon. I don't know why I did not become a zombie.

Why did they save me even though I'm a hardheaded bastard?

Why?!

"We're not using nobody. We're in survival mode right now, Calvin. If you want to live, you have to trust." Rick walks towards me.

" I don't quite understand "

"Darn. They're right. Genius people have no feelings." Josh butts in.

"Not all." Rachel said, looking at Josh.

"Well, yeah not all. Maybe a few." Josh smiled at Rachel. Wait. Is he flirting with my Rache?!

I was weak on the knee and frail to even stand up to punch Josh but Rick pulled the back of my collar.

"Just, don't mind him. Mind your own." I stood up straight and straighten my uniform.

" I don't know what to do with you. Is this not enough to prove that we're not the bad guys?" Rick pointed at the dead zombie.

" Calvin, listen. Just because some people betrayed you, doesn't mean that all of the people will. You're not alone. There's us that you can count on. We'll help each other and swear that no one will betray. It's okay to be honest and admit weakness. From now on, let's all be honest."

Rease looked at Kean and then Rick.

I pouted. I can't say anything. Rick's intimidating. He's respectable, intellectual and a good leader. I can't say he's wrong because he's right. I'm dumbfounded. How I want my Father to tell me that. But he's always busy.

We heard a growling sound not far from us.

"What's that sound?" whispered Rachel.

"Zombies" Rick puts his fingers on his lips telling us to keep quiet.

Zombies are the ones we need to be worried about. They don’t seem to be asleep during daylight, one wrong move and they'll eat us all. They can go wherever. They are invincible but one bullet on their head and they’re dead. What the heck are those movie sequels all about? that zombies cannot be outside during daylight? They’re so wrong about that. Now in 20th century, we learned that zombies can move during daylight. Who could actually know that we'll be inside this horrid Movie?

We walked fast to get inside Cleveland Hospital. We had no choice, there's a lot of zombies inside but they're just sleeping. I expect the same inside this place. It's just amazing that zombies are not that aggressive and active at daylight. We just have to be carefuuu-------

Kean accidentally dropped the graduated cylinder.

The zombies heard the c***k sound and they automatically check the place.

"Get down!" Rick whispered as he pat Rease's head to get down the bed, as if we're playing hide and seek.

15 minutes later…

They are not looking so, we crawled.

One by one.

But Josh's iPhone rang.

"It's Dad! It's freaking Dad!" He whispered, joyfully but this is not the time for that.

We're screwed!

"Run!" Rick said.

"Turn it off Josh!" Kean said while running.

"I'm trying!" Josh is having difficulty.

"Do you really know how to use an IPhone or you just snatched that?" I said, teasing this slow poke.

"Give me your phone, Josh." Said Rachel. She turned the phone into silent mode.

"How do you know his password?" I asked Rachel.

"It's my name." Rachel replied and I pushed Josh and he slipped.

We're now at 3rd floor.

"Get in here." Rease whispered and we followed her inside the room.

Wait. What's this room?

It's dark but still no zombies inside.

Room 214

The dumb zombies weren’t able to trail us.

It became quiet.

"Jean" Kean whispers as he just stares blankly on the ground.

And we saw some hair on it.

The hair's red velvet, like blood. It shines because the light coming from the sun.

"Are you sure this is the room, Rease?"  Rick was looking at a signage. It says-

Beware of mentally ill patients

And we saw the girl on the side of the bed, sitting

"Jean!" Kean ran towards her and hugged her.

I can see her eyes clearly. It never blinked within that 2-minute hug.

"I waited, Kean." She knows how to speak. "My hair..." She brushed her hair with her hand.

She had a medium hair length now. She cut her hair, it's usually long. I can decipher.

On her right hand, she's holding a syringe.

"Wait did she just drug herself?" I asked.

"I will explain everything later. We have to get to a safe place and Jean knows where." Kean carried Jean at the back. " We don't have much time."

"What's going on?" Rick asked

"s**t happened." Josh then spoke nonsense.

"Follow me. I can sense where there's a zombie." That's my Rachel

As we get out of the room,

We saw someone standing on the hallway.