Broken Dreams(19)

My hands were sweating. I was so nervous about having a gun in my hand and, more than likely, having to use it on someone I knew.

“Here.” Claire tried to shove her gun back at Henry.

“You’re going to need this.” He pushed it back to her.

“I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t shoot anyone I know.” She looked down at her feet. “Especially if it’s Marc.”

“Marc is already gone. It’s the virus that’s running his body.”

“I can’t! Okay?!” I grabbed Claire by the arms.

“Do you think I want to shoot my family?” I asked, more calmly than I felt.

“No! Of course not!”

“We need you, Claire.” I was pleading with her.

Henry stopped us before we were noticed. “Shhh, ladies. Listen.” He spoke in a hushed tone. “If it comes down to it, I will take care of Marc for you.” I could see that Henry felt awful about it.

“Take care of him? Take care of him!?” She had become furious and got in Henry’s face. “It shouldn’t be like this! And because of whatever you do in your secret life, the love of my life is probably eating one of Elaina’s family members!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to offer you.” Henry turned away from us.

I took her by the hands. “Claire, please. We have to trust him.”

“Why?! Because he said so?! Come on, Elaina! He lied to us…to you! You trust him about as much as I do, and I know you know that!” I looked at Henry, then back at Claire. She was right. My trust for him flew out the window when I saw him pull out the gun at the church.

“I understand that, but… I don’t know. I love him and I have to trust him. It’s all I’ve got to go on. If it wasn’t for him, we both would be undeads.”

“If it wasn’t for him, all of this may never have happened!” Claire was spitting mad and, again, I was getting angry myself. How dare she accuse my Henry of the atrocity that was all around us? He would never make something like that happen, would he? I was so confused, but I had to press on.

“This isn’t his fault! He is trying to protect us! I have to trust him. I’m left with no other options right now.” I could feel a lump in my throat growing larger and larger. Stupid lump. I needed my Henry. He always knew how to bring me back from the brink of despair.

“How can you trust him when you don’t even know him? You said so yourself!”

“I have seen bits of the Henry I know.” I was holding back the tears.

“Ladies, ladies. I appreciate you defending my honor and all, Elaina, but it’s time we got down to business.” I looked in the direction that Henry was looking.

It was like a herd of drunk people were staggering in our direction. A herd of what used to be well-dressed people. A herd of our friends and family, all in an undead state.

“Gather yourselves and come over here!” He waved us to the rear of his Tahoe. I went to him, Claire reluctantly following. My heart was racing. I raised the gun, holding it with both hands. My arms were shaking as I was trying to hold it steady.

“I can’t, Henry. I can’t do it.” Tears welled up in my eyes again. Everyone, as far as I could see, were people I knew and loved.

“Yes, you can. They are no longer who they were.”

“I still love them.” I pleaded for him to free me from the horrific task.

“You love who they were, not who they are now.” My jaw started to tremble. “This was one reason I wanted you two to stay back at our place. I didn’t want you to have to face this.”

“I couldn’t bear to sit there and wait, wondering when or if you would come back.” I tried so hard not to cry. I had cried way too many times already.

“I understand, but enough of this. We need to focus. You ladies can do this. I know it.” I looked up and the first undeads of the herd were about ten feet away.

It was my crazy Aunt Lisa. She was growling and moaning at the same time. Thick, sticky blood was oozing out of her mouth. She had a gaping bite wound on her neck. Her mismatched two-piece suit was torn and bloodied.

“I’m so sorry, Elaina,” Henry whispered. “Please forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

He shot her between the eyes. The back of her head exploded, tissue and matter splattered everywhere. I gasped, Claire screamed. Aunt Lisa dropped like a sack of potatoes, and lay motionless on the ground.

My stomach reminded me that it was still there, and it wasn’t about to settle down anytime soon. Henry looked over at me with the eyes of the Henry I used to know. I could see he was torn.