Chapter Twenty-seven: The Nature of the Beast
It was I who had led them away from any bloodshed or Undeath, and I felt that their opinion, though largely unchanged, always altered during that time. It was high time almost completely dark when there began dissent among the humans. They whispered in front. I was in back, behind them, though Ollie was near me most of the time. I didn’t know why, but he wanted to keep an eye on me. The more time I spent with him, the more he watched my every move. Wary. Waiting.
We began to progress up a long, endless hill of rubble and broken stone. I didn’t know where it led to or why it was important, but to the humans it was. They were waiting for something glorious on the other side.
“This is the gate to the outside,” Ollie told me gruffly. “So be sharp.”
I tried to ignore his sullen tone.
“There’s an actual gate?”
He sighed one of his sighs.
“There’s always been a gate.”
“Shut up!” I yelled with finally snapped impatience.
The group ahead turned around in surprise somewhat but kept moving. Ollie was surprised, anyway. It was not often that he could break me, and it brought him the greatest satisfaction when he did. “It’s not like I’ve ever been out here as of yet!”
He said nothing for a moment. Then,
“You shouldn’t be so ignorant of –”
“No,” I said, nodding. “You are very right. I should have thrown myself to the mercy of the Undead just so I could see some Great Gate walling us all in like animals. That is what I am, Ollie, right? An animal? Why don’t I go join them right now? I’d be better off there than here…”
“Don’t get eaten…” He paused. “Or do. I don’t care.”
“Yeah. I’m an animal. I act like one too.” I spat at his feet. “I’m sure you won’t mind.”
He wiped his foot on the ground angrily.
“Maybe I’ll throw you.”
“Maybe I’ll throw you,” I countered.
He shoved past me with obvious frustration.
“Well you’re a –”
“Would you shut up, children?” Pierce yelled from the front. “We’re arriving soon! We don’t need two corpses to carry instead of a hostage!” I found by his body movements that Ollie resented such outbursts from Pierce, and Ollie shifted sourly. I shifted victoriously. I was finally considered a hostage to them. Finally, they had brought me out into the open. I would finally get the truth. And I was satisfied.
“Why is this such a big deal?” I whispered closer to him.
“You’re not supposed to exist. We’re going home and we’re bringing with us the greatest weapon that has ever walked this earth. You’re the only Great Deviant in the world; you’re hot on the market, I guess you could say.” I felt another stab of pain.
We walked up to the biggest building I had ever seen, and in front of it there was a huge, still thing.
“That’s a helicopter,” Ollie said as I leaned to ask him.
A man and woman both jumped out. They laughed and greeted Pierce and Paige first. Ali was next. They began talking loudly, and I couldn’t understand any of the words spoken. Ollie was last, but his greeting was obviously the most anticipated – or feared. These people looked to him for leadership and guidance. He was a different man than I’d thought.
“Exterior, sir, I…I was not aware that anybody lived in there.”
I felt a nervous smile inside of me.
“Holy shit…”
She leaned over me. I tilted my head a little, confused and nervous. I was outnumbered and unarmed, for the most part. Ollie’s gun was the only thing I had on me. They’d taken my other weapon. She shook her head when she saw my neck, the burn that named me Aio, and she swore again in the same way.
I didn’t know what it meant, but it was probably just another swear or exclamation. I had never heard those words paired together in such a way, but in that I understood that I was foreign to their customs. It was I who was the Outlander, and they deserved respect for my intrusion, not that Ollie and “the gang” had showed it to me. I decided to be the bigger person and to ignore such outbursts.
I glanced to Ollie nervously as the man and woman converged on me. Ollie’s eyes were wide, nervous, but they were calm. He was loyal to me. He would protect me.
The woman tilted her head at me, nodded her head at the man, and sneered. It was an Ali sneer, a horrible face. The man came over to me, pushed something to my nose, and it was the last thing I remembered in the land of Dwindle.”
***