Departed (Rewritten)

Smoke filled the cold autumn night. The sky pulsated with the glow of fire that seemed to consume the entire city. Standing outside the police precinct, Levi looked at his little ragtag group, flinching at every noise coming from the streets that whispered of promised violence.

"We've escaped. But now comes the hard part. What to do next?" Levi spoke to the crowd, which now lacked Bernard, who remained with the officers. Leaving the only officer as Vaguez, who was too scared to go back in. "I hate beating around the bush, so I'll speak forthrightly. I'm sure y'all got people you want to save, but I don't peg most of you surviving long out there if things get worse." There was a mixed reaction to those words, but also a reluctant agreement.

"I also want to find someone, my partner, Maggie. I can do it alone, but why do it alone if I don't have to," Levi said, continuing before anyone could interrupt. "But it's a two-way street, help me and I help you. Anybody who has people to save, as long as it makes sense to do so I'll help. But let's not get it twisted, I don't need any of you."

There was silence after he finished. Nobody was sure what to make of his words.

"I'll do whatever you want if you help me get to my daughter," said Eric, speaking first. His voice quiet, but there was a fierce resolve hidden under his meek demeanour.

"Sure."

"I want to find my parents," shouted Elise next, her gaze a mixture of fear and bravery. Levi smiled and nodded.

"I wanna find my Ma," Garett added next.

"I wanna find my girl, "Ricky said. After that, the rest followed, though not everyone had someone they wanted to find.

"Well then, let's go. You can tell me about who you're after, and if they're on the way, we'll move to grab them," Levi said, glancing at the group before setting off.

The streets of Boston felt particularly lively, there was more activity on the roads than most festivals accrued throughout the year—the air filled with the powerful background noise of subdued chaos. The sky lit with the momentary brilliance of explosions, the occasional sonic booms rocking the group every time.

Vehicles often hurtled down the streets, suitcases tied to roofs, and whole families packed into small hatchbacks. People wanted out, but so did everyone, and streets had become gridlocked. Cars often cut across pavements to avoid smoking remains of collisions, the cars smoking vacant of any inhabitants. In the gridlocks some vehicles stood abandoned, looking like ghost cars, still filled to the brim with belongings but doors left wide open and engines still running.

It wasn't only the streets that were busy, silhouettes danced from within the countless well-lit townhouses. The arguments and fights from within, often louder than anything occurring outside. But others had the right idea and locked everything up, covering their windows and peeking from between blinds to watch the ongoings below.

As they got deeper, the violence became more rampant. Malevolent shadows danced from the fire of the burning husks, people rifling through storefronts or breaking down doors and running roughshod through people's homes. Storefront security shutters doing little to protect business owners who cried grievances as their livelihoods got dismantled before them.

Some had fought, trying to stop the invasion of their homes, but the screams and gunshots that followed painted a grim picture. Several ended up beaten or shot for their efforts. Thereafter the slower companions, joined the fun, screams echoing once more as wounded rioters ran from the store. Those inside sometimes never leave the building again. Or the dead owners, standing for a second time and shambling into the store to defend their property once again.

The wannabe thugs and graffiti artists had also crawled up from the woodwork and congealed into a mob that ran amok, screaming into the night. Walls of police armed in riot gear fought back as water hoses pumped against the rioters trying to assuage order.

But through the attacks of the rioters and the increasing number of infected, officers began to fall. And police took harsher measures. Tear gas flew and warning shots soon turned into actual shots for anyone who got too close—especially the ones who ambled forth despite that. The whole city was a melting pot of chaos.

When the group moved, they stayed near the walls avoiding attention. But, they still had to deal with a few rioters that didn't know better, and also more nefarious assailants.

Levi had to shoot a warning to Garett as an infected shambled towards them. Allowing the man to react, and fire a round into its head. Making others nearby recall away from their group.

After escaping from the area surrounding the police station, they attempted to take a quiet route, trying to avoid any areas known to be busy. But even in the more peaceful areas, they still heard screams from within the terraced houses.

They ran into one infected on a dim-lit street corner, biting down onto a gaudily dressed woman.

Though it wasn't a threat, it still unnerved a few. Garett and his associate, Ricky, seemed much more composed with the situation than others. Though the group had hardened somewhat seeing the riots first hand.

What followed was a brutal administration of violence. Garett swung his aluminium baseball bat and caught its head flush. Knocking it to the floor, its head getting flattened under the bat.

This was the first of many. The encounters increased in frequency as they moved closer to their first target—Eric's daughter. She was staying with his Ex in a nearby apartment.

But an issue soon became apparent. That Vaguez was struggling to breathe let alone walk. He stumbled to the floor but got back to his feet. Levi shook his head and raised his hand at him.

"You can't move with us any longer," Levi said, looking into his weary eyes. "You have to make your choice. You're likely gonna change, so think carefully."

"Please, I can keep going…" he pleaded, but Levi's eyes didn't fluctuate.

"No, you can't," Levi said. "Make your choice," Vaguez's thoughts whirling for a moment, before his eyes dimmed.

"I don't want to die," his voice quivered. "But I don't want to become one of them," and dropped to his knees and closed his eyes. Levi didn't know if it was because his legs had given out but felt immense respect. It couldn't have been easy to make that decision.

Levi raised his pistol against Vaguez's head. Suppressed sobbing, tears begging to flow.

"Any last words?" Asked Levi.

"My wife. Tell her I love her. Tell her I loved her more than anything, and that I'm sorry," sobbing between his words. Levi nodded.

"I'll tell her." Bang! Vaguez slumped to the floor.

Few of the group recoiled, Elise gasped in shock, her face horrified. The others weren't much better, their faces pale. But Elise backed away as she began to empty her stomach to the side.

It was easy to rationalise these creatures weren't human, not so much the killing of a living breathing human. Uncertainty hung over the group. Their stomachs churned at Vaguez's body flat against the pavement, yet the man who killed him stood unperturbed, watching them in silence.

Although some had thought Levi was a dangerous man, this was the moment that confirmed it.

Garett was less affected. Whatever was happening, men of action would thrive. That's why they needed Levi, who could ruthlessly make hard decisions. But this confirmed he had some murky past, It was hard to become that cold in the face of death without experiencing plenty.

Levi grabbed Vaguez's body and began to drag him to a wall where he sat him against it. There was no proper send-off they could give. The times wouldn't allow it. But he could at least he wouldn't stay lying abandoned on the street.

He didn't look happy or comfortable in death, but he wouldn't become another monster walking the streets. That was a fate worse than death.

"Let's get moving. The more time that passes, the harder we'll find it moving through the city. If things can get this bad in one day, It'll only get worse in two." Breaking the group from their stupor and getting them on the move again. Their comrade of a few hours left behind their minds now focussed ahead.

Eric's Ex's apartment was close, It didn't take long to reach. They didn't encounter much on the way, only an encounter with a man chased by a group of infected. This time Levi stepped in to kill the creatures. When fighting a group, there was minimal margin for error.

The house was a secluded terraced street, Eric led them into one of the houses. "It's here, apartment 204," speaking finally after multiple flights of stairs.

He knocked on the door. "Mellisa, are you there?" a flurry of movement audible within, before the click of the lock sounded. Revealing a brunette, who pounced towards Eric, gathering him in an embrace.

Her sudden emergence made the group grab for their weapons, but the sobbing from the woman tucked into Eric's kept them from acting. Eric returned the embrace, the woman bawling harder. Her voice strained from the constant cries, discomforting the onlookers who felt they were intruding.

The woman took a while to calm down, but while she cried, the group didn't miss the fragments of blood that stained her clothes and skin. The inside of the apartment was also telling. Smashed ornaments and askew furniture, some overturned, painted a picture of some struggle.

"Calm down, Mel. It's okay. It's okay. What happened?" Eric soothed the inconsolable woman, who muttered incoherently.

Eric only comprehended a single name, Rose. His eyes shrunk, and Eric pushed Mellisa away and finally glimpsed the inside of the apartment. The woman was taken aback, but screeched, "Don't!" scratching and grabbing towards him, trying to prevent him from entering.

Time seemed to be in slow motion as he stormed into the apartment. After he saw the blood everything else became a blur and he walked towards a door where a red handprint had dragged across the white varnish. He opened it. The air stuck in his throat as saw the diminutive form of a small girl growling at him strapped to a chair.

His voice hitched, tears beginning to flow. "Rose. My little flower," his hand reached towards the girl who snapped her jaw towards it. But, before he could be bitten his arm stopped, grasped by another. He turned and saw Levi, who shook his head at him before letting go.

Eric fumbled to find the right words, any words, but the look of pity eroded them all. He let out an anguished sob, dropping to his knees, his eyes looking towards his daughter who thrashed under the restraint, almost salivating while looking at him. He howled in sorrow, his fists finding release on the floor below, blood leaking from his hands as he smacked repeatedly onto the wooden boards.

Eric only returned to reality, when a reassuring hand landed on his shoulder. He screamed his heart out, causing his thumps to lose intensity as he stared up towards the girl, whispering, "Not my baby…."

The girl thrashed in her restraints, immune to the state of her father before her. There was no humanity left in those hollow green eyes. She frothed at the mouth, gnarling at the rope that bound her mouth. Blood smeared across her pale cherry lips, no doubt remnants of Melissa who screamed from behind held back by Garett.

She'd become merely a husk–her fragile appearance the only vestige of the girl who'd been before. The innocence and warmth of a child gone, like snow at the break of spring, melted away, leaving only the barren earth– all vitality withered away.

It was painful to watch. Rose continued throwing herself towards Eric, who looked at her with such tender sorrow. Levi felt like he was intruding, but Eric's previous actions told him he wasn't in the right state of mind. As uncomfortable as he felt, he stood nearby watching in silence–letting Eric scream his grievances to the world.

The plumes of fire outside basked the room in an amber glow, illuminating the pink wallpaper. Eric's voice had long gone hoarse and stared with an empty gaze at his daughter. He took out the pistol on his waist. An internal battle being fought, one which no father ever wanted to contemplate.

"I can do it," Levi said, an undertone of understanding in his voice. No father should do what he had to do.

"No… I'll do it–I have to do it," his bloodied fists clenched, his eyes cringing, his arm trembling as he raised the bobbing weapon to eye level with Rose's furious gaze. Sweat poured down his face as he held his wrist, stabilising his weapon and pressing it against her cold, pale forehead.

His eyes avoided his daughter as he listened to the screams of his Ex-wife from the doorway. "Please, Eric. Don't hurt Rose. She's just ill, there'll be a cure. I'm certain, don't hurt her," making his resolve waver.

He met Levi's eyes, hopeful desperation filling his eyes. But his silence said it all. His whole world feeling numb, the pleas of his wife faded away; as all sound did. He met Rose's eyes, searching for anything, something to give him a reason.

But he saw nothing. They were devoid of life. Those weren't the eyes of his daughter. This wasn't his daughter. His daughter smiled with such warmth, such kindness; she was curious about everything and anything. Her innocence infectious as she ran roughshod through the house, giggling at every little thing, no matter how small and inconspicuous. She could find the joy in life, and it infected those around her. This wasn't his daughter.

"Agh!" his cry gave him courage where he had none and a gunshot followed.

Bang!

The screaming of Melissa returned Eric to the world. She'd broken free from Garrett and ran towards Rose. A circular how now decorated the bridge between her eyes-where a small trickle of blood oozed from the wound.

Eric had no more screams. He was all out of cries. He was all out of words. But Mellisa had plenty enough for them both. "No. No. No!" she scooped the rose from the chair, her tears falling on Rose's face, her trembling hands shaking her body as if she thought she might awaken.

Melisa rocked their daughter like an infant, and Eric just stood watching. He wanted to say something, to comfort her, but he pulled the trigger. And Mellisa knew it as well as she turned her red eyes towards him, her gaze morphing into a burning glare. "You did this."

"You killed her," she shrieked, her tone venomous. An undisguised hostility emanating from her twisted visage. "Get out."

Eric remained unmoved before she raised her voice and repeated, "Get out. Get out. Get out. I never want to see you again. You murderer," Eric bit his lip, drawing blood from his venison-coloured lips. His action ignored, as she turned her attention to Levi and the others in the doorway, shouting, "All of you. Get out."

Levi met the woman's hostile gaze with ease, making her still for a moment, before he turned and tapped Eric, "We'll wait outside."

Leaving only Eric and Melisa alone. Mellisa barraged Eric with curses, and he stood and took it in silence, only fanning the flames of her fury. "Say something," throwing a lamp, that cracked against Eric's head, making him step back blood pouring from a cut. But he didn't respond, beyond the pained eyes that stared deep into hers.

Something about that look cut her inside, but she discarded the feeling. And slammed her fists into the frail-looking Eric, who groaned at the blows, moving backwards until he pressed against the wall. "Why?" the question repeated again, and again, and again. The intensity waned alongside her blows until Eric grabbed her and met her eyes.

"She wasn't our daughter. Rose was already gone," he whispered, making Mellisa's eyes bubble further as Eric surrounded her with his arms–Mellisa melting into a childlike sobbing. "Everything will be alright," he said, stroking her silky hair.

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