I tried to contain my fear, but I didn't have much strength and courage to use. These resources seem to be rapidly depleting Bright. I clung to my pride, and my heart was so soft that I was pulled down the stairs. I didn't look at Cade again, I couldn't do it. I don't want to see his unhappiness because of being interrupted, or I'm sure the pity burning in his eyes.
He knows that no matter how I hide it, he knows that I have a phobia, and he sympathizes with me. When Cade closed the door behind us, my attention had been focused on my feet, simply inhaling and exhaling.
We walked down the steps and entered the shadows. When the bulb lights up immediately, someone has been waiting for us. Aiden was standing under the shaking light bulb, holding the rope in his hand, looking at the three of us. His bright mahogany eyes are very similar to Abby's, and they are still swollen in his sleep, but he is very jealous.
"What happened above?" he asked.
"It's quiet now," Cade replied.
Aiden nodded, and his hand slipped off the rope. The door of the secret room creaked open, and Abby poked her head out. "Can we eat now?"
"I told them to wait until everyone is here," Aiden explained. "Yes."
Abby returned to the room and reappeared with the bag of food. My stomach feels empty, I need nutrition, but my appetite is not good. "Did they change?" I asked, nodding to Peter and mother.
"No."
Abby handed me a pack of peanut butter cookies. "Will they wake up?" she asked.
I watched Cade, the thought of the man on the street flashed in my mind. He woke up. He came alive again, either because of unbearable pain, or because these suckers awakened their victims. Or it may be that the aliens themselves inspired the awakening of the victim to some extent. Maybe aliens like to watch people suffer before they die.
I was trembling, biscuits crunching in my clenched hands. "Bethany," Abbey scolded.
"We saw a man awake," Cade said cautiously.
"When? What? How?" Jenna screamed.
Cade stared at me, but I am not going to explain why the man awakened. I can not do it. He turned and left me. He told them what we saw and how that person was resurrected. Then he recounted the death of that person.
The silence caused by his words was heavy. No one made a sound, no one moved, and I was pretty sure that no one was breathing.
"Such severe pain, or these creatures, or even the aliens themselves, can wake people up," Aiden meditated, patting his chin. When he tried to solve the mystery, I could almost see the wheels of his curiosity spinning. If the alien hadn't come to steal his dream, he could have become an outstanding doctor or scientist.
"It may just be that one person can wake up again," Brett pointed out.
I threw the broken biscuits back to Abby. We can’t waste any food, no matter how dilapidated the food is, I don’t plan to eat it. "Then how can we know which one it is?" Jenna asked.
The answer is obvious, but no one can tell. "The old man..." Aiden's voice gradually disappeared, and Cade was very annoyed when he heard the suggestion.
"What will we do with him?" Jenna asked breathlessly.
A muscle on Cade's face jumped up, but he made no protest. "I don't know," Brett replied.
"Who would do this?" Abby asked.
No one answered. We will deliberately hurt Peter, deliberately treat him cruelly, and see if he will be resurrected. Their intentions are good, but implementation is not so easy. I already know who will do this.
Now Cade stared at the hidden corner of the basement, gritted his teeth, and refused to look at me. I want to tell him that it doesn’t have to be him, but I know it’s not good for me. I can't lie to him, I can't lie to him; deep down, I object to this.
"I won't delay it too long," he murmured.
I took a step towards him, hated the haunted look on his face, hated his shriveled mouth, but he had disappeared in the secret room. When I turned around, Brett tried to stop me, but I shrugged and dismissed his hand. I bit my lower lip, trying my best not to let the tears overflow. I didn't hear any sound coming from the room, I don't know what Cade did to him, but the smell of burnt hair floated to me.
I wince, thrusting my hands deeply into my arm until it hurts. I didn't hear a scream, nor did I make any sudden movements like the man outside. My heart sank. When Cade appeared again, I did not look back, I did not loathe him; I loathe all of us.
"nothing."
This simple word is like a dagger stuck in my chest. What did we do? Have we ever stood idly by and allowed what to happen
what should we do
"How long can they live like this?" No one answered Abby's question. "They can't always be like this, can they? I mean they have to eat, they have to drink; they have to cry out loud to go to the bathroom! Isn't it?"
Still no one responded to her. "Isn't it?" she asked.
"We don't know Abby," Aiden said quietly.
Abby let out a low sob. I don't know the answer to her question, but I can at least give her some comfort. I walked up to my little sister and put my arms around her, and I was comforted in her warm body and small arms. I still have Abby; I still have Aiden. I am luckier than most people.
Much luckier.
I can't feel sorry for myself; I can't cower here, be trapped here, desperate. Regardless, we must survive. Abby must survive, no matter what happens.
"What should we do?" Jenna's voice was lower than usual.
"Don't stay here," I replied.
"Bethany, how can we get mom elsewhere?" Abby whispered.
I looked towards Cade, but Aiden answered me. "We don't need Abigail."
I closed my eyes, and the pain tore my heart apart and turned me into another person. I'm not cold, nor indifferent, but I can feel something crawling around on me, passing through me, and freezing me.
"No!" Abby almost screamed. I covered her mouth with my hand, my eyes fell on the door at the top of the stairs, and I flinched. We all stood motionless, holding our breath, waiting to see if hell would come to us. It seemed that we were still safe, and I carefully removed my hand from her mouth.
I held her tightly, but I could hardly feel her presence, no longer wrapping me through the ice. Aiden sighed and stroked his hair with one hand, Jenna's eyes rolled over her head, and Bright didn't want to look at me. Only Cade stared straight at me. His eyes burned with intense hopes, he wanted me to understand, wanted me to understand, but I already understood, I already saw the truth of the matter. I just don't like what I see.
We cannot stay here.
This will only slow down the speed at which we can take her away.
Or we can stay here. Maybe all this will pass. We have food, water, bathrooms, and weapons. We have a safe hiding place; we can temporarily support it. It might be better if we stay. Why does everyone think it is best to leave, including me? I want to leave because I hate being trapped anywhere. But for my mother, I know I can bear all this and stay in that room for as long as possible.
We can all stay here. It doesn't matter, they will not find us, we will be safe until someone saves us, and of course someone will save us. We still have an army, or at least I think we still have an army, at least some military personnel. We have been isolated from the world for so long, and I am not sure if we still have an army. As far as I know, the aliens killed them first. In fact, they may be the first target, even ahead of Zhèng Fǔ.
Although every part of me was screaming against leaving our mother in that small room, which is a place I never want to return to myself, I am not sure what else we can do. There must be some army members who have left, but I doubt if they have enough numbers to launch a large-scale attack. More than half, if not almost all, may have been frozen.
The vehicles can still work, but no one can drive them without being spotted immediately on the streets of death. That is if the car can still be used. No one I know has tried driving in a few weeks. Not to mention planes, helicopters or tanks. We can't even know if we can try any form of defense against these monsters.
No one came to help us, and no one came to rescue us. This understanding is not gradual. Yes, it took me a while to think about this because I haven't had time to go there yet, but realizing it made me feel a sudden, terrible intensity. I felt very cold, suffocated by the pain of despair, but still strangely accepted our fate.
No one comes. We will never get help anymore.
We cannot stay. To hide here to wince is to admit defeat. Hiding here, cowering, wait for death. Without rescue, the food will run out and the water will dry up. Maybe, just maybe, before all this happens, the aliens will leave here, but this is not a guarantee. They can stay there forever, waiting for us to appear like cats, ready to pounce on the mice that slip out of the hole. We can stay here for a while, but in the end we have to leave.
At that time, we can't bring our mother with us. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)