The Regulator (Complete First Draft)

Chapter 69: Fireside Survivors - Seventeen

“Seventeen people left.” Monica said, looking out the window of the dining hall as the sun rose over the camp. “Seventeen… I used to run a camp with Five Hundred kids a day, One hundred staff. A bunch of them left that first day, a bunch more died that first night, a bunch more deserted us during the first week, and a few more removed themselves from the situation… then came the first invasion, and the drifters, and now this invasion. And what are we left with? Seventeen people. Seventeen. Four staff, thirteen campers.”

Monica turned around and faced what remained of her camp. Andrew sat, head down on a table. Anna sat next too him, rubbing his back but with her head down as well. Wet spots where tears had obviously fallen were on the floor below them. Andrew had his arm around Jaxon, who was crying much more profusely and loudly than anyone else in the room. Seth was curled up in a ball behind Andrew, while Anthony and Niko sat on the floor in front of him just looking stunned. Gabi held tight onto a crying James, tears rolling down her own face. Ivan simply stared out a window in silence. Nick sat in a corner of the room, crying but trying to stifle it so as not to appear to have any kind of weakness. Brandon and his group were simply sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, not making a sound, most of them staring off into space. Brandon himself wasn’t crying, but he wasn’t really known for doing so. He had other ways of dealing with his emotions.

“The world as you knew it is gone.” The Bedlam announced from the middle of the room. The greasy and dirty man stood against a support beam in the center of the room. Monica looked at him with an angry glare as the rest of the rooms attention turned to him.

“I want it back.” She said, glaring at him. The Bedlam pushed himself off the beam and smiled, walking towards the center of the room.

“Ah yes, you want it back. You want back the crime and rape and poverty and inhumanity and depression that was your old world. But why? Why, when you can instead be free?” The Bedlam asked, his creepy voice echoing through the dead quiet room.

“I’d rather be in that old world then dead.” Brandon piped up, he gave the Bedlam an angry glare, one that was meant to tell the disgusting man to shut up, but The Bedlam paid it no mind.

“The undead are but a challenge, a challenge to ring out the ones who don’t deserve to be free. They are nothing but insignificant pawns in a larger game”

“Six hundred of our friends are dead.” Andrew said, quickly standing up to confront the Bedlam. Anna tried to pull him back down, but he shrugged it off. “Six hundred of our friends are dead or gone, none of them deserve the hell hole this world is in. Brad didn’t, Gavin didn’t, Zach didn’t, Kyle, Johanna, Delvyn, none of them deserved this world! They were all strong, stronger than you. Some of them were stronger than anyone else in this room!” Andrew said, his voice booming through the empty dining hall, his arms outstretched to make a point. All eyes were on the Bedlam now, but he relished in it. They were all united, however loosely, against him and he loved it.

“Ah, Regulator, you have the least to complain about of all. When this all ends, you will have a role far more important than any other. So why do you insist on trying to stop the Cogs?” The Bedlam asked, nearly sneering at Andrew. Andrew snapped and rushed towards the Bedlam, but the Brandon jumped up and held him back. Monica, Anna, Ivan, Gabi, Brandon, Niko, Anthony, Seth, Jaxon, and Danny all jumped up and circled around or stood behind Andrew, facing The Bedlam.

“I don’t want any part of your stupid game anymore.” Andrew said through grit teeth, “I appreciate your help earlier, but I want you gone. You’re done here. You’ve been nothing but trouble since you’ve arrived. We all have to start over, and re-build a life with the small numbers we now have. And we don’t need you a part of that life.” Andrew stared intently at The Bedlam, but the Bedlam seemed uninterested in what Andrew had to say, instead he seemed to be looking past him.

“Well, isn’t that interesting Regulator.” The Bedlam began, ignoring Andrew’s threats. “One of your flock seems uninterested in you.” Andrew and the rest of the survivors turned to see James sitting alone on the table, his back to Andrew and the events transpiring in the dining hall. “Tell me, sheep, why do you lose your faith in The Regulator?”

“Don’t call him that.” Ivan demanded. The Bedlam snapped his eyes down to Ivan, who gulped nervously.

“What would you rather I call him, boy?”

“Nothing, cause you’re leaving.” Brandon stated firmly.

“Maybe if the sheep gives me an answer I will.” The Bedlam continued to say calmly.

“Well he’s not going to because…” Anna began, but was cut-off by James who softly, said.

“Because he’s a monster.”

Andrew was taken aback, “I’m not a monster, James.”

James turned around to face the group, and, specifically, Andrew, “Yes you are. You killed this people. Every last one of them. Even the ones who didn’t do anything. You say you were protecting us, that you were preventing anything else from happening, but they were leaving! They weren't going to do anything and you killed them!”

“You don’t know that.” Andrew said, stepping forward towards James. He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

“And you don’t either! You assumed, and you assumed the worst!”

“They killed Brad!”

“One of them did. Maybe one of them should have died, but not five. I watched you kill five people. I watched you kill five people. My camp counselor killed five people. I thought I was safe with you. I thought you were my friend, that I knew you, that you could protect me. But in a split second decision I saw you shoot five people, four of them didn’t even do anything!” Tears were really pouring down James face now.

“I did it to protect everyone here!” Andrew shouted, his frustration building. Nick, who had been sitting in the corner of the dining hall up until now exploded at this point.

“Well look where we are now! Look around, Andrew!” Nick screamed. He stood up and smashed his fist down on the table in frustration. “Everyone is f***ing dead! Everyone!”

“And you think that’s my fault?” Andrew screamed back.

“I don’t see who else it could be!”

“Well, how could it be his fault?” Monica jumped in, “He didn’t bring the zombies, he didn’t kill our people, your group. He didn’t do any of that. He tried to help.”

“Yeah he tried. But it’s his fault they’re dead. It’s his fault my group is dead.” Nick growled at Monica.

“Oh, this is such a delight!” The Bedlam said in a vicious tone, but no one in the room paid him any mind as Ivan turned to look at Nick, and with a look of pure disgust.

“No, Nick.” Ivan began, “It’s your fault those kids are dead. You there Andrew in the barn, you left him there, you didn’t stay behind to defend them, you threatened me instead of going back to get them, you threatened Andrew instead of racing to get them. They didn’t die because Andrew did anything wrong. They died because you didn’t give a shit about them.” He finished. It was dead silent in the room. No one could even hear the sound of a breath being drawn.

“AHHHHHHHH!” Nick screamed, rushing towards Ivan at the center of the room. He grabbed him and threw the boy forcefully to the ground. Ivan hit it hard and let out a gasp, only to be kicked a moment later in the stomach by Nick. But before Nick could continue his assault, he heard a click and a piece of metal shoved against the back of his head. “You wouldn’t.” He said.

“You said it yourself earlier.” Andrew said, arm outstretched with the barrel of the revolver against the back of Nick’s head. “I would.”

“Of course you would.” James said in a harsh tone. He jumped off the table and walked toward the front door.

“James, wait!” Andrew called out, lowering the gun from Nick’s head. But James simply glared at him and walked out.

“Looks like you lost more than lives today.” Nick muttered, and Andrew spun around and punched Nick square in the cheek, knocking him to the ground. He then turned to Ivan and helped him up, while Nick reeled from the pain in his face.