“No, I never counted anything,” Ellie said awkwardly, realizing she had misspoken; she had yet to reveal she had paid off her coworkers who took notes of such things for future reference.
“Alright. I'm fine, so I hope you will do this project with the same level of attention you gave us. I am sure you will be a great teacher to many youths like me and Celeste. See her? You changed her life and helped mine, so I have no worries.”
That eased her mind a little and almost completely eradicated her guilt. Even Celeste nodded in approval, no longer doubting this sentiment, but man, the word sounded evil when she thought about it.
“Thanks. This idea won't be that different from your lessons. I am still thinking about the upper floors, though. Both of you are basically finished within your means, if not a little bit above that.”
Celeste wasn't sure what that accounted for. She moved alongside Ellie and took her lesson for the continuous flow of the stars and rooms, and that was about it. How she compared to others wasn't even in her mind, since, hell, she didn't think she had changed too much.
“I guess you are right. Still, it sounds incredible. Some kids will be very happy to see you.” William said, nodding to himself in approval and pointing to her.
“Oh, I hope you won't be jealous.” Ellie laughed and noticed William stuttered, unable to give her a proper reply. “While it is right and cool, I should include the best news like a cherry on top of a cake.” Then, Ellie puffed her chest in dignity and expected a meaningful response from William.
“Will you get something good out of it?”
“What? How did you guess that?! That is no fun at all.” Ellie complained.
“You are one of the pillars of this project. How crazy it is isn't that hard to guess. Walkers are busy, and putting people like you in charge is clever, no? I never found a problem with it, because, guess what? People do these things Outside all the time. Soldiers train us, youths. Typical gramps show us how to punch, or stance our ways. Grannies use their hands to show the best way to skin something. That sort of thing. Not well, but still.” William said what he felt was worth noting and felt a whole chest of other matters were fine too.
Ellie nodded. Smiling at a perfect opportunity to tell him everything, she sat even closer to him..
“It is an excellent position that will get me closer to Walkers than ever. Some officers in the military will be at the same or similar level as me! Me?! A seventeen-year-old girl!” William patted her shoulder and felt as if she was getting overly excited.
She calmed down. “Don't you get it? I will be responsible for the future Walkers.”
“And under the supervision of Walkers, their scrutiny, and much more, I am sure. Miss Kaufman shouldn't ignore it. She should protect you.”
“Right. She increased my income and benefits accordingly. The worst thing is the increased workload and restrictions, such as chained protocols, but that doesn't matter to me at all. I have nothing to lose.”
Watching her shameless smile, William pushed her face away since she was too loud to his ears. Celeste was right beside, listening.
Hitting and slapping his hand in return, Ellie had no speck of anger on her face.
“Congratulations. You worked your ass off for this opportunity, and it paid off.”
Ellie pointed to her cheek in return. “A kiss,” she told.
“Kiss?”
“You never kissed me all by yourself!”
“You always force this on me. Isn't it just physical contact? I ain't kissing you, Ellie.” William argued in embarrassment.
Celeste was confused about something and felt they were an odd pair of people.
“You! This is what couples do all the time!” Ellie argued and ignored her surroundings when she stormed closer to his face.
“Is it? Any proof?”
Pulling herself back, she had pride left, and embarrassment left her soon afterward. “Well...I heard... read it is the case. It should feel great, you know. Youngsters... romance. Books.... I was smitten by fiction.”
“Oh, it is getting so late already. I guess I have to hurry home early today.” William got up swiftly and then deployed a tactical retreat out of the sofa.
“You? You dare to run?” Ellie forced a smile and pointed at him.
“What run? The upper floors are still open. See you later.” William waved back with a grin, leaving Ellie with Celeste sulking on the sofa.
Celeste glanced at the leaving figure in silence, omitting the barking, grinding sounds of Hound, and wondered if things were really alright. It was for days... but then, one time, they weren't, and things got loud. It was nasty, but nothing she couldn't deal with. Her life changed, while her comics remained the same. All was perfect.
Ellie put down her hands and leaned her back on the sofa, and knew William wouldn't return anytime soon.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Oh, he is growing bolder and bolder. Is that my fault?”
“Bad thing?” Celeste asked, sounding softer than ever.
“What?” Ellie asked her and sized her. She curled and hugged her knees and, like a good girl, put her newly acquired tools, wooden shoes, out of the sofa and beside Hound, who protected them against ghosts and spirits or thieves alike.
“What is like?”
“Like?”
“Is that like emotion, feeling? That something wrong is with it, or people?”
“I am... not sure what you mean,” Ellie said calmly, moving closer to her. “Alright, let's say it like that. I know William a bit better than you because I've known him longer than you, but that's just a spectrum, or like stars, because there are patterns to it. Some orbit others, are similar, or will approach each other. In time, or not. It's mysterious. Although I spent more time with you, he grew on me more, and I like him because of that subtle difference.”
“Grown? Like... grass? So it is like... watch?”
“Well, can you imagine the sun?”
Celeste nodded, glancing around the place to meet it, but she was indoors, not in the cave, and that was futile anyway.
“Trees and flowers need them, right?”
She nodded again.
“I don't need William, but I liked to need him. It is that sort of thing.” Ellie explained and hoped she did a good job.
Celeste had yet to see her conviction or change of heart. She learned many words and manners from this girl, yet understanding people was like a shifting sky that never ended. “Can I like you?”
“Sure. I like you, but it is a different set of likenesses, get it?”
This was something Celeste had trouble with. Some words had different meanings, and remembering them in terms of words, tones, and consistencies, or in specific situations, made her rather mad. She was often unable to read the atmosphere, and that got into her head, and watch. Ellie didn't judge her for it, though she often found it a little bit odd and helpless.
Celeste pondered what she should feel, what to ask next, and what to do lately. Then, she asked as she linked a bunch of things together and felt very proud of it. “What about Dreadus? Do I like him?”
“Why are you asking me? I am sure that is your feeling. Not mine.”
“So you don't like him... Hmmm.” Celeste hummed and figured she still had a lot to learn: judge, rescue, crack, kill, and see were next as well.
Ellie knew it herself and began to explain more things to her than was necessary while Hound cheered the girls up.
***
On the upper floors, William was almost running because his time was tight, and running away from Ellie came off as a sudden, brief idea. He had done it a few times before, and even if he didn't plan to return to the upper floors, here he was. He moved and ran away for real, even if he imagined it for a second.
A thin veil of nervousness brought a decent amount of calm and clarity to his decision. He wasn't always running away from things, but her? That was a different story.
Finding a door and a lone corner of a room, he planned to spend the last hour and a half in a different state of mind.
All things considered, six weeks had almost passed, and he had learned a great deal about this place, manners, Walkers, and less about himself until recently. That was difficult but necessary.
Next, spending between ten and twelve hours a day in this place showed his results. There was also one much clearer thing, and it hardly escaped his heart. Knowledge was one thing; facing the Outside and the Darks was another. This ideal was a faithful truth and a fine one to have, which made many youths and Walkers into different kinds of people, or humans in general.
Who was he to be? , even?!
Could he do the same as before, kill things and people, survive, and do it willingly this time around? His Emblem wasn't asking, but hoping and doing stuff like him, and living for him and itself, which was fair no matter what, right? Was it even supposed to be like that? Back then, choices were necessary. Harsh consequences had to be made. Now, different problems had arisen, and he grew up a little, but right? For the better, RIGHT!?
William dreaded some consequences and knew anxiety over Outside washed over him like a veil that always followed him like a ghost. That which had never left those ten years was always prevalent and persistent.
“Dann. Emblem. Outside...” William had few words in his mouth and even more hiding in his mind.
One could flee further, fight and resist, or kill. What was better than keeping one's life safe, as it was one of the most rightful human tendencies and senses of self-preservation? What was the sacrifice of listening attentively to those voices and noises that left him sorry, weak, or entirely out of his mind?
Keeping instincts intact and life close was the core foundation that William regarded as the most noteworthy. It was for reminders since his mother's hand left him, and he felt it was close, closing, and scolding.
It kept returning...
Like that devil.
At this point, there wasn't much to say to that or run away from. Camps were over for him, tossed behind his back. Lunatics better be left to rot or play their games Outside where they fucking belonged. What were the organizations that remained in whatever form they could manage? What was banditry and zealotry out there, or people, or rogue Walkers for?
They lived their lives, and for William, the Federation arrived because he wanted this life, far away from that chaos. He promised, for there was a game of proper hunters ahead, and not be... whatever. It was fine to leave it as it was. It might change, and he adapted.
Killing each other, obliterating one another, and hoping one side was better than the other. That wasn't wrong, for it was the survival of the fittest that made people and beasts and demons dedicated, controlled, weaker, or stronger, and he was no different.
Did it sound simple? William assumed a lot of things in his youth were that, whether from others, his own experiences, or simply listening to people. Figuring out more later was another possibility, and Dann used to tell that a lot, and William knew it was useful.
“Doing my best. I was good at it, but sometimes, the best is worse, and there is nothing perfect. There is nothing wrong with it because what is best is not the worst. I am coming closer to that, and I can discover what my parents did or held because, well, they are weird. I am weirder. Perhaps they had reason to leave me, or they had better things to do than be with me. It isn't bitter. They were Walkers—both of them! I was a kid. Their kid... and they... The afterlife...” William judged the empty room and his bottle, sighed to himself, and realized he had talked way too much.
Sizing some books and using his card, the last hours of this day disappeared as usual.
Ellie was busy, and Celeste was listening, growing, and getting words right. They all got home in their respective ways, expectant, still working, and waiting for yet another morning.
The layout of the Federation was familiar to William, and the path to Mi-Yung's apartment was faster than far. Seeing the familiar door, William twisted the handle after inserting his key and walked inside. He stopped right away. A stench of something nasty attacked his nose, reeking from a bunch of bags that had layers of blood on them.
“Oh, crap. Luke is back.” William figured that out and walked into the kitchen without realizing what was ahead or what wasn't. He was naive and unprepared since what was ahead was far from pretty or good.
