Forgotten People

Chapter 3 – Debate

Alec knew everyone was staring at his arm. It stung and tingled at the same time, just like his first bite. He flinched in pain, but that was it. It was Dash who was most shocked though.

“You’re hurt!” she cried. Alec just stroked her mane.

“It’s fine, it’s already happened once.” He replied. Dash nodded and backed off a little. The attention was then drawn to the two equines at last.

“Well…hello?” Cami said unsure. Dash trotted up to him and held her hoof out.

“’Sup? I’m Rainbow Dash. The other pony is Princess Luna.” Unsure, Cami shook her hoof. Kenzie looked excited though.

“Wow, for once there’s another girl in this group instead of all these boys! Sorry, I’m Kenzie.” She said holding her hand out. Dash shook her hand. Oliver glanced at Jamie, he could see his face beginning to turn to anger again. He got Alec’s attention silently and made him look at Jamie. Alec could see what was about to go down.

“Hamish, take these two up to my room. Shit’s about to hit the fan.” He whispered. Hamish nodded and guided the two equines out of the room. When the door shut, shit went down.

“ALEC! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” Jamie shouted at him. Alec had told  his friends about how he had met a cyan rainbow Pegasus, but none of them had believed him. Now, whatever the argument, his friends knew that he was telling the truth all along, and would back him up.

“That was my friend. So what?” he replied.

“You can’t just bring new people in, there isn’t room!” Jamie shouted back.

“Jamie, there’s eight beds in this house, six of which are doubles! That’s room for eighteen people!” Max shouted. Jamie’s finger jabbed into Max’s face.

“No-one asked you bucktooth. Now shut up!” Max began to get angry, but controlled it. Jamie’s anger turned to Alec again.

“I say we throw ‘em out.” He said mercilessly. Hamish, RD and Luna were listening at the stairs, and both equines shuddered in fear.

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to you.” Hamish comforted. Smiling, the two equines huddled next to him and listened in again.

“Why throw them out? They could be useful!” Josh argued.

“Yeah, give them a chance!” Kenzie argued too.

“You’re not the boss!” Cami argued.

“They’re fucking horses! They’re useful for nothing but glue and meat!” Jamie shouted at all of them.

Alec punched him hard across the face.

“Don’t you dare fucking say that about them! I’ve met them, I’m friends with them, they’re good beings. Obviously you can’t see that with your poor vision.” Alec strongly argued. An ‘oooohhhh’ sound echoed among the others.

“Shut up Alec! Urgh, I’ve heard enough out of you!”

“Stop it, you’re scaring Kenzie!” Cami shouted.

“I don’t care. She’s a toddler. She’s no use. Hey, how about she leaves too!”

“LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!” Alec bellowed. Jamie slapped him, but not on his face.

On his wound.

The bleeding started up again and the sting hurt more than ever. Alec screamed in pain as the wound began to slowly leak red fluid.

“What have you done?” he yelled at Jamie whilst gripping his bite. A smug grin went across his enemy’s face.

“That’s the other problem with you; you’ve been bitten several times. How about along with your horses and that midget we throw you out too?”

“Because thanks to him, he’s keeping this group alive!” Hamish shouted from the hall.

“Jamie, stop trying to take control, it’s not helping anyone.” Josh argued again.

“Guys, he’s been bitten. How long will it take him to turn and kill all of us, huh? Didn’t you hear the radio the other day? ‘If any people in your group have been bitten, please get rid of them immediately!’ and that applies to this idiot right here!”

“You can’t throw me out.” Alec said firmly.

“And why? You’re gonna turn, and then we’re all dead.” Jamie argued back.

“Three reasons: One, I’ve been risking my life going on these scavenge hunts to look for stuff to keep everyone alive. I know this town better than anyone here, without me, you’re fucked. Two, I didn’t appoint myself as this group’s leader, I was nominated, and I’m doing a pretty decent job according to everyone here, and Three, I’ve got someone else to care for now.”

“Who? That cyan bitch of yours? She’s a horse mate, not a girl.”

“So what Jamie? She’s still gonna be a help to us!” Oliver spat at him, “Just because she’s…different, it doesn’t make her redundant, and that goes for her friend too!” Jamie knew when he was beaten, and backed down from the argument.

“Fine everyone, you’ve made your choice to keep the infected dick here and his cyan bitch. Well, fuck it, I’ll take care of this myself.” With that said, he grabbed a pistol on the table and shot at Alec’s head. Luckily Alec dodged out of the way as the bullet smashed through the glass, making a loud noise

.

Big mistake.

Right at that point, Hamish rushed into the room and grabbed Jamie by the neck.

“Get out of here now! No-one tries to shoot my friends!” he yelled, tightening his grip. Jamie glared at everyone else.

“Don’t just stand there, help me!” he ordered. No-one obeyed him, they just stood and waited.

“Get him out of here Hamish, he doesn’t deserve to be here.” Max piped up. The rest nodded. Rainbow Dash and Luna re-entered the room to see what was happening. Luna gasped in shock to see Hamish pulling Jamie towards the door.

“Hamish! Let him go!” she demanded. Hamish saw her and stopped what he was doing.

“Sorry, uh…Luna is it? I’m sorry, but he just tried to kill Alec.” Kenzie said innocently.

“Yeah, and it’s only fair that we kick him out.” Oliver added. Luna closed her mouth. Rainbow Dash worriedly went to Alec.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied. Before Jamie was thrown out, he shouted one last thing at Alec.

“You better kill that bitch of yours! Her lack of skill will get you killed and you know it! Stop obsessing over a pathetic fake-winged horse and get a life! OH WAIT, IT’S GONE!” With that bombshell finally dropped, Hamish opened the door and chucked Jamie outside while checking the lights would be off. They weren’t so he shut off the fuse.

Everyone ducked down and remained quiet as the creatures returned because of the smashed glass. They spotted Jamie and pelted towards him as he skidded and stuttered to get away. He got to the gate, but it was locked. There was no escape now.

“No…no no no! Go away! No! No-aaaauuuughhh…uuuugggghhhh…” The teenagers and equines inside listened in silence as the things outside clawed at Jamie and proceeded to tear him apart piece by piece. The splattering of blood up against the walls was heard, but was drowned out by Jamie’s pathetic shrieking. It took only a few minutes to silence him. When it happened the things wondered off carrying any missing giblets that would be good as a snack later on. Hamish turned on the lights again, shock on his face.

“I didn’t think I had it in me…I’ve killed someone…”

***

Alec entered his room where Rainbow Dash was supposed to be sleeping. Everyone else was eating downstairs while Cami and Max were repairing the window, but Dash had excused herself and gone upstairs; everyone knew why.

“Dashie?” Alec called gently. It was the first time he had called her that. She sat on his bed silently weeping. It upset him to see her like this. He sat next to her and put his arm round her shoulder.

“I’m sorry you’ve seen more violence today than I would’ve liked you too.” He said in sorrow. She lent her head onto his arm.

“I’m just not used to this yet Alec. It’s been two weeks for you. Me? It’s only half an hour and someone is already dead!” Alec stroked her mane gently.

“I know its horrifying, but imagine what I’ve been through, the amount of death I saw on the first day. That was shocking.” Rainbow lifted her head so she was facing his.

“Dashie, don’t worry. He’s been a pain in the arse the past few weeks, and, although this may sound harsh, I’m glad he’s gone.” It struck Rainbow Dash a little to see how merciless and out-of-character that sounded, but she understood why he had said that. Jamie had also bullied her and did resent her now. If he had stayed, who knows what he wouldn've done to her? Rainbow now looked at Alec’s bite-smitten arm.

“You said you were bitten and the effect hasn’t taken you over yet?” she asked curiously.

“That’s right.” He replied. Rainbow Dash lifted herself up and hugged her friend in comfort, so he did the same.

“Promise me something Alec. Ordinarily I’d be happy for you to try this, along with me. But in this state of your world…please don’t be reckless.” Alec embraced tighter as they both fell down drifting off to sleep together. He gave a mild chuckle.

“This group wouldn’t be alive if I haven’t done that already.”