Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 65: I Hate You!

By the time Elena recovered from the temporary paralysis which Olivia had inflicted on her, her first instinct was to run into the building and save her little brother from Zane's psychotic actions. But just as she escaped from Olivia's grasp and approached the door of her home, a muzzle flash appeared within the windows of her home, followed by a loud bang.

At that moment her legs stopped working, and in addition to this Elena felt as if she just had the wind knocked out of her. Her thighs began to twitch as her knees buckled, no longer able to sustain the strength necessary to stand. The crimson haired beauty fell to the floor, while bawling her eyes out. Screaming in agony from the loss of her loved ones.

"Why!?! Why!?! Zane, why!?!"

Olivia had a grim expression on her face. She knew what Zane had done was necessary and did not blame the man like Elena did. She also suspected Zane was having an incredibly hard time coping with what he had just done. But…. Zane was a man, and Elena needed her more, especially because of the completely distraught state that the girl was in at the moment.

Thus, Olivia hugged Elena, as if the eighteen-year-old girl was her own beloved daughter, and tried to comfort her as best as she could. All the while, the two of them sat in the driveway of the suburban neighborhood, which luckily for them, appeared to be relatively clear of the undead at the moment. Perhaps drawn to the inner city by the sound of gunshots and explosion in the distance.

---

Zane barely managed to re-holster his weapon as he stared at the aftermath of what he had done… Never before had taking a life been so… hard. He did not understand why he felt this way, but there was a very complicated mixture of emotions in his heart right now.

Naturally, as a man, Zane only knew one way to express these emotions, and that was with anger. He very quickly kicked the wall, punching a hole in the drywall as he did so. While repeatedly doing the same with his fists.

After which he began to throw furniture around, such as lamps, vases, et cetera. All of which shattered upon impact. And once Zane had finally let out his anger, he had an overwhelming urge to smoke. Thus, he climbed out onto the suburban home's balcony and pulled out both a cigarette and a lighter.

However, when Zane tried to light the cigarette, his fingers trembled. So much so that he could not manage to do so. The overwhelming amount of frustration he felt in that moment, both at himself and this cruel world, compelled the young man to throw his lighter off the balcony.

Though immediately after doing this foolish thing that he came to the realization that would have to go out and fetch the lighter, eventually. Still... Zane did not care.

Instead, he stared off into the city, which burned in the background, and for the first time in a very long time he let out a single tear which trailed down his pale cheeks and dropped off his sharp chin landing onto the railing of the balcony.

Which immediately after was concealed by the outbreak of rain. Rain that poured down upon the heads of all who were not sheltered from its grace.

---

It took some time for Elena to come to terms with what had happened. Her mind was in a state of overwhelming shock and depression, her family was dead, but worse of all was that Zane had been the one to kill them. A man she trusted, a man who had, until now, saved her hide through countless encounters with death.

If rationality was her strong suit, she would realize what Zane had done was necessary to save herself and Olivia. But also to give her family the proper rest they deserved. After all, turning into a flesh eating monster was not something that anyone should ever have to experience, even if they were already dead.

But Elean was grieving, and because of this, her hatred naturally fell upon Zane. Who was the easiest person to blame for this horrific injustice against her. After all, nobody knew how the undead virus had begun, or what was responsible. So it's not like she could actually blame some cosmic force for her misfortune.

No… Zane was the easiest target to blame her misguided emotions upon, and because of this, any sympathy she had for the man and his tragic backstory vanished on the spot. Any romantic inclinations she was beginning to feel for the man disappeared. Replaced by visceral and raw hatred.

Though she did not express this sentiment to Olivia. After all, Olivia might take Zane's side, and because of this, she did not say a word to her. Neither Zane nor Elena would speak to each other for the rest of the day.

Zane was not even present for the burial of Elena's family, which she and Olivia dug the graves of within the backyard entirely by themselves. Instead, he was oddly absent, almost as if he had abandoned the two women on their own.

But Zane did not abandon them… No, he kept a watchful vigil over Elena's family home, knowing that the girl would need her space after what he had done. But it was not just that… Zane also needed some alone time to process the complicated series emotions which he was feeling.

He started by fetching the lighter, which he chucked off the balcony, while then climbing into a tree, and resting upon its branch. Almost as if he was providing Overwatch to the two story suburban home which until the apocalypse began, Elena had lived in.

The thought of shooting Walkers or even marauders in order to protect Elena and Olivia was a welcome distraction. And though Zane did not dare actually do so, because the sound of his rifle firing off would attract far more unwanted attention than he desired, he dared a mother fucker to try something. Almost as if he craved the violence.

Zane would finally return late in the night to Elena's home, where she would pass him by saying only a single statement. As she then walked off to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep.

"I hate you!"

But what Elena did not hear as Zane stopped in his tracks, while the crimson-haired beauty passed him by, was a statement of solidarity in that regard. One which was silently muttered beneath his breath.

"So do I…"