Chapter 5.

Chapter 5. Being Bad is So Easy

Five days after the incident with Onelio, we were searching for the people who had fled the town. The prisoners calmed our citizens, but we needed something more tangible.

I was in a bad mood because of Maria. She didn't accept my proposal regarding the prisoner. The children and families from the group that attacked Onelio had disappeared.

Maybe this agreement will help alleviate the stress, but I don't want to go if no one is there. I am tired. I need something to distract me.

Perhaps I should use the free men or women of the community. I know we are happy with this arrangement. It's an improvement for my people.

The problem is that they have started enslaving people from other communities. We only condone this if the people enslaved are for the community. It means dealing with Angel on this matter.

The women are too enthusiastic. I remember a study that said a woman would feel safer if there was another woman nearby. So, our women manage this process very well.

It's been five days, and we have twenty new people. Of course, I have to intervene and establish rules for this activity. We don't have enough provisions for so many of them.

I have to remind them that this trick will only work a few times. They have to be careful and try not to be seen. We already have a bad reputation; we don't need to make it worse.

I have a little hope that Maria will get what she needs from this activity. They have more human dogs.

When I think about it, everyone is excited to get their slave. I know that we are too... bad. The world hasn't collapsed, but everyone is very into this sort of thing.

Maybe... I am close to being a godman.

I feel my leg being grabbed. I look down. It is Cloe, who isn't breathing. Cloe's book shines a little.

"Breathe." I think that's enough for the moment. I want to make things clear. I don't want to kill her.

She is on the floor, struggling to breathe again. If she said it was my fault what happened to Onelio, I would accept it. I never let him do my job.

If she said I was a bad leader because I didn't notice the others' plans, I would accept it. I am not a good leader. I have been here for months and have never been the same.

But she told me it happened because I beat the thief. She claimed I was the cause of her friends' deaths. She wasn't talking about the people before Onelio. She was talking about the group I killed—two of them.

I am weary. I know she comes from a world where only good and bad exist. A world made for a child of ten or less to understand. A world where I would like to live. But she does not want to live here.

We are not the good ones. When the apocalypse began, and people were worried about robberies, murders, and rapes, my people were committing them. Others had to be wary of us.

A town made of bad and crazy people who only act normal because of our children and society. But we are loyal to ourselves. At the same time, that's the problem.

We never accept outsiders. When my parents came to power, we changed for the better. We did a lot of damage to outsiders, but my parents made us believe that we were good people. That we could change...

In the beginning, we saw the changes. Several people moved to our town. We had our problems, but over time, we believed we would revert to our old ways before the false god.

But the summons appeared. These outsiders believed we were weak because of my parents. They tried to take power from my parents. They announced how they would change things in our town.

I know they weren't everyone, but...

No one defended my parents when they were beaten in public. No one made a sound, even though they had guns. They believed what the aspiring leader said.

At that moment, I should have killed all the outsiders...

The door sounded, and he was looking for Cloe.

"Silence. Your room, center, no move."

At that moment, I believed what my parents taught me. We can be together and be in peace.

I moved to the door. Cloe's boyfriend was there. I opened the door to the streets and moved past Cloe's room to mine. I didn't greet or accompany him inside. My family knew he came for Cloe.

"Where is Cloe?" Maybe I should be a good man and act like my parents.

"Her room." But...

I stopped in front of my door. I turned back. I saw Cloe's boyfriend open her door. I took my gun from my waist and pointed it at him.

The world slowed. I saw him look at her. There was fear and anger. I knew I must pull the trigger. He turned his face to me...

It was hate... the same hate.

I shot three times. He died from the first bullet.

"It's funny." I have good aim at strange times.

I walked to him and looked at his face. I understood his hate and was surprised to note the changes in Cloe. I thought he should have been a good man before the false god.

I saw Cloe. She was crying.

"I didn't know you could follow orders." I saw her sadness change to hate. The funny thing...

"You now have a real reason to hate me." I wiped her tears.

Seconds later, the people who protect my house came inside. They left when they saw I was fine. But before...

"The plan should be executed earlier?" one of them said.

"The plan is the same. I just had a bad feeling about him." He nodded and left with the others.

"You know, we will have a small war with the outsiders. They care too much for the prisoners and slaves." Her eyes widened. She knew something.

"We are good people, a little, but we are. We will kill them quickly. We will take care of their children." I took a deep breath.

"I know it's the easy answer. But we need to be together in times of pain, and they don't understand this. And they are doing bad things that we have tolerated for a long time. So, you know?" She wanted to say something. I knew she would. But I needed it.

"Talk." She spat and threatened me. It made it easier.

"Silence." I brought her a scalpel and tools I didn't name.

"You need to practice the operation. Maybe we will need you tonight." I smiled at her.

"Bring the body to the yard." I made her operate on the body until it was time for the plan.

We were lucky. The operation went very well.

Maria took one of her friends alive. I made Cloe operate without anesthesia. I let her operate on all her friends' bodies, even if they were rotten.

The next week, she slept, ate, and operated on the dead. I wanted her to know that I was a good summoner and man. If we wanted, we could be the worst people alive.