Chapter 35: Revelations pt.2

(John Pov)

After a while of being held by one of my zombies, I ordered it to place me back on the table in front of everyone else as they waited for me to finish checking on Candice and how she was doing with gaining her first few followers. I was under the impression that she was very charismatic when it came to socializing, but after seeing how she was currently cowardly hiding behind a wall.

As far as I could see from the eyes of many dead birds, it was nothing more than a small group of 20 humans. Although it was only a small group of people to me to her, t was a small army, which to her was enough to kill her despite her not knowing of her own power. I found this a nuisance since she will later have to explain her appearance and her awkward clothing that I had Dixie preparing for her while arranging supplies for the survivor she would gain.

With our connection, I established a telepathic link and said, "Staring at them won't accomplish anything other than suspicion towards you once they spot you through a window."

My voice within her head scared her enough to make her jump with fright, making her check her surroundings for me and overbearing appearance. After a few seconds, it clicked within her head that I was telepathically talking with her since she was, after all, now apart of my undead army. She looks back at the yellow house full of people who think their undead neighbors haven't caught them because they are good at hiding and says, "Well, you could have told me you could do that."

"You will know what you need to know in due time until then quit a coward behind this brick wall and proceed to "rescue" the first of my would-be followers," I say while emphasizing the part about rescuing them as a hint to assist her. I would for her to quickly gain at least a little bit of their trust before I begin my evolution.

After a moment of gathering what little courage, she begins her slow approach to the house with her hood drench over her head and her robe dragging behind dried leaves, making them rustle. When she finally makes it halfway to the yellow house, through the eyes of one of many of the birds I have posted in trees and on the stares of fire escapes on buildings across the street, I spot the movement of curtains within the house. After noticing her, it's clear they became frightened when they spotted her making a direct path towards the front door.

It wasn't the fact that a mysterious person was approaching their place of hiding that made them scared but the fact that the person walked through the horde that I specifically placed outside and around the few neighboring blocks to ensure their entrapment was secure. Through the eyes of the person who had spotted Candice, it scared her enough to speculate that Candice was some kind of monster capable of finding them even with having seen them. I laugh a little within Candice's head and say, "It's funny how fear and ignorance makes people irrational."

Candice knew what I meant as it was also the same fear and ignorance that got her to the position she's in now. The same fear and ignorance that led her and her children to be saved and relocated within the fine walls of a penthouse on the 50th floor of many other condos. This wasn't the only building that I had set aside for my future followers as it was only one building of many I had planned to leave vacant and useable for them for when their number grew and for when they also needed storage space. Their comfort level wasn't on my list of priorities, but then again, their list of future complaints should be highly short with this little commodity. They'll have to get their own food themselves in the long run as lazy hand don't get fed in the apocalypse.

After what seemed like forever due to Candice's overly dramatic slow-walking, she finally reached the door and knocked three times and waited in vain as no one answered. She knocked again heard the ruffling and thumping of several individuals along the with obviously loud whispering. Finally, the door creaked open, revealing the weary and frightened eyes of a survivor still trying their best to live another second of their miserable life. It has been only a few days since I knocked the world on its ass.

"Look, we don't want any trouble, nor do we have any room or supplies to spare. We don't even want to know the little trick to how you just walked past them dead right behind you. So if you can just leave us alone." The old man said while keeping his eyes on Candices cold glowing blue eyes.

Candice wanted to tell them she was there to help them, but remembered that she had to play her role well if not want to incur my wrath in any kind form I deemed fit. She then mustered up her will to preach and threw out her doubts to ensure her success or suffer the consequences of failing. Before the man could shut the door quickly, she grabbed hold the edge of the door and said, "If you shut this door, you doom the twenty or so people within this house of yours, if it's even yours to begin with."

The old man eyes widen at the woman her the strange black tattoos that wrap around her hand, ending at each fingertip. Candice looks at the man more seriously than ever as he tried to forcefully pull the door shut out of fear for her. Although Candice was just barely holding onto the door while watching the man struggle shut the door, she noticed how little effort it took her to keep it open in the first place, letting her know that she was now stronger than what should've been if she was still human. This bothered her little since she knew something like her becoming something other than human was going to happen after noticing her transformation and rapid de-aging.

"I want you to be wise in your choice as you will only get one, and only one choice to finally find salvation somewhere else other than the small confines of this house. You already know that all it will take is one small slip up or accident before this house is swarmed and everyone within is shredded apart and becomes apart this massive horde behind me. So I will only make this offer once, join me and leave this place for a place far more better. Join me in the worship of the God of the Undead who shall shower you with immunity as he has done for me and rejoice in being saved by a god to be who promises to leave alive those who pray to him." Candice preaches loudly, making the other people inside startled and afraid that she will draw the dead to them.

"Look, lady, we want nothing of your religious bull, ok. We..." Before he could finish his dismissive words, Candice intervenes by raising her one free hand.

"I can tell that you all are hungry, yes. You are all thirsty, yes. It's cramped within this house little to no room, am I right. My God has provided a safe dwelling for those who choose to give their full devotion and love to him with food, water, electricity, and, last but not least, shelter from the walking dead." Candice says while trying her best to convince them while hoping that they do choose to follow her as she herself doesn't want any more people to die.

"Look, mam; I really do think your a looney, and I just don't give a fuck about your goddamn god nor your damn..." Just as the old man was about to finish dishing out his disrespectful comments towards Candice, who was silently hoping that I would forgive him while he was being yanked back from the door by several eavesdropping people from behind the man.

After a quick scuffle behind the confines of the door, a new middle-aged man appeared, opening the door, fully revealing a man in a blue flannel shirt and white t-shirt under it. Who quickly says, "We'll take that offer we no question asked other than how are we supposed to get past the dead."

Candice was a little surprised at how quickly the others removed the older man from the position of leader and quickly came to a consensus on accepting my her offer. Behind the middle-aged man could be heard the screaming and desperate warnings of the old man, yet they went unheard as the others listened in on how Candice was going to secure their safe passage to this supposed safe haven.

Candice looked at her left palm at the markings that begins to move quickly and shift to form a circle within a hexagram within a square that suddenly begins to shine. Its a type of magic that Dixie had given her a last-minute tutorial on before she came to their temporary safe house. Its a type of magic called marking, which is a variant of rune magic. As long as the marking has a purpose, it's capable of doing multiple things such as warding against unwanted entities like insects to assisting in simple everyday things like heating a stone to boil a pot of water on as long as magic is applied. As of right now, the simple marking magic that Candice is using isn't anywhere near capable of warding off my undead legion, which is where Candice estimated that I would command them to spread like a hot knife to butter for her and her new followers.

I didn't really plan on going along with her improvised plan since she could've such connected to the horde in front of her and commanded them to move away as she and her followers approached. Still, when she places her glowing hand high above her head, I could only guess she got far too dedicated to her role, and I couldn't help assume she was asking me to show some leniency do it for her because she didn't know-how.

After a moment, I gave the horde the order to get out of their way, all except the old man. I didn't really mind his doubt toward me, but disrespecting me crossed the line. As they had quickly gathered their stuff and began to follow Candice I possessed her and made sure my eyes glowed and my voice roared as I said, "The old man stays. His disrespect earlier has earned him the reward of being the first example for those who choose to bare their fangs toward me."

As I shifted control back to Candice everyone was shocked and scared as they had just heard the voice of the one Candice had just spoke about worshipping. They had all heard the command of mine and was looking toward Candice who had turned back to normal. She was fully aware and caught off guard by the sudden possession, but more so by my command. With her understanding of my psyche, she understood what was about to happen to the old man and said, "As you have all just heard our my Lorde and soon to be yours too has spoken and commanded the immediate exile of the man who has offended or none of you shall never find salvation."

Although I could hear the hurt within the voice of hers it matters none as an example needed to be made. The old man not wanting to be let behind began to plead out of fear of being left behind to his demise pleaded wit Candice, yet his pleas fell on deaf ears as Candice began to make her way through the crowd while saying solemnly, "I recommend that you all follow and keep close behind me and cover the children's ears as you walk and don't look back."

The man pleaded as Candice and her newly formed group began to walk through the horde. Thinking he could tag along he's nearly pounced upon by a zombified woman before scurrying back up the stairs leading to the yellow house and shutting the door before it's besieged and knocked down by the pursuing horde. It takes a while before the screams to begin over the moans and growls as he had managed to make it to the floor before being cornered before being swarmed and devoured.

Many of her small group were crying and looking depressed because of what had just happened. Everyone was silently upset but no one protested as they were now out in the open and surrounded by zombies they believed were being held at bay by Candice. It would be one sad and frightening walk to their new homes.

After seeing that my desired outcome came to fruition I quickly switch to my evolution screen and choose to combine the Undead Demon King with the Demonic Grim Reaper. The result was something unexpected to me but I didn't reveal it to Dixie or to anyone as I wanted it to be a surprise as to my result, but before I could begin I looked towards Joseph and Joselin and said, "I give the both of you permission to evolve yourselves when you see fit. Also as my general, Joseph I temporarily leave you in control while I go through my evolution process. While I out of commission your primary task is to ensure the entrapment plan succeeds along with the secondary task of becoming stronger in my absence as I do not know how long I will be out gone."

They all nod in compliance with my commands and leave the room while I commence my evolution. Only if they knew that the result of my evolution would be that of an Undead Nephilim.