The Dead Frontier (4)

"*Ahem* Good, check the saddle pack, there should be some beans that we can cook. Afterwards, we will go to sleep" said Glen as he turned to his side awkwardly.

Maybe he shouldn't have said this guy after all. He felt it burdensome when Ezekiel looked at him with a shimmer in his eyes.

He was not good with expectations. It was hilarious, wasn't it?

In his last life, he led a pretty mediocre life due to his fear of expectations. Now, almost three decades after his death he was still the same.

He could say he changed in a myriad of ways from his previous life so much so that he felt like his previous life was a dream and he was never such a pathetic person.

However, despite that, his core was the same. He was still scared of letting people down. Maybe that was why he avoided people for the last two years.

Of course, it was not like he didn't try.

He tried to be a better person but he screwed up.

Now all the people who had placed their expectations on him.

Who trusted him and followed his lead.

Those that were dear to him.

They were all dead.

And it was because of him.

Who was he kidding anyway?

So what if he was immortal? What if he would never die?

As long as he was such a pathetic chick that refused to get out of its shell he wouldn't move forward.

But so what!

It was safe inside his shell. No one could hurt him. No one could weigh him down with their expectations.

Being alone was the best.

At that moment Glen finally decided what to do with Ezekiel. He was not going to look after him.

He would find the closest settlement and leave him there, after finding someone to take care of him. He was even considering paying the family that would adopt him.

What happened today was just a result of his impulse in meeting another human after such a long time.

He would converse with the kid. Relieve himself of his loneliness and once he was done he would leave.

It's not like he was this kid's parent so he didn't have any obligation to look after him just because he saved him from a couple of zombies.

***

Glen and Ezekiel were sitting by the bonfire each holding a can of beans that were freshly cooked.

As he watched the kid try to eat while not trying to burn his mouth, Glen felt his heart ease up a little.

Yes, human connection was important. Even if he didn't want any expectations placed on him, he still wanted to connect with people. Humans were social creatures. That included him as well. So helping people occasionally and conversing with them should be fine.

"So, tell me, Ezekiel. What were you doing there getting yourself all tied up to a pole just when a horde was about to pass by? Especially when it was about to be night no less!"

"*Gulp* It was the idea of those from the Church of the Night, sir. They said as long as the townsfolk provided a sacrifice to the dead, they would pass bypass our town. The folks picked me because I was an orphan getting by doing odd jobs. They thought I was bad luck to the town anyway so none of them spoke up for me" Ezekiel spoke with emotion in his voice. Like he was about to cry.

Glen on the other hand almost dropped the beans in his hands. It was that damn church again! He had met them before and their run-ins couldn't be considered... pleasant.

If Glen were to summarize the believers and members of the church he would use two words and two words only 'Batshit crazy!'

They were a bunch of fanatics that split off from the main church after the apocalypse. According to their belief, currently, we were going through the rupture. That was fine and dandy. I mean looking at this situation any believer of any god would think this was the end of times.

The problem was their second belief. Once all the sinners are dead all the survivors would ascend to heaven and this was just a test for the true believer from the god to divide true believers from fakes.

Like WTF!

When you are going through a pandemic like this (yes Glen still believed this was some kind of virus, spore or parasite) who in their right mind would believe that?

Oh? There is a pandemic going on? I better take out the old pitchfork and torches to kill all the sinners I guess. It's a pandemic after all.

These idiots, instead of trying to unite and come together to survive, tried to kill everyone so that they can ascend to heaven faster.

Sigh, the problem was they were crazy AND good at acting. They would first come into a settlement. Slowly convert the people there by giving them hope and helping them. Then in a critical moment BAM! They would betray the town and help zombies get inside so that the zombies can ravage all the 'heretics'.

He would know. He had first-hand experience with their ugly tricks. If not for his luck Glen would be in the Underworld already getting ready for his next life. He might even be the only person who knows the true face of the church that was still alive.

"When you are done, go to bed immediately. There should be an extra bedroll behind that beak-shaped rock. We will ride with the first sunlight"