i lay on libby's bed one last time and held her blanket. i missed her so much, it was hard to leave. but this house didn't hold good memories. i can only think of death.
my backpack latched behind my back as i grip it tightly. marcus had already packed up, i didn't speak to him. i didn't want to either. he looks numb, his eyes shadowed with black, his brown hair was fluffed everywhere.
"riley, you ready?" i asked.
"is charlie coming with us?" she glared up at me.
i nod, holding in tears. "he's somewhere better. he's okay now ." i say.
"with libby?"
"yes with libby." i gave a faint smile. "now let's get going."
"he was suppose to see his flowers bloom. he never finished his garden." riley muttered.
"i'll grow on its own, charlie will come back fot it someday." i say. "charlie does not give up on the garden, he'll water it from above."
riley stops talking for a moment. "i'll miss charlie."
"me too." i hugged her gently and kissed her forehead.
before stopping by the kitchen, timothée sits by the table listening to the radio. some static came in.
"code green. safety insure at fairmount haven. i repeat fairmount—"
the static stops and the entire ratio malfunctions. timothée knocks the radio trying to get it to run back up but it doesn't.
i felt relived in my heart, realizing we were all going to be safe after all, riley was going to be safe.
"fairmount haven, it's pretty far. but if we keep going up north, we can get there." marcus says.
"he's not come with us." i say.
"we don't really have a choice." timothée looks over to riley, she had sadness in her face as she hugs marcus tight.
"i don't want marcus to stay behind. not like libby and charlie." she holds her tears. "you guys are my family."
i've seen now i didn't have a choice. marcus had to come with us, i didn't want to traumatize riley as much as she probably already was.
too many death occurred with people she knew.
her parents. libby. charlie. and as much as i hated marcus, he couldn't be next.
timothée bends a spoon, break the tips. i looked at him as he was fully concentrated. confused at what he was doing.
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he rolls the ring he made from the spoon around the table. hitting it gently to see if it would break but it didn't.
"fate." he says quietly.
i walk over to him with a disgraceful look. "what."
"here."
i opened my hand and he runs his hands over mines placing the ring inside. "so you don't forget about home. home is always going to be around your finger." he says.
i placed the ring on my right finger and thanked him quietly although i was still mad at him. i don't know why he was being so nice right now.
"let's get going, fairmount here we go." timothée says.
i grab the letter, charlie told me to give to his mom, keeping it safe in my backpack. i knew i was going to send it to her once it's all over.
i walk out the house first admiring the garden, half finished. all of charlie work was built into this, sadly not done.
but the iris flowers, the ones he waited for. that would take a few more weeks to bloom had already grew. and i knew charlie was here, still protecting the garden.
"goodbye charlie." i say under my breath, with a relief of comfort and safety that surrounded me. "i promise to send the letters to your mom, i will."
—
we got off the train and walked the rest of the way because the train could no longer reach as far.
"i miss the carnival." i randomly blabbered, being isolated in a house hidden in the woods for so long made me miss reality.
when life was normal.
when i had tears in my eyes from rollercoasters, not watching my best friend die.
when half the population wasn't being killed. i wanted that life back.
we kept walking along the trails, it was empty. no dead bodies on the ground, almost like a ghost town.
"this way." timothée says, we made an unexpected turn.
