Wasp

Chapter 26 : The End

After what felt like hours of wandering through crowded streets the pair had finally made it to the correct address. It felt strange, being here after all this time, James assumed he would have been dead long before he got here, long before he knew Sanctuary even existed, but he was here now.

Wasp and James stood outside the small house that was squished between two slightly bigger houses. The house in the middle had a big "82a" Painted onto the door in crisp white paint, must have just been done. James took a deep breath and took the small box out of his jacket pocket. Wasp gave him a glance as if they wanted to say something but then decided not to at the last minute. It was time, this was it, he had to. James walked forward and knocked on the door.

The time between knocking on the door and someone answering felt like forever. However, when the door was finally opened it was not what James expected. A child, barely the age of 5 opened the door wearing a small tatty dress, covered in handsewn patches. "Uhhh...Is your mum in?" James asked, not knowing not to say, he wasn't used to speaking to children, most died, like the kid on the boat...poor kid. Before James' mind could race any faster the child shouted, "MUM! There's a MAN at the DOOR!" the child ran off and a woman appeared in the doorway, wiping her flour coated hands on her apron.

"Are you Kayla?" James asked, not knowing what to say after. The woman replied in an abbrasive tone almost the opposite of Ryan's, " That I am, what do you want?" She had the same accsent to Ryan but at the same time they both seemed so different, like polar opposites to eachother. "I uh, bring bad news...." James said, trying not to think about the events that had happened in the months before, "Your brother, Ryan, he's dead". The anger fell from Kaylas face and it turned to sadness, "Oh", she said quietly, "Come in, sit down." And Kayla ushered James in.

Wasp slowly crept forward, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Kayla glared at them but nodded in approval as they stepped through the door. James sat on what looked like a handmade chair which wobbled if you put too much weight on one leg. Wasp took a seat next to James and Kayla sat opposite them. She leaned over too her two children who were playing with some old toy cars and whispered something to them, the children then ran up the crooked stairs and dissapered from sight.

Kayla spoke first, confidentiality, clearly trying to hold back her emotions, "How did you know my brother?" She asked. James explained the whole story, up to the end nearly, before Ryan died. It felt to hard to say. Suddenly without warning wasp spoke up, they had hardly spoken since Ryan passed and now it seemed to all spill out, emotions, strange, considering Wasp was a synth. Wasp described the events, pausing at moments to regain their composure again then starting again as if they were internally fighting something that was trying to get out. "I am I synth, that's why they came after us, that's why they killed Ryan, he wanted to protect me, I'm....sorry" Wasp said, truly meaning it.

Kayla sat in astonishment then finally spoke, "You're more human than half the bastards I've met in this cursed city." And Wasp smiled, they felt, happy in a bittersweet way. James, who had been silent while Wasp had been speaking finally spoke up once again, "Ryan, he asked me to give you this." He said sliding over the small wooden box, still unopened. Kayla's eyes seemed to light up, with both happiness and a deep pain. "Thankyou." she said, choking on her words, a pool of tears forming in her eyes. She picked up the box and clutched it between her hands.

"Right," she said, inhaling sharply, "it's time I should be getting on with dinner, Cole and Ali must be getting hungry." Cole, the boy child, was standing at the top of the stairs, he must have been there for the past few hours while the "adults" had been talking. "Oh you rascal, come here and help me peel the potatoes while I show the nice guests out," Cole smiled and dashed over to the sink. Kayla turned to Wasp and James, and guided them to the door.

"Thankyou, for bringing me this, it means a lot, truly." Kayla said then paused for a few seconds before speaking again, "From the sounds of it...Ryan truly loved you, and I'm glad he didn't die alone." She smiled sadly as the two walked outside, it was starting to rain. Before Kayla could shut the door James turned around, "What was in that box, if you don't mind me asking?".

Kayla took a deep breath and a tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled, "Memories".