The Town of Last Haven: A Zombie Novel

Part 33

Julia walked quietly from the town borders back to her house--her old house, her real house--with Natalie and Jake on her either side. Natalie saw Julia was still quaking in her shoes, so she linked her arm with Julia's, and that's how they walked.

Natalie wanted to tell Julia that Luke wasn't good for her--had never been good for her, never been completely selfless and never completely compatible--but she said nothing. Julia didn't need to feel anymore pain than she was experiencing already.

They turned the corner and came to their street, seeing Austin, Trent, Clarise, and Opal awaiting them in their front yard. Austin hadn't heard what happened just an hour ago, but he knew something was wrong when Jake had one of his friends check on the three younger Brown siblings, tell them to return to their real home.

Julia's ears were deaf to the world, but she looked to her house with tearful eyes. The house needed a new paint job, the dirt driveway needed new pavement, the grass needed mowing, and the garden needed to be weeded desperately. And when Julia's blue eyes lingered over the mounds in the garden, she shuddered. Her parents--Owen and Violet Brown--were still buried there, bodies untouched for months on end.

Memories flooding back, Julia swayed on her feet but was caught by Natalie and Jake. Julia vaguely heard Natalie say to him, "We need to get her to bed." And Julia's eyelids fluttered closed and felt Jake lift her up and carry her inside...

...Inside the old house smelled musty, needed a good dusting and vacuuming, needed open windows and beyond. Julia heard the stairs creak beneath Jake's footsteps, and she felt herself put into her old bed, the scent of books still in her bedroom--just the way she remembered it.

Natalie and Jake left Julia's bedroom, closing the door behind her letting her get some much-needed sleep. She could hear the low murmurs down the hall fading as they left her to rest. Julia turned in her bed and looked to the window. She could see the guesthouse outside from her bedroom window, and she let out a small smile as she let her mind wander into sleep. She thought of her parents--thought of them for the first time in months. She knew Natalie would be weeding and watering in the garden, making better gravestones for their parents other than the half-fallen stick crosses she'd made the day she... she mercied them. A few tears slipped down Julia's cheeks, but she remained quiet--fell asleep.

"What happened?" Austin asked Natalie and Jake.

"It's a long story," Natalie said with a sigh and a slump of the shoulders.

Clarise was right by Natalie's side, wanting to be picked up and held but too big and too old for it now. Natalie, however, did offer her kid sister a tight embrace, running her thin fingers through Clarise's long dark hair.

"Why's Julia asleep? It's still daylight. Is she okay? What's wrong?" Clarise had more questions than answers, and she was still too young to understand the gravity of what had occurred. Julia was never one for naps--she had coffee to ward off sleep--but this situation was so entirely different from what she was used to now, that even this changed her again. And Natalie wondered if Julia would be less trustful than before.

Natalie got on one knee before Clarise, who leaned against her. And before she could open her mouth to ask again what was wrong, Natalie then said, "It's not a story for children, but I'll tell you some of what happened. Are you okay with that?"

Clarise nodded silently, leaning her head against Natalie's shoulder.

"Luke wasn't a good boyfriend, so Julia broke up with him. That's why we're back here--our real home. Being with Mrs. Wallace was nice, but it wasn't like here. And... and Tanner wasn't a good friend. We won't be seeing him anymore."

Clarise looked as if that was answer enough for one so young as she. She then put her arms around Natalie and hugged her tight, Natalie returning the embrace.

"Is Julia going to be okay?" Clarise asked quietly, and Natalie nodded.

"Eventually. Healing takes time." Natalie was right. Healing did take a lot of time. For anyone.

Julia would mourn the loss of a friend--Tanner Evans.

Julia would mourn the loss of a relationship--with Luke Wallace.

But she would heal all the same if she wanted to heal herself to begin with.

How long it would take for her to heal, none knew, but she would heal nonetheless.