Dead Zone

I

      "Sophia," I called out to her. She looks up at me with her eyes red from tears and her cheeks damp. "Come with me." I turned around just before she could refuse. I walk to the couch to open the window to the fire escape and go outside. I look behind me to see her grabbing her hoodie and making her way to me.

     I head up to the very top of the fire escape to get to the roof. Hearing the sound of Sophia's shoes against the black metal calms me. I'm not alone. Everything is all right now. We walk to the ledge, sitting on it with our legs hanging over the building.

     It was dark, so dark it left us uneasy. The post-apocalyptic world is just like a black hole. The tall buildings loom over us. I remember what they used to look like before the outbreak. Some of them collapsed into other buildings. The others caved into themselves. There was no light in the city. We managed to find a generator for the apartment building we set up camp in.

     I take Sophia's right hand in mine. "It's okay to cry, you know," I mutter. "Sometimes, we have to let it out. Especially now with how the world is." She looks at me, eyes sad and longing. I rub my thumb against her hand to soothe her.

     She looks up, closing her eyes. "Alex," she sighs, "It's like you always know what to say. It makes me sick."

     I huff, looking away from her. "Fine, I'll stay silent then."

     "No, that's not-" I move closer to her just as she turns to face me again "-what I meant . . ."

     I smile teasingly at her. "Then what did you mean?"

      She tries to scoot away from me, but I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer. She looked scared for a second. "Don't worry," I lean my forehead against hers, "if we fall, fall backward."

       "I'm sure we'll be able to do that while plummeting ten stories to the ground." She moves her forehead from mine and rolls her eyes.

        "What did you mean?" She looks at me, raising her eyebrow. I urge her on with a nod.

         She looks between me and the city in front of us. "Oh . . ." I turn to face her, legs on both sides of the ledge. "Knowing what exactly to say and how to say makes me sick because it only makes me like you more."

         I breathe, looking out at the dark abandoned city in front of us. "And that's a bad thing?"

         "Yes and no," she pauses, "you said it yourself, the way the world is. I don't want to love you. I don't want you to love me knowing that any moment with you could be my last."

         I turn to her, moving my hands to her face. I shift her blonde hair behind her ear, turning her face to look at me. "Hey, hey," I shake my head, trying to comfort her, "You're telling me it'll feel better when either of us dies, not knowing what could have been? Baby-Sophia, you can't do that to me now. Not when I know how you feel."

        Her eyes began to well up with tears. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad. I rush to wipe them almost as quickly as they fall. "Alex," she weeps, "I don't know what I would do without you."

        "Oh, Sophia," I move my hips closer to her. I pull her to my chest and wrap my arms around her. She does the same to me. "Hopefully, we will never have to find out."

        "There you two are," we both turned to the voice, alarmed." I grabbed the small gun that sat on my thigh just as quickly as Sophia let go of me. "Oh, hey, come on now," I realize that it was Ria, with her hands in the air for surrender. "Please put the gun down, Alex," she grits her teeth.