When I Die

Ch.16

Perry

I tried to slow my breathing but the bullet in the doorframe next to my head was anything but helpful. I took a deep breath and pried my eyes away from it. 

I was in a bright pink room covered in daisies and butterflies. A little girl probably stayed in here once. 

White book shelves sat in front of the windows and white shelves lined the walls. Both had small trinkets like dolls and something that look like a cat but also could be a cow? 

The windows were just like the rest of the house, boarded up and covered by a blanket. This guy really wasn't taking any chances. 

I couldn't get the boards off before whoever was out there came in. I'd end up with a bullet lodged in my spine.

I sighed. Keith was right. I shouldn't have came out here. I should have just stayed in the comfort of the walls. 

"Come out, and I might let you live." An older, raspy voice finally called out after what felt like an eternity. 

"I-" before I could respond, I heard loud grunts and a yell.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" A familiar voice made my heart swore. I rushed out of the room to see Keith pinning an older man against the wall.

"Keith?" I called out, relief no doubt making its appearance in my voice. 

Keith looked over at me and smiled, but I was an unintentional distraction. The man swung his arm over both of Keith's and managed to hit him in the jaw. This sent Keith stumbling back but the setback didn't last long.

In seconds, The old man was unconscious and on the ground with blood dripping from both his nose and mouth.

Keith wiped away some blood of his own before turning towards me. There were many different emotions flashing across his face.  Mainly, hurt and anger. 

"Keith," I whispered and looked down at the floor. I was embarrassed. I put him in danger to get a taste of freedom. I was beyond selfish. 

I looked back up and Keith was now in front of me, pulling me into an embrace. I couldn't help but sigh in relief as I wrapped my arms around him. I had missed him more then I had missed Samantha or real food. 

I was abruptly pulled from the embrace and before I realized it, I was pinned against the wall with my hands above my head.

"Don't ever, and I mean ever, fucking do that to me again." Keith's lips were inches from mine. 

"I'm sorry." I whispered and once again, looked down at the floor. 

Keith used one hand to hold mine where they were, and with the other, he placed two fingers under my chin. 

Gently he lifted my head upwards and held my cheek, "Perry, I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Really lost you." His voice broke along with my heart. I was hurting him and I didn't even know. 

I wasn't sure about what to say. No amount of apologies or words would undo what I've done. 

"Please, Perry, Come back home." He whispered and leaned his forehead against mine. His scent was intoxicating, but I loved it.

"Keith, I wasn't ever not gonna come home. I just needed to step away." I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breathing. This was dangerous. I felt a sensation deep in my core when I began thinking about how helpless I was right now. How right his hands felt. 

"No. Come home. To our home. Where everything started, please." It felt as if he was begging me, Pleading. 

I nodded as tears filled my eyes. My hate was gone. 

---

The walk home wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it to be. 

We talked and he never brought up me leaving. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was still angry, but for some reason he didn't bring it up. 

Keith and I finally had the chance to catch up after months of being strangers. I told him all about my people watching and how I've managed to become an impromptu interior designer. He told me about how he's been hitting the books and doing a bit of people watching himself. 

Turns out, both of us have been miserable. The only difference is that, I have a natural way of coping and he turned into a man-slut. 

My stomach twisted and turned while my chest felt tight. He didn't tell me in-depth details about the women, just that he used them to try and forget about me. I'm sure in some fucked up way, that's sweet. 

Keith must've noticed my discomfort as he changed the subject back to apologizing for what he did. He explained to me that he just wanted to protect me and wasn't think straight. I nodded and told him I understood but that didn't give him the right to do what he did. 

The walk was quiet after that. It was just us and the wonderful sounds of the forest. Birds were singing their songs while the buzzing of bees could be heard. It was a beautiful despite the chaos.

Somehow though, it never reached the center of the forest. There wasn't an ounce of blood or rotten corpses anywhere. I might suggest expanding to the sarg, it couldn't hurt to branch out and make more space. 

"Per," Keith grabbed my arm and stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked towards him and he nodded ahead.

I followed his gaze and my eyes widened. The walls of our beloved home were smashed open. debris and rubble coated the ground, smoke filled the air, and faint screams could be heard. 

"What the fuck?" I asked, a slight tremble in my voice. 

"Stay low, and stay quiet." He intertwined our hands and lead me along the walls. Lifeless bodies laid on the once green grass. Zombies were hovering over a few, guts in hand. I felt the taste of acid bubbling up my throat. 

Unrecognizable cars were stationed in the middle of the courtyard. I tugged on Keith's arm and nodded towards them. He let me know he understood before continuing to guide me.

Lost shoes and books were on the ground, everything had specs of blood on it. I tried to avoid looking at an arm that was no longer attached to its' body, but I failed. I couldn't imagine who these things belonged to. There were children and old folks here. 

This was a nightmare.