The Twilight Zone

Chapter 26

 Noah had immediately fallen asleep, Ellie in his arms. Ellie knew not to prod about how he had gotten so hurt, but she wanted to badly. Was Amelie right when she said that he'd done something stupid? Had he looked for the Scratch?

Or was it just a coincidence that Noah's tired body bore the deep scratches of the man who had killed Alex?

Noah's eyelids flitted open.

"Hi." His voice sounded much stronger, much more rooted to life. Ellie knew that she needed to help him though, somehow, somehow bandage the cuts, the lacerated bits of him-Which right now, seemed like it was everywhere on him.

"Hello..."

Noah used his hands to prop himself up, so he was sitting up for the first time since Ellie had seen him. He winced as he did so-it hurt-and Ellie found herself making the same face-just watching it was painful.

"I'm glad you're here."

Ellie smiled.

It was a start.

**********************

Noah had run off, cursing Amelie and Lily and Ellie-even Ellie, for just the thought of another person he cared for dying was enough for him to think about horrendous things. He found himself halting at a place where it was raining-not raining, but thundering, the cracks of lightning crashing down onto the earthen floor of the cave at Noah's feet. Noah backed into a smaller cave, but somebody was already there.

Noah had met him for the first time when he was only eleven.

He'd hoped he wouldn't ever have to again, but the man began to show up for Noah.

He'd been showing up more and more lately, especially after Ellie came down to the Zone. There was something about that girl for Noah, and he had the unnerving feeling the Scratch knew it-he'd known it the day Noah had gone out to find Ellie, the first day she had come. The Scratch had confronted Noah then, telling him to 'watch his footing from now on.'

Days after that, too.

The day he and Ellie had hugged each other for warmth, Noah hadn't slept a wink. He'd been marveling at her once she had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder, and the Scratch had shown his face again.

This time, he'd pointed to Alex and said in a low, menacing tone;

'Your sister's gonna die...'

'She's not my sister,' Noah had replied, confused and scared. When Alex had gone to fight the Scratch, Noah had known she wasn't coming back. He could have stopped it all...

The Scratch had visited him when Amelie wouldn't talk to either of her companions, and Ellie had gone off to collect firewood. He'd asked Noah a simple question.

'Do you Care about the Girl?'

Noah hadn't answered.

After he saw Lily's face again, forever frozen in the shock of her younger brother's betrayal, something inside him had snapped. Just-Snapped.

He hoped that telling Ellie he didn't love her would be the thing to make the Scratch just Leave Her Alone.

Because Noah did love her.

He did.

That day, when the Scratch had been in that cave, he had attacked Noah. He'd never done that before, never. He could have just killed Noah the first time he had met him instead of going the complicated Lily route. He could have done away with him when all of his companions were asleep, he could have killed his son when he had the many chances before.

The minute Noah cried out, too, and the Scratch had gotten a good look at his face, he had run away.

It was almost like he didn't want to hurt him.