Waveland

Chapter 3

Darkness. That's all Xavier could see. He stared up at his ceiling lost in his thoughts. His mind was racing thinking about Rose. He couldn't force his body to go to sleep. Anxiety overwhelmed him thinking about the awful things that could be happening to her. He knew if she died it would be his fault. He hated himself for not being a coward. He knew he should have stood up against David, but he couldn't. He stood there like an idiot watching Rose walk away possibly to her death. Xavier threw his legs on the side of the bed. Taking deep breaths trying to ease his thoughts. He stood up in the middle of his room and started pacing back and forth. He was about to do something he never imagined. He anxiously bit his thumbnail, considering what his heart wanted to do. It was going to be dangerous, but he is the one who got Rose into this mess he was going to get her out. He ran to his closet and grabbed a black hoodie and beanie throwing them over his body. He didn't allow his brain to think about the logic of this situation, he rushed towards the window without a second thought. The more he thought about it, the more he would know this was a terrible idea. His hands gripped the cold glass, seconds away from his escape when he felt a dark lurking presence behind him.

He froze, his hands still on the cold surface as he turned to face the tall shadow resting its head on his door.

"You are going after her aren't you?" Christian stepped into his room. His hands were behind his back. Xavier's heart was racing out of his chest. Ever since the apocalypse he didn't dare break the rules because these are the people who are responsible for keeping him alive and never wanted to disrespect them. But now was different. He was going to stay by and do nothing.

"I have to. It Is my fault if she dies." Xavier stepped away from the window hoping to reason with his brother. He feared that Christian would betray him, and tell David immediately. He didn't know what David would think of him or do when he learned that not only was he defying him but also trying to escape.

"She is going to get you killed." A rough whisper escaped his brother's face. The stress on his face was obvious. Xavier watched feeling guilty as his brother ran his fingers through his rough dark hair.

"I may not like it, but I understand why you are doing this. Last time you went out there it didn't end well." The calm tone shocked him. He expected his brother to yell at him and say all the reasons why this was a bad idea. Xavier watched as Christian walked towards him.

"This time I want you to be prepared." He placed a petite pistol in Xavier's hands. His brother didn't wait for his reaction before he started walking away.

"You better not die." Christian sighed under his breath stopping at the doorway not daring another glance at his brother and then left leaving Xavier standing there in his dark room alone contemplating his thoughts.

Xavier looked down at the weapon that lay in his hands. Xavier was always against weapons, he wasn't a fighter like David or his brother. He never found a reason to have one when David and his army would always be there to protect him when danger struck. Clearly, that hypothesis was wrong. Xavier looked out his window at the night sky. A sudden rush of confidence entered his body. Rose didn't hesitate to save him. He knew he had to go now before the sun begins to rise and someone realize he is missing.

Xavier yanked open his window instantly feeling the cold air hit his face.

"I am coming Rose." He spoke into the air, praying that it would so become true. The thought of her beautiful hazel eyes and dark brunette hair was his motivation to tumble his overwhelming fear.

Xavier climbed the last of the neighborhood fence. Dirt covered his clothes. Out of breath but impressed he gotta this far without being caught. He stood in front of the eight-foot stone wall that was the last obstacle keeping him from Rose. He began placing his hands on the stone bricks attempting to climb when he heard voices coming from the main gate. In the distance where they haven't spotted him but close enough Xavier could hear their conversation. He quickly ducked behind a bush that was the only thing blocking their vision of him.

Two men were standing next to each other. They were having an argument about something, Xavier peered around the bush curious about what was happening.

"It is an order!" The taller man yelled. Xavier knew that voice instantly, it was David.

"I just don't understand why she is so important?" Xavier rolled his eyes when his brain finally recognized the boy in the argument with their leader. It was Tyler, they used to be best friends before the aliens attacked but ever since Tyler learned how to use a gun and became a crucial part of David's army they haven't talked since. Tyler thought he was better than him because of it.

"She has to die." David snarled.

"Yes sir." For a second it looked like Tyler wanted to protest, but just like the rest of us, he fell in line with David's orders.

Xavier panicked realizing they were talking about Rose. There had to be something he didn't know or why else would his leader be so obsessed with her? He knew he needed to go now before he gets caught and can't get to her in time. It was now a race against the clock. He needed to find her.
Xavier waited for the two men to disappear and find the only blind spot on the whole wall, and began to climb it ignoring the pain from his wrist when reacting to the sharp edge wall. Splitting his skin. He approached the highest point of the wall and threw himself over colliding with the ground hard. He wanted to scream out, but bite his hand in his mouth to avoid making noise and risking detection.

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It felt like hours he had been out in the darkness, surrounded by only darkness. The cold breeze hit his sleeves. His body continuously shivering not properly dressed for the brutally cold night. He told himself to man up. He kept thinking about how pathetic he was for complaining about the cold.

Xavier was no tracker, he had no idea how he was gonna find her. His only thought was to keep walking. He walked for miles in a straight line passing thousands of Trees. He did have one idea where she might go. Rose was anything but a coward and he had a feeling he knew where Rose would go to try and get a kill. She wouldn't set a trap, that required a lot of patience and his family dinner proved she didn't have a lot of that. She was ambitious, also ready to face danger in the face. Xavier knew she would go directly to the source, she would go to the alien camp. David showed Xavier where it was one time while on a supply run, of course, it was supposed to be for him to go in the opposite direction. Xavier didn't hesitate to march toward the alien's camp. He was either going to find Rose or come face to face with aliens that would be ready to rip him apart. Xavier prayed that she would be there, he prayed that she cared as much about him as he did for her. A small doubt crept into the back of his mind that Rose simply walked away not even thinking once about returning to them, not caring if she ever saw him again. Xavier shoved that doubt deep down and forced one foot in front of the other determined to find the girl he was risking everything for.