When Darkness Falls

What Lies Beyond

When they reached Adrian's home, it was a couple hours before sunset. Adam wanted to continue on, but Adrian insisted that they stay with him for the night. Adam looked skeptical, but reluctantly agreed when Adrian promised a hot meal.

Adrian's home was a two story mansion literally in the middle of nowhere. There was even a pool and a bar in the back. It must have been owned by someone important and famous before and now Adrian lived there alone. When they were inside, Adrian informed them that there was running water and they could take hot showers if they wanted to. Apparently Adrian had hooked up the entire home to a generator that ran off of gas. Eve was more than eager to take a warm shower, and she tried not to stay in for too long, but it felt so good on her tired skin.

When Eve got out, she dressed in the clothes Adrian had given her. Apparently they had been some of Adrian's wife's old clothes before she past away, which Eve found strange but she couldn't necessarily complain. She was just glad to be clean again.

After she had braided her hair, she started to walk downstairs to find Adam, but the mansion was so large she really didn't know where to start looking. She checked any open door she could find but with no luck. It was almost dark outside, just a small sliver of orange on the horizon was left, and the house lights were very dim. Eve decided to check outside and heard voices coming from the patio. Just when she was about to come around the corner, Eve caught a part of their conversation and her feet froze in her tracks.

"Why are you taking her to Lockwood?" Adrian asked.

Eve couldn't help herself and she quickly hid just around the corner, listening intently.

"You know why." Adam said simply.

"No I don't. You know what she is."

"We don't know that." Adam said sharply.

"If you let her go to Lockwood, you'll never find out."

There was a pause before Adam spoke.

"I know." He said, and Eve was surprised that he sounded sad.

Adrian scoffed. "Come on, man. Be reasonable."

"I am." Adam said.

"No you're not." Adrian countered.

"You know what might happen to her if she stays out here. If she stays with me." Adam said, sounding frustrated.

"What will happen to her if you give her away to the settlements? I think we both know the answer to that. Do you think she's really going to want that kind of life?" Adrian said harshly.

Adam didn't say anything.

"Look, man. I understand that you're trying to do this to protect her. But you're missing the point. This may be the only chance you ever get at a normal life." Adrian warned.

"I can't ask her to risk her life. Besides, I know she's afraid of me now. I told her what I am because I nearly hurt her yesterday, Adrian. The look in her eyes when I told her..........it's the same look everyone else has. Trust me, she's better off." Adam said, his voice sounding anguished. For some reason, it pained her as well to hear it.

Adrian sighed. "Before I met Patience, I was in and out of rehab with a needle in my arm every other day. I had anger issues, I hated life, and no one wanted anything to do with me. She came along and picked me up off the floor, literally, and she accepted me for who I was. I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for her. She changed my life, saved it in some ways. It was the hardest thing I've ever gone through when I lost her. We were married for 15 years. That woman was the best thing I ever did in my life. Would she have been better off without me? Sure. Would she have met another guy who would have treated her better? Hell yeah, but at the end of the day, she chose to be with me and I didn't take that away from her. Eve is her own person. You can't go around deciding things for other people. You need to tell her."