The Safe Zone (The Dead Zone Book Two)

Chapter 5

Paige stares down at the crisp white sheets on the bed, her new bed, unwilling to crawl between them as much as she longs to. Unlike their pristine appearance, she was covered in dried blood and dirt, and would only soil the sheets. Elle, her new neighbor, is still downstairs, and Paige goes to join her.

She's nice enough, but other than Evie, she's not used to female company. Elle smiles brightly at her as she approaches, watching her unpack several non perishables into the cabinets in the kitchen.

"We usually eat our meals as a group in the mess hall," She says, "These are for just in case you guys get hungry. The fridge or microwave don't work but the stove's gas, so if you've got a lighter you can start it up."

Paige pulls one out of her pocket, flicking her thumb across to create a small flame.

"Great! If you want I'll have the men bring some water up. You can boil it and have a hot bath if you'd like. We have a stream running just south of here so water's not an issue."

It surprised Paige just how much information Elle was willing to disclose, without even being asked. Was everyone around here this trusting?

"Wow, thanks. That actually sounds really nice." Elle seems to glow at her compliment.

"I already offered to let Evie take one at my place. She's a real sweet girl, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is. I'm glad you guys hit it off so well."

The two of them stand awkwardly for a moment, not sure what else to say to ease the silence.

"Anyways... I better go. See you around." Elle says, hurrying out of the house. Before all of this happened, it had been extremely easy for Paige to talk to people. But seeing Elle, living here, shielded from and oblivious to the horrors of the outside world... she felt a widening gap between them. Would she never be normal again? No, probably not. The damage is done. She took solace in the fact that she had Bryson and Zach, and even Evie.

Soon, she was towel drying her hair after a much needed bath. She'd stayed in the water until it had turned cold and murky, scrubbing the blood and dirt from her skin repeatedly until she'd began to turn red. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to wear crisp, new clothes. How wonderful it was to feel like a normal human being again.

A soft knock on the front door sent her spirits soaring. That had to be Bryson! She hadn't seen him all day, not since he'd left to have a chat with Jason. She couldn't wait to show off their new residence to him. They'd finally found somewhere to stay for the winter, somewhere safe. She hoped he'd love it.

Her smile faded as she opened the door, surprised to find Jason leaning against the door jamb. His eyes were regretful as he appraised her.

"Hey, Paige. Mind if I come in? There's some things we need to discuss."

Her heart jumped into her throat, tightening. Something was wrong.

"Sure, come in." She stepped aside as he strolled through the home, making his way into the living room before sitting gingerly on one of the plush sofas. It was apparent he'd been in the house before; he didn't need any guidance.

"What's going on?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at his distraught look. She didn't feel like sitting down, not when she had this horrible feeling building up inside her. Where was Bryson?

"Well... it's Bryson. He's left."

"What do you mean he's left?"

"He just... left. He said now that you guys have gotten here safely there were some things he needed to do. He asked me to watch out for you and his brother."

The pain in her chest that his words caused knocked the breath out of her.

"Well, when is he coming back?" She forced herself not to let her voice quiver with unshed tears.

"I'm not sure he is." Jason says, his voice full of pity. "You should have seen the look on his face. He didn't want to be here at all."

Paige sank to the couch, her hand going to her heart to try and ease some of the pain building up there. She thought back to the last few weeks, trying to see if there was something she'd missed. Bryson hadn't acted any different- in fact, he'd been pretty determined to reach Lemuria. What had gone wrong?Something about Jason's story wasn't quite adding up, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Why didn't he say goodbye?" She demands, blinking back her tears.

"He said he couldn't, that you wouldn't have let him go alone. He said it would be easier to just go. So that you and Zach would stay behind the safety of these walls."

That did sound like something Bryson would say; when it came to protecting Zach, he was extremely adamant.

Why would he leave? I thought he loved me.

"He didn't leave a note or anything?" Jason shook his head, reaching out to grab her hand to comfort her, an act that seemed a little too intimate. In her distress, she didn't bother to shake him off. Bryson was gone. He'd left. He'd taken a piece of her with him, shattered her heart into a million tiny little pieces. She would gladly choose Bryson over the promise of safety and comfort any day. It hurt that he wouldn't do the same.

"Wow. I don't know what to say." She says, staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry," Jason responds, "Just know that I take my promise to look after you and Zach seriously. If you need anything, just let me know."

She pulls her hand out of his, forcing a smile, but failing miserably.

"Thanks. If you don't mind, I'd like to go find Zach now. I think he deserves to know."

"Of course." Jason stands to leave, giving her one last look before he heads to the door. When she hears it click close, the tears come- a torrent of sorrow and loss and disbelief. She falls to her knees, her sobs wracking her body painfully. Oh, Bryson, you stupid, stupid boy.

She doesn't even hear the door open as Zach walks in, she only hears him as he runs over to her, dropping to the floor beside her, a look of panic on his face. How is she supposed to tell him this? And how long has she been here, crying?

"Paige, what's wrong? What's going on?" He pulls several strands of hair out of her tear streaked face, trying to get a better look at her. She clutches his arms, clinging to him for support.

"He's gone." She wails, but no more tears come. There aren't any left. Zach leans back, stunned.

"Who's gone?"

"Bryson. He left. He left us here."

Zach doesn't say anything, he only stares at her, eyes wide. It's like her words are so absurd they haven't quite registered yet.

"Why? Did you guys have a fight?"

"No. He told Jason there were some things he needed to take care of. That he wanted us to stay here where it's safe. He didn't even say goodbye."

She began to shake then, as if she were going into shock, which she probably was.

"That bastard." Zach curses, pulling Paige to her feet. "Come on, let's get you upstairs. It's late. Get some rest and we'll talk this over in the morning."

She allows him to tuck her into bed as if she were a child. He's about to leave when he pauses at the door to the unfamiliar room.

"If there's one thing I know about my brother," He says, taking a deep breath. "It's that he always does what he thinks is right. I know he'll be back. It's who he is."

Her eyes burned again as she rolled over, burying herself in the blankets. She hoped Zach was right. A life without Bryson... she couldn't even begin to think about that. Anger filtered in, replacing some of the sadness, but not a lot. She was angry that he could just leave. That he didn't even say goodbye. Angry at herself for letting him have such a strong hold on her.

This is how we live now. Loss is unavoidable. That's what you get for letting your guard down.