The Vortex: Killjoys, Book 1

Chapter Ten.

The drive back to Zone 6 had been quiet other than the radio softly playing 109FM, which played mostly rock and the occasional update from Dr. D. I was staring out of the window for most of the ride, my knees tucked up to my chest as I leaned against the car door.
At one point I began to hear a pair of soft snores from the backseat, telling me the twins had drifted off the way they had the night we went to the compound.
"Your sister's nice," I said out loud in a quiet voice. He didn't respond for a long time, and for a few seconds I began to chastise myself for even bringing up the family dynamic he clearly didn't want to talk about.
"She never deserved the life she was given. She's too good," he said. I turned my head to look at him, moonlight shining through the window on the driver's side, lighting up his silhouette.
"Why didn't you ever tell us about them?" I asked, my was I brave tonight.
"Because that part of my life ended a long time ago. To them, I'm the son of a rebel commander, but to me, I'm a Killjoy, and I always will be," he said. I nodded, not caring if he could see it or not.
"What are you going to do when they start integrating with us? You'll have to see them eventually," I said, turning my attention back to the passenger window, watching the brush and Joshua trees as we raced by, illuminated by the moonlight.
"I'll deal with it when it comes, I guess," he sighed.
After a few minutes, I had nearly lulled myself to sleep when I felt him place something beside my leg on the seat.
I shifted my heavy eyes down to see my mask on the seat beside me.
"Thank you," I said before picking it up and falling asleep to the hum of the car as we rode back to Zone 6.

"Wake up pretty princess," someone said while shaking me lightly, jolting me from my sleep. My hand immediately jumped to the person's throat. Then I recognized the pink hair and tanned skin and I let go as quickly as I had grabbed on. Vamos. They gasped as they stepped back holding their throat.
"I told you not to," Vaya said, arms crossed.
"Fuck!" Vamos exclaimed, coughing.
"I am so sorry," I said undoing my seatbelt and rushing over to Vamos. "Don't be, I've had worse," they said, catching their breath finally. I patted them on the back, not sure how to help other than offer moral support for the coughing fit I caused.
"C'mon let's go inside, it's freezing," Vaya said, walking to the back door of the house. Home. Thank fuck.
"Let me get my bags-"
"He already got them for you," Vaya said pushing the door open and ushering us inside. The fireplace had been lit, but Vaya hadn't been exaggerating as I passed the thermometer on the way in, 28 Fahrenheit. Val was already seated on the couch in the living room, wearing a set of black sweats with a cuff at the bottom and a black tank top. His mask was off now too as he looked over the old journal he had found when I woke up in the diner
"About time you two got her in," he said not looking up from the journal, Vamos still coughing, but quieter and less now.
"What happened to them?" He asked.
"Never wake a sleeping beauty, dude, goodnight everyone," Vamos said, Vaya following them.
"I think I'm gonna head to bed too," I said, picking up the smaller pack containing my backup clothes and essentials from the trip from where it rested on the foot by the couch.
"Hey wait a second," Val said, closing the journal and looking up.
"Yeah?" I said, slinging the backpack over my shoulder.
"Did you actually die and then come back?" He asked. My brows furrowed as I recalled what the journal said.
"I think so," I said. "But I can't really be sure,".
He gave me a puzzled look as he set the journal down and clasped his hands together over his knees.
"And you've seen this witch? Like she's real? She brought you back? You truly believe that?" He asked.
I sighed, putting my left hand on the strap of the pack before responding,
"I do. I can't say if I truly died or not but what I do know is the witch is out there and if it weren't for her I don't think I would've made it as long as I had that night," I said. He just stared at me. After he didn't respond for a few seconds I spoke up again.
"I get that it's not something you believe in. I mean, how could you? You've never been that close to death but I know she's out there," I said, staring straight back at him.
It took a few minutes for him to say anything.
"Get some rest, we're gonna head to The Nest in the morning," he said, looking back down at the journal. With that, I turned to the hallway and started toward my room. Once I set my bag down I rustled out a t shirt and pair of shorts along with a few hygiene products I'd brought with me to Zone 3 and headed to the bathroom to shower, brush my hair and teeth, and change.
As the cold water ran over my body I closed my eyes, imagining all the stress of the past few weeks washing away, but even then I felt myself beginning to grow used to the feeling of always being on edge.
I don't know what I had expected when I made the decision to stay with the 3 of them, but it hadn't been this. I expected draculoids, scarecrows, and exterminators to be the worst things I'd have to endure, but there was so much more.