Playlist for the Apocalypse

Chapter 21: Long, Long Way from Home

JONATHAN

Jonathan watched through the window as Evelyn brought the axe down on yet another block of wood, sending pieces splintering in different directions. With Guy's maze of traps there was little chance the Soulless would be in range but worrier that she was, Evelyn had still ensured that half her face was covered with a camo mask from Guy's seemingly endless supply. Even without seeing her expression, Jonathan could tell she was troubled.

Being locked in isolation for three days would do that to you... Finding out your father might have been involved in causing a catastrophic world ending event wouldn't help... and being responsible for someone's death would definitely be the cherry on top...

He watched as the axe found its mark, finally splitting the log apart and Evelyn stepped back to grab another piece of firewood off the pile. He'd offered to do it, but she'd just laughed at him.

"As your primary physician, I can't in good faith allow you to do any kind of intense workouts." She'd said.

He would've pointed out that he had just helped battle off a horde of Soulless and saved her skin in the process so chopping firewood surely was less of a workout but that seemed in bad taste considering what had happened so he hadn't argued.

Jonathan couldn't stop thinking about what she'd done to save them and how he should have been the one to pull the trigger. It was true, he might have been the one covered in bruises, stitches, and scars but her wounds were impossible to see and harder to heal. It was strange but for some reason he knew he would do anything to shield her from that pain, yet all he could do was sit helplessly on the sidelines. Every time he looked at her, he had to bury the feeling of guilt that sat with him like an ever-present weight on his chest that she'd had to shoulder the burden alone. He already had blood on his hands, maybe it would've darkened the black spot on his soul but hers hadn't been tainted before this.

To make matters worse, they finally had time to look at the coordinates in Evelyn's father's journal only to find that they were just a string of useless numbers; apparently not coordinates after all. In the last few days, she had tried her best not to let on how much it all was bothering her, but he could tell. It was in her eyes when she spaced out during dinnertime conversation, it was in her voice when her sentences trailed off when the topic hit too close to the nerve, and it was what lay unspoken between them as they tried to consider their next move.

He tore his gaze from the window. He knew he shouldn't be trying to take on her problems right now especially when there was really nothing, he could do about it.

Ever since he and Evelyn had tried to piece together the scraps of information about the virus, about the cure, and about what in the hell the military was doing in River District, Jonathan couldn't stop his thoughts from latching on to conspiracy theories or worse spiraling into the past... maybe he'd been hanging around Guy too much.

What had his father said to him when they moved to River District? Not much, even when they were still speaking to each other. He'd only said that the General had an important job for him at another colony and they'd be leaving the base. That was fine, it would have been worse if they stayed. Everything about that place was haunted by the ghost of his mother. Her spirit wouldn't have wanted to know that to Jonathan, every brick was tainted, every flagpole, every rock on that stupid unpaved road. His father was haunted by her there too. That was why when they first moved, Jonathan thought that things were better but that was just the pills. His father was no longer haunted because he had become something of a ghost himself. The Colonel drifted in and out of their River District apartment, barely speaking or acknowledging his son's presence at all but then when the pills would run out, Jonathan would have to barricade his door. Of course, they wouldn't have advertised the severe withdrawal symptoms in the vague TV or billboard ads.