Godead

XXXV (Act Four)

                                                 Act IV : Metamorphosis

Back down south, Claude sat on the front porch of Michelle's old house, staring off into the night as he quietly thought of Blair. Since the first day she'd left, Claude found himself worrying more and more about her, concerned for her safety as well as the still missing Misty. As he sat on the wooden porch swing, Zoe stepped out, leaning her back against the railing as she took out a cigarette.

"Want one?" she asked, holding out her pack of menthols. Claude paused, slowly looking over.

"...Huh?" he asked, eyeing the cigarettes. "...Oh. No thanks," he replied. Zoe gave a faint smile, putting a cigarette in her mouth before lighting it.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" she asked.

"...Who?"

"Blair."

"...How did you know?"

"Easy. When you're worried about her, you stare at the road. When you're worried about Misty, you stare at the woods."

"Heh. How observant of you."

"Sorry. Watching people's kinda my thing."

"Is Abby asleep already?"

"Yeah. It's half past two. She's been sleeping for hours, now."

"That girl sleeps like a log. I kind of envy her."

"...I don't. She's been acting weirder and weirder as of late. I swear she gets meaner by the day. I'm starting to seriously worry about her," Zoe said, taking a puff of her cigarette as Claude stared at the darkness.

Though the three had been getting along well, Claude knew Zoe was right. Abby's behavior over recent days had become increasingly sporadic, and both Claude and Zoe knew to steer clear of her when she was like that. Abby's behavior was unpredictable as always, but if she managed to get a full night's sleep, she was generally in a good mood the next morning.

Abby was still infatuated with Claude, and the two got along just fine. Abby and Zoe, however, were often at odds, as Abby was possessive of Claude and wanted him all to herself. Zoe was a laid-back person and knew how to handle Abby, but Claude still had to talk Abby out of killing her from time to time. As Zoe quietly smoked away her cigarette, Claude looked to her, smiling as her dark hair blew in the breeze.

"...So. When are you gonna let us know more about you, Zoe?" Claude asked.

"...What do you mean?"

"I mean you've been living with us for nearly a month, now, and we still know next to nothing about you. Care to reveal the mystery of Zoe Pickwick?" Claude asked, calling her by her last name which he'd learned only recently.

"...Well... what do you want to know?" Zoe asked shyly.

"Whatever you're willing to tell. You said you were a runaway, but it must have been hard surviving on your own for so long. I was on the streets for only a week and was almost dead of starvation. Where'd you find all that stuff that was in your tent, anyhow?" Claude asked. Zoe fell silent, slowly looking away.

"...I... did a lot of stuff I'm not proud of when I ran away. I shoplifted a lot to get by. I even pickpocketed and robbed a few people several times. This one pair of retirees had a ton of cash on them, and I used that to buy the survival gear I had stashed in my tent."

"I see. Well I can't say I approve of your methods, but you getting that stuff certainly helped us out in the end. It's been a month, and we're still not finished with the rations you had stored away. We have Abby to thank for heading back to the woods to retrieve it, but it's you we should thank for getting it all to begin with. Nice job, Zoe," Claude explained. Zoe slightly blushed.

"It... It was nothing. I never got that stuff thinking something like this would ever happen. That stuff was originally meant just for me, but... I'm glad it was able to help us all out in the end," Zoe said bashfully. Claude smiled, noticing her shy behavior.

Zoe was usually cold and distant, and seeing her act so timid made Claude smile. Though he was careful to keep his distance from her due to Abby, he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Zoe, and the more the two spoke, the more they began to like each other. As the duo stood on the dark front porch, they paused, suddenly recalling the time they'd nearly kissed. They blushed, shyly looking away moments later.

As a cool evening breeze blew by, Claude's thoughts soon returned to Blair, worrying for the young policewoman's safety. Was she alive? Was she dead? What was she doing? What was she thinking? Did she find what she was looking for? Did she regret leaving them behind? These questions nagged at Claude, yet even though he resented Blair for leaving, he simply couldn't bring himself to hate her. Conversely, he was more worried about her than ever, and wanted her to return more than anything. As Claude stared off into the darkness, Zoe flicked out her cigarette, stretching before turning to the boy.

"...Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. Don't stay up too late," she said. As Zoe went back to the house, Claude sat in silence, staring up at the moon from the dark porch.

"...Blair. Misty. Please be safe," he said, standing up before heading back inside.