The Time Traveller

Chapter Eleven

Anna sat up as Rome's eyes darted to James. Rome nodded at him in Julie's direction, then looked back to Julie.
"A family reunited," she smiled, "huh?"
"Not for long," Rome said. He looked at James. Both him and James pushed themselves up off the ground. Rome went for the machetes, and James went for Julie herself. He distracted her while Rome grabbed both the weapons, tossing one to James and keeping the other for himself.
"You wouldn't kill mommy," Julie asked James, "would you?"
"Yeah," he replied sarcastically, "right."
James swung his weapon, but Julie ducked out of the way. She grabbed his wrist with her left hand and grabbed the machete with her right.
"I can fight, too."
She swung at his head, just like he did to her, and he ducked, just like she did to him. Without missing a beat, she came back and almost hit his legs, but he jumped up and out of the way.
"James!" Rome called.
He went to run to him, but as soon as he took off his vision started to leave him. There were black splotches of color and he saw stars. All sound became distant, except for the ringing in his ears. He fell down to his knees a few inches from Julie.
She pulled back the machete over her head. As soon as she was about to bring it down on Rome's head, James snatched it out of her hands.
"I am tired of fighting with you!" Julie turned around towards James and yelled. "It's high time I deal with you...permanently."
She easily snatched the machete off the floor beside Rome. He tried to go after it, but she was faster than him, and she didn't have bat sounds screeching in his ears. She brought it around, aiming at James' torso. James backed up out of the way, then he swung at her. Rome looked up just as Julie brought her machete back around and struck James in the leg. Rome saw his jaw tighten as he fell to the ground.
"James!" Rome yelled. He stumbled to his feet as Julie yanked the machete out of her son's leg.
"Ah!" He let out one quick yell. He covered his shin with both hands, scooting out of the way.
Julie turned around to face Rome.
"I don't wanna fight you, Julie," he told her, "not like this. Not now."
"Funny," she responded, "because I've waited for this moment for a long time."
"Wait," he held his hands up, "what if you infect me?"
"What?"
"Your sister got you infected, right?" He continued. "She didn't want to be alone. Well, I'm assuming you don't want to be alone either."
"Rome!" James protested through his teeth, blood spilling out of his leg between his fingers.
"It's okay James," Rome assured him, "everything is going to be okay."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You want me to infect you?" She asked, and he nodded. "Okay, whatever you say. But don't blame me when you look at your son and want to peel his face off."
Machete in hand, he walked closer to her. She stepped back.
"Don't worry," he assured her, "I couldn't kill my wife if I wanted to. I'd never be able to live with myself, no matter what I think I killed." She stopped right on the edge of the hole leading down to the basement area. Rome caught her around the waist just before she fell. "Watch out," he told her, "you'll fall."
She smiled, a real smile. He was inches from her face now.
Underneath all the dirt, veins, and years of hatred built up towards him, he saw Julie. The one he knew. The one he married all those years ago. Well, in his time, it was only about a year ago. Here, it was many more. What had she said, 70? He knew what he had to do.
Rome buried the machete into her head. He felt her final few breaths on the side of his face, his eyes becoming foggy with tears. He tore the bloody machete out of her skull.
"Bye, Julie," he said as he released her grip on her. She fell into the basement room below with a thud, and it was there that she died.