The Rain (Book 3 - The Evolving)

Chapter 9 - Tenant mainset de lâcher-prise

She sat against the wall. Her hands shaking. Her cheeks wet with tears and sweat. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep the tears at bay. Her skin was white which made the splatters of blood on her flesh blinding to her eyes. She could see bruises forming on her skin, the red on her fingers fading back to sickly white.

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. With one hand she held them close and with the other, she pressed her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs.

It had been a few days since the hospital run. Jeanette had stitched up his hand properly and had given him the necessary injections. His temperature had fallen and his skin was gaining colour.

While he was recovering, they'd gone on runs. Raiding nearby houses and shops in the town a few miles away. They had more food and water now.

It was just after dinner and people had receded back to their rooms and beds on the living room floor. A paraffin lamp sat on the corner of the dinner table. The smell of meat was still strong in the air and Jane relished every breath. Her stomach growled, no amount of food now was ever enough.

The map lay flat on the table, the light showing all the thin, weaving lines that travelled all over the paper. She'd managed to find out where they were, now she was planning where they would go. She clicked the pen, shaking it between her fingers. She bit her lip as she thought of all the places they could go.

"What about South?" Her head snapped around and she almost dropped the pen. Ross pushed himself off the doorframe, striding around and sitting opposite her. One side of his face was lit up by the light, the other side was part of the darkness surrounding him.

Jane sighed to herself and looked down to the map. "It's just that..." She moved in her seat and leant forward, using her pen to point to where they started when it all began. "We came from the middle," She looked up at him as she dragged her pen across the map. "We made our way to the East and then went out to the West." She used her pen to show their direction, watching Ross's face and trying to gauge his reaction. "Is there any point in going all the way back?" She asked rhetorically, making a pros and cons list in her head.

Ross pressed his lips together, his forehead creasing in thought. He pulled his brows together and let his eyes follow all the lines on the map.

"I don't want to keep running aimlessly. I want a place. A home." She whispered slightly embarrassed. She kept her eyes down, avoiding his stare which she could feel burning her face.

"I want that too." He agreed, causing her to look up in surprise. "What, you think I like running all the time?" He shook his head, looking down. "I don't." He answered, his eyes becoming sad and hopeless. Jane felt her body sinking in the chair, he looked so broken and it tore her apart.

His face was lit up and Jane could see the pain in his eyes, the stretched, tired skin that was hanging on for dear life. The bags under his eyes and the permanent wrinkles on his forehead. A few months ago, he was a completely different person. Now, he was unrecognisable.

"You want to find a home, Jane?" He asked, standing up and pulling his chair out to the side. "Running is part of it." He whispered regretfully, knowing that it wasn't that she wanted to hear. He looked from her to the map. "Plan a route South." He said before leaving her alone again.

She swallowed and looked down, clicking the pen once more and planning a route like he said.

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