Worse Than a Cure

Worthy Clues and Secrets

Chapter 3 - Worthy Clues and Secrets

"What is it?" Zoey wished she had never asked that question. She also wished she never heard the answer because some child-like part of her still believed that if she hadn't asked they would still be alive. Her loving mother and her protective father, who cared and housed her and who never got to hear one last 'I love you' or even a 'Thank you.'

She never got to say those two things and she didn't think she would ever be able to get over that. She knew she couldn't save them but her heart said that if she couldn't save them then she didn't deserve to live without them.

"A zombie." There was the answer. The terrible answer that made her lose her parents.

"Ryth... My parents are on their way home and that thing is outside." This was the moment reality struck and she knew she would lose everything.

"Rythian! Please! I can save them! Please let me save them!" She screamed. She screamed as loud as she could. As if this would block out their screams and bring them back to life.

"No you couldn't." Yes, reality was a tricky thing. Zoey knew this. She had struggled with it in the past and know she regretted ever winning against it. Because a perfect fantasy was better than the crimson that would never wash out of her driveway... Loss and grief work hand in hand and there was no escape from them. Not even down the rabbit hole.

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Rythian could NOT stand still. His guilt just wouldn't let him. It had been slowly eating him away as it replayed the bloody events that seemed to have happened ages ago. He had stood and done nothing as the closests beings he could call parents died screaming on their driveway. Had died screaming nearly a yard from him. He could have saved them. He could have! But he hadn't.

Why? Why hadn't he?

Mr. and Mrs. Proasheck had been the closest people he called ever apply the term 'parents' to. They had invited him to dinner every night after figuring out the situation he was in. How he had his own apartment because his parents were too busy to even care. They had made it their job to accept him into their family. How they had invited him to all of their family get togethers and talked to him as if he was apart of their family. All of this and yet he had held back their only daughter and watched as they died...

If he were Zoey he would never forgive himself. He wouldn't blame her if she did just that, after all even though she didn't have enough power to save them, Rythian definitely did. The only thing that stopped him cold in his tracks was that stupid blonde that would have seen every spell. If Duncan hadn't been here to watch, maybe Zoey's parents would still be alive. What wishful thinking that was... no matter how far Rythian ran, Duncan always seemed to catch up to him. Fate had their destinies tied no matter how much Rythian wished they weren't.

This also made getting Zoey to safety ninety percent harder than it had to be. Normally Rythian wouldn't have to worry about using magic to protect Zoey but with Duncan tagging along, he made the situation a whole 'nother ball game. Normally if Rythian had to use magic, it was around people that wouldn't been believed by others if they relayed their experiences. Duncan however was a kid genius, a prodigy, he was already well respected for getting an internship at Enigma Corp despite his age. If Duncan saw him use his magic and relayed what he saw, everyone would believe him.

Rythian couldn't even dwell on what would happen next. He'd be rounded up, deemed a threat, and locked up as they figured out what made him tick. He had seen it all too well in his childhood, though at their age it was the bullies who did the rounding up and beating. Duncan had used to be his friend through thick and thin as a child. That didn't last long after the beatings started however. His one and only friend switched to hurting him rather than protecting seemingly overnight.