Sacrifice

Chapter Fifty-Six

Present Day 

Teresa walked through the crowed streets wanting to get lost. 

She had sacrificed everything to find a cure. She had given up the chance to live peacefully in the Safe Haven, her friendships with the people who treated her like family. She had traded it all for nothing. The serum didn't work, there was no hope for a cure. 

As she wandered, Teresa took in the city's beauty, this place that had been her home for the past six months. A place where people could get jobs, go to bars, go shopping, own businesses. The last place where people could live a normal life. Teresa dreamed of a future where everyone could live this way. Now that dream was getting further away. 

Her thoughts then drifted to Claire. She desperately had wanted her friend to take the deal. Teresa knew that had been a long shot, but she still imagined what things could have been like if she did. They could have gone to some of Teresa's favorite restaurants. She could have shown Claire the city's library, stalked with plenty of digital and even old printed books. 

More dreams that could never become a reality. 

Teresa soon found herself at the main train station, standing with a crowed of people at one of the platforms. It must be the evening commute time. By now, everyone would me heading home. Most people were wearing masks to cover their noses and mouths. Rumors had been going around that the Flare was now airborne and you could now catch it by simply breathing. The fact that Teresa didn't need one showed her status as an Immune. 

As she stood with the crowed waiting for the next train to pass, Teresa looked to the side and noticed a man struggling with a group of guards, insisting that he wasn't sick while he was being restrained. 

Another person Teresa had failed. 

She turned away and saw the crowed of people on the other side of the platform; one of them was looking directly at her. While most everyone else around them had on dress coats and were holding brief cases, this person had on a cargo jacket, hoodie and was staring directly at Teresa. Someone that she knew.

Suddenly a train passed, blocking the person from view. Teresa blinked hard, sure that she was starting to lose it, her mind had to be playing tricks on her. 

When the train passed, Teresa saw that the person had turned around and was now walking away from her. After a second of hesitation, Teresa maneuvered through the crowd, doing her best to keep the person in sight. 

As she pushed past more people, she lost sight of the person. That's when she really thought she was losing her mind. Then she spotted the figure walking off to the side toward a set of doors. Teresa quickened her pace so she could catch up. He may be wearing a hood, his back may be to her, but she would recognize him anywhere. 

"Thomas!" 

For a moment, the boy turned around and faced Teresa. She caught a glimpse of his familiar brown eyes right before disappearing around the corner. Teresa was now running. 

She found herself at an empty platform, not a single person in sight. Maybe she really was losing it. The guilt over her failure with Claire and Shyanne must have caught up to her, and her mind, for some reason, was conjuring up another ghost from her past. 

"Hey, Teresa." 

She turned around and saw Thomas standing in front of her, taking his hood off. This was no ghost, Thomas was really standing in front of her. 

"Tom." 

Since coming to the city, Teresa tried not to think about Thomas too much. She buried herself in work in order to distract herself. Seeing Claire again had been hard enough, seeing Thomas was a thousand times worse.