BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Three |

Three |

"You know we don't actually have to fix it," I grumbled to Idris.

He looked up from his spot on the roof.

"I want to," he replied happily, "Then it's technically not a lie."

We had retreated to our little hide away, where Idris decided to actually fix the chair. I sat across from him, my legs crossed over each other as I looked down at the journal I had grabbed. Ben stood at the edge of the roof, looking off into the distance, who knows what he was thinking of, clearly there was a lot on his mind.

I was thinking of how to grow the nerve to open the journal. What other secrets would it reveal? How many more secrets did mom hide and how many until they completely ruined our family? I smiled bitterly to myself, I guess the family had already been ruined. I wondered if she had even told dad about her plans. There was a pang in my heart and I shook my head softly.

"Are you going to open it?" Idris asked softly.

I exhaled softly, opening the journal to the first page.

Dear future child,

I have so much to tell you, and you grow so much in my belly every day. Today, your silly daddy caused quite the scene "Later Fuckers" he had said to the council. I swear my face got so red, but I know they love it. He brings a calmness to this island, to me. I'm rambling now, but I wanted to start a journal like what my father had. In hopes that even if I die one day, I'll still leave my words behind for you. I don't know if you'll be a girl or boy yet, but I've already been thinking of names. I think Rose or Cici if you're a girl. I would want you to feel the happiness and the safety I felt in the Town of Roses, the happiness Cerci gave me. And if you're a boy, Zero or Jason. Sebastian would have final pick of course, but he's happy with these choices. And either way I know you'll be so strong.

I sniffled slightly. Mom seemed like a different person here. Happy and full of life—like she actually enjoyed things before everything went to shit. I sighed, shaking my head and flipping to a new page.

My darling Rose,

You're already four and your sister is now two. Eero's growing so fast, and you love her so much. We are the perfect little family aren't we? Protect her with everything you have. She's special, so much like Zero that I worry. Maybe naming her Eero was the mistake but—protect your sister because she'll need it. She'll need her big sister, this world was not made for her.

I slammed the book shut. Hot angry tears filled my eyes and I had half the mind to throw the book off the roof. It seemed like even as a fucking baby mom didn't want me around. She thought I was weak—she always thought I was weak. I didn't know who Zero was, my mom didn't talk about the guy I was named after but it clearly couldn't be good. I was done with this island, I would leave and prove myself to her. I would show her that this world is mine.

"Are you alright?" Idris asked softly.

I looked at him for a moment and considered my options. I couldn't tell him of my plans to leave, he'd want to come with me and Idris was too weak to be away from Tom. Which also meant I couldn't tell Ben either because he would just stop me.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied softly, "Hey uh I should get going to dinner soon."

"Dinner?" Ben suddenly asked, turning.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah, dinner. I'll see you guys later."

"Eeros," he breathed, "You're not planning anything stupid are you?"

I pushed a laugh from my lips. He knew me well—so well it was scary sometimes. From as far back as I could remember it had always been me and Ben and Idris—Ben was always protecting us. Which made it so easy to rely on him for everything but this was something I had to do, whatever Rose was sent to do, there was a reason it failed.