BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Forty-Six |

Forty-Six |

    "Alpha was the favorite. You were the favorite. A perfect splice. Unfortunately, in the batch of four children all created the same way, you were the only perfect splice. Gamma had become symbiotic with the virus." I knew she was symbiotic already, and I knew Cora was only slightly fused with the virus. "And Delta is only partly. But these new creatures. They were turned by her version virus. We are all the same, we all have the same virus. Except mine cannot be passed on." 

I nodded. I knew this too. "And Beta? Who's that?" 

A look of sadness crossed her face. "Beta's body had connected with the virus but not her mind. The virus broke her body until she could no longer take it. She was created after you, but it didn't matter. Beta died and they took you away. They were afraid that it was the environment that made Beta jump. They were afraid that you'd become...depressed...like Beta." 

I frowned. "Is she was near my age, she was only four? How could--"

"Beta was only three," she corrected. "She still threw herself off the roof." 

A shiver went down my spine. It was so horrible. My heart hurt for her. 

"Then why did they lock you up?" I asked. 

She turned her face away from me. "Alpha was my friend. My sister. Beta was my sister too. I was...angry. They took you away from me. I thought they hurt you too." 

Something in my heart warmed, but it also broke. Persephone seemed to care about me so much, to think of me as her sister and I had been horrible to her. I stared at her for a long moment before sighing softly. Maybe she wasn't so bad. 

"And Cora?" I asked gently. 

She shrugged. "Delta has always been angry, she's just better at hiding it. She didn't like the pain they caused either. Delta isn't satisfied with the deaths of the men; she wants everything to hurt like she does." 

In a way, I understood it. I didn't think it was the right thing to do, and she was still a terrible person that needed to die but I understood her pain and her want of vengeance. I was grateful (now more than ever) that Mom and Dad took me in. If they didn't, would I be on Cora's side? My head shook as I tried not to think of that possibility. 

"Is that why?" I murmured. "You're wanting to be my friend?"

She smiled. "No."

"Sisters, whatever."

"We are sisters. There is no want needed." 

I sighed. Right. 

"There are secrets within our bodies," she hummed, tapping her nose. "That's why they didn't just kill me. You weren't favored simply because of your body; you were favored because of the secrets your body holds. My body is strong. Fast. Good at healing...among other things. Delta has her virus...you've seen what it could do. Beta...I'm not sure, but she had a smart mind. Her smarts were well beyond a three-year-old. Maybe that's why she jumped. Her brain aged as fast as her body fell apart. I think her mind...it was older. It didn't match her body."

"Jesus Christ," I whispered in horror. 

Her head nodded solemnly. "And then there's you."  

My eyes widened. "W-what about me?" 

She shrugged. "Bite someone and find out? Whatever's special about you, that's why Delta went to the island. She wanted your information. Your pedigree. Your secrets." 

A lump formed in my throat. And she had it. She had my information. I groaned with annoyance. How the hell was I supposed to stop her when the only person who knew how I could was the fucking villain herself? Not to mention there was no fucking way I'd bite someone. But I didn't even need to do that. I'm sure I bit people as a kid—wasn't that what kids did? I glanced at Persephone carefully, a new question rising. 

"What do you mean other things? What else can you do?"

"I cannot say." 

"Why not?" 

"Because if you knew." She paused. "I think you'd hate me."

What?

My eyes widened. 

Just what the hell could she do?

"Come on," I laughed nervously. "Just tell me."

"Nope."

"Please?"

"No thank you." 

We'd reached the river and without her revealing this secret that had such potential. I groaned, plopping myself on the edge and pulling off my shoes then my socks to soak my tired feet in the water. As I stared at the current, I thought of my first trip this way, a small smile on my face. I remembered Cici washing my hair, and Valen saving us from that delta. My smile melted off and I felt horrible. 

Everything had happened so quickly I never thought of them once since the island. Did they make it home alright? I'm sure they did, I knew they would but what now? Were they alright? Did the leaders believe them? I groaned, laying back, not caring if dirt got in my hair. 

"What is it?" Persephone murmured. 

I sat up to look at her. "I'm a terrible person."

"Oh." 

My brow twitched with annoyance. "That's not the appropriate response."

She sat beside me, curiosity on her face. "Is it not?" 

"No! You're supposed to say I'm not a terrible person!" 

"But you just said you are." She frowned. "Why would I disagree with you?"

"I-I don't know," I sighed, shutting my eyes. 

"If you're terrible, then we can be terrible together." 

Those words...my eyes peeled open and I looked at her. But her face wasn't facing me. Instead, her head was tilted towards the water. She was still blind, I reminded myself, pressing my hand to my chest. Her words were just confidential. I struggled not to cry and took a breath, the memory coming back to me. 

"Why would I disagree with you?" Rose laughed. 

I sniffled, wiping snot from my nose. "B-Because you're supposed to say I'm not bad!"

While we were playing, I accidentally knocked over Mommy's glass vase. It shattered on the floor, and I started crying. I was bad. That's something a bad girl would do. Mommy would hate me and throw me into the lake where all the bad kids went. At least, that's what Billy from school said. 

"So, you're bad," Rose replied with a bright smile. "We can be bad together then!" 

I frowned, my tears stopping. "R-really?"

She nodded with enthusiasm. "Yeah! We're sisters after all! We're in this together!"

Thankfully, when Mom did find the vase, she gave us a scolding but never chucked us into the lake. I relayed this information to Billy the very next day who told me I mustn't have been bad because bad kids definitely do get tossed into the lake.

"Sister?" 

I sniffled, rubbing my eyes free of emotions. "Y-yeah?" 

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I lied. 

Fuck. I missed Rose so much.