BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Forty-Eight |

Forty-Eight |

I knew things were going to be bad, but I didn't expect this.

Everything was normal. Or so it looked. As if Bio-Gen was never brutally murdered. As if every single person hadn't been replaced with a horrific delta version. Persephone walked between Helen and myself, and I kept my hand attached to the back of her shirt. It felt silly, but something about her protectiveness was endearing. Although, she hadn't spoken since we got here and that was beginning to worry me.    

"As you can see, nothing changed," Helen said. 

A cold shiver went down my spine. "And yet everything's different. Where's Cappelli?"

"Around." 

I didn't trust the vague answer, not one bit. 

"And the general," I paused to think of his name. 

"Alexander James," Helen hummed lowly. 

Persephone paused slightly—it was so brief that she may have very well tripped, which is what I'd believe if I thought Persephone could trip. I pressed my fingers into her back as reassurance and I could feel her shoulders relax slightly. 

That name, why had she reacted like that?

"He's gone." 

I glanced over Persephone's shoulder and at Helen's back. "Gone?"

"Yes."

"What does that mean?" 

"He is gone," she snapped, as if annoyed. "Like a fly."

Whatever. I didn't care that much about it anyways. From what I've gathered, every person in Bio-Gen was a greedy asshole who could stay dead for all I cared. Thankfully, I didn't have any other questions for the undead scientist and she didn't give me any. We walked in silence for a long while, up the elevator (which provided to be so awkward I almost offered to off myself then and there) and then finally at the roof. 

When the doors slid open, I looked upon the scene of Cora dangling. This time however, it was over the roof's edge and not down the side of the building. My eyes narrowed and I willed the rope to break. Let her plummet to her death. But then what? 

What happens to the delta's if she dies? 

The sudden question had a new fear filling me. 

"Eero!" She called with a bright smile which dampened when she looked at Persephone. "Oh. You brought the mistake back with you. How kind."  

My eyes flickered around as I counted the six delta's that seemed to appear on either side of us. Helen stepped away to move over to where Cora stood and I could imagine the undead scientist bowing down in the back of my mind. 

"You're crazy," I spat to my former friend. 

Cora rolled her eyes. "Why am I crazy? Because I am the change I wish to see?" 

"Change?" Venomous laughter bubbled from my lips, and I took a step forward. "You murdered people Cora! Took the lives of innocent people! You're a fucking monster!" 

Her body jerked as if my words had wounded her and she jumped forward, onto the edge of the railing before stepping down onto the roof. When she moved towards me Persephone stepped forward as if to stop her and it did. Cora hesitated, looking at the girl beside me with a look of uncertainty. She hadn't expected Persephone, I realized. In her master plans she didn't take Persephone's intelligence into account. 

"I don't like you," Persephone grinned. "Sister, shall I kill her?" 

Now it was my turn to hesitate. There were still answers I wanted to hear as much as I wanted her dead and I needed to know what would happen to the delta infected if she did die. In a perfect world they'd die too but I knew this was no perfect world. This world was made for her and I so I feared if she died, they'd continue on with her goal.