BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Forty-Nine |

Forty-Nine | 

She is Rose. 

She is Rose. 

She is Rose.   

"I don't understand," I spoke slowly, as if my throat was made from quicksand and my words were things stuck. "That doesn't make sense."

My eyes pulled up to stare at Persephone who looked back at me. Her face was blank and yet there was an emotion craved on her face that shouldn't have been there. Those empty sockets seemed as if they could see more than the world showed, and her lips had a tension to them that almost revealed something more.  

"Explain," I repeated. 

Cora smirked, turning to look at the Gamma. "Oh, yes. Go ahead."

"Rose Brooks was infected by the delta virus. Nicolaus Cappelli had thought she was Alpha—you two look so alike—and Rose had said she was you. He wished to see how the Delta virus reacted with alpha's...ability. She was infected and it didn't turn her right away, but she could feel it. We think it's because she grew up so close to you, your ability had rubbed off onto her. Slowly, the delta virus began to...we could feel it. Rose Brooks found Persephone and helped her escape. Briefly. They—we—talked so much. I wished to have a family and she wished to live. Rose sked Persephone to take her memories and cherish them, to take her soul and carry it so that it may live on. So, I did." 

I just stared at her. A numbness started in my mind and spread out through my body. I didn't know what to think or how to feel. She wasn't Rose--I knew that—and yet, it was oddly comforting to know that this woman had all of Rose's memories. Everything Rose had ever felt, everything my sister ever thought had been protected by the virus and what remained was love. 

Rose's love for this world that didn't deserve it. 

"Well," Cora snickered. "What now Eero?"

I think it surprised her when I smiled. I know it surprised me. "Good."

"Good?" she snarled. "Good? That's your response?"

I shrugged. "What do you want me to say? It's not like she killed Rose, it's not like she even violated Rose's soul. From what I've heard Persephone has never done anything wrong, and actually did the opposite. She protected my sister's memories." 

Persephone's lips twitched. "Sister...I-I..."

"It's ok," I chipped, happier than I should be. "We can talk about it later."  

Cora shook with anger for all of three seconds before her face went blank and then, she smiled. It wasn't a kind smile—it wasn't a smile I'd seen from her before—but instead, it was a vicious smile that twitched with utter madness. If I could, I'd take a step away from her, but the two Delta's on either side of me prevented any escape. 

"Do you know how Persephone got her name?" she purred. 

I shook my head. I didn't know of myths. That was more Rose's thing. She loved old books and tales written in ash. I remembered only what she'd read me when I was much younger and even then I was more occupied with Rose reading to me than the words she spoke. 

"The Goddess of Spring is kidnapped by the God of death and held against her will. The God forced a pomegranate past her lips so that she may never leave his side. You know what that means?" 

"I don't," I replied coolly, my lips dry. 

Her head titled. "It means our darling Gamma has always belonged to Bio-Gen and I am now Bio-Gen. She cannot pick her own path because she does not have free will."

"You can't pick for her you crazy bitch," I snarled. 

"Maybe it's time for Persephone to return to hell," she sneered, flicking her hand. 

My eyes flickered to Persephone. Her lips parting as if she could scream but no words came out. The four Delta holding onto her pitched backwards, all of them moving off the ledge of the roof as if plucked by an invisible string. 

Then just like that, I lost my sister for a second time. 

"Why were you named Rose?" I asked. 

She gave me a bright smile, looking out towards the city. "Two reasons: it symbolizes hope, and it reminds her of a person who showed her a different side of humanity. I hear the Town of Roses really helped out Mom back in the day."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep," she popped her "P" before pushing another carrot slice part her lips. 

I looked from the beach to the city. "And what about my name?"

"You're named after one of Mom's friends."

A sigh left my lips. 

I knew that, but aside from that Mom never told me anything else. I wanted to know more about the woman I was named after. I mean, what kind of name was Eero anyways? It wasn't pretty like "Rose" nor was it aesthetically pleasing like "Idris" it was just...weird. Not that I hated my name. I just wanted to know more, and maybe understand the meaning behind it. 

"Like Spencer Arrow?" I grumbled. 

Rose laughed. "No. Like Zero."

"What the fuck kind of name is Zero?"

She laughed again and in that moment, I realized my name didn't matter. It wasn't my name that was important, but the way we connected. Maybe I was afraid that Rose was going away for a few days on some secret mission. Or maybe I wanted to give her a reason to miss me, but I remember her laughter and I remember how I clung to that noise when she left. 

In that moment I prayed for her safety, and I prayed for her memory. 

When Persephone's body fell past that ledge, something inside me broke. 

I had already gone through Rose's death once. I'd hit every fucking level of grief except the last. Hell, that's how this all started. It started because I demanded the universe for answers, I demanded something tangible about her memories that I could continue to cling to. Realizing that all this time the answer was in front of me, and that while Rose died, her memories literally lived on, gave me a new hope—a new answer. 

Cora took that away from me. 

Cora took away my sister for the second time. 

A cold, feral anger pulsed through my body as if I'd pulled the pin of a grenade. I screamed so loudly that if felt like I'd drunken lighter fluid and swallowed a match. There was something else too—something darker in my veins. I could feel it creeping in from the very backs of my mind and travel through my nervous system like liquid ice. The two Delta's touching me suddenly felt warm against my skin—a warmth my cold system craved. I inhaled, and that warmth filled my body while I screamed. 

"Yes!" Cora laughed wildly. "That's it Alpha! Show me your ability!" 

Her voice brought me through the darkness, and I felt better. As if I'd drunken a while city of coffee. My head snapped to her and I could smell her. The Delta's holding me dropped as if dolls that ran out of batteries and I allowed my nostrils to flare with the strange scent Cora let off. The scent of sugar thar had my mouth watering. For a moment fear flashed in her eyes before it was gone. 

"P-Put her in the box!" she ordered. I stepped towards her, and she let out a scream. "Put her in the box now! Grab her! Do it now!" 

Hands grabbed me before I could move closer, and as a thick fabric dropped over my face I knew only two things: she was afraid of me and that was for a good reason because I would be kill her without hesitation. If the Delta didn't die when she did, I would hunt each and every one of them down and that was a promise.