BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Fifty-Three |

Fifty-Three |

Things happen fast in life.

Sometimes it feels as if everything has already happened and anything to come is already long behind me. I remember being young and growing up as if it was just yesterday. I remember moving through time like I'm in a sprint without any water. 

All of this was happening too fast and yet, there was no time to slow down. 

"So, you got out," Cora said slowly. "That changes nothing."

I stared at her carefully. Persephone had led the way to the tunnel, and the more Delta's I absorbed, the better I got at it. My radius improved and I even found myself being able to avoid Persephone somehow. I wasn't entirely sure how but it didn't matter. 

"This ends Cora," I said slowly. 

Her eyes narrowed into angry slits. "This changes nothing! What will happen, will still happen! If you kill me--"

I stepped forward. "When--"

"The world will still end," she sobbed, throwing her hands up. "Everything will still end! Alexander James and Ariabella Rogue escaped before I got to them. You know what that means? This will never end. They took the secrets and ran off to continue Bio-Gen's work elsewhere. I sent Delta's after them; the roots of this virus have already spread beyond this state." 

That made me pause. "What do you mean?"

"You know nothing," she whispered. "Persephone helped them! The world will continue to end. Bio-Gen was careful, they kept this all contained to one state. It was supposed to be a weapon for the country not a world-ender. Now, there's no stopping it. You'll see. You'll watch it fall and you'll wish you never stopped me."

I glanced at Persephone who looked just as confused. Her look calmed me slightly. She just looked between me and Cora as if waiting for me to deliver my promised blow. I took a small breath, and rose my hand. 

I shrugged, trying to shake the weight of her words off. "It doesn't matter now."

"You'll see," she whispered. 

There was no grand final fight. There was no dramatic ending or high-stake combat. When I reached Cora, my virus spreading through the air and clinging onto her, her eyes rolled back, and she fell silently, never to get back up. My headache grew as I absorbed her, and my legs shook. My vision blurred as I looked around, trying to spot Persephone. 

Where had she gone?   

"Eero?" 

"Persephone?" My words slurred, and my knees buckled. 

Darkness claimed me and when I opened my eyes, I was back in Dreamland. Confusion filled me as nor Zero nor Thirteen greeted me. Instead, it was Rose. Except my sister had bright green eyes like Persephone and pale skin, dressed in Persephone's clothing. 

"What is this?" I asked. 

She smiled with sad eyes. "Let them rest."

Confusion filled me. "What?"

"Let my memories rest Bunny."

A gasp flew from my lips as I sat up, immediately groaning. There was the sound of beeping machines and a brief wave of panic filled me. I peeled back my dry eyes and wildly looked around the bright room, my eyes slowly adjusting. 

"Eero," a soothing voice said. "Take a breath. Calm down."

I did, and when I did, the familiar face of Doctor Flynn Brown stared down at me. I blinked slowly, as if this was all a strange dream. However, as I looked around, I quickly realized that this was no dream. I was in a hospital bed in the Town of Roses.