BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Epilogue | Two months later.

Epilogue | 2 months later 

"This is silly!" I groaned, trying to reach that stupid fucking ledge. 

Last time Persephone had thrown me up, but without her I was stuck. Fuck. How could I forget that this tunnel sucked like stepping in dog shit. Which had now happened three more times than it should have because Valen wouldn't pick up after Flash. 

"So impatient," Ben grunted from behind me. "Here, step on my hands."

I sighed, doing so. The strong man pushed me up and I used my upper body strength to pull myself over the ledge. Cici helped me stand before we looked down the hole where Ben and Valen were arguing. 

"Absolutely not," I heard Ben say. 

Valen groaned. "Absolutely yes."

My eyes rolled. "Just throw the fucking rope."

This wasn't the first time that Valen had the genius idea to have us hoist Flash up by a harness and a rope. Hell, the man had even had a fucking back carrier to carry Flash if we were climbing. Except, the wolf was large and Valen apparently skipped too many leg days because it was always Ben who'd end up wearing the carrier. 

"You're the best Eero!" he called.    

Yeah, yeah, I know. 

Ten minutes later the wolf was hauled up the hole, and all of our crew was here. I looked at the wall for a long while as Idris and Cici discussed our route on the map and Valen and Ben continued arguing. It felt weird to know that none of us would be back home for maybe years. After I revealed the new dangers to everyone months ago, they decided they wanted to come and who was I to stop them? 

I let out a small breath before turning. 

Ben sent me a nod. "Ready to go?" 

I smiled. "Yeah." 

"Hungry," Rose growled, her teeth sinking into Eva's throat before jerking back. 

"Rose!" Dad cried, tackling her. 

Eva let out a loud scream, tears flooding from her eyes. She had the same eyes as Oliver—her dad—while Ben had the same eyes as his dad who was a man named Darius. I watched in horror as the blood from Eva's throat began to run and didn't stop. Chaos erupted but in the chaos Rose's eyes met mine. She smiled sadly. I couldn't understand why she was sad or why she was smiling. How did an illicit like herself become infected? It didn't make sense. 

"Bunny," she whispered. I don't know how I heard her voice, so soft and fragile. "I'm sorry. Please. I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me. Don't think of me and be angry." 

"Rose?" I called out, not understanding. 

Dad called us his energetic Bunnies, but Rose said I was the energetic one. I was her very own bunny sister. I loved that nickname from her, even if she had overused it. Sometimes I wondered if she even knew my real name. 

She spoke softly, her words like petals in the wind. "I...love you..."

Then she turned and grabbed Dad's pistol. I had shut my eyes. Or I think I did. Every time I thought of the memory between us, it seemed to always change. I think that was part of the beauty of us. Rose was always my hero as well as my sister and every time I thought of her, no matter how my memories changed her personality always stayed the same. 

As if I held a little piece of her soul. 

Protected in my chest. 

"...E-Eero...Bunny..."

Her body began to melt away, causing her voice to distort. 

"...Sister..." 

And then so did she--

--until nothing but memories were left.

End.