Warm Bodies: The Answer

Loving the Monster

Voices came in snatches through the drifting dark.

"...said Caleb... not telling me?!"

"...friend... close... just confused... help.."

"...hiding somethi... little runt!"

Movement, struggle, a choked cry. Through the fog, it stirred anger.

"...dead..."

"...what?"

"Caleb's DEAD!"

The shout ripped through him, shook his wounded mind deeply.

Dead...

I'm dead...

Sinking deeper still, to somewhere earthy and dank.

A smile, fleshless, in the dark.

"... hello again..."

With a strangled cry, he jerked up, throwing his hand out in front of him, and immediately crumpled over as the world crushed in, heavy and loud - rustling blankets, a startled gasp, then a voice, anxious yet relieved.

"R! R, you're okay, I'm here," the voice said, a girl... familiar. "Relax... you're okay.."

A cool hand on his forehead - wonderful and soft, he pressed into it because it felt so good. Who was that speaking? His head felt broken, his mind a scattered mess...

He opened his eyes slowly, but shut them quickly again. Too much light.. it hurt.

"Rowan? Hey..."

Rowan? Something about that was important.

"Rowan, please look at me." The voice was warm, and pulled him like his favorite song.

Slowly, very slowly, he opened his eyes.

The girl sat by the side of the bed, looking at him with eyes puffy with tears and anger and worry. Her face was darkly bruised, her blonde hair drawn up in a tight bun, and she was wearing a long dress of plain blue.

His gaze was drawn to the room around them. Pale yellow light from the windows behind her filled the room wanly, dully illuminating furnishings that were old and dusty. Reading glasses sat on the bedside table, next to a book, laying face down. Charles Dickens.

He did not recognize this place. His eyes flicked back to the girl, and he felt lost.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"R?" she said quietly, her brows drawn in.

R.. Something about that was important too.

"What's your name?" she asked, her eyes growing terribly sad.

The question was simple, but nothing came up. Fear lapped at the edges of his mind.

"What's my name?" the girl asked, her eyes growing wide.

His mind wasn't offering anything. He felt empty and disconnected, like wires had fallen loose somewhere, from something important.

"Oh Rowan..." the girl said plaintively, and her eyes welled with tears. "Why don't you remember..."

She dropped her head to her hands, and her tears turned to weeping.

It pulled at his heart, and he leaned forward again, drawn to her.

She was important to him. She was... everything to him.

He slowly drew his legs from the bed, and carefully, gently, he folded his arms around the girl, drawing her to him, squeezing her close.