Love Is A Dangerous Word

Part 12: I Saw Him

The next morning came and everyone woke up one after another. Hope was cleaning Greg's old rifle, Lilith gathering her things, Lang trying to stand up by himself properly, and Hugs was standing by Lang making sure he didn't fall. Jorge on the other hand was looking at the rest still wide awake, looking paler but not noticably.

"You guys ever look at the sunrise and think this may be the last one you will ever see?" Jorge asked.

"Everyday," Hope said.

Hugs and Lang nodded in agreement, while Lilith looked down to simply contemplate.

"I wonder that everyday myself," Jorge replied "I just had a lot of time to think last night so I stayed gaurd. I'm still wide awake so we can travel."

"Eat something guys," Lilith demanded throwing each of them small bags of trail mix. Everyone caught there's while Jorge's landed next to him. He picked it up and put it in his pocket "Ill eat later," he said.

"So where to now?" Hope asked Lilith.

"We just walk until something happens. It seems no place is safe to settle down now, shit this place was safer than the last two," Lilith responded.

Hope seemed to not think into it and say "Living like nomads? I can get used to it. As long as I'm protecting a small group rather than a settlement it's all good."

"Lets head out then."

They all grabbed their stuff and set out from the building to see a small set of 3 people come out of the alley from which they left the Legion a couple blocks down with guns drawn. They yelled inaudible words and began to charge at the group. Hope noticed them and aimed her rifle "Guys arm your guns!"

The small set stopped to aim their guns as Hope yelled "Take cover!"

Everyone rushed into cover, the set fired their guns and missed every shot except Lang who was close to getting shot, but didn't. They began to charge again as Hope, Jorge, and Hugs came out of  cover to aim and fire. 2 out of the 3 shots hit and 1 killed; the other was on the ground screaming in pain. The one they missed took cover behind a flipped over car. Infectors were seen coming out of buildings and the wood works from where the set of people were.

"I was never as good of a shot as my brother was," Jorge exclaimed.

"Got that kill," Hope cheered.

"Only got his shoulder," Hugs said in dissapointment.

The infector surrounded the guys and began to feed on the injured one, whom screamed louder, and the dead one. The one who was still alive started to fight them off then run in the other direction.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Lang said while limping away followed by Hugs who wrapped his arms around Lang and begand to run followed by the rest. Running down block after block not knowing they reached two miles away from the Legion Lilith was stopped by a faint sound of music at an intersection. She stopped and breathed heavily not knowing how far she ran, that wasn't her main focus as she was more attentive as to the source of music. The others kept running when Jorge noticed she wasn't following anymore "Lilith? Guys stop! Lilith is gone."

As she got closer she could tell what the song was.

"Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole?" Lilith questioned.

The song ended and immediately another song came up "The Wanderer by Dion & The Belmonts? What the hell?"

She noticed an open red door to a restaurant that had a symmetric pattern of small windows that went down both sides. Out of curiosity she approached door and near it was a radio placed on a counter, the same radio from Zargo's apartment. She placed her hand on it then heard something thud in the other room. Lilith pulled out her pistol and kept her gaurd up. It was quiet until a dark figure emerged from the kitchen.

A familiar voice spoke "So you're still here? Surviving like I always wanted."

"Z-Zargo..?"

The figure emerged from the light to be exposed "Yes Lily."

The music suddenly stopped. Lilith wasn't focused on the music,  but confusion and shock struck her heart. All she could do was tear up and attempt to go around the counter to hug him until he spoke "Stop," she stopped in her tracks "I'm not real."

Now nothing but confusion was flooded in her mind. He lifted up his shirt to show bullet holes not healed, but no blood execpt the dry blood that was stained on the skin "You may be wondering why or how?" He let down his shirt "Well you have developed a mild form of schizophrenia. You are only seeing me because my connection with you is so strong that your mind was drawn to this place because of the music that was playing at my birthday party. That radio? It's not real either."

Lilith didn't know what to say "I-I miss you," she said while starting to cry "why are you here?"

"I'm here to tell you I'm proud of you. You've gotten so far and you've done so much. I could not be more proud, Lily you are the strongest person I have ever known. Your friend Jorge, he doesn't have much time and you must be the one to do the deed. Its what he wants, I know because last night he wrote it on a piece of paper as his final testment."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"To simply inform. I have seen your death and I cannot say anything, but what I will say is you can't prevent it nor escape from it. You will know when your time is up, trust me."

"I've always trusted you."

"Then listen to what I have to say next. You have lived through and fought to the bitter end, and when the time comes just know all of us will be by your side. Everyone that helped you get to that point. Your death will have a purpose and in keeping those tapes it says that love will always prevail. Love cannot be stopped, it cannot be broken and best of all it cannot die. I love you Lily."

"I love you too Zargo..." Her tears ran like waterfalls from her tear ducts.

"There is no need to cry, even when we aren't their, we are there. Now I want you to do one more thing for me."

"What?" She asked while wiping the tears.

"Close your eyes."

Lilith closed her eyes "Now open them."

When she opened them Zargo was gone and so was the radio. She stood to contemplate for a moment remaining silent then leaning back against the counter and sliding down it to sit down with her legs spread across the floor. She looked down at the floor just thinking, not a single tear could be seen shed. Jorge was seen walking down the street as his eye was set on Lilith who just sat there. He rushed up to her and said "Lilith?" No response came from her "Are you okay?"

Lilith nodded looking straight ahead until Jorge spoke "Then why are you sitting here?"

"I saw him."

"Who?"

"Zargo...I saw Zargo."