THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETED

Forty Six |

Forty Six |

We sat in his little, cozy cottage eating chicken noodle soup while Eugene sewn up Leon's arm. The cottage itself was beautiful, decorated with culture I thought had been lost when the world ended. Even the windows (which were boarded up long ago) were painted beautifully with sun flowers. He was a kind man, keeping to himself and his family home even after his wife and son became long dead.

"My boy was in the army when all this started. Lost him and my wife, almost lost myself too if it wasn't for your parents," he told Lisa with a sad smile, "They were good people and they taught you and your brother good. Imagine how surprised I am when you returned to this cursed place. Where is that brother of yours?"

Lisa put her bowl down, her eyes averted to the floor, "He uh, didn't come with me."

"That's too bad," Eugene said not catching the cloud of sorrow above her, "Next time bring him up. I'll make you two that chicken potpie you liked so much."

She smiled slightly, "I'd like that."

"Now tell me about your new friend," the old man chuckled, looking at me.

I opened my mouth to respond when Leon spoke first, "This is Mira. From a small town called the Town of Roses. She unfortunately lost her parents and manages their bakery. But she make a very good loaf."

My eyes widened at his lies, unsure what to say.

Eugene merely nodded, giving me a kind smile, "I'm sorry to hear. This world is not a forgiving one."

"Thank you," I muttered stiffly, not liking Leon's lies.

It felt wrong. To lie to this kind man. I knew we had little choice and yet it made me feel sick. So instead I said nothing and kept my gaze on the floor. Eugene finished Leon's arm in no time then the man was handing us each some sort of outfit.

"What's this?" I asked, confused.

Eugene gave Leon a long look, "You didn't tell the girl, what type of place she was walking into? That ain't right Leon."

Leon sighed, looking at me, "The City of Ash requires everyone to wear uniforms. Maxwell controls everyone with an iron fist and hard order."

Eric sounds like he just got crazier and crazier.

"Can we use your bathroom?" Lisa asked standing.

Eugene nodded, "First door beside the kitchen."

"Come on," she hissed to me.

I followed her through the small cottage and into the stuffy bathroom. We both barely fit but as soon as Lisa had me in here she placed a finger to her lips. My brow went up but I said nothing. Instead, Lisa locked the door and turned on the sink taps. Only then did she finally face me.

"You need to know the type of place you're walking back into," Lisa snapped, "You need to know that those monsters running the City of Ash are worse than any you've seen outside."

"I know that," I snapped back tired of hearing the same speech, "I get it. Zombies aren't the worse things roaming the earth."

"No you don't get it. Those people in that place...they'll punish you for anything, and they'll punish you for everything because they can. Because they enjoy it. Maxwell doesn't care what his guards do as long as they obey him," she hissed pulling off her shirt and pulling on the white blouse then shimming off her pants and pulling on the white skirt.

My eyes dropped at the outfit – this wasn't right! The skirt hung just above her knee and the blouse looked all too tight. Sputtering, I pulled on my own outfit and found it to be the same. Clearly Maxwell had some kinks he never got to play with, goddamn.