THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETED

Sixty Two |

Sixty Two:

I didn't need to open my eyes to know where I was. Yet I opened them anyways, dragging my gaze across the green landscape. Giant red clouds shaped like roses drifted lazily across the blue sky and in the distance a tea table sat. I sighed softly, not understanding why I was brought here.

My gaze dropped to my body – I wore a long, beautiful blue dress. My light hair had been pulled back with a silky soft ribbon and my hands wore silk red gloves. Despite the luxurious outfit, my feet were bare. I could feel my toes digging into the soft grass and dirt.

"Where are you?" I asked, my voice echoing through the land, "I don't want to play games."

Nothing. No responds and no virus.

Frowning, I walked towards the table. Set upon the wooden surface sat a pink porcelain tea pot and two tea cups. My fingers hovered over the pot – warm steam licked across my palm. I pulled away, sitting on one of the two chairs and waited.

For whatever game she'd drag me into.

"I've lost everything," I laughed bitterly, "And even then you want to laugh at me? What do you want? Why do you keep doing this? I just don't understand you."

"Erin," the gruff voice had my heart frozen.

I turned my head, my eyes falling on the man who stood in front of me. His heavy green eyes watched me carefully, his facial hair just as rough and long as I remembered. Despite the grey hair – he hadn't aged a day since I had last saw him. Tears welted in my eyes before falling down my face.

Rage and sorrow and pain filled me as I looked at him.

"You're not real," I whispered, my fists balling, "Y-You're her aren't you? W-Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

My dad – the imposter just looked at me. Those dark green eyes sad. I could only scream – scream until my throat burned like sand paper, and cry until I had no tears left. And yet he did nothing. My knees gave out as I grasped the grass like it could melt away at any moment.

"W-Why him?" I demanded, raising my face, "Why now?"

He got down on one knee, his face tilting, "Because you need him right now to survive."

"I-I don't understand," I whispered, my voice quivering.

He nodded, "You haven't yet and up to now that was fine. Now it is imperative that you grow up Erin. You need to realize this world you're trying to save starts with you saving yourself."

I could only blink at him, and he sighed.

"I know you ask why then – why did I appear when you finally found others. It is simple: I did not. This place inside your head was not created by me – I am nothing but a virus inside you. You decided you needed to see me. It was you who decided what I looked like and what this place was. And now you need to answer why," he said sternly, "You need to answer those questions you locked away deep within yourself."

"I-I don't know what you mean," I cried scrambling away from him.

He shook his head patiently, "Yes you do. The same reason you decided the face of your father was the one who needed to reveal this. First you needed a twin, a different side of yourself to show you the strength you held, now you need your father to show you the knowledge you have. What do you know about the Lyssasolanum? What specifically about subject zero? About the truth."

My mind was beginning to whirl as my palms rose to cup my face. In the distance something inside throbbed. Something I was missing – what was I missing? I shut my eyes tightly, my breath becoming more and more of a challenge.