The Truth After Allegiant

Chapter 38 - Rough Decisions

Chapter 38 - Rough Decisions

Zeke

"I can't stay. I just can't." I say emotionless. I feel as if the life has been drained out of me. Like if I wasn't already sitting on the floor I would have defiantly fell by now.

How could I stay here when Shauna is back home unconscious? She needs me and I need her.

Tobias

I stop walking when I hear Zeke talking in his room.

"I can't stay. I just can't." I hear him say quietly. He sounds lifeless.

I know that if I was in this situation I would want to be alone; but I still think about knocking on the door. I decide against it and to go to the living room couch to call my mother.

My phone rings and rings and just when I'm about to hang up, she picks up.

"Tobias? You still there?" She asks.

"Yes," I laugh. "I'm still here. And hello."

"I thought I had missed the call. I had just gotten in the door. Did you hear abo-"

"Shauna?" I cut her off. "Yes. Zeke and I has just gotten in for the night and he's completely torn. He wants to stay, but his heart is telling him to go."

"What did you tell him? Anything?"

"I had told him that if he wants to go back, go back. His spot in the project can stay open for him. Do what his heart wants. He just feels so guilty about it though. Like, he can't do anything if he's there, but he can only worry if he's here. I just wish I could help him..."

"I think you've done all you can. Now it's up to him to choose."

"Yeah, but still. He's never like this. I just feel horrible that I can't do more to help."

There's a moment where the line goes dead with awkward silence. It's like dead air strangling me and killing me slowly. It honestly makes me want to scream.

"How's the project doing?" She breaks the silence.

"Pretty good, I think. Today we had split into groups working on different things; either the death mystery or the building outside the fence and both groups made progress so I hear. I'm part of the one that's investigating the building outside the fence."

"Investigating? The Erudite must be rubbing off on you to use such a big word!" She jokes laughing. I laugh as well.

"We found signals that there is some form of technology that we could possibly hack into. We are starting to work on finding it tomorrow."

"That's good news!" She exclaims.

Then that silence comes back.

It's like a bag over my head

Or a box that keeps getting smaller and smaller

Or a rope around you that just keeps getting

Tighter

And

Tighter.

It's like I can't breathe

Or I can't blink.

All I can do is tap my fingers on my knee nervously.

But what am I nervous about?

It's just my mother.

Thoughts start swarming my head.

Shauna's situation

Zeke's reaction