The morning came faster than I would have liked it. We all stood out front as Luz faced Matt with a small smile. They had been talking back and forth and it wasn't until now that I tuned in to what they had been saying. "Look, Matt, you can stay with us if you want. We're happy to have you." Her smile fell a bit at the look on his face.
"I know, but I have to get back to my brother. Maybe I can talk some sense into him about all this." He said reassuringly.
"If that's what you want, then I'll respect your decision. Good luck out there." She said, hesitating with her next movements looking awkward.
"Thanks, you too Luz. Bye?" He said hesitantly spreading his arms out and she chuckled before avoiding the hug simply choosing to ruffle his hair instead which was unexpected. "Hey! Quit it!" He said through laughter and attempted to fix his hair when he stepped back from her. I watched him turn his head toward Gus and they both exchanged a look before he went on his way while Luz smiled and waved at him.
The sight was nice to see, her being so open and warm. "You ready to go?" I asked stepping next to her as we watched Matt slowly disappear.
"Yeah," she stated before looking at me, "I am." I smiled shoving her to the side and running forward. "Hey! Get back here!" She exclaimed before taking chase after me while I hid behind Gus. It felt nice to be with her once again though this time we had Gus who seemed to be the more responsible of the three of us. Though he did manage to add some much-needed comedic relief. He did seem to grow a bit distant, seemly stuck in his head.
I'd caught him with a look of deep thought on his face before his eyes met mine and a smile grew back on his face. I guess Luz and I weren't the only ones who'd felt the impact of this world. Gus, it seemed, was just better at hiding it. Because of this, I touched his shoulder before screaming, "tag!" And rushing off with Luz. He seemed to shake himself from his daze before taking chase of us.
This had been the first sign I'd missed of the changes to come.
... ... ... ...
"We need a better vantage point. This city seems to have been put through the wringer." Luz said while staring out toward the tall buildings of the city that stood in the distance. "If we want to find where your family is then we'll have to travel up one of those to locate it safely." Luz finished before getting up and heading to the ladder at the side of the gas station's building. She started to climb down as I turn my head and spared a glimpse at Gus.
"She's right you know?" He turned to look at me. "Cities are far riskier with monsters everywhere as well as other dangers." He stood up and offered me his hand before helping me up. "We'll have to be very careful from here on out." He said softly before heading towards the ladder as well. I sigh and took a moment to myself as I looked back at the distant city.
A feeling of dread spread within me, a fear disturbing all my senses. It was risky, what we were doing, but my dad and Emira were there waiting for me. I have to trust that they had my best interests at heart when they decided to send us here. As the regret born from the absence of Edric began to build I shook it off so I could focus on the present moment. My mission had to take priority right now so my emotions had to be locked away for the time being. But I should have known then that locking away my emotions was never one of my strong suits. And with that, I too made my way down the ladder and followed behind them as we began to make our way in the direction of the city.
"So, what are you going to say to your family when you see them again?" Gus asked as he fell into step beside me.
"I haven't thought of that. I've been so adamant about finding them I couldn't focus on anything else." I mumbled before thinking about it.
"Well, now that you have it in mind what would you say to them?" He asked me genuinely and I tried to imagine it. I tried to imagine finding dad and Emira and what would happen once I did. Would I even know what to say once I did find them?
"Honestly, I'd probably tackle them in a tight hug with a death grip and not let go," I said with a warm smile spreading on my face at the image.
"A hug with a death grip?" Luz raised a brow at me and asked skeptically.
"Yeah," I started and held my arms out wide, "do you want to see?" I said threateningly and started to walk toward her. Her eyes went wide as she started to step back away from me.
"Nope, I'm good." She raised her hands in surrender and I chuckled before turning to Gus.
"How about you Gus? Morally supportive hug?" I asked before walking toward him and he stepped back.
"I think I'm good as well thank you." He took a few more steps back as I took more forward. Then I stopped and chuckled breaking character. After that, we all fell back into step with each other heading for the city once more.
Soon after we continued forward we finally made our way into the city. Only a few minutes in we stumbled across one of the many dangers of traveling into a city. Monsters were almost everywhere and we saw them in numbers I had never quite seen before, not even the hoard Luz and I ran across previously had been this big. And trying to find a way to avoid them by going around only led us to come across more. Soon the numbers had become so overwhelming that Gus led us into a building just to have a moment where we would be safe.
"Well, while we're here we might as well do something useful," Gus mumbled before putting some papers down on a desk he had been looking at absentmindedly. He turned to address Luz. "Maybe you and Amity could go to the roof and scope things out? Help us find the safest route to get where we need to go." He offered and Luz smiled and nodded her head.
"Good thinking Gus!" She said encouragingly before punching his shoulder. "This is why you're the brains of this operation." She chuckled before heading toward the stairs without looking to see if I was following or not. My eyes shifted to Gus as he was looking off to the side in his own world. And having been there a few times myself I knew what he was going through and that he needed time to himself. With that, I turned from him and started to follow Luz up the multiple flights of stairs.
There was this awkward tension in the air between us. It was probably from unresolved issues still lingering between us but there wasn't much I could do. Now wasn't the time to address them but if I was being honest with myself there wasn't ever going to be a good time. Even though we had discussed a fresh start it didn't mean that everything was forgotten. Though I also realize there were plenty of good memories too with Luz and me. We just had to find our way to coexist as we had before.
It would be tough, but it is manageable. We promised to be fully honest this time to make it work and that's exactly what I'll do. "Hey Luz," I'd started between breaths, "this awkward atmosphere between the two of us is kind of suffocating." We made it up the last few steps and Luz paused with her hand on the doorknob to the roof. She turned back to face me with a raised brow.
"I'm listening." She said, somehow not out of breath after climbing the number of stairs we both just did. I paused not quite expecting her to want to hear me out but rather share her input on it.
"Oh, I didn't say that to say more about it. I said it more to make you aware of it if you hadn't been already." I mumbled unsurely and she turned away with a chuckle.
"Okay?" She said while opening the door and stepping out on the roof with me following suit. As we made it across the roof she paused just before the ledge and looked out upon the city below us. "I think that it is bound to feel awkward between us and if we want for that to go away we'll certainly have some work cut out for us. So if we want things to be different as you stated then we'll have to go about things unlike how we had last time." She commented offhandedly before pointing off in the distance.
"See that road there?" She asked and it took me a moment to take my eyes off her and shift to follow her hand. "That road is a straight shot to the town square and will easily take us to the other side of the city. Now there are bound to be some monsters but other than that it looks like our best bet." She explained and one look at the road had me agreeing with such.
It grew quiet for a moment and I let us stay like that in the silence unwilling to ruin it. Luz closed her eyes and I took this moment to get a better look at her. I hadn't seen her like this for a while but something about her at this moment had me floored in a way. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to formulate words that could help me ignore this feeling I knew all too well. As if she heard it her eyes snapped open and she looked at me in confusion yet familiarity.
"Amity..." She started, her eyes shifting between mine. She was looking for the right words yet it seemed as if none would come to her. "I'm sorry for leaving you the way I did." She said gently and I leaned back taken by surprise.
"I was just so scared of losing you and I thought that being near me put you at risk so I blamed myself for everything and...." She trailed off as her posture deflated, her face falling further. She seemed to want to desperately explain herself.
"You are in danger around me but I was wrong to make that decision for you. Choosing to push you away out of my own fear was unfair to you. So I need to tell you something and..." She trailed off again and I wasn't sure how to react. It was as if we'd switched roles. She was the one acting emotionally now and even though I was happy to hear what she was saying it wasn't necessary. We needed to move on from the past before we ended up repeating it.
"We're always going to be in danger in a world like this, whether it be by people or monsters or both doesn't matter. I told you before that you weren't the reason I was running and you still aren't to blame even if they are chasing after me because of you. Because the real enemy is not each other, not you or me, but the group that has been searching for us all this time. They are the real enemy, not you." I spoke honestly before looking off to the side.
"Can we just enjoy this quiet moment for what it is while we still have it?" I asked her softly and she nodded seeming to lack words. "Good. " I whispered before my eyes took in the view before us as it slowly grew later into the day though the sun was not quite close to setting yet. I snuck a glance at Luz during this and I felt my heart soften.
I could never really understand what Luz had been able to make me feel half the time. Though I knew with the increase in heart rate, the flushed face, and the recent development of butterflies; that I'd been falling back into her just as I had before. However, this time what I was beginning to feel for her was different, stronger. It wasn't solely terrifying though because it also felt warm, nice even.
The feeling started small, in the past, a turning in my stomach or a single skip to my heart, but now it had been so much more since she came back into my life. It had only been a short time and yet it already had a strong impact on me even with the struggles we've been facing. There was this twisting to my stomach, this shift in the air, this feeling rushing through me that held me in a grip unlike any other. I tried to shake myself from it all and shift my focus back to the present moment.
I turned to watch the change of colors in the sky. Even with the pull of fear in the back of my mind trying to hold me back from enjoying this moment. Looking back on it I was right to fear; fear what was to come, to fear the unknown path laid out before us, and to fear what awaited me when I finally got to where I was going. No more obstacles to keep me from it but just finally getting there. Except, I never really got where I was going.
But the view at that moment had been breathtaking. Something I felt lucky I was getting to see. "Wow, I think this is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a while. Don't you agree?" I asked Luz softly.
After a few moments of silence, I felt her eyes on me. "Depends on what you compare it to." She said making me turn to look at her. Her eyes held this emotion that was unfamiliar to me. I wasn't sure what it meant but I was aware of how it was making me feel; unsure and oddly light.
"Are you saying you've seen something more beautiful in this post-apocalyptic world?" I teased her while elbowing her shoulder with a smile. Just like I used to before. This moment feels more like the past than any other in recent times. She turned away from me looking out at the view once more.
"Yes. I guess that is what I'm saying." She said with some sort of heaviness to her tone, a distance from the present moment it seemed. Her voice filled with some amount of emotion. I rolled my eyes at this. What could be more beautiful than the sun lowering and painting the sky with bursts of vibrant colors? Especially in a world like this one with a lack of beauty around every corner.
"Like what?" I inquired, curious to see how'd she go about answering it. I was daring her to name anything that could be considered beautiful amongst the monsters who hunted us and the people who were doing much the same. Daring her to find beauty amongst the ruined streets and run-down buildings going without care for some time now. Daring her to say something that would change my mind.
She turned towards me with a softness in her eyes. "You." She stated as her gaze, for a moment, lingered under my eyes. My heart leaped at this movement and her response. I knew what was going on. There was a shift in the air and my eyes went from hers to her lips. I moved forward without realizing it. She swallowed hard at my action and moved forward as well.
There was an electric feeling spreading throughout my body. A feeling born from what came next. However, before I could close my eyes, I saw a red hue take over the usual brown of her eyes. This stayed longer than the past times I've seen it. It was not my imagination. This couldn't be explained away or ignored like in the past. Fear began to spread throughout my body replacing the electricity.
She jumped back from me. Her hands gripped into fists as she began to breathe heavily. Everything clicked into place in my mind. The past began to make sense and a realization passed through that made me back away. Flashes from the past, memories I had denied and ignored all came to me at once.
Before the dead could finally close in, a figure jumped from above acting as a wall between the monsters and myself. They looked back, yet all I could see were red eyes.
No.
I thought I saw a flash in her eyes. A glow of a familiar red I'd seen many times before. A glow I ran from, feared.
No.
"How do you always know when I'm near you? It's like you have super senses or something." I said frustrated with a joking undertone and chuckled. Her body seemed to tense up at this and I tilted my head after getting such a reaction from her. She's been doing this all too often for it to be explained away by my brain any longer. I just couldn't come up with any reason she would react like this whenever she did.
No.
"Luz!" I shouted in panic. She closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened again I thought I saw a red hue within them. The veins on her exposed arms became more visible as she groaned while pulling me back up.
No! I screamed in my head before stumbling back further, my footing faltering fast. These flashes and so many more other memories all point to the same thing. No, no this can't be true. She can't be one of them. That's not possible.
"No that can't be true. That's not possible! You can't be one of them!" My voice shook as I shouted this out loud. Disturbed by the thought of such a reality. It was absurd for her to even try to make me think she had survived a bite and was walking around as one of the very things I hated most. Ever since I met her it has been one cruel joke after another and this just had to be another one of them. One of the worst jokes yet, but one nonetheless.
"And if I was?" She asked as she turned back to me with her fists still clenched and her eyes still glowing red. Fear shot through me at the sight of her. This wasn't a joke, was it? Yet, upon seeing this, some of the missing pieces began to fall into place. And the situation with her and this group we've been running from, the same group that had been at the root of most of our problems, began to make more sense. Even with most of the missing pieces still left unknown I could put enough together to explain some of the mystery that had surrounded Luz since the moment I met her.
"Then that would make you just like them." The words slipped out, whether I had meant for them to or not. Because I had not been seeing the girl I knew in front of me. No, all the memories of that girl left my mind the longer she stood there with only her red eyes staring right back.
"What? A monster? Is that what you think of me now?" She said stepping forward in frustration and my body automatically made me take a step back. Would she hurt me? That question stung me the instant I had asked myself that. Luz wouldn't do that to me, but then again, I also believed she wouldn't leave me, and look how that turned out.
"What? No, I don't know." She asked me that and all I could think was to deny everything for fear of what she would do otherwise. I had seen what she was capable of and whether she would do the same to me was painfully up for debate at the moment. I didn't want to believe any of it but there was far too much evidence to direct me not to think so. "I just...how?" I hesitated in asking, scared of the answer, of the truth. All because I still wanted to think this was a dream, no, a nightmare I'd wake up from.
"I got bit by my mom when it all started. We stayed in our house hoping we'd be saved but we knew our time was limited when help didn't come. My mom had told me everything was going to be okay. And I'd thought that as long as we had each other then we'd be fine. But I was wrong." Her eyes held this distant look when she spoke.
"I sat there, waiting to turn after it got to my mom first but I never did. Instead, I fell into a painful transition and by the end of it, I'd felt completely different. My vision was red and I felt so hungry." She chuckled dryly, the sound coming out as dark and humorless. "I almost let it take control until I saw my mom. She was dead and I wasn't. How wasn't I dead? How was I alive? Then I realized that I wasn't alive, not really anyway, not anymore." She explained offhandedly as I watched her brain overwork itself. She'd been fighting back the memories for so long that it seemed facing them was all too much for her to bare.
"Could you imagine what that was like? I was just a kid. I was alone and scared and I was just like the monsters who took my mom away from me. I couldn't leave home but I couldn't just sit around without answers." She said this desperately as if pleading for me to hear her out. She'd wanted me to understand her situation and for me to put myself in her shoes.
"These new instincts were hard to control so I looked for someone who could help me and asked them to do just that. To help me find out why I hadn't turned and how to control myself. I was young and naive. I couldn't have known that they had ulterior motives. That the promise they made me about us trying to find a cure for all this, one that could be used to save people from the same fate my mom suffered from, wasn't their true intention. I didn't know they were studying me to find out how to weaponize me. I mean, could you imagine having an army of people, monsters like me?" She asked me rhetorically as anxiousness slipped into her tone.
"They were genetically modifying monsters; making them faster, stronger, trying to turn them into me. They were finding innocent people and taking them, infecting them, and injecting them with different vials filled with experimental drugs created from my blood. They weren't trying to find a cure to save people. They were trying to recreate me by using my genetics and modifying it. When I found out about it I went insane. Destroying their lab and their research hoping they couldn't continue what they were doing." She sighed looking drained.
Memories flashed brought on by her words, bringing me images of monsters being set free from trucks with the group's symbol on them. The monsters at the school were much faster than I had ever seen before. The monster I had found after leaving Luz with a noticeable stench and a look unlike any other I had seen before. I was right about Luz, about this group, whatever they had been involved in was bigger than I had ever imagined. And I had somehow found myself right in the middle of it.
"That's why they're hunting me down so they can finish the research they'd started. But I won't ever let that happen because I am going to stop them no matter what it takes." She took a step forward as if reaching out to me without physically doing so.
"That can't be true. You're lying." I responded with denial. I didn't want to be part of this; it was too big, too soon, and too much all at once. Luz stepped forward and lifted her gloved hand. Slowly, she took the glove off and what I saw made me take a step back in further disbelief. Right there, on her hand, was a bite mark. It looked old and had scared over making it hard to believe it hadn't been there for some time. This wasn't something she could have received recently and turning into a monster only took a day or so.
"This is how I became what I am. My mother bit me and I didn't turn like the others. Instead, I got stuck living like this." She explained softly, yet her voice felt harsh to my ears. Maybe it was the words themselves or maybe it was because of the newfound light I had been seeing her in. Though in this case, it seemed more like I had been seeing her within a shadow of darkness.
I wasn't sure which had made it feel that way but none of that mattered. The girl standing before me had somehow been bit and instead of turning into a mindless monster, she became something else. And these people chasing her wanted to use that to create more like her. It was all too much to process at once. She took a step forward and I took one back that she noticed instantly.
"Are you scared of me Amity?" She asked me slowly. My shoulders tensed up at this.
"No." I lied and there was something in her face that gave me a reason to believe she might have known this answer was false. She looked hurt and furious at the same time causing me to recoil into myself. My body seemed to want to retreat from everything happening at this moment and to retreat from her.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. I knew it would end like this." She ran her fingers through her hair and I caught a glimpse of her teary eyes before she turned away from me. A memory from last night surfaced because of it.
"I'm not ready to tell you yet. I just got you back." She whispered in anguish and I felt my heart break for her.
No, just because she's hurting doesn't mean I can't feel the way I'm feeling now. That's not fair. None of this is fair. I just wanted things to stay good for once, at least for a little bit longer, I wanted not to stress over something out of my control. But I should have known long ago that this wouldn't be the case. There was too much to worry about and too much going against us for things to be easy for too long.
"Look Amity, I almost lost you back then. Don't you get that? I was a monster being hunted down by a dangerous group and I forced you into all of this. I was more trouble and danger to you than I was willing to risk any further then, so I left. But now we're back here and you wanted me to be fully honest this time. You said if things were going to work then this is how it had to be." She sighed as she turned back to me, her eyes going back to their normal brown and her fists unclenching.
"So now I stand here as a girl who has been with you through so much and I'm asking you to remember me as that before you learn to think of me, to see me, as the monster I truly am." What she said hit me deep and I felt myself growing regretful. Before I could say anything though I had been cut off.
"Guys, what's taking so long?" The door to the roof slammed open and Gus came forward with a look of concern. "Is everything okay?" He asked with his eyes shifting between the both of us.
I wiped the tears from my face I hadn't realized were there before and forced a smile. "Yeah, everything is great!" I exclaimed a little too brightly.
"Yeah, we found a road that's perfect for travel. Leading straight to where we need to go." Luz forced out before walking ahead of me and passing Gus as she made her way down the stairs. I took in a shaky breath as the tension left my shoulders now that Gus was here. I made my way toward the stairs but Gus stopped me just before with a hand on my shoulder.
"Something I should know? Are you guys okay?" He asked with a serious tone, one I had not been used to him displaying often. I wasn't sure if Gus knew the truth about Luz or not but either way, it's not my truth to tell.
"I'm not sure about whether we're okay or not Gus. I don't think I ever can be certain of that anyway with all things considered. The answer always changes." I mumbled honestly before looking at him too drained from it all. He looked upset by the news but I had no strength to care for his feelings amongst my own. So I shoved passed him and started down the stairs still trying to process what had just occurred.
... ... ... ...
After some time, Gus informed me that we were getting close to the location marked on the map by Emira. This information gave me the energy I needed to continue forward regardless of how tired I had felt. Gus had gone ahead to scout out a building for supplies while Luz and I continued for a bit. The tension in the air was no longer from anger but uncertainty. It felt awkward to be around Luz after everything even if we had made up before what had just gone down. One thing I knew for certain, the hard truth was that I did not want to be left alone with her. I was scared of what she was even if I had been in denial of its reality.
If I were being honest, moving forward would take a lot more than a joint agreement to do such. We were both unfamiliar with each other once more and it wasn't something that we could surpass so easily. There was a lot more growth to be had before we were back to the level of comfort we had before. Especially with what went down hanging over us as it is now.
I stopped and something caught my eye leading Luz to do the same. I walked forward to what looked like a stone wall filled with plagues with names engraved on them. "What is this?" I asked curiously as Luz came to stand next to me while tilting her head.
"I... don't know. Maybe it's one of those walls dedicated to veterans or something?" She offered and I nodded my head numbly still feeling as if it were a bit off.
"Yeah, maybe," I commented as I felt Luz's eyes burning into the side of my head.
"Come on Blight. Let's check out that fountain over there." She changed the topic dragging my focus to a fountain that lay in the middle of the town square. It stood looking old and no longer working with running water. I followed her only sparring the plaques one last glance before turning my focus onto the fountain.
"Look!" Luz exclaimed before picking up a coin from the ground and handing it to me with excitement. "Turn around and make a wish and then throw it behind your back into the fountain." She encouraged and I turned to face her, my back to the fountain as I raised a brow.
"You really believe a fountain wish is going to come true?" I asked skeptically and she rolled her eyes. My less than enthusiastic attitude probably getting on her nerves.
"It doesn't matter if you believe it'll come true or not. It only matters that you make a wish at all in the first place." She told me before motioning with her hand for me to go through with it. I sighed before closing my eyes still not entirely wanting to do such. But sure, I'll entertain this silly idea anyway. Might as well make light of the situation and the world we found ourselves in whenever I can. That is what my motto used to be, well, Edric's motto anyway.
I wish to get this all over with already.
I'd thought tiredly in my head letting the coin fly behind me and into the fountain before opening my eyes and sighing. I rolled my eyes and turned toward Luz. My eyes locked onto her smiling face and I let my shoulders drop as my lips twitched into an almost smile at the sight. "So, what did you wish for? Actually, don't tell me! Then it won't come true!" Her voice raised as if she were actually concerned and watching her act all nerdy was kind of cute to see. This side of her was nothing like the dark side I had seen in multiple settings previously. Only now I knew the truth as to what could have caused her to act in such a way. A truth I'd feel all too happy to avoid mentioning if I could help it.
Looking down I saw another coin discarded on the ground so I picked it up. "It's your turn," I said while offering it out to her and she chuckled before taking it in her hand. When her hand brushed with mine I flinched, something I had done without control, though luckily Luz didn't notice such. Closing her eyes I watched and waited for a few moments in silence, yet without her showing any movement I grew impatient. "Come on Luz. It's just a wish. What's taking so long." I complained and she waved me off.
"I'm thinking!" She grouched before a few more seconds passed and she smiled. "Okay, I got it." She whispered before throwing the coin behind her into the fountain and I shook my head at her.
"About time," I mumbled before starting to walk back toward Gus who was located in a building quite a distance away from where we stood.
"Wait! Don't you want to sit for a bit by the fountain?" Luz shouted back at me in question and I shook my head.
"No thanks. We should get going before we burn too much of what's left of our daylight." I called back at her before continuing forward. I got a few feet away when I looked over my shoulder to see Luz still standing by the fountain though she looked upset that I hadn't agreed to join her. I sighed, feeling bad for acting so distant, and paused where I was standing. It's not like I was doing this entirely on purpose but I can't lie and say that I hadn't meant for the distance I had been placing between us once more. And I looked down as guilt held me in a tight grip yet also fought against my need to act as such. I couldn't be blamed for how I had been feeling and how this new information was changing the way I acted toward Luz.
"Things are weird between us again aren't they?" She commented while I was looking down at my shoes. "Because of the truth and everything. You're acting like you don't care about me anymore because of what I am. Just like everyone else, the way you see me is completely different from what it was before." She stated bluntly as this is what she believed was true. That because of how I'd been acting this could be the only reason as to why.
"Look Luz, I wouldn't care half as much if we didn't have the past we have. But I do care about you and because of that learning this about you has become so much harder to take in. I don't know how to feel about our situation and about you. If I'm being honest I still haven't fully processed that you are literally half monster given how hard that has been to wrap my head around." I admitted while running my fingers threw my hair.
"Which, let's be honest if you had told anyone else they probably would have laughed in disbelief or run away screaming in fear. So given that I am still here and have so far avoided doing either, maybe you should give me some slack." I said before looking at her trying to read her reaction.
"Don't make the mistake of comparing me to other people who are nothing like me because you know any normal person would have left you behind a long time ago and save themselves the trouble. And I am still here standing in front of you even though I am scared out of my mind right now. I have either lost it or I really care about you. So pick one to believe and stop being so hard on me because it's honestly not fair. Even if how I have been acting now has been colder than most." I mumble frustrated with her, with the situation, and with myself.
"I haven't turned my back on you yet have I? So with that out of the way, are we good?" I asked, not even looking for an answer from her before turning on my heels. "Good." I began to walk away from Luz, placing some distance between us. Looking up, I sighed to myself before I saw how the sky was a dark grey, something I hadn't noticed until this moment. I looked on in confusion, unsure of what was running through my head.
"Amity!" I heard Luz shout from behind and I turned to see her sprinting toward me. "The rain Amity! The rain!" She screamed and I looked up towards the clouds once again.
The wind picked up, blowing some of my hair to the side. My mind had been slow to process the situation as I began to search for someplace I could take cover. The reality of the situation finally dawning on me led me to look around in panic. There was a building, the one that Gus was in I could use to take shelter from the impending storm. Though it was further than I'd considered safe.
I took off running towards it as I saw a drop of rain land beside me, nearly missing my shirt. My breaths were heavy, my legs burning, I had run like my life depended on it because it did. "Amity! You're not going to make it! Stop!" I stopped in my tracks and looked at Luz scared.
Another drop fell beside me and I jumped to the side. "What do we do?" I asked looking towards the building. Luz was right, I had no chance of making it that amount of distance to Gus in time. Luz rushed towards me, taking her jacket off and throwing it on me. She zipped it up, pulling the hood over my head.
Then she grabbed my arm dragging me and pushing me against the wall that held the plaques with names we had discussed earlier. Turning from me she ran to a sign on the side of the road, taking it in her hands and using her inhuman strength to rip it from the metal pole it was attached to. As the rain began to fall more she reached me, slamming the sign over my head and into the wall above me.
It had finally begun to pour, the water droplets raining heavily down upon us. The sign that Luz held above me blocked the rain from hitting me. "It's okay, I got you. You're safe." Luz reassured me softly. I was breathing heavily as my heart pounded in my chest and I took her in.
She was holding the sign up, keeping it above covering me. The rain had been pouring down upon her heavily, her hair falling against her face. I watched the raindrops drip from her hair and run down her face as she shifted her eyes to lock with mine. "The rain..." I mumbled. Yet she smiled and shook her head at me.
"It doesn't affect me. Remember?" She chuckled softly to herself and I found myself falling into this moment. There was this urge to reach out and brush the hair from her eyes, but I knew that acting upon such wasn't an option because of our current predicament.
I let my head fall back against the wall, the hood on my head falling forward a bit to cover my face more. Everything that had just happened rushed back into my mind and I started to laugh uncontrollably. "How in the world do you even manage to come up with this Luz?" I asked.
I hadn't been expecting an answer. I was just letting words fall from my mouth because I was so scared by everything. I wasn't sure if it was by luck or something else, but Luz and I had managed to escape death far too many times to count at this point. This managed to remind me far too much of the past, our past.
"I don't know. I just did I guess." She laughed at herself.
"Promise me that when this is all over we'll take a break. Just settle down someplace and just stop for a bit. I don't think I could handle much more of this." I joked with her not realizing how the words I had muttered could be interpreted and what they could mean. If I had said this before Luz had left me or maybe even before the school incident maybe it would be a more realistic plan then. But some events changed things between Luz and me and some of our choices caused a shift in our path.
Now she stood there before me as her smile fell because things between us weren't that simple anymore and it hurt. We couldn't just settle down at a place like The Sanctuary and live our lives out. No, it's not easy like that now. And even though it couldn't ever really happen for us, especially at a time like now with obstacles such as the group chasing us down, I watched as she seemed to be taking my offer seriously. If only just for a moment she was allowing herself the opportunity to pretend, to imagine, to make up some story where things weren't like they are now.
"Sure, what did you have in mind?" She asked me, tilting her head. I wasn't sure what to say as I hadn't expected her to answer me. Before I could respond the rain started to slow and she shifted her attention back to our environment. The rain may have been slowing, but the sound of distant engines approaching let me know we weren't out of the clear yet. And as the familiar vehicles dawning that all too recognizable symbol stopped a few feet from us I knew we were in trouble.
They had us surrounded and I couldn't do much to defend myself given the rain. However, I realized that this meant they couldn't either. That was until the soldiers stepped out into the rain looking unbothered. They had nothing to keep the rain from getting on them yet they didn't seem concerned. Does this mean the rain is safe to be out in?
It seemed the same thought crossed Luz's mind as well. If she didn't know about the rain being safe it was only because she wasn't affected by it. Can't get infected if you're already a monster. So that only left me to put the pieces together. The rain, this rain, was not like the rain from the first day this all started. I wasn't sure what made this rain safe compared to that first storm but I didn't have the time to dwell on it too much.
Luz shifted to stand in front of me protectively and I watched as her eyes turned red. She had no reason to hide the truth any longer so she let herself turn. Her veins began to show and I watched as her whole posture, her entire deminer shifted with it. Seeing her like this, still terrified me deep down, but seeing her like this while trying to protect me eased my nerves. I will have to grow used to this side of her as I had done at the beginning with her original cold exterior. The one she'd held when we first met.
We were strangers then and the months that had passed since felt more like years. That time in both our lives seems so long ago, so distant from where we stood now. Two girls turned travel companions turned friends turned whatever we were now at this current moment. An experience that would be hard for me to believe if I hadn't lived through it myself.
"You ready?" She asked me while looking over her shoulder.
"Just like old times," I said with a smirk before taking my knife out and looking at the group standing before us.
"We have been told to bring you both in alive. So, make this easy on everyone and surrender yourselves now." One of the men said with a smile and I scoffed at him. Luz and I didn't move and his face fell at this. "Hard way it is." He mumbled before making a motion with his hand and the group began to close in on us as I went to make the first strike I was interrupted as Luz ran at them with her bat.
Without having to hold back in front of me anymore Luz attacked them with a force I had not been prepared for. It seemed as if they weren't prepared either as her level of strength and aggression caught them off guard. I shook myself from my focus on her and shifted it to another member of the group trying to attack Luz from behind. I rushed forward and shoved her away from Luz and brought my knife from my side at the ready.
As she got back up though she was grabbed from behind by a monster and I watched on in horror as she was a bit. I stumbled back as my fear of monsters bubbled up from the pit of my stomach. It was like I was a kid all over again needing Edric to come to save me. Only this time I wouldn't let such fear control me. I looked around searching for more of them only to find we had caught the attention of a larger group. They were spread out surrounding us and growing near.
It looked as if the group and Luz were taking notice of this and they tried to decide whether to fight each other or protect themselves. We all seemed to choose the latter as we back up and started to kill the monsters. In all the commotion I was pushed aside by a younger-looking member of the group as he ran in fear to a truck. I pushed another monster aside and stabbed it before turning to the sound of the truck accelerating behind me. I had turned just in time to see Luz stumbling to the side and in the way of the car.
Instinct took over as I tackled her to the ground. I turned onto my back groaning when something caught on my leg. Looking down I had expected a monster so I brought my knife up only to find a rope wrapped around it. Suddenly I was being dragged away as the rope had been coming from the back of the truck. The uneven ground hurt my back as I tried to pull myself up. My hand was reached out for a grip on the rope yet I slipped back down. I could hear Luz shouting for me as the group kept her busy by attacking her altogether, keeping her from coming to help me.
I looked forward again and saw that there were monsters in my path up ahead. I fumbled with a shaking hand to get my knife in a good position. Though I knew of the vulnerable place I was in and how much I needed to get out of it quickly. So with some focus, I managed to grab at the rope attached to me. With all my strength I pulled myself up and began attempting to cut it with my knife. Soon I had cut myself loose and the sudden stop led me to tumble.
Finally, when I reached a complete stop I took a moment to catch my breath feeling sore all over. Though looking up only let me see the number of monsters near me. Numbers I couldn't face off against on my own. The revving of a bike only caused me to feel even more dread for the position I was in and the pain in my leg from the constant tugging on the rope didn't help either. I pushed myself up and tripped over myself a bit before going to stand. The monsters were close now and I had to get ready to fight.
However, the sudden appearance of a bike drifting in front of me took my eye's attention. And when I saw the sight of Gus with a huge smile on his face all the worry left me. "Need a lift?" He asked me and I didn't even give him a proper answer before rushing to sit behind him and cross my arms around him tightly. Then he took off and headed straight back to where Luz was.
Gus lifted his arm and started to shoot at the last ones who were standing leading them to turn their attention on us to fire back. Luz had a few cuts on her arms that were bleeding though it didn't seem like she was feeling any of it. Her eyes were brighter now, brighter than I had ever seen them before, but I assumed this was because she wasn't trying to hide it anymore. Yet, if that was true, Gus was going to see this and soon I'd know if she told him or not. When we were close enough Gus slowed it to a stop.
"Go help, Luz! I've got something I need to do!" Gus shouted at me before revving up the bike and taking off. I rushed to Luz's side only to find that she no longer needed my help. Most of the group were either bodies on the ground or they had left due to the number of monsters. Luz had been standing still amongst all of this.
She was crying and she looked scared. And at this moment, in my eyes, she was the girl I had known her to be. Even if she was a monster she wasn't that way by choice. And my heart broke seeing her this way.
I saw her eyes still glowing red. She was angry and that anger was making her lose her sense of control. This was the side of her I feared. The side I wished never to see or face because of how it made me feel. Knowing that this girl who had saved my life and made it better was also a monster. A monster along with all the other monsters I had faced, ran from and had killed in multiple settings. The same monsters who could've taken the lives of the people closest to me. It made me sick.
Not only because this girl saved me, but also because this girl mattered to me more than I cared to admit. She had found her way into my heart. And as much as facing the monstrous side of her terrified me, losing her again terrified me significantly more.
"Luz." I walked toward her with my hands out in front of me. "Luz, I need you to calm down," I told her gently. She was breathing heavily with her fists clenched tightly.
"I can't Amity. I can't stop it this time." She turned to me with fear in her eyes underlying her anger. "Run Amity. I don't want to hurt you." She told me before falling to the ground.
I watched her as she attempted to reel in her anger. It wasn't working and the struggle, the internal battle she was having within herself, only seemed to fuel the fire. This realization let me know that she was telling the truth. She couldn't hold it back this time.
I walked toward where I should have been running from. My mind begged me to leave but my heart forced me to stay. She needed me and I couldn't leave her like this. My only option was to help her calm down in any way I could.
Upon reaching her I fell to the ground before her. Bringing my hands up, I grabbed her face within them, tilting it up so she was looking at me. "Breathe with me, Luz. I need you to breathe." My voice shook from the situation I had placed myself in.
"Amity, you need to leave before I hurt you. You were right, Amity, I am a monster. I..." She trailed off closing her eyes. I watched her jaw clench from her restraint.
I shook my head at her for what she said. "No. I was wrong, Luz. You're not a monster. You're so much more than what you were made into. You're selfless and kind and strong and so beautiful. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me since all of this started." I took a breath as my thumb rubbed across her cheek.
"You saved me in more ways than one. Not just my life. You gave me a reason to hope again. You volunteered to help me find my family when you didn't have to. And you, Luz Noceda are far from a monster. Luz, you are everything good that is left in this world." I stopped to stare at her hoping that I was getting my message across.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight. "Amity, please, you can't be this close to me. I am barely holding myself back. I...can't hold it much longer." She was speaking, but then things got suddenly quiet, deathly quiet.
She no longer spoke, her eyes opening and losing the emotion behind them, leaving only a red glow. The shifting of her eyes let me know she lost control. A hunter replaced the care her eyes had held before this moment. "Luz..." I spoke quietly.
My voice was the only sound I heard amongst the quiet surroundings beside the heavy, loud beating of my heart. Suddenly I found myself on the ground beneath her. My hands that were previously resting on her face went to her shoulders to hold her back. She was stronger than me and I was only running on the strength the pure adrenaline gave me from the terror. My eyes were wide and I started to cry as I begged for her to stop. "Luz please!" I shouted as I choked up.
Her hands, once gentle, lethally wrapped around my throat after her attempts were unsuccessful. The hands I had once felt safe in were now stealing my life from me. Tears made my vision blurry as well as the lack of oxygen.
"Luz..." I had forced out. This hurt my throat further. My mind was running and my body moved on its own. Hands, my hands, moved to grip Luz's face. The tears on my face, my tears, fell clearing my vision.
I could finally clearly see the girl in front of me looking like anything but herself. The dark side of her has most of the control. But when I looked into her eyes I still saw her. The girl I had begun to fall for who had changed everything.
"Luz, it's okay, I need you to breathe okay? It's just me." I whispered instead of begging. There was an emotion that passed in her red eyes, recognition. Her form froze and she took a shuddering breath in. "There you go, just like that." I encouraged her calmly, choking passed the grip she still had on me.
"Amity?" She whispered. Suddenly she froze only for her entire body to relax as she fell beside me, limp. I looked over just in time to see a guy wearing a mask holding a tranquilizer gun.
"Steve, you said you'd let me talk to her!" someone else shouted, it had been a voice I recognized, Matt.
"Yeah, well I lied." He said bluntly before turning to look over Matt's shoulder at someone I couldn't see from my angle.
"You promised you'd help her!" The familiar voice cut through and everything in me froze.
"And I am helping her. This is for the greater good. It's a new world out here. You can either join us or suffer the wrath of us. You picked your side when you signed up. We needed someone she'd trust and you were our best bet." As he said this Gus took another step forward and his eyes found mine, regret showing within them. "So, if you want to help her, then do as your told and help me bring her back," Steve ordered and I looked at Gus feeling betrayed as my heart broke inside my chest.
Steve turned his attention back to me aiming at me with a different gun and shooting me in the leg. I grabbed the dart and pulled it from my leg while my body grew lax. I crawled with my arms towards Luz and fell to lie beside her.
"Luz." Was the last thing I said before my hand fell next to hers and I blacked out.
End of Book One...