Chapter 35: Save Him

I walked with Zak in silence to the last room, where, just outside, was the hole in the fence we had come through.

To freedom. To safety.

I had removed my arm from around Zak when he seemed to have calmed down a bit, not wanting to overcrowd him.

Aaron had taken the lead as we made our way back through the rooms, but he was constantly looking back to make sure Zak and I were okay.

When we reached the last room, Aaron was the first to step outside.

I stepped out after him and turned to check on Zak.

He was standing in the middle of the room.

He had stopped walking without us noticing.

Damn it.

Aaron turned around and saw Zak standing inside as well.

"Come outside bro, come on," Aaron said.

"No…" Zak said, in a voice sounding full of despair.

"Zak…" I started, but I saw him suddenly just decide to sit on the floor, crossing his legs in front of him.

He rested his head against one hand.

I figured his head was starting to clear, and everything had been coming back to him.

If he remembered anything at all.

I took my camera from Aaron and walked back into the room.

Aaron didn't protest this time.

I guessed that he figured I could handle this.

I saw Zak get up a bit, so that he was on his feet, but crouched down, with one knee on the floor, looking back toward the room the possession had happened in.

I stood near him, looking at him through the night vision of my camera lens.

"Zak, it's okay-" I started.

"It's not okay," Zak said, pain in his voice.

I saw him look out at Aaron, who was standing just outside the doorway.

"That was not me," Zak said, pointing with one arm toward the room we had come from.

Then he looked up at me.

"That was not me," Zak repeated, with more emphasis in his voice.

He looked away and down at the floor.

He looked torn and lost.

I went to speak, trying to think of what I could say to comfort him, but he looked up at me, like a lost little boy, and spoke again.

"I don't even remember that much. I remember screaming, but I don't know what I was saying…" Zak said.

"Get out of there man. Come on," Aaron said from the doorway.

"I don't feel like I can move from here right now. I don't know why dude! I can't give you fucking answers right now!" Zak said.

Oh no, don't start cursing again…

"This is an island of fucking death guys. People came here to die, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But it kept going on and on, you understand that?" Zak said, looking at Aaron.

Then he looked up at me, and continued, "You think it's coincidence that the black plague came through here? And they fucking burned and buried people here? Do you think it's coincidence that they executed murderers here? Do you think that's all fucking coincidence?" Zak asked.

I had tears in my eyes. I was afraid we were losing Zak again.

"No," I said softly, to answer him.

"No. People come here to fucking die! You think the fucking trend is going to keep going? Or it just stops because we're here?" Zak said sarcastically. "They want us to fucking die here!" Zak added, looking back toward the room.

I was speechless.

I hadn't known what to do or say.

I jumped slightly when I suddenly heard Aaron come back into the room.

"Alright, come on bro, we're getting out of here," Aaron said, walking over to Zak and grabbing one of his arms.

Zak roughly pulled away from Aaron's grasp.

"No," Zak said.

"Yes bro, you need to come outside, now!" Aaron said, grabbing Zak's arm again and forcing him onto his feet.

In the brief glimpse I got of Zak's eyes as he stood up, I could see the darkness again.

"Aaron-" I started to warn him, but Zak cut me off.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Zak yelled, pulling his arm away from Aaron and then shoved him in the shoulder.

He shoved Aaron hard enough that he stumbled back a few steps and tripped on some loose rubble on the floor and fell backwards, but he managed to catch himself on his elbows before hitting his head on the floor.

"Aaron!" I exclaimed in shock.

I had barely taken two steps toward him, to see if he was okay, when Zak turned and looked at me.

His eyes were almost black they were so dark.

And he looked angry.

"You lied to me!" Zak said angrily, walking toward me.

I walked backwards a few steps.

"Lied to you? Zak, I haven't lied sin-" I started, but he suddenly lunged at me.

I could barely let out a scream before I felt his hands wrap around my neck, and he shoved me up against the nearest wall.

My eyes had widened in fear.

I dropped my camera and grabbed onto Zak's wrists, knowing it was a pointless effort.

Zak was much more stronger than me on any given day.

But on a day he was possessed by a powerful demon?

I had no chance.

"Zak-" I started, but then gasped when I felt his hands suddenly tighten around my throat.

"You fucking lied to me! You care about him more than me!" Zak yelled.

What in the hell is he talking about?

"Bro! Get off her! You're going to hurt her!" Aaron said, voice full of panic.

Aaron grabbed onto Zak's arms and tried to pull him off me.

I could see that Aaron was straining with all he had in him, and he couldn't move Zak an inch.

Zak kept his eyes on me, and he was furious.

"He can't have you! You're mine!" Zak snarled, tightening his hands around my throat to the point I could barely breath.

"Zak! Let her go!" Aaron yelled, still trying to pull Zak off me.

As my life started flashing before my eyes, it was then I realized what was happening.

The demon possessing Zak had been playing on his insecurities all along. Zak had snarled that I was "his" twice, shortly after Aaron had done or said something.

And these past two months, it was mostly Aaron I had hung around when we were all working together. It wasn't because I had feelings for Aaron. He was just my friend. But Billy and Jay were a tight unit, and out of the three of them, I had the most in common with Aaron.

The demon was telling Zak now that I had never cared for him, but for Aaron instead.

The fact that this demon was haunting and hurting Zak in such a personal way, really ticked me off, despite my fear that Zak was about to kill me.

I looked Zak straight in the eyes, past the physical aspect of them, past the slight hazel colour of Zak's own eyes. I looked straight into the darkness.

I spoke as loudly and as clearly as I could, considering Zak's hands were nearly crushing my windpipe.

"Listen…to me…you murderous bastard…" I started, my voice strangled and raspy.

Aaron looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"You don't…have permission…to use Zak…anymore!" I yelled, to the best of my ability, considering the circumstances.

I coughed and gasped as Zak's hands tightened around my throat and I gripped his wrists tightly out of fear.

"Zak! You're going to kill Ali bro!" Aaron said in a panicked voice.

I didn't know if it was my speech of telling the demon off, or Aaron mentioning my death, but I saw some of the darkness had left Zak's eyes.

But still not completely.

My vision was starting to go black around the edges, I knew I would black out at any minute.

I focused on Zak's eyes again, looking into his eyes.

Those beautiful hazel eyes.

"Zak…" I struggled for breath. "I…care…about…you…"

Zak's eyes seemed to soften a bit more, and his hands slightly released some of their pressure.

But it was still difficult for me to breathe.

I forced myself to lift a hand from his wrist, and gently cup his face on one side.

I heard a quiet snarl deep in his chest, but his head also tilted toward my hand.

"I…need…you…Zak…don't…leave…me…" I breathed, looking into Zak's eyes again. "I…care…about…you..." I breathed, in a raspy whisper now.

I felt my eyes starting to close as my vision closed in around me.

Suddenly, Zak gasped and let me go, scrambling back away from me.

I felt air rush into my lungs via my throat and nose.

I coughed hoarsely and dropped down to my knees, gently holding my throat and trying to catch my breath.

"Come on bro," Aaron said firmly, grabbing Zak's arms from behind him and led him toward the door.

"No! Aaron! I hurt her! She needs help!" Zak said, panic and pain in his voice as he struggled to get free.

"I'll get her bro! But you need to get outside!" Aaron said and finally, managed to pull Zak outside, and then forced him to go out through the fence.

"Stay here!" Aaron said firmly.

"Go get her bro!" Zak demanded, moving his hands up to grip the sides of his head, a gesture he often seemed to do when he was anxious.

The next thing I knew, Aaron was on his knees in front of me, struggling to open a pocket on his vest.

"Are you alright?" Aaron asked, worry in his voice.

I kept my hands on my throat.

My breathing was slowly returning to normal, but my throat hurt.

"I think so…" I rasped.

Aaron finally managed to open the pocket he was struggling with, and pulled out a bottle of water.

He took off the cap and held the bottle to my lips and slowly tilted it up.

I took only a small sip, not wanting to risk choking or coughing on it.

After I got the water down, my throat felt a bit clearer.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Aaron said, as he wrapped an arm around me and helped me to my feet.

I walked with him as he led me outside and through the fence.

Zak was sitting on the ground a few feet away, holding his head in his hands, but his head shot up when he heard Aaron and I.

"Ali…" Zak started, but trailed off.

Were his eyes watering?

"She's okay bro, she just has to catch her breath," Aaron said, leading me down to base camp by the water and gently helped me sit down on a blanket.

He then grabbed a duffel bag and opened it, and started rummaging through it before he pulled out a small jar of holy anointed oil.

Aaron opened the jar and held it out to me.

I slipped the tip of my thumb across the oil, and made a sign of the cross on my forehead, as I quietly said a small prayer, asking to be rid of all evil.

I saw Aaron take the jar over to Zak, who immediately dipped his thumb in the oil and did the same thing I had just done.

Then Aaron did the same.

I watched as Zak stood up, and walked down near the water and sat back down again on the grass, staring out over the water.

Aaron walked back over and let out a loud sigh.

"I'm ending this investigation," Aaron said.

I nodded in agreement.

"Billy and Jay…we should go get them, it's still another few hours before they were supposed to meet up with us.." Aaron said.

I looked up at him from where I was sitting.

"I'm not leaving Zak alone…" I said, my voice was hoarse and raspy.

Just great.

Aaron looked at me.

"I can't leave you alone with him..." Aaron said.

"We'll be fine…it's over now…" I said, looking at Zak's form near the water.

"How do you know..?" Aaron asked.

"Emily told me…" I said quietly.

I hadn't seen her anywhere.

But I had heard her voice, as clear as day, as soon as Zak had stepped outside.

"You saved him…"