After getting dressed, I exited the bedroom, leaving behind the blankets. There was no need for them now. Mostly because I didn't need to sleep and couldn't have anyhow, even if I tried.
Zane, of course, was already up and sitting at the small kitchen table eating what appeared to be some kind of salad. He looked up as I entered, my hair mussed and most likely strewn all over, my shirt pathetically tucked in, and shoes sloppily tied. He tried to stifle a smile by covering his mouth up with his hand, but I saw it.
I sat down across from him, resting casually in the chairs that I feared would fall apart right underneath me. He made eye contact with me before shoving a fork back into his salad. Then, he looked away as he asked, "Have fun last night…this morning, technically?" But, when he was finished, he looked back up at me for an answer.
"Be quiet," I snapped, not exactly sure what to say. I assumed that he knew. Of course he knew, for Zane always knew everything.
"Look, Zack, it's not big deal, really it's not."
"Yeah, you'd like to think so."
He laughed and stood up. "You want something to eat?"
"Nah, Carly's got a ton of food in the backpack," I replied. But, with the mention of Carly's name we both drifted into uncomfortable silence. Well, Zane certainly wasn't uncomfortable, but I was nearly squirming in my pants.
He got himself a glass of water and sat back down at the table. "You can go into the bathroom and shave if you want. You're starting to look like some kind of…primordial species."
"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically and rose to my feet. "I got to get going soon, anyhow."
"Smart thing to do," he told me.
I went into the bathroom and cleaned myself up to look decent. I untucked my shirt completely so that it wasn't hanging half in and half out, combed my hair back, tied my shoes properly, and of course, finished shaving. Zane was right. I was starting to look wretched. I ran my hand over my chin, where the hair was actually somewhat fine, not as coarse. Huh. Cat hair, almost. But, I didn't grow cat hair, did I?
When I left the bathroom, Carly was already waiting, fully dressed and looking a lot better than I certainly did. The backpack was slung over her shoulder, and she arched an eyebrow as I exited the bathroom, as if asking when we were going to leave.
Zane came out to see us off. He gave me a blanket, saying that if we didn't make it back in one day, we'd need it to sleep on the ground. I'm pretty sure he got a kick out of that comment. Had I not been in such a hurry to leave, I would've smacked him.
"Take care," he told me, wrapping his arms around me in a brotherly hug. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."
"If I did that, I don't think I'd be in existence."
He released me and nodded his head to his right. "If you head south, you should get to the border in about a couple days to a week-depending on how fast you travel."
"Right into Seattle?"
"Yes, we're in British Columbia-but on the coast-, so you may have to travel a little bit east to get exactly to Seattle, but at least you'll be in the U.S."
"Thanks," I told him as I stood in the doorway, ready to leave.
"Don't forget about Tinga and Maxie."
"I know," I replied and closed the door, ready to head on out into the wilderness.
I clutched the gun in my hands, fully prepared to fight. The blanket had been put in Carly's backpack, and she followed behind me, scared as one could be, knowing that we possibly could be shot.
Neither of us would say anything about what had happened between us. There was no need to. I mean, what exactly were we supposed to say? Huh?
She began to talk of how her mom was probably freaking out about her, being gone without contacting her, that is.
"She monitors you?" I asked, trying to calm my nerves. With the knowledge that Lydecker was out there…somewhere…waiting to kill Carly and capture me didn't exactly send me into a slumber.
"Basically. I mean, she'll know because I didn't come in for work today."
"Oh."
"Sometimes, I'd just like to leave her all together. She can be so infuriating."
"She's your mom," I told her, half-listening to her and half-listening to the forest around me. I had to be on guard at every possible moment.
"I know. And, it's not like I don't love her but-"
"Shh," I hissed, straining to hear. There was something, someone, in the trees. I could barely hear the footsteps, but they were there.
Instinctively, Carly sank to the ground, her large green eyes round and afraid. This was it. The moment I had feared.
That's when I saw them.
They had their tayzers that would shoot light out at it, paralyzing you because of the high voltage. Red dots in the forest. No! I would not leave this way! Never!
In a screaming rage, I flew into the air and shot down at least three of the men. Their guns clattered to the forest floor, while their blood flowed, as red as the lights with which they had tried to capture me.
But, there were many others around. And I, unfortunately, was only one person with one gun. Yet, I refused to give up and die this way.
Wherever there was movement, I shot. It was all random-all done without real, logical thinking. I just shot and shot, determined to kill whoever was out there.
Lydecker, seeing that I was getting far too violent for his liking, decided to injure me instead of waiting around for his other men to electrocute me. So, he took out his real gun and aimed for my leg or back-something that would put me out, but not kill me. I was too busy at the time to notice this, for I was trying to ward off the rest of the guards.
"Zack!" Carly screamed, her voice raspy with fear. She sprang from her feet, seeing that Lydecker was going to shoot me. Throwing herself in the air, she came towards me and pushed me to the ground, out of the range of the bullet.
Unfortunately, in mid-air, the bullet, that deadly seed, made contact with her body. Her entire body contorted, and she fell to the ground, blood seeping from her side. She didn't move.
"NO!" I bellowed and began to shoot in the direction from which the bullet had come. I hit something, probably Lydecker's arm or leg because I heard a groan, but yet the pattering of his retreating steps continued.
In one fluid movement, I picked the bleeding Carly up in my arms and ran out of the area with her. It wasn't safe to stay in that area. I ran with her for some distance before stopping and crouching to the ground. And, considering how fast I can run, we were able to get far away with little effort from me.
I cradled her gently in my arms, letting her floppy head rest on my arm, and her body lay on my tucked legs. "Carly," I whispered to her. "Carly."
Her eyes were drugged, attempting to focus upon me, but having a difficult time doing so. Blood, warm and fresh, spread all over my pants and onto the grassy ground. She had been shot in the side, and I wasn't sure if any vital organs were damaged. Perhaps, I could get her to a hospital. It was an optimistic thought, but nowhere near realistic. The closest hospital had to be miles away.
"Zack," she smiled weakly and let her bloody hand come up to caress the side of my face. It dropped down slowly, leaving crimson streaks upon my cheek. "I thought…I thought you were this god when I first saw you," she whispered, her voice fading. "But, I know that you're not that, but you're like me, and you're just a human. You've known what you're made of for…all your life." She paused as she coughed and a trickle of blood began to appear at the edge of her lips. I tenderly combed her falling blond hair out of her eyes. She didn't have long. And we both knew it. "Yet…" she continued, struggling so utterly hard to talk, "you're still human…you still love…and hate. Gods don't do that…gods can't bleed. So…you…you…take care of yourself…and remember that you'll always be human…Always…" she whispered. "You need to…"
Her eyes rolled slowly back into her head, and her entire body went limp in my arms. "Carly…" I said as quietly as possible. Then, realizing she wasn't responding, I cried out loud, "Carly! Carly! Please…Carly!" I shook her body, but she didn't answer. "God…no…Carly…"
I bent my head down so that my chin rested on my chest, and I began to moan. At first, my cries were low, tinny little bleats, and then they built and became sobs that came from my innermost being, until I realized that I wasn't crying just for Carly. It was for Brin because I couldn't save her from the demons that ate away at her mind; it was for Kyle, the man that was part of me, yet remained so utterly far away; and it was for myself and all of the asinine decisions I had made that put so many lives at risk. The tears ran down my face and fell onto Carly's pale, dying skin. My entire body was racked with such emotion that it shook as I cried.
I've seen people die before. I've killed people. But, to have someone you care for deeply die right in your arms because they took a bullet for you. Your bullet, not theirs. Yours. It changes your perspective on everything.
And even I, who hardly ever cried because that was showing weakness, sat and cried in that forest, alone with Carly.