Highbridge Rising | #ONC2024

Chapter Eleven-Yellow

Sammy had finally drifted into sleep, her breathing steady and serene as I sat on the floor under the room's window, watching the gentle rise and fall of the lump on the bed. The quiet rhythm brought a sense of peace. I remained by her side, a silent guardian in the shadowed room, ready to offer comfort should she awaken in the night.

Outside, the sun had long since vanished, replaced by the soft glow of stars and moonlight that filtered through the window, casting delicate patterns of shadow across the room. Despite the weariness that weighed heavily on my body, sleep remained elusive, my mind consumed by relentless thoughts. The distant echoes of screams and gunfire served as a haunting backdrop to my surroundings, a constant reminder of the dangers lurking beyond our fragile sanctuary.

But it wasn't just the sounds of the night that kept me awake. Tio's face loomed large in my mind, his absence a gaping wound that refused to heal. The imagined screams of his voice echoed in the recesses of my mind. As I sat in the darkness, wrestling with my thoughts, the urgency of my decision grew stronger. The longer I lingered, the more vivid the nightmares became, each one a harrowing reminder of the uncertainty that awaited me at Monica's apartment. I hadn't yet shared my plan with the others, but come morning, I will be making the journey to level fifteen alone.

With a soft, yellow flicker casting dancing shadows across the room, Dominic's footsteps echoed as he entered. Candlelight in hand, he placed it gently on the small dresser beside Sammy before joining me on the floor. His presence was a comforting anchor, tethering me to the present moment.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he murmured quietly, his voice a gentle breeze in the stillness of the night.

"No," I replied, leaning my head back against the wall, the weight of exhaustion heavy upon my eyelids. I rubbed them wearily, determined to stave off sleep for a little while longer.

My gaze fell to my shoes, still firmly in place, a precaution against any unwelcome visitors that might intrude upon our fragile sanctuary. In the dim light, the true colors were obscured, but the dark patches on them hinted at the trials I had gone through.

"She's right," Dominic interjected. I glanced up, a question lingering in my gaze, prompting him to continue.

"It's like hell out there," he elaborated, his eyes fixed over to Sammy, "A battleground of the undead." He shook his head in disbelief of his own words. "Can't believe were fighting against zombies."

As I studied his furrowed brow and thoughtful expression, my gaze traced the contours of his face, illuminated by the faint glow of the night sky. Even in the darkness, his features held a certain allure, casting a spell over the dimly lit room.

"What happened to you out there?" I asked tentatively, the words hanging in the air between us, heavy with unspoken emotion.

Dominic's jaw tightened, his gaze flickering away before returning to meet mine. "I was at the shop with Joel," he began, his voice tinged with anguish as he recounted the events of that fateful night. "It happened so fast... the screams, the chaos." He paused, a haunted look crossing his features. "I... I had to..." His voice trailed off, the weight of his confession hanging heavily in the air.

Without hesitation, I reached out and clasped his hand in mine. His palm was smooth, yet clammy with sweat, but I welcomed the contact. 

He drew a deep breath, his voice soft yet laden with emotion. "He's been there through it all," he began, his gaze meeting mine with a flicker of warmth in his eyes. "Through the lowest lows and the highest highs." A fleeting smile graced his lips, the curve of his mouth hinting at memories shared between old friends. "I finally caved and took that mechanic job offer he's been hounding me about for years," he chuckled softly, a glimmer of nostalgia dancing in his gaze. "After prison, he was the one who pulled me back from the brink," he continued, his voice catching on the weight of unspoken gratitude. "He saw the potential in me when I couldn't see it myself," he added, his gentle green eyes clouding with emotion. "He was more than a friend... he was like a father to me."