Oh Zoe

19 | INSENSITIVITY

I'm sorry . . .

Jess.

Shadows, misshapen and mangled, shifted and enclosed around Zoe as she ran, distorted by the rain and overcast night sky. The moon was out that night, blazing brightly as Zoe only source of light. Too bad Zoe's salvation felt like it beamed down on her with an air of disapproval.

The outskirts of the rainforest sprouted only meters ahead, but Zoe was too depleted of energy to make it any further. She collapsed to her knees, her bones sinking into the mud underneath where she sat on her heals. Now that she had stopped moving, her heart hammered in her ears, her lungs tightened and her cough was a chesty, hacking cough. A cough she usually got before an asthma attack started. Zoe rummaged in her pocket for her inhaler. Dread settled in when she turned her jumper pockets inside out to reveal no inhale.

Zoe hands begun trembling. She breathed rapidly, hunched over herself, alone. She looked out into the woods and her vison swam. The trees started tipping, the leaves swirling in the air unnaturally. The ground was rushing up to meet her...

The blinding, powerful light of a torch flickered into view, illuminating Zoe from behind and elongating her shadow like a slender man. Zoe tried to rise from the ground, determined to not have to explain to her mother her outburst. Zoe was far too incensed at the world for words.

It wasn't, however, her mother. Leon slipped on the mud beside her, falling to his knees beside his little sister, completely out of breath. He presented Zoe with her inhaler without a word, watching silently as she took in the gulps of medicine. He waited patiently, a protective hand on her knee, more to prevent her from running off again than for comfort.

As Zoe's breathing grew more regular Ava and Pete joined them. Luca's passion for soccer had allowed him to get to his sister before the others. Ava hovered carefully on her heels in the mud while Pete stood behind Zoe, his arms crossed, and a dark look on his face. Pete grabbed Zoe under the armpits and lifted her to her feet. Zoe squealed at the sudden movement.

"We're getting out of this rain. Now."

Pete left no room for argument. He reached down and entwined his hand with Zoe's then began walking back to the house at a brisk pace. Zoe struggled to pull her hand from her brothers. "Let go. Let. Me. Go!"

Pete marched back to the house, rain streaming down their cheeks, saturating them from head to toe. None of them wore shoes, their feet caked in mud and grass. Their mother was not going to be happy when they returned.

Ava helped Leon up and they followed behind Pete and Zoe. They reached the deck, sliding on the wet timber slightly, relived to be out of the misty, wet rain.

"Why did you do that?!" Pete demanded.

Zoe shrunk away from his explosive voice.

Pete huffed and shoved Zoe through the door to the living room. Inside, everyone from dinner waited. Even Bea was there, obviously having woken up from her earlier nap. She had explained once to Zoe that pregnant people got tired more quickly. Zoe didn't get how, though.