Remember That I Love You

Frustrated footsteps echoed around the concrete tunnels as Zoey made her way towards the bunker. She knew she was probably being too loud, and while she was usually extremely cautious tonight she didn’t care. She had been following trails for months, putting her life on the line and chasing lead after lead until she had unexpectedly hit a dead end. She had been so sure that he would be there, but he hadn’t been. She had wasted what little time and money she had on a useless tip that left her with absolutely nothing.

Slipping into the bunker she scanned the metal band around her wrist against the worn keypad inside the entrance, waiting impatiently as the large metal door creaked and slid open. No sooner had it closed behind her, noise erupted, and she couldn’t help the small smile that crept on her face as voices echoed around her.

“ZOEY! YOU'RE BACK!” excited voices bounced around the bunker as a large group of children ranging from the ages five to fifteen swarmed around her. Little arms grabbing onto her wherever they could reach.

“Hey guys- woah, careful!” she laughed softly as she stumbled slightly. If there was any light in the devastation the world had become, it was these children. All of them had been found on the streets injured, grieving and alone. Zoey had taken in all of them, but she hadn’t done it by herself. Looking up over the sea of excited kids she made eye contact with a tall, blonde male who leaned against the back wall, smiling at her from where he stood.

“Hi..” she whispered.

“Hi.” he mouthed back. Ryan had been a godsend. He had found Zoey when she was at her lowest point and was just about to give up on everything. He had given her hope, held her hand and stood by her side whenever she needed it. Together they had rescued and continued to care for an abundance of kids. They fought against the people trying to take control of what little humans still remained in the world. Trying to lock everyone in gated communities where they could control them. Ryan and Zoey were smarter than that though. She cared about him immensely, but Ryan wasn’t him. He would never be him.

Her face instantly fell as her own mind reminded her of her recent failure. “Alright guys, go wash up for dinner. I’ll be there in a bit,” she said quietly. She used the chaos of the children running off to the main part of the bunker to quickly slip away to her own room before Ryan could get to her. Pulling the curtain closed behind her she sat down on the edge of her bed and before she could stop herself, she started to cry. She was strong enough to handle what the world had thrown at her. She had survived the asteroid strike that shrouded the world in dust. She had survived the radiation sickness that spread through the majority of the survivors, she had even survived the rabid, mutant animals that now roamed the earth feasting on anything they could find... and yet she found her heart breaking and her will to fight lessening at the loss of one person.

Crying silently she tugged at the chain around her neck until a silver heart-shaped locket popped out of her shirt. Clutching the locket tightly in her hand she closed her eyes and let her mind drift back... back to him.

The first thing she saw was his smile and the way it lit up his whole face. She had always loved his grin and the mischievous sparkle that shone in his eyes right before he would pounce and chase her around. She remembered squealing with glee as she jumped over pieces of furniture, evading him until he finally caught her by the waist and the two of them rolled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, laughter echoing around them. She remembered all the times they walked along the beach hand in hand, the sun bearing down on them as the waves washed over their feet, but most of all she could remember the sweet melodies he would play. The concentration on his face as he would focus on perfecting each chord, his hair that usually hung loosely around his face tied up in a messy bun, indicating the fact that he didn’t want any distractions as his fingers ran over the strings of his guitar, but despite that he always had time for her. Rain or shine he had always dropped everything if she asked. These memories, and so many more were so clear to her, but never when she slept.

In the night her mind haunted her with what had happened. The fear she felt as the two of them ran through cold, wet streets. The sound of shouts, heavy footsteps and weapons loading behind them. They had conquered so much together, and in the end, it was humans that got between them. Healthy, disgusting, entitled humans that tore them apart. She would never forget the look on his face as he told her to run, the desperation in his voice as he uttered a few words to her.

“Remember that I love you.”

Opening her eyes and the palm of her hand she looked down at the silver locket, her fingers shaking as she fumbled with the small clasp that opened it. Her chest tightened uncomfortably as she looked down at those exact words, engraved in the silver in dainty cursive writing. Zoey had always known that whenever she was old and grey and her memories fading that this locket would remind her of the love she had for him and the love he had for her, but now she wasn’t sure she would reach old age. Not in this world.

“Let me guess. You didn’t find him?” Ryan’s voice cut through the silence, making Zoey jump before she tucked the locket away and looked up at him.

“No.” she replied, internally cringing at how wobbly her voice sounded.

“You need to stop looking, Zo. He’s gone, you know he’s gone. It’s too dangerous for you to keep this up.”

“He’s not gone.” she shot back stubbornly. “He’s alive, he just-"

“He’s just working for them. He hunts people, just like you and me. He hurts the innocent and the weak. Those children out there, the children we saved? He would track them down and drag them back to the program without hesitation and anyone brave enough to fight against him, kids like Aaron and Marcy-" he paused, lowering his voice as he referred to two of the most stubborn but strong children they had saved, “he would kill them without blinking. That is not the man you fell in love with. He will never be that man again, so you need to stop looking for him before you put everything we work for and care about here at risk.”

Zoey’s eyes narrowed as she stared down at the ground, feeling like a child that was being scolded. He was right, she knew he was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want to let go.

“He sacrificed himself for me,” she said lowly. “If it wasn’t for him, I would be in the program. I would be one of those poor, suffering people who were either worked to death, used as sacrifices, or experimented on to repopulate this wretched world. I can’t just forget about him. He isn’t a horrible person; he wouldn’t kill or harm for the fun of it. We don’t know what they have done to him, how much they must have tortured him to force him to do those horrible things. I have to help him. I have to save him. It’s my fault he’s there. It’s my fault he’s doing this.”

Ryan shook his head, frustration emitting from his features as he ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath of annoyance.

“How many times do I have to tell you. It’s not your-“he started to say until a spine-chilling chorus of screams echoed through the bunker. Zoey jumped up instantly, her heart pounding as the screams continued to ring out. She followed behind Ryan quickly, her pace matching his as they raced through the halls, pausing only as their youngest stumbled into them clutching a dirty, tattered blanket.

“Mia... bub, what’s wrong?” Zoey cooed as she scooped up the little girl in her arms, watching as Ryan ran off towards the sound of the rest of the children.

“Scary man.” the toddler whimpered as she hid her face in Zoey’s neck. Zoey stiffened for a moment before she started moving again, keeping the little girl close by as she made her way to the common area. She stopped once again as a young boy with big brown eyes appeared in front of her.

“Skylar-“ she breathed, passing the young girl down to him. “Take Mia and anyone else you find to Marcy’s room. Don’t come out until Ryan or I come and get you, okay?” she said quickly before rushing off again.

By the time she reached the common room she had seen at least six others, giving them all the same instructions she had given Skylar. She had a brief idea of what was happening and what she was going to find, but it didn’t prepare her in the slightest as she burst through the curtain-like door obscuring her view of the common room.

Skidding to a halt, her heart lurched painfully in her chest. Standing in front of her was Ryan, his whole body tense as he squared up against another male.

The other male wore a black shirt that stretched over his defined shoulders, his arms bulging through the short sleeves as they folded across his chest. His dark hair, once long and free and full of gentle waves and curls was now cut short and stood in messy spikes, and his eyes, once soft and full of kindness held a harsh glare. Zoey’s breath hitched in her throat as she tried to figure out how he could look so much like the man she loved and at the same time come across as a completely different person.

Almost in a daze, she took a few steps towards him, stopping only as one of Ryan’s coarse hands reached out to firmly grab her by the arm. The three of them stood in silence for a few long, painful minutes before she finally spoke.

“Lukas...” Zoey whispered, her eyes pooling with tears as they roamed every inch of him, clinging desperately to anything that would refresh her memories. Despite everything she had done to track him down he was here, standing directly in front of her. Then he spoke, and she could have sworn she was about to break from the familiar sound of his voice.

“I heard you were looking for me.”