Chapter 58: The World after the Storm
Zara pressed her palm against her throbbing temple, her vision blurring as she tried to focus on Leo’s tiny voice. The cold rain pattered relentlessly against the roof of the car, masking the distant groans of the undead.
Despite her splitting migraine, she kept her attention on Leo, holding him close as he sniffled and clung to her.
"Leo," she whispered, her voice hoarse and raw from her earlier cries. She shifted him slightly so she could look into his tear-streaked face. "What did you mean by hiding in your happy place? Can you tell me, baby?"
Leo squirmed in her lap, his small fingers gripping her shirt as he buried his face against her chest. "It’s bigger now, Mummy," he mumbled, barely audible over the storm. "I told you before, remember? But you were busy, so I didn’t say more..." He trailed off, his words breaking into quiet hiccups.
Zara blinked through the haze in her head, trying to recall. Had he mentioned something like that? A vague memory surfaced—Leo mentioning something about his "space getting bigger" weeks ago. But between his constant illness, scavenging, and looking after the other kids, it had slipped through the cracks.
She gently cupped his cheek, tilting his face toward her. "Tell me, baby. How did you get there? What happened?"
Leo sniffled, his tiny hands clutching at her shirt like a lifeline. His lower lip trembled as he nuzzled closer to her palm, his voice muffled. "I was really scared, Mama... the dark was so big, and there were noises outside. And... and the monsters..." His voice broke, and Zara’s heart clenched painfully.
She patted his back softly, coaxing him to continue. "It’s okay, baby. I’m here now. Just tell me."
"You said not to leave," he continued shakily. "So I stayed, but I was scared... I closed my eyes really, really tight and then... when I opened them, I was in the happy place."
Zara froze, her mind struggling to latch onto his words through the fog of exhaustion and pain. "Your happy place..." she repeated, more to herself than to him.
Leo nodded slowly, his cheek rubbing against her shoulder. "It was warm there, Mama. All my toys were there... and the things we took too. I didn’t mean to go. I just wanted to hide..."