Deviation (Extinction Book 4) by Ken Barrett

Author:Ken Barrett [Barrett, Ken]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16: Treachery

Sleep had been elusive throughout the night; memories of his troubled past and concerns about an uncertain future had tormented him as he tossed and turned beside his slumbering partner. Finally, as the artificial dawn arrived, he gave up and slipped from beneath the covers, gathered his clothing from the bedroom floor, and escaped into the living room.

Once dressed, he heated a kettle, then sat on their sofa to ponder his life over a cup of tea. The spicy scent of his beverage wafted through the silent room. His body relaxed enough that he considered taking a nap before his partner arose, but worry still kept sleep at bay.

Life had become overly complex and dangerous; warring gangs, failing ships, an ‘outside’ that he never knew existed, and now the impending flight to a place called Siberia. Beyond that was the nearly unbearable weight of listening to his partner read from her diary, which detailed his forgotten past. With a sigh, he took another sip of tea and wished that the troubles would just go away. Any further hardships would be too much, yet, he believed there were more unpleasant things lying in wait. Life was just a series of painful challenges, punctuated by brief periods of pleasure.

So… Siberia, wherever it was, they were bound for it, and their departure would come later in the day. The images of the ashen world with an ominous black sea were disturbing, it was not a place that anyone was anxious to visit, hence the Signal’s need to force their travel. What would they find there and what new struggle must they endure?

“You’re up early.” Zoey breezed into the room wearing a light blue top with black pants and boots. “Is the tea still hot?”

“Think so.”

“All the shouting outside last night kept me awake, so it felt good to sleep in.”

“Spiders shut down the riot, and everybody’s back where they belong.”

“I take it that you didn’t sleep well either,” she said while sitting down beside him with her tea.

“True that, but I knew the spiders would handle it.” Should he tell her what was really troubling him? He had to if it was going to stop. “I’d like to take a break from your diary stories.”

“Why? Are they bothering you?”

He nodded. “Best is if I pretend that they ain’t real or that they’re about some other folks. Worst is when I remember how and why I was there with you. Hearing about those old times ain’t helping. I need a break from it at least; maybe we can get back to it later.”

“It’s our past,” she stated. “I had hoped that when you learned about the good things that happened back then, that our relationship would improve.”

“I just wish it would all go away.”

“The past never does… it can’t.” She paused for a long moment. “I wasn’t bad to you like the others were, but you don’t know that. Something happened, but you don’t know what, and no one can forgive the unknown.

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