16th January 2024
It was time to bid goodbyes to them.
All of them.
Zayn and Cassandra didn’t know how or when they will be leaving this world today. As soon at it struck midnight, Zayn infiltrated her room as they began revising everything from the past two years in their memories.
They weren’t sure if they would even remember what they’ve experienced.
All they knew about was them going back to an empty world where Cassandra lost two of her precious people and Zayn gained five other people in his life.
Framton was making a good recovery. He remembered adopting Louis, his first child as Louis rejoiced the whole night before with his siblings. Cassandra was happy for them.
“Do you remember the day we came here?” Zayn asks her.
“I do. I was terrified and so paranoid of everything around me for the next two days. Look at me now, haha!” The two laugh as they recollect a lot more memories.
It was true that Cassandra had changed a lot. She’s changed the most, in Zayn’s eyes.
The man looks at her as they were sipping on some midnight milkshake.
Zayn looks at his lover with his pupils dilated for her. He gently touches her face, smiling as their eyes meet.
“I can’t wait to get back to my original body, Cassie.”
“Me neither. I wish I can take this body with me as well. I was so flat.” Cassandra says.
“I don’t think so. I would love you anyway. But for me… I missed my manky body. Having been put in a younger scrawny version of myself isn’t very fun. At least you were only an year younger when you possessed this body, right?”
“Yup. I’m 19 actually.” He says as the man widens his eyes.
“I still cannot fathom your tender age, Cassandra. You’re so… protect-able.” The 37 year old man explains as she sighs gently.
“Protect-able I am.” She chuckles. Sipping on her drink to the last drop, she enjoys it like wine as the man was staring at her like it was the end of the world if he didn’t.
“I… I love you, Cassandra.” He suddenly says, touching her face. Humming, Cassandra locks her gaze with him as well. She leans towards his touch, closing her eyes like a baby as the man brushes the pad of his thumb against her smooth skin.
“I love you too.” She whispers.
They tuck themselves into the bed, trying to figure out how they would die today to be sent back into their future.
They sleep the night away, praying that their death would be tranquil and quiet.
As morning comes, Zayn and Cassandra were in a delusion that they woke up in their original bodies, thrown back into 2057.
Cassandra jumps up as she was trying to rejoice.
But the morning talks of the boys in the hallway makes her believe the other way.
“Oh.” I’m not dead yet.
She says to herself.
Suddenly, she begins to panic about Zayn.
She wouldn’t be left alone in this Era, right?
“Z-Zayn? Zayn, are you with me?” She shakes him awake.
“Huh…?” The said man widens his eyes when he sees Cassandra.
“Whoa. What am I doing here Cass?” Cassandra widens her eyes in surprise.
He was behaving different than the Zayn she knew.
Could it be that…?
She gasps loudly when she realises.
Maybe the original Zayn Johnson has taken over and her boyfriend’s soul had gone back. Or worse, lost in the astral plane.
“Z-Zayn, you-” suddenly, the male begins laughing like an amused child.
Cassandra was totally not amused by his skit.
“Asshole.” Grumbling under her breath, she walks to the couch to lay down on it. She pouts as she faces the other side.
Zayn waits for his laughter to die down as he walks towards the upset girl. He was amused that she quickly fell for his act.
“Go away!” She yells at him when he tried to approach her.
“Yo, I’m sorry baby girl. I’m sorry.” He was laughing at the end, pissing her off even more.
“Sorry, my pretty little doll. Daddy won’t do it again.” He says, using his adult voice slightly.
Raising her eyebrow, the girl turns around only to be kissed by surprise.
“Idiot.” She grumbles again.
Joining the others on the table for breakfast, an eternal feeling of worry settles in both their hearts.
In the evening, Louis wished to take them all for shopping.
However…
“Whoa. What’s going on?” Cassandra questions the lights flickering and a loud muffled sound of something falling.
The debris was flying in the air, they could see the other building collapse.
“Shit. It’s a bombing. It’s a bombing!!” Someone yells from the crowd.
The shockwave was to travel all the way towards them as well.
Zayn holds Cassandra’s hand as they look at each other in thought.
Suddenly, an influx of people from the top floor pushes everyone to the ground. It turns into a major stampede.
They shouldn’t have gone to a regular mall…
“Cassandra!!” Zayn could feel his limb tearing with the force that a person pushes through between them. He loses sight of the girl who was accompanied with all the other people running for their lives.
In that moment, there was no distinction between the rich and the poor. They all ran for their lives. The public screams when the said top floor was bombed.
They didn’t know what was next. Probably the basement.
The Johnson siblings were all separated from each other, Cassandra was having a hard time breathing in the small space of the lift.
The mob reaches to the second floor, going further down, but alas, the lift couldn’t manage the weight.
Taking this opportunity, Cassandra runs out of the lift, allowing herself through the public who wanted to use the lift as well.
She knew that Zayn was using the stairs.
But which set of it?
“ZAYN!!” She screams from an end.
The people of this floor were seen vacating it at the speed of light, running for their lives. She flinches when the floor above her was bombed as well.
“ZAYN!!” She screams in desolation. She didn’t want to have a stranded death. The turn of events in one moment in time was taking toll on her mental health as she cried and cried and cried for her to be with her lover again.
A million thoughts raced in her mind.
She didn’t want to feel the pain of death.
She didn’t want to die slowly.
And most importantly, she didn’t want to die alone.
However, she sees a man in the red hoodie he was wearing as she runs towards him. He was bruised, a side of his body burned with flames.
“Shit, shit!” She runs towards the limping male.
“Cassie…” he was in tears. Each tear that rolls from his face was seeped into his burned skin. He felt cursed for crying as well.
They extend their hands towards each other, Cassandra runs through the falling debris.
And then…