Salem Falls

Moths buzzed around Zayn’s head, as he made his way slowly down the sidewalk. The street lamps only furthered to attract the bugs, but Zayn was too upset to care.

After his forced engagement to Lucie a few days prior, Zayn hadn’t been able to concentrate on much of anything, including his new duties at the Sixth Circle’s leader. He knew he was doing an awful job thus far, and his father would have been fairly disappointed in him, but his head was too messy for him to make sense of any of it.

He should have been focusing on the meeting that would be taking place in a few days, and all the things he needed to accomplish during it, but all he could think about was his engagement to Lucie. Sure, it made sense for the two to be wed, as she would only make his ability to lead better, but there was nothing about Lucie that Zayn enjoyed. The two had never gotten along, and their hatred for one another only grew as they got older.

Zayn had never quite put his finger on what it was that Lucie did that made him dislike her so much, but he imagined it had something to do with her parents, who were always sucking up to his parents and gushing on and on about how wonderful their daughter was. Zayn saw right through the act, but he knew his mother didn’t, hence the reason he was now engaged to be married to her.

Swatting at the moths above his head, Zayn kept walking down the sidewalk, hoping that it would help him clear his mine. Walking was the only thing that seemed to help, and even that didn’t do much. There was just too much going on, and Zayn still felt as though he was too young to be dealing with half of it.

“Zayn?”

At the sound of her voice, Zayn spun around, finding Maggie standing behind him. Her long, blonde hair was perfectly straight and it shone brightly in the moonlight. She had a soft smile on her face, as she pushed a loose strand of her blonde locks behind her ear.

“Maggie,” Zayn spoke, nearly whispering her name. She took another step forward, her small, flared dress, moving with her.

“What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Zayn said, as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“You’re in front of my house,” Maggie chuckled, pointing to the classic white house behind her. Her smile widened, as realization washed over his face. He hadn’t even known where he was walking, but he recognized her home from his dinner a few days before. He didn’t know if that’s where his legs had intended on carrying him, but he somehow ended up walking down her street, one which wasn’t part of his usual route.

Zayn shook his head, as he chuckled as well. “I couldn’t sleep. Walking usually helps.”

“You got a lot on your mind?” she asked, simply. The way she spoke told him that he didn’t need to answer her question with all the little details if he didn’t want to, and he wasn’t sure that he did. He certainly couldn’t tell her about the pressure he was feeling from the Sixth Circle and his unwanted engagement to Lucie. The only thing he could tell her was how upset he was about losing his father, but she already knew that.

He simply nodded, a half smile falling across his face, and that was all he needed to say.

“I can walk with you, if you’d like?”

“Are you sure your father would like that? I mean, with that murderer running through the streets and all.”

“He’s working overnight, and besides, I don’t think we’ll get attacked if we’re together. You’re in more danger when you’re by yourself. I’m simply protecting you.”

Zayn chuckled, his lips turning up in a smile. “Protecting me? Is that right?”

Maggie nodded, before taking a few steps forward, heading on the path Zayn had been taking. She was only a few steps in front of him when he began walking again, and it only took a couple of steps for his feet to match up with hers.

The pair began walking together, the sound of the quiet town the only thing filling their ears. The buzz of the street lamps overhead, the sound of a dog barking in the distance, and the soft patter of Maggie’s feet as she stepped across the concrete was the only thing that Zayn could hear. The sounds, all mixed together, soothed him, and his mind felt as though it was finally putting all the puzzle pieces together.

He wasn’t sure if it was Maggie that made everything make sense, or if it was simply the hour they spent walking together, but Zayn knew that when they arrived back at her house, after circling the town’s square more times than he could count, everything seemed just a little bit clearer.

Things were still a little fuzzy, with a ring of confusion surrounding Zayn’s mind, but it was better than it had been before, and his thoughts felt lighter than they had in a long time.

“Maggie,” Zayn whispered, causing the two of them to come to a full stop. She turned to him, her soft face only making things make that much more sense. Her eyes looked back at his with a small understanding that she shouldn’t have had, and it gave him all the confidence in the world. “Have you ever –” He paused, not knowing exactly what to say, but her soft eyes let him continue. “What would you do if you were me?”

“If I were you?”

He nodded.

“Well, I don’t suppose I know exactly what’s going on with you, but I think it’s more than you’re letting on,” she said, looking up into his eyes. He didn’t speak or move at all, and she wondered if she’d crossed a line, but his eyes stayed soft, so she continued, shaking her head softly. “I guess I’d try to stay strong. I’d let my mother know that everything would be okay, even if it wasn’t, and I’d pray that everything would get better.”

A solemn smile fell to Zayn’s face, and he gave a shake of his head. “God wouldn’t answer any prayers that I have.”

Maggie smiled at him, her blue eyes lighting up her face. “It’s always worth a try.”