The next day is spent planning the lockdown, no re-enactments are needed for this lockdown as it was going to be solely on saying goodbye to two people they cared for.

I noticed Zak was withdrawn and often stood quietly whilst the buzz of activity around him continued. He posed for fan photos and did autographs maintaining a smile on his face but the moment he got a second, he returned to his glum self. He was suffering a little more than the rest and I could only presume it's because Debbie confided in him over things.

Sitting inside his truck, I had the AC on blast, cooling myself down as the temperatures soared to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning out to be one of the hottest temperatures recorded in Virginia City, yet!

Rolling my head across the leather, I sigh and go to grab my bottle of water when the car door opens beside me, making me jump.

"We back from lunch now?" I ask ready to go again, but not ready to leave the AC.

Zak doesn't reply, just gets in and slams the door.

"Hey!" I snap, not liking being ignored, this makes him look at me. "What's going on?"

"Come for a drive with me.. Please?" He asks.

I nod seeing the desperation in his face,  and pull on my belt as he drives away.

We don't speak, or glance at one another as he drives along, in fact I don't look up from my hands which are sat on my lap, holding the bottle between my hands until the truck stops.

But as soon as I do, I look over to Zak questioningly.

We were back by the swings...

+++

Every parent in Reno had the same idea when the weather was this hot, to stay indoors with the kids or go swimming, which left the children's park empty besides a dog walker that circulated the outskirts of it. It being far too hot to walk a dog, in my opinion..

Since arriving, we hadn't spoken and just taken our seats on the swings, like yesterday. I sat back to front so I could see his face the whole time. This had become our safety zone, or I presumed it has.

"You know, sharing helps, and if you do.... I'll buy you more ice cream." I coax.

"I don't want ice cream..." He murmurs.

"What do you want?" I ask pushing off my toes to swing gently. My eyes lock with his as he stares at me before lowering his head.

"I don't know."

A part of me had hoped he would have said me, whilst the other part was relieved he didn't.

"What do you dream about?" He asks.

This question was becoming a favourite of his and I wondered if telling him would shut him up, but I knew that it would only bring on a surge of my questions and frankly I didn't want that.

"Random things really, why?"

"Like what?"

I frown "I don't know Zak, why do you want to know so much?"

He shrugs. "Shall I tell you my dream, from last night?"

My throat runs dry as I instantly question if I want to know. Maybe I did Maybe I didn't? But if I heard something I didn't like, I'd never be unable to un-hear it..

I nod. "If you want."

"I dreamt of her, Debby. We were sat by a river, in the middle of somewhere I've never been before. But it felt so real.. There was a waterfall, and the sun, when it shone down it glistened across the water, the light actually reflected off the water and onto her face. That's weird isn't it? There was also some trees too, but we were in this field, sat by a river, on the grass, wild flowers dotted around. And I tried to speak to her, but I couldn't. I tried desperately to make a sound but nothing came out, and all she did was smile." He scoffs a laugh "She even had on her eyes, you know the heavy make up around her eyes she always had. But everything felt real..."

"Maybe it was?" I suggest and instantly feel stupid when his face turns dark.

"Well I'm not dead. Am I, Delilah?"

He's just grieving...

"Obviously not, but–"

"But what?"

"Just let me finish!" I snap at him, we exchange a glare between us before I continue, only once I knew he would shut up. "We don't know how the paranormal works, we don't know if there's different doors, different dimensions, different ways of living our lives. We don't know any of it, that's why you're doing this, to find those answers. What I meant by it being real was that maybe... Maybe you saw another side? That Debby was able to send you a message? That she's okay now? That she is safe..."

His hands reach out and stop my swinging instantly as a frown takes hold of his face. "You're crying."

My eyes dart away and I wipe the tears that have somehow shed secretly and others that were brewing away.

"How can you shed tears for someone you said yourself, you don't really know?"

"I'm not a heartless bitch."

He shakes his head "This is more than that.."

"It's not. Now just drop it. You're digging but nothing is coming up here Zak and quiet frankly, it's wearing pretty thin! Stop picking my life apart and just focus on you're own!" I snap too abruptly.

"I was just asking.. We were having a conversation."

"Well don't. And let's keep the conversation on you, I'm fine. It's you with the problem."

As soon as the words have left my mouth, I want to physically punch myself in it. I knew from his point of view that they would be taken out of context and when he lets go of the swing as if he's been burnt, I know he has..

"The problem.. The problem?! I didn't realise this was a problem! Well allow me to take my problem elsewhere because heaven forbid I should disrupt your pleasant fucking afternoon!"
He shouts.

I sigh "I'm sorry, that wasn't suppose to be as I–"

"As fucking harsh and heartless as it sounded?! Like my friend who was murdered is a problem?!" He stands up. "I thought there was something about you.. That there's some kind of friendship-"

"There is!" I reply standing up.

He steps back and looks at me in disgust "I couldn't stomach at being friends with someone as horrible as you. Here I was thinking you're not some soulless bitch and you have a heart. Proves I was wrong."

His words cut and when he storms off, I simply fall back into the swings seat. I also don't move when he gets in the truck and leaves me in Reno...

I knew I deserved it.

+++

"Delilah? Where are you?"

I sigh and push my head against the taxi window. "On my way back to Virginia City, Via a taxi." I mutter.

"Why weren't you with Zak?" Dakota asks.

"We kinda fell out. I don't wanna talk about it, but I said something and it got twisted.."

"Okay. Well they are going in soon.."

"Right, I'll be there in 20 minutes." I answer and wrap up the call.

By the time I reach the motel, the guys are loading up, and I find Zak instantly.

"Hey." I speak as he ignores me. "Are you okay?"

Again, nothing.

"Can we talk?"

Not a dime.

"Stop ignoring me!" I snap slamming my hand down on the hood of his truck.

This gets his attention instantly and he wastes no time in glaring down at me, so I return it.

"Your room. Now!" I demand before stalking away.

I didn't know Zak well, but I knew him well enough to know that he would want an argument and when I stand outside his motel door with my arms folded, he's railing behind. Aggression written across his face.

He unlocks the door and strides in, as I'm shortly after.

"Now you're going to sit down, and shut up and let me talk! Are we clear?!"

"I was told to shut up." He replies angering me.

"I wasn't talking about Debby! That whole problem fiasco was the fact you're trying to dig into my life and dissect it! I'm not comfortable with that! You want to know things and I don't want to share them! You held my dads chain to ransom, you tear apart my book and then ask me who M is and now you're trying to dig into my head and find out what I dream about?! That's the problem! Not Debby, not being here! You! What is it that you're trying to do?! Why do you want to about them all?!"

He shoots to his feet "Have you ever stopped to consider that I might be fucking interested in you?!"

My shout is no match for his bellow as he stands over me. I instantly shrink as a sensation stirs in my stomach. Then he does it...

A gesture that I was subjected to as a child..

With his finger he begins jabbing against my skull. "That I want an in, Delilah! That I want an in because right now I'm trusting you and it's making me vulnerable!"

My bottom lip quivers, but it's enough to make him back up.

"You're like a closed book and I want you. I want to know everything about you, you fascinate me, the way you are the things you do. But I hate the way you look troubled in your sleep and I want to help! But how can I, if I don't know?!"

"I never asked for your help." I respond.

"But you need someone! Because from what I saw, Jack is no fucking catch!"

"You don't know him, not like I do!" I argue back making him scoff.

"You know, Debby used to say the same thing about Mark..."

I had no reply for him and I didn't stop him when he pulled the door open and stalked out it, leaving me in his room alone.

+++

My mind was exhausted as I cried and struggled with the battle in my head. There were voices inside me screaming for help, to talk and let out some of the pain that was bottled up inside. But there was also the voices that boomed at me to close ranks, reenforce the walls and stop the infiltration of one man.

Because I was more stronger than that.

It had been so long, that I didn't know how to talk about my problems. I never really had and Jack only knew some parts. Even he couldn't be trusted..

So why was I considering trusting Zak?

The man who had been nothing but a pain in my ass from day dot? What was about him that I welcomed? That I felt comfortable with?

Could he even be trusted?

I had good nights, and I had bad nights. Tonight was a bad night, that much was clear as I sobbed though the ache in my heart. Banging my head against the wall to shut the taunting voices out for just a minute!

That's when I returned back to Zak's room.

It was almost dawn and he would be back soon, I couldn't wait. It wouldn't wait. If he wanted to know it all then so be it. Because it hurts to keep it bottled up with someone is at you, poking you with a cattle prod, waiting for you to crumble or explode.

Maybe I would come to regret this?  But a small part of the soul which still felt human, hoped not.

Reaching his door, I bit my lip and shook my head in disgrace of what I had done.. Reverting back to my old ways just to make sure I had some sense of control.

Within the doorseam, was the do not disturb sign, I had open and closed the door enough to indent the card before closing the door on it.. And if I was right, one hard shove would open the door...

With a shoulder barge, it clicked open and I stepped back into his room and sat in the darkness for when he came back.

I had moved around the room a few times, trying to make an uncomfortable situation a little more comfortable, until I give up and determine it wasn't the physical aspect, but more the mental one.

Glancing at the clock, I told myself, I still had time. I could still leave here and he would be none the wiser. But I didn't want to, I wanted the pressure in my head to stop for five fucking minutes!

Sitting in one of his shirts and my shorts, I stared at the door.

For this to work, I needed to be in control...

[27]

With heavy eyes, Zak slowly made his way back to his motel room, stopping outside Delilah's room. He debated on knocking, but decided not to, incase he sparked off another argument.

He had delivered her the truth, told her exactly what she needed to hear, but that didn't stop him feel bad for what he had said. His intentions were never to hurt her, maybe enough to break her if whatever she was going through or putting herself under.

Even as they prepared for lockdown last night, he thought of what he had said and reacted around her. This whole time away, he had been feeling vulnerable, because of Debby, because of Delilah. Because of what he was finally learning to accept. He felt vulnerable and he didn't want to feel it alone, he wanted someone else there to support him and he wanted to support someone back. Someone just as broken as he was deep down.

Getting to his door, he unlocked it and stepped in to the soft lighting, almost ready to question himself about leaving it on when he spotted Delilah sat in the corner.

"Delilah."

She got up and took a breath, Zak's eyes roaming over her body, taking notice of his shirt on her.

"You want to know me? The real me?" She asks.

"I shouldn't have said–"

"I'm a closed book, wasn't it? Well what if I was laid bare?" She asks undoing his shirt.

His eyes harden. "Don't."

"It's what you want? Isn't it? You want to know e-everything."

He stepped forward and stopped her hands from undoing his shirt. "Please stop..."

"You want to know about my nightmares? Who M is? Why I am the way I am? So let me."

"It's wrong sweetheart, I'm wrong for even asking you to do that. I shouldn't push my nose to where it doesn't belong, I have no right."

Delilah removed his hand as the shirt opened slightly, revealing the scar that was sat between her breasts.

But that's not what made Zak gasp and step back. The scar although bad wasn't what made him reach for a light switch to fill the room.

It was her eyes.

He didn't know if it was a shift in the lighting from the cracks between the blinds. But the dark green he was accustom to, the colour he has always known Delilah to have had changed... The woman before him now had different eyes.

Her glass bottle green, was now a steel grey and it took his breath away.

"Now, where do you want me to start?" She asks.

Oooooh she's gonna tell all! Let's be honest, it's been the longest reveal ever.

Some of you may be wondering about her eyes, but throughout the entire story, I've been hinting. For example; she woke up in his truck and instantly checked her sunglasses were in place, in the RV when the contacts were out she wore her sunglasses. When she cried, she looked away from Zak incase her colour contact fell out.

💁🏻

I had y'all from the off and none of you questioned it. (I'm getting better that this writing lark) 😂

Enjoy!

#3 in the GhostAdventures Tag 🙊🙊 Love you all!