A Sickly Sweet Reverie (Leon Kennedy X OC) [BOOK 3]

Chapter 22: All grown up

Sorry for the short break, I was caught up in a grad school application. Also, writing personal statements SUCKS. If you've ever had to do it, I know you feel my pain.

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The crackle of fire whispered to me as I slowly faded back into my body. My head pounded, and for a few long moments I couldn't even summon the strength to lift my face from the metal pressed into my cheek.

After a few quiet seconds, my eyes flickered open and I was greeted by the glow of fire pouring in from the cracked cockpit windows and the flashing lights from machinery around us. I lifted, blinking in an attempt to disperse the black and white stars dancing across my vision. I just flew a plane–no, crashed. I crashed a plane.

My growing headache sank its teeth deeper into my temple as I turned my head to the side. Leon was still in the copilot's seat, his shoulders beginning to stir between deep breaths. I unclipped my seatbelt, and moved to slump next to his seat on wobbly knees with the support of the console.

"Leon." He stirred for a second, brows twitching with recognition, "Leon, look at me." His eyes slowly opened, pupils wide and dazed for a second before they narrowed and he raised his head.

"Shit," He said, reaching toward my face with a gloved hand. His thumb gently swiped across the top of my forehead and I bit my lip to hold in the hiss of pain. "Are you okay?" He asked, retracting his hand as he fully sat up in his chair.

I glanced at the cockpit around us, blood was splattered on the floor courtesy of the undead that had made their way up here. Helena was strapped into one of the stewardess seats against the back wall, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers.

"All things considered? Not that bad," I said, meeting his slightly hooded eyes.

"What was that about me flipping a car again?" He said, the corner of his lip curling. I let out a deep sigh before answering.

"I'm sure you would have managed to flip the plane in addition to crashing it," I said, shaking my head at him for a second before a spear of pain in my temple made me stop. His brows dropped, a mock frown on his face.

I turned to look out the windshield, prodding at the new cut at my hairline as I took in the area. We'd made it to the shipping yard. Large metal containers were dotted around the space with jagged metal beams rising out of small patches of fire left by the crash. I hope Hunnigan was right and this place was truly unoccupied...

"Come on, we gotta get outside," I said as Leon slowly rose out of his seat. I stalked back toward the rear of the cockpit to where Helena was unclipping her seatbelt. "You okay?" I asked, holding out my hand.

She looked up at me through strained eyes before accepting my hand and rising to her feet, "I'll live."

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The fire crackled around us, warming my skin as I slid down the emergency slide to join Leon and Helena at the bottom. The air around the yard was thick with smoke, making me blink against the sudden dryness in my eyes.

"So where exactly are we expecting to find Simmons?" I asked, standing up and stretching out the tight muscles of my neck.

"We'll just have to look for the closest BSAA checkpoint and try to find some info or wait until Hunnigan hears something," Leon answered, his eyes roaming the yard. I turned, looking toward the trail of destruction the plane left in its wake. We smashed into a few half-built structures during the crash, and knocked out a few smaller cell towers that followed the length of the shore. The only reason we hadn't flung straight into the river ahead was the large electrical tower in the plane's path, which was now leaning at a deep angle over the yard.