The rain poured down in thick, brutal sheets against the battered roof, making it impossible to leave the shelter for days on end. Acid rain, Zara thought grimly, listening to its steady hiss. They were safe enough inside, but outside, the world continued to grow harsher and more hostile. The days blurred into one another as the rain continued to fall, and Zara wondered how long they'd have to stay put.
Once again, their supplies were reducing and she knew going out in this weather was impossible.
She tried to keep Leo active with games and stories and just random talks, happy to see that his mind was still very imaginative and on the go. She hadn't packed any books because that wasn't needed right now.
"Leo," Zara called, noticing her baby had an odd expression on his face as he sat on the ground, poking at one of the tins of food. She thought she'd just seen the tin blink out of existence before reappearing a moment later in his tiny hands. "What are you doing?"
Leo looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "It went to my happy place," he said matter-of-factly, as though this explained everything.
"What?"
Zara blinked, 'alright, so I'm not losing my mind and he can actually make things disappear, somehow.' She thought, taking a deep breath as she moved closer to him.
She just had to figure out what exactly he was doing.
"Hey, Leo," she said softly, brushing a damp curl away from his face. "Can you show Mommy what you do with your toys? Like, where they go when they disappear?"
Leo looked up, blinking those big, innocent eyes at her. "My toys?" he asked, tilting his head as if he didn't understand the question.
"Yeah, baby. You know, when they go away and come back." She made her voice light, not wanting to startle him. "Can you tell Mommy where they go?"
He giggled, pressing a hand over his mouth like he'd been caught in a funny secret. "They go to my happy place!" he repeated proudly, nodding his head.
Zara's eyebrows shot up. "Your happy place?"
Leo nodded vigorously, eyes wide with excitement, as if she'd just guessed his favorite color. "Mhm! It's my special place. I can put all my toys there, and then when I want them, they come back." He paused, seeming to think. "But I don't know how, and it's only when they're small. Like the blocks…and some other stuff."
Her heart quickened. Did this confirm things? Her son really have a space—a hidden dimension? If he'd had it since the beginning of the apocalypse, it explained so much. All those times when she noticed things being missing or moved at home, it had probably been absorbed. This wasn't just a trick of imagination or coincidence. It was real.
"Can you… describe it for me?" she asked, choosing her words carefully. "What does it look like, Leo? Your happy place?"
He furrowed his brow, lips pursed as he thought hard. "It's big," he said at last, spreading his hands far apart as if measuring. "Like… like my toy room! And it's dark, but not scary-dark. It's cozy-dark." He wrapped his arms around himself as if to emphasize. "Like when you hug me real tight!"
Zara's heart melted, and she nodded, her mind racing. Cozy-dark, room sized… it wasn't big, but it was something. She could work with this.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, patting the space beside her. Leo toddled over, his chubby hands resting on her knee as he looked up, expectant.
"All right," she said, keeping her tone playful. "Can you try and bring something back from your happy place? Like...the flashlight?"
He looked puzzled, then lifted his hands, eyes scrunching up in concentration as he stared at his small fingers. Zara held her breath, watching closely. At first, there was only silence, the quiet rush of rain against the windows filling the air. But then, slowly, as if coaxed from somewhere far away, the flashlight appeared in his tiny palm. Zara gasped.
"Oh my god, Leo!" she whispered, unable to hide the amazement in her voice.
Leo looked at her, beaming. "Did I do good, Mommy?"
"You did perfect, baby," she murmured, hugging him close. "Can we try it again? This time with…something else. How about a water bottle?"
He nodded, this time with more confidence. Zara watched as he closed his eyes, little brows knitting in concentration. After a moment, he opened them, and the water bottle appeared in his hands.
"Is this one good?" he asked, his voice so innocent, as if he didn't realize he'd just performed what felt like a miracle.
"Yes," Zara said, swallowing hard, her mind already racing with possibilities. Supplies, resources, all kept safe in her son's 'happy place.
Her son's ability might be the edge they needed for survival, and the thought made her chest tighten. She couldn't afford to let anyone know about this.
She decided to see if they could get a hang of how it worked.
Since she would be traveling with Leo, she needed to make sure things didn't pop out randomly or it might catch unwanted attention.
They spent the next few days testing it further. The rain didn't let up; outside, the world was drenched in sheets of acid rain, the corrosive mist creeping down every surface. Somehow, the building stayed up.
Thank God for small mercies.
The rain's steady hiss became a backdrop to their little training sessions, each day blurring into the next as Leo's confidence grew.
At first, he struggled to bring things in and out on command, especially when it came to objects with any weight.
She looked around, finding one of the small cans of soup they'd scrounged up. "How about this?" She held it up, showing it to him. "Can you put this can in your happy place?"
Leo squinted at the can, his little fingers reaching out as if it would make the magic happen faster. He focused, his tongue poking out in concentration, but nothing happened. He gave a little pout and looked up at her, deflated. "It's not working, Mommy."
Zara gave him a reassuring smile, patting his shoulder. "That's okay, Leo! It's a tricky game. Let's try again."
But slowly, with each attempt, he got better. She praised him every time he succeeded, clapping and cheering as if he'd just won a prize, and his face would light up with pride.
Sometimes he failed, and his face would crumple in frustration, but she was quick to reassure him. "It's okay, baby. You're doing so well."
It had become clear too that he seemed to transport things easier when he wasn't thinking about it.
"Leo," she said carefully, trying not to seem too intense. "Do you remember anything else you took to your happy place? Like maybe something from home?"
Leo's smile faded a bit, and he looked at his hands. "I took the water," he said softly, glancing up at her with worry. "And some crackers… and your big coat…and some of the boxes, Mommy." He shifted uncomfortably, as if waiting for her to get mad.
For a second, Zara felt a pang of frustration—it would have been useful to know this sooner—but she saw Leo's small face, so vulnerable, and forced herself to relax.
The sudden rush of emotions also startled her.
He wasn't hiding things from her; he just didn't understand. Guilt tugged at her, realizing how tense she must've seemed during the game.
Leo's face fell, his mouth trembling slightly. "Did I do something bad, Mommy?" he asked, his voice small, his lips turning into a pout. "I...I just wanted to keep them safe. I didn't want them to go away."
Realizing her frown had scared him, she softened, gathering him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "No, baby. No, you did so, so good. I'm so proud of you," she said gently, brushing his hair back. "Thank you for keeping those things safe."
Leo's face broke into a smile, his eyes sparkling. "Really, Mommy?"
"Yes, really," she murmured, hugging him close. "But I need you to do one thing for me, okay?"
He nodded eagerly.
"If you put something in your happy place from now on, I want you to tell me. Can you do that?"
He beamed, nodding. "Yes, Mommy! I'll tell you everything!"
She couldn't help but smile at his joy, at the simple way he trusted her without question. She stroked his hair, already forming plans in her mind. With Leo's ability, they could keep essentials safely hidden.
They spent the next day refining his ability, working in short bursts between meals and stories, treating it like a game that only he could play. With each item he moved, Zara found herself more hopeful. This ability of his—it was like a blessing, a safeguard against the scarcity that threatened to strangle their survival.
But alongside the joy, Zara felt a creeping worry. The world outside was dangerous, filled with people who would do anything for resources. If word got out about Leo's space, they'd be hunted.
Zara's stomach twisted at the thought of turning her baby into a "tool" for their survival again, but she reassured herself it would never happen.
She pressed her forehead against her knees with a shaky sigh. Damon would have known what to do, he was the one who watched all those crappy movies.
By the fourth day of rain, Zara had Leo test his limits, asking him to move items back and forth. She confirmed the limitations—the space could only hold small objects, and there wasn't much room. Leo's description hadn't been far off; it truly was like a small room.
Still, it was enough.
From his description, it had most of their supplies from home. They couldn't rush things though. It didn't help that moving things seemed to make Leo tired and sleepy. They certainly couldn't over use it.
She crouched down beside him as he played with a battered toy soldier, its paint chipped from years of play.
"Leo," she said softly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "We're going to leave this place soon, as soon as the rain stops."
He looked up, blinking. "Why?"
"We have to get some more things, things to keep us safe." She hesitated, unsure how much he would understand. "And it's not safe to stay here for too long."
Leo tilted his head, considering her words as he made the toy soldier march across his knee. "Can we take my happy place with us?"
A soft chuckle escaped her. "Yes, baby. You'll still have it with you. But remember," she lowered her voice, her tone serious, "we can't tell anyone else about it. It's a secret between you and me. Like… like a treasure only we know about, okay?"
He nodded solemnly, as if she'd just entrusted him with the most important secret in the world. "Okay, Mommy. I won't tell."
"Good." She leaned over, kissing his forehead, breathing in the faint, comforting scent of him. "We'll be alright, Leo. Just you and me."
He smiled, turning his attention back to his toy. As the rain beat on the roof, Zara felt a strange calm settle over her, even in the middle of a storm-ravaged world.
The sounds of the storm was quieting, it would be clear soon.
It seemed there could be a silver lining even in the worse moments.