Chapter 25: The Long Road Home

The pale, gray light of early dawn had the birds chirping enthusiastically in their nests, more than eager at the prospect of beginning a new day.

Sapphire eyes fluttered, gradually succumbing to the pull of wakefulness.

A small moan escaped Alice’s lips as she began to stir. Much too warm and comfortable to fully open her eyes just yet, she sighed and snuggled into the source of warmth pressing against her cheek.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

Alice felt her heart jump, her eyes snapping open in an instant.

Amber eyes crinkled in amusement as they observed her.

Suddenly finding herself feeling quite bashful as she discovered she had been sleeping on his chest, the girl averted her gaze from the shirtless male.

“G-good morning, Vincent,” she murmured, a light dusting of red coloring her pale cheeks.

The blonde’s blush only seemed to deepen at finding herself shirtless as well. All at once, memories from the prior night seemed to roll in like a wave, leaving the young woman nearly breathless.

She swallowed, slowly sitting up. She bit back the pained groan that protested the movement.

Noticing the change in the young woman’s facial features, Vincent frowned. “How are you feeling?”

The blonde sighed, placing a hand to her forehead. “Like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed, his frown deepening at the grimace. His eyes traveled down to the girl’s side. The red edges were noticeably darkening, slowly spreading out into a spider-like pattern as they crept up to the bottom of her ribcage.

He placed a hand to his girlfriend’s forehead.

She’s getting worse…

Vincent sighed as he stood up, carefully helping the girl to her feet. “Just try to take it easy, okay, darling?”

Alice froze. Flushing a deep crimson.

Did he just…call her…?

“D-Da-Darling?” she stuttered, her blush deepening.

Vincent gave a somewhat bashful smile at the reaction, raising a hand to rub the back of his head. Truth be told, the term of endearment had slipped out without a conscious thought.

Alice cleared her throat, feeling more than a little awkward. Lord! It was only a pet-name! By all rights, she shouldn’t be quite so jumpy.

However…

The blonde looked away. “A-about last night…”

Vincent’s head immediately snapped up. “Yes?”

The blonde hesitated for a moment before finally raising her eyes to meet his questioning gaze. “Did you mean it?”

The brunette’s features softened as he pressed a hand to her cheek, brushing it with the pad of his thumb. “Now and forever.”

Alice failed to hold back the tears that welled in her eyes. “I-I choose you,” she echoed. Rules, responsibilities, and obnoxious adoptive brothers momentarily forgotten, she gently pulled the boy into her arms.

She smiled as she rested her cheek against his chest, amusement dancing in her eyes at his skipping heartbeat.

She had a boyfriend!

To say that Alice was elated would be an understatement. She was practically floating on air! She wouldn’t mess this up. She was going to be the best lover the boy would ever hope to find.

Pulling back after a moment, she then took notice of the brunette’s change in wardrobe.

He now wore a pair of dark blue jeans. At the foot of the bed sat a green shirt that she assumed he meant to put on.

She only now noticed that his hair was also slightly damp.

Just how long had he been up?

Noting her puzzled look, Vincent gave a sheepish smile. “Couldn’t sleep.”

A look of sympathy passed over the blonde’s face. “Yeah. The sooner we get out of here, the better off we’ll be.”

Vincent nodded. “Couldn’t agree more.”

Alice turned and made her way over to the candle that had remained on the nightstand long after it had burnt itself out.

Though early morning, it was still dark enough that she would need the extra illumination.

She cracked a small smile. After all, she didn’t have the luxury of seeing in the dark as her boyfriend did.

Peering inside the candle, the teen frowned. It was no good. Having no wax left to burn, the thing was now completely useless.

She shrugged. No matter.

Snapping her fingers, a small flame materialized. Curling her fingers, she transferred the fire to her palm.

Vincent watched in awe.

Her power was as beautiful as it was deadly.

The boy smiled. “Got your own personal candle, I see.”

His girlfriend chuckled lightly. It was a sweet sound. A sound that lifted his spirits after what he’d been forced to do to her ‘brother’ the prior night.

And he wasn’t without remorse. He knew good and well that he’d terrified the boy. Truth be told, he wouldn’t have been surprised to find he’d pissed himself after their exchange.

He ran a hand through his damp locks. Of course, that had been the point of their little ‘chat’. He’d had a message to send. He was done allowing others to tell him how to feel. That his feelings were wrong. Fake. Manufactured.

The teen almost snorted in disgust.

The fool. His safety was almost assured. With Alice’s injuries, he was the only one capable of providing her aid.

“I suppose I should find myself something too. Sooner rather than later, this prison getup is gonna attract unwanted attention,” the girl mused, snapping her boyfriend from his thoughts.

He nodded in agreement. “I found these clothes I got in the dresser over there,” he spoke, pointing to a tall dresser in the very back corner of the room.

Alice hummed, making her way over to the indicated wardrobe.

There were various items of clothing. From sweaters to shorts, the owner of the house seemed to have been prepared for a multitude of weather conditions.

The blonde grimaced at the range in size. A great majority of the clothing seemed to be in size large. No chance for a good fit.

She struck gold as she finally stumbled across a pair of gray sweatpants that were a size medium with an elastic waistband and drawstring.

At least they wouldn’t be too terribly large on her.

Sapphire eyes lit up as she discovered a blue t-shirt of the same size. She would have to continue to wear the panties and bra she had, but at least this would do for now.

Outfit selected, she extinguished her flame.

She shot her boyfriend a grin. “Pretty bad when a set of borrowed clothes and a hot shower make you feel like the richest person on the planet, huh?”

Vincent chuckled. He was inclined to agree. Then again, he supposed he was getting used to it in a way.

The teen frowned. It was a thought that didn’t sit well with him.

“You alright?”

Vincent shook his head at the sound of his girlfriend’s voice. At her worried frown, he gave her a tender smile as he walked over to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m fine. Why don’t you go get your shower, so Kurt can have a look at that wound?”

The blonde gave a sour frown, but nodded, nonetheless.

****

Jack eyed the brunette sitting at the table with suspicion as he reached into the refrigerator, retrieving a carton of orange juice he’d seen earlier. “You alive over there?” he muttered, taking a swig.

The boy seemed to flinch slightly, as if just now noticing him, before grumbling lightly under his breath.

Jack rolled his eyes. He probably didn’t want to know. Handing the carton of juice off to Matthew, he folded his arms. Following the line of the teen’s gaze didn’t do wonders to improve his mood either.

Alice and Vincent had emerged from their bedroom, talking quietly as the blonde made her way to the bathroom.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right out here, okay?”

Alice nodded, giving a soft smile.

The pair paused a moment, a brief look passing between them before the blonde leaned forward to peck a quick kiss against the boy’s lips.

Jack gave a bemused grin as the child next to him let out a snorting giggle at witnessing the sight.

“Yuck.”

Jack chuckled. Looks like he learns fast, he mused, eyeing the raven-haired teen as he approached them. “It seems you’ve been shown what a girlfriend is. I take it the talk went well?”

Vincent flashed a small, fond smile. Noticing Kurt’s stare, he turned his attention to the young scientist.

Kurt quickly looked away.

Jack quirked a brow as he eyed the brown-eyed brunette once more. “Wow. I would’ve thought for sure that would get you going. You sure you’re feeling alright?”

Kurt shook his head, looking anywhere but his amber-eyed nemesis. “Just wanna get going, is all,” he grumbled finally, not missing the psychopath’s look of approval.

Jack shrugged. “Fair enough.” He turned back to Vincent. “I take it your girlfriend shares the same sentiment?”

Vincent nodded, taking the carton of orange juice from Matthew when the boy offered it to him. “Yes, but she’s in a lot of pain again. That pill you gave her has worn off. I think the infection is getting worse too.”

Jack sighed. “I was afraid of that.” Pausing, his turned to the young scientist. “You probably should take a look at it. I’ll do some digging around and see if I can find some actual antibiotics. Those painkillers are nice, but they aren’t gonna do shit for a dead girl.”

Kurt pursed his lips as Vincent’s gaze fell onto him once more. “You’re the one that’s got her walking around shirtless. What do you need me for? I would have thought you got a good look yourself,” he finally grumbled, averting his eyes again.

Vincent’s eyes narrowed briefly before a bit of amusement crept into his amber eyes. “As a matter of fact, I did. It looks like it’s getting worse to me, but I’m not a doctor.”

“Everything is getting worse,” Kurt mumbled under his breath with an agitated sigh as he rose from the table.

“Well, doctor?”

“I’m not a…” he paused, giving some consideration to his response. “Look, just have her come see me when she gets out.”

“Where are you going?” Jack questioned, his brows furrowing.

Kurt paused, glancing between Vincent and the sergeant for a moment. “T-to get some air,” he finally muttered, taking his leave out the back door.

Jack shot a questioning look to Vincent as the teen took over Kurt’s previous spot at the table. “You got any idea what’s going on with him?”

Vincent shrugged before he took another drink of orange juice. “Just seems to be in one of his moods, I suppose.” He placed the carton back onto the table as he spared the sergeant a smile. “Or he might’ve finally gotten the point.”

****

Alice gave a blissful sigh as she leaned back against the bathroom door, closing her eyes. Despite the pain tearing through her side like a set of angry claws, she was sure she’d stumbled upon a slice of heaven that had fallen to Earth.

She couldn’t seem to help the girlish giggle that bubbled up in her throat.

The boy was a sweetheart, indeed. And if he remained as sensitive to her touch as he had been last night… Oh, she was going to take great pleasure in exploring this newfound intimacy.

However…

The blonde smiled as she made her way over to the shower. There was actually a small part of her that was glad that the boy hadn’t followed her in.

If she had to see him naked one more time, she didn’t trust herself to be alone with him in such a setting any longer after last night.

We’d go further…

The teen girl closed her eyes, blushing. God, why had she said that?!

Quickly shaking her head to dispel her amorous thoughts, the shy teen darted over to the shower, the prospect of hot water adding a spring to her step. Anything to stop the chills and aches plaguing her body.

The teen gave a contented sigh as the water ran down her back, thoroughly enjoying the moment of solace and respite.

****

Jack clicked his tongue as he observed his companions from the kitchen table. Despite their change in outfits, he couldn’t help but notice their slippers were all the same. He doubted anyone in town would make too big a deal out of that commonality, but he imagined it’d be a good idea to get at least one of them differing in footwear.

He scanned his eyes over to Matthew. Gray shirt, gray pants, and slippers: hardly the typical attire of a kid his age. Too bland. Drab enough to provoke a quirked brow at a minimum.

True, the kid was a slave. The outfit wouldn’t be too difficult to talk off. Plus, the boy had a chip implanted in his right hand and one on the neck. He could show that proof easily. Problem is, if anyone scanned him, he’d show as belonging to the government. That would lead to questions; questions he would have less viable answers to if he were pressed.

Jack was already taking quite the risk, himself, by not ditching his uniform. No doubt he’d been reported as absent without official leave. He could imagine the bulletins now. It wouldn’t be particularly difficult to identify a soldier, a slave, and three escapees.

Still, even if he did strip down and dress as a civilian, he had no intentions of ditching the rifle. It was too dangerous to go without it, and perilous to travel with it. The firearm would certainly draw attention. Most civilians weren’t permitted to open carry, let alone possess a gun at all, unless they had permits. The papers didn’t come cheap, and he didn’t exactly have the time to drag along a folder full of proof that would have identified him to the world as an AWOL case.

“We should get moving soon,” Jack said as he looked outside the kitchen window. The sky outside was a dark, muted blue with a trace of morning light peeking over the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before that sliver would give way to the day. “It wouldn’t take us long to get to Segan from here.”

“And do what?” Kurt asked.

The chair Jack sat upon slid upon his standing. He looked at the boy with bemused interest. “Well, you can stay here. I’m sure people won’t notice the broken window on the front of the house for at least a little while.”

The teen lowered his head.

“We can settle in Segan, if you have no interest in heading home.”

Alice spoke up. “Too close to the prison.”

The sergeant nodded in agreement. The further they could get from that place the better. “Or we can pass on through, get a few things we need, and keep moving.”

“Is there a car here? A truck?” Vincent asked.

Kurt shook his head. “Already checked,” he said in a defeated tone, one that hinted at the worst news. “I’m afraid we’re walking.”

Alice put a hand on the sergeant’s soldier. “With that in mind, what are we getting from town? And with what money?”

Jack reached into his coat and pulled out a wallet. “Courtesy of Tomas Espinoza, our deceased host.” He worked his fingers through the top layer of leather to reveal money. “We can get that boy over there some real clothes.”

“Clothes?” Kurt asked in disbelief. “You really think that is the priority right now?”

“And shoes too,” Jack continued, trying not to lose his temper with the teen. “I don’t know if you all noticed, but you’re all sporting the same pair of slippers. That will get noticed. Did anyone try any of the shoes on here?”

Vincent nodded. “Afraid my foot is too big. The shoe is about a size and half too small.”

“Doesn’t fit me either. Opposite problem,” Kurt said.

Alice gave him a sheepish smile. “Too big for me.”

Jack sighed. So much for cutting spending. “Alright. We’ll deal. Besides, we need to discuss something else: Namely, Alice. You said she was getting infected?”

Kurt nodded. “Found some amoxicillin. I’d like to make sure that fentanyl is out of her system before we go giving her any,” he said. He peered at the girl looking at him in confusion. “Coma. Breathing problems. Those sorts of delightful outcomes.”

“How long?” the sergeant asked.

“Better part of today at least. I’d prefer tomorrow.”

Alice glared. “I’d prefer to live.”

The sergeant interrupted them. Anything to maintain the peace. “You two sort that out later. We need to gather some supplies from the home. I believe I saw some water bottles. The big kind you’d take on a camping trip. Will come in handy among the five of us.”

“Four of us before much longer,” Alice muttered.

Vincent wrapped his arms around the woman from behind. He whispered something to her. Probably urging her not to talk like that, if Jack had to guess.

The group set to work. Before long, in about three minutes of rummaging, they’d uncovered three water bottles. Two of the containers were 64-ounces. The other one was 48-ounces. Beyond that, they snagged a few bags of barbeque-flavored potato chips.

It was the best they had available to them. Jack overturned a few mattresses. No hidden stash of money, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize the group’s safety spending his time rooting through the house. The wallet had a credit card in it. That’d be traceable, especially once people caught wind of the owner’s demise. Still, it was an option for the short term, if they found themselves in a pinch.

As the team made their way to the door, Alice stepped in front of Vincent. The girl shoved something black into the young man’s hands.

“Slow it down, there, kitty cat.”

Vincent cocked his head at her for a moment. She’d handed him a pair of sunglasses, from what Jack could see.

“For those eyes of yours,” she said. “Believe me, they will draw attention.”

“Kitty, huh?” he asked with a sly grin. “If you give me milk and a nice rub, I’ll be more than happy to purr for you.”

Heat rose to the girl’s cheeks at that response. God, she was in so much trouble with this one. That sweet-talking tongue of his was sure to do her in. “D-down, cat. Or else…”

Vincent looked at her expectantly, eager to find out what the else entailed. His face moved inches from her own. Then he closed the distance, touching their noses together with the advancement.

Alice looked as though she could’ve melted into a puddle of goo and affection from the boy’s amorous advance.

Seeing it best to put an end to the show, Jack bumped Vincent with his elbow. He cleared his throat before he addressed them. “Save the foreplay for later. Need I remind you horny kids that the goal is to not be noticed?”

Matthew tilted his head in confusion as the pair laughed awkwardly at the sergeant’s comment. “Foreplay? Horny? What’s that?”

Everyone looked at the child in horror. Jack realized he’d opened Pandora’s Box. “Things pertaining to them. Leave it at that. You’re much too young to appreciate, uh…well, such icky things.”

Matthew shrugged, willing to accept the answer for what it was.

Vincent smiled at Alice. “He says we’re icky,” he remarked with a grin before he kissed his lieutenant. The girl looked flustered before she shoved the sunglasses towards him once again.

He chuckled before he put them on, content with the display he’d provoked from her.

They left the residence. By the time they were halfway down the hill from the cottage, going into town, the morning sun had come with the dawn. All traces of the night dissipated as their group, worn from the previous events, stepped into a new day, unsure of what lied ahead.

****

Alice couldn’t help but smile as Matthew skipped merrily ahead of them, quite pleased with his new outfit. Gone forever were the drab rags of a lowly kitchen slave. Instead, a green jacket, navy-blue shirt, jeans, and dark gray boots now comprised his wardrobe.

She vaguely wondered just when the last time was that the poor boy was actually given clothes.

The blonde frowned. She couldn’t help but notice that the boy had yet to speak of his mother again. She had tried to get him to open up several times while they were still imprisoned, but to no avail. He hadn’t even said anything about bringing her along when they’d escaped.

She would be lying if she were to say that the guilt that they had probably left her behind didn’t gnaw at her.

The teen’s eyes narrowed. First thing she was going to do for him when they got back was have those vile chips in him removed.

Sparing a glance at the hand intertwined with her own, she smiled softly to herself. There were sure to be changes once they returned, but she couldn’t say that she wasn’t looking forward to it.

There’s nothing to go back to. Pheora’s gone…

The blonde’s expression darkened as she recalled her brother’s words.

“You okay?”

Alice turned to her boyfriend then, forcing a small smile. “About as okay as can be expected.”

Vincent gave a sympathetic frown. He knew she had to be in pain. Having walked for what had to be nearly two hours now with no pain killer for relief, he was almost positive that the young woman was masking excruciating pain behind a pleasant smile.

The group reached the shade of a large pine tree, and Alice winced as Vincent gently helped her to sit down.

“How’s she doing?” Jack asked as he made his way over to the pair.

Vincent shook his head before the girl could answer. “Not well. We need to stop. This is too much with that infection.”

The sergeant sighed, giving a sympathetic glance to the blonde as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I really am, but we have too far to go to be stopping now.”

The blonde pursed her lips as she closed her eyes briefly. It wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t feel tearing and burning with every breath. “It can’t be helped.”

When it looked as though Vincent would speak up again, Jack cut him off. “Look, our only chance to get you guys back home is to catch a train to Tolson from Fayette.”

“Fayette?” Vincent questioned.

“It’s a port-town about forty miles north from Sardona,” Alice interjected, pulling herself to her feet.

“Well, how far is Sardona, then?” Vincent inquired.

“Too far,” the blonde mumbled.

Her boyfriend cast her a sympathetic glance before turning his gaze back to Jack.

The sergeant nodded. “I’m afraid so. I’d wager about another twenty-five miles or so.”

Alice cursed under her breath. It wasn’t exactly a very promising situation. “There’s no way I’m making it that far today.”

Jack shook his head. “I’m not asking you to. However, we need to keep going for at least another hour or two.” He turned back to Vincent. “You may need to carry her again.”

Alice seemed to groan at the mere notion. The man was clearly a sadist.

Vincent frowned. “You’re joking, right?”

The sergeant shook his head. “Look, I know it isn’t ideal, but-”

“It’s borderline cruel is what it is,” Vincent cut him off. “If merely breathing is hurting her this badly, what do you think the pressure of being carried is gonna do?”

“You guys coming, or what?” Kurt called, seemingly oblivious to the situation. He and Matthew were now a good couple yards away as they trailed ahead.

They stared expectantly.

Vincent and Alice exchanged a dejected glance.

The brunette sighed as he kneeled to the ground, pulling his girlfriend onto his shoulders.

Alice held in the pained yelp that begged to escape her lips from the shift. She closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck, burying her face into his raven hair to hide her tears.

With that, the group trudged on.

****

Four days. The group had been traveling nonstop for the past four days. Kurt had counted their progress through a crude measurement he had devised since they’d left Segan. Whenever the sun descended, their bodies followed suit, collapsing into whatever ditch or hole in the ground they had happened to stumble upon. The only thing saving them from exposure and severe blisters on their feet was the new clothing and footwear Jack had purchased in Segan. Whenever morning came, they stood on aching feet and moved forward with the light of day as their guide. They had followed this unpleasant ritual four times with no sign of civilization to show for their troubles.

Not even a pot to piss in, Kurt thought as he suppressed his urge to laugh. Or was the urge to cry? He could do both, given how he felt.

He honestly hadn’t recalled such a hot Autumn. Never like this one with blistering heat during the day and an inhospitable chill at night. It was as if the very weather was employed by The Order, tormenting them at every turn.

He’d definitely lost weight since Segan. Easily more than ten pounds by his estimation. The same could be said of the others.

The only positive development revolved around the wound Alice bore. It had been an irritable red with traces of yellow pus. Thankfully, that had finally begun to taper off. Gone was the discharge; the antibiotic had seen to that outcome within three days.

She still cried out in pain on occasion. He wanted to wait another sunrise before he allowed her to take a painkiller. Mitigate the risk. That decision promptly got him called a bastard. Alice at least apologized for her outburst, blaming it on her pain.

Vincent spent his time glaring daggers into him at every opportunity. Kurt feared if he didn’t placate him soon, the teen would settle for sticking the pocketknife he carried on his person into him instead.

“This place,” Jack murmured.

The sergeant had moved ahead of the group. Kurt picked up his pace and strode over to the man to see what sight had prompted his lamentation.

If the technician had to describe what he saw, he would have said the view was of a bombed city. Husks of buildings littered the blackened valley below them. A desolate place, where most traces of greenery lied purged from existence.

“What the hell happened here?” Kurt asked.

“I did,” Alice spoke coldly from behind him.

Upon hearing those words, he knew immediately where they were. Leo had once told him about the day he ventured into the ruins of Sardona. About the great explosion that rocked the area. He had told him all about the crying child covered in grit and ash. Most importantly, his foster parent stressed how dangerous the girl could be. From the dismal sight, he was inclined to agree with that assessment.

“You did this?” Jack questioned. His tone lifted in surprise.

“Courtesy of your general,” Alice darkly replied, the bitterness in the tone practically spat out at the sergeant. “He stole me from my home. Gave me this accursed touch.”

Jack’s expression softened. “How did you do this?”

“It happened after I escaped the prison,” she said. She looked toward Vincent as she spoke. The boy nodded in encouragement. “I couldn’t tell what I did. It just happened.”

Kurt approached her. “You were taken to Fort Brein. How did you get so far? I mean, it took us almost a week to get here since we left the prison. I didn’t imagine that, did I?”

Alice frowned. “My memory is fuzzy. Someone picked me up in a car and brought me home. I was…barely conscious. The rest is…” the woman made a puff sound with her mouth, “…history.”

“Jesus,” Jack muttered.

The lieutenant began to descend the valley; the others followed.

“I remember this heat. Relentless. Intense. It felt like my insides had been set on fire. Breathing hurt. I really should have been taken to a hospital in hindsight. Not that it would have made a difference. Everyone burned all the same.”

Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m so sorry.”

“I can still hear their screams from time to time. Then again, they may have been my own. I’d say most of them died instantaneously. I’d like to think that anyway. I remember passing out at one point. I have no idea for how long. When I woke up…well, everything was gone. That’s when Leo found me.”

Her words didn’t inspire much in the way of conversation, not when their feet treaded upon a graveyard of her making.

When they made it into the city, Kurt felt uneasy. Something about this place set his nerves on edge: The smell. It felt dry, suffocating even, to him. He could only imagine the intensity the air held when the fires came and had reduced this hub of civilization into cinders.

“At least we’re closer to our goal,” Jack said, attempting to spark some positivity into the conversation. “Fayette won’t be much further. We could stay here tonight, catch our bearings, and continue onward.”

Alice shook her head. “Don’t bother. Sardona is a dead place. You won’t find sanctuary here,” the woman said as she gestured towards what looked to be the remnants of a church. “Only ghosts and memories turned sour lie here.”

“It’s a roof over our heads,” Kurt said in exasperation. “Dusk is upon us as we speak. You really that eager to go roaming around in the night?”

Matthew spoke. “Yes.”

Everyone turned to face the six-year-old boy.

“I…I don’t know. This place doesn’t feel safe. And I really don’t like the sounds of ghosts.”

Kurt snorted. “That’s a figure of speech.”

“Maybe for you,” the lieutenant muttered before she walked away from him. The worry on her face sent Vincent trotting after her.

Jack put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “We’ll stay for a few hours. Might find something.”

“Find what?”

“Maybe nothing. Just look around, give your sister a little time. This…is not easy on her. I imagine she’ll need a bit to make peace. At least with the ones who perished.”

Kurt held back a sigh. He didn’t want to start any further trouble with the sergeant. Not when he was already stewing in hot water with him. He didn’t care to get into any debates concerning the hereafter. Not when they were barely making it through the here and now. He didn’t need to entertain conversation concerning spirits and hauntings.

Darting past the church, he walked into what looked to be a small house, a parsonage he ventured, that lied upon the property. The door to the building opened easily enough. He took a step forward.

The floorboard collapsed. He let out a yelp as he fell to the ground. His startled cry turned into a scream as he gazed into the visage of a rotten face. A rancid smell, intense enough to make him retch, seared his nostrils. Maggots had long since made a meal of the deceased person in front of him. Debris pinned the body to the ground. The roof had caved in on the man, from what he could tell.

Though he’d been dead a while, Kurt imagined the individual’s decay had occurred several months ago. A transient seeking shelter from the elements, based on the rags the man wore.

That could be me. That could be any one of us if we stay.

Suddenly, the idea of contending with aching feet and blindly stumbling around in the dark seemed much more reasonable.

Kurt winced, holding back tears as he plucked the shard of wood out of his ankle. Blood spilled from it as he stood up. The pain did not hold him back; he fled from the house as fast as his injured foot could carry him. Jack awaited him outside looking upon him with concern. He didn’t say anything to him, merely kept walking. If the sergeant wanted to go rooting through rubble, let him. He would take his chances outside in the cold.

****

Alice, despite her pain, hugged her arms tightly around herself as she slowly shuffled through the charred remains of the city she’d once called home.

Even after eleven long years, no greenery seemed inclined to take root.

Sullen eyes trailed along the melted and dilapidated roofs of what once were homes.

In a way, it felt almost as if it were a dream. A strange, twisted nightmare filled with the blood and screams of innocent lives that she would never awaken from. She supposed that was her atonement. Her grim reminder of what would surely happen again if she were to ever lose control of her powers.

There was no doubt about it: She was a monster.

Turning a corner, her lip trembled.

The deep, blackened crater was unmistakable. Being at the source of the blast, the structure had taken the brunt of the hit. Nothing remained of the large, white house. Not the white, wooden fence. Not the large apple tree that her mother had warned her no less than a hundred times not to climb. Not even the porch swing where she would take her afternoon naps in her father’s lap after lunch had been just a little too good.

Nearing the edge of the rim, the blonde dropped to her knees as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

They never even had a chance.

Alice quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn’t deserve to cry.

So many innocent people…

Apparently, according to what Leo claimed, the damage had even reached the outskirts of Fayette. While there had been minimal loss of life, several buildings collapsed from the resulting tremors that resembled a level two earthquake in magnitude.

The first few weeks under Leo’s care had been…difficult. She had been fed a strict diet of cold foods. Bathed in cool water. Anything to attempt to quell the raging fire within her. Only after her temperature stabilized was she set free from the extensive monitoring.

Footsteps drew the young woman’s attention. She turned to face the only thing that kept her from cursing her past outright…

Vincent

The brunette regarded her with sympathetic eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. He opened and closed his mouth several times, seeming to search for the right words to say but failing in his quest. Finally, his eyes drifted to the crater. “This was your home, wasn’t it?”

The blonde looked away, choking back the sob that bubbled in her throat as she nodded.

Vincent’s heart ached at the sight. He rubbed her back gently. “I’m so sorry, Alice. I’m so very sorry.”

The boy felt beyond lame, worthless even, but what else was there to be said in such a situation? After all, no mere words would undo such a tragedy.

The lieutenant remained silent. Any words spoken by the woman at that moment would have sent the walls holding her composure crashing into oblivion with a fresh flood of tears. She didn’t want anyone to see her so pitiful. It wasn’t her right to cry, or to lament the things taken from her.

Not when it was of her own doing.

Footsteps scraped upon the earth. Both teens looked to acknowledge the young boy that had joined them.

Matthew said nothing as he slowly approached. He knelt next to her, tracing his hand along the black depression in the ground. He looked up at her. “Your home?”

Smart kid. Almost too much for his own good, Alice thought.

The woman nodded. Once she was sure she could speak without blubbering, she voiced a response. “Yes. It once was.”

God, she felt so loathsome. Even those words came so shakily. Still, she wanted to provide at least some degree of conversation to the boy. She also wanted to voice her apologies to another ghost that deserved acknowledgment.

“Matthew?”

The boy looked at her expectantly.

“I…we never got a chance to talk about your mother. Madison Fairchild, you said, right?”

He nodded.

“I had a friend with that name. A young woman, older than me by a few years. She was a cadet in The Resistance,” Alice said. A smile graced her lips. “She helped get me through a really hard time in my life. I’m..” The blonde trailed off momentarily, cursing the hot tears that welled in her eyes once more. “I’m only sorry that I wasn’t there for her. I-I tried to find her, but it was too late. She had disappeared, and I never knew what happened to her. Now we…we…we left her behind.”

Matthew looked away. “No."

Alice sniffed, wiping her eyes as she gave the boy a questioning look.

The child frowned as if recalling some deeply repressed memory. His next utterance made the two teens’ hearts turn to stone.

“She was already dead. She died a year ago. When I was taken to the prison.”

The young woman felt fresh tears sting her eyes as she pulled the boy to her. “I’m sorry. I’m SO sorry, Matthew,” she sobbed, gently rubbing the boy’s head as she held him to her.

Matthew stiffened, biting his lip in a desperate attempt to keep the dam built up around the flood of tears. For a moment, he said nothing. He was simply content to accept the young woman’s comfort.

How long had it been since he’d felt a hug?

After a moment, Alice pulled back to fix the boy with a warm gaze. “Matthew, your mom was one of my best friends. I-” She paused. Drawing in a breath, she finally continued. “I know it’s not going to be the same. And I know nothing is ever going to bring her back, but…If you’d like…I would like to look after you.” She quirked a grin. “Oh, the stories I could tell you…”

She knew that the boy likely had no father. After all, Madison had said that she had birthed him through the program. Even if she hadn’t, the likelihood of locating the boy’s father was slim at best. And the child definitely didn’t need the emotional and psychological damage that the knowledge of the Program would bring.

After all, she’d seen the damage firsthand.

The blonde spared a glance at her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye. She was concerned for him as well. It was only a matter of time before they would begin their attempts on him.

Over her dead body!

Matthew gave a soft laugh, snapping the young woman from her thoughts. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” The boy paused, a frown suddenly tugging at his lips as they began to tremble. “I miss her.”

Alice hugged the boy again.

“I’ve been thinking,” Matthew began as Alice pulled away. “I think I want to be a soldier like you and Mom when I-”

“No, you don’t!” Alice immediately barked, causing the child to shrink back. “You don’t know what you’d be signing up for. Right now, you have one job, and that’s being a kid. Got it?”

The child hastily nodded, clearly not eager to get on the young woman’s bad side. Especially not if she was to be his new caregiver.

Sighing, the young blonde shook her head in exasperation before gently brushing the boy’s cheek. “We should probably head back and meet up with the others.”

Matthew and Vincent nodded, following the blonde as she walked away.

****

Vincent couldn’t seem to keep the relieved smile from his lips as the group finally reached Fayette. Tired, sore, and so very hungry after yet another four days of tireless travel, the party of five all but wept tears of joy as they beheld the wondrous sight.

In many ways, it strongly reminded Vincent of a slightly larger Pheora.

Even from the outskirts of the city, the sails of great, large ships could be seen flapping in the morning, coastal breeze. Merchants lined the streets, loudly chiming their efforts in selling their wares. People shuffled about, shopping and chattering away.

All in all, the city seemed to be teeming with life.

“I say we get a decent meal for once,” Kurt spoke, his tone hopeful.

“Not a great idea,” Alice replied. “Remember, we’re supposed to be passing through. The longer we linger here, the more likely we are to run into trouble.”

Both Kurt and Matthew exchanged defeated looks upon the answer. Their potato chips had run out the day before, and they had been hoping for something a little better than an eat-and-run scenario.

Jack nodded. “I’m not saying that we can’t grab some food, but keep in mind that we’re carrying a stolen credit card. One that needs to be parted ways with soon.”

With a sigh, the group resigned themselves, settling on a street vendor selling freshly made sandwiches.

Once they’d successfully satiated their hunger for the time being, the five set about gathering supplies for the rest of their journey. They replaced their water supply and purchased a small backpack to carry a light number of rations.

After all, the train into Tolson would take them around a day. After that, there would be another two days or so spent covering the twenty miles from Tolson to the base.

If there even still was a base.

Though none had given voice to the concern in several days, the question still weighed heavily on their minds. The last thing any of them wanted to consider was that their journey had all been in vain.

The group passed by a newsstand as they made their way down the crowded street toward the train station.

Alice’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the front page on display.

Emperor Shiro Lynched by Mob on Steps of the Holy Council!

“Guys,” she murmured, gesturing.

All eyes widened.

“This could mean the end of the war,” Kurt whispered.

“Or chaos the likes of which you’ve never seen,” Jack returned, shaking his head. “They’ll tear themselves apart from the inside out before they go waving the white flag.”

Vincent slid his hand into his girlfriend’s, giving it a squeeze. “If…if it is really over, what will The Resistance do?”

“Heal,” Alice replied without hesitation. “Just like the rest of the world.”

“But where will we go, then?” Matthew questioned.

Alice smiled, leaning down to face the young boy. “Wherever we want, Matthew. We’d be free. I don’t know about you, but I think a nice house with a view of the ocean sounds pretty good, don’t you?”

The boy beamed, nodding enthusiastically. “I love the ocean!”

Alice gave another soft smile, her gaze turning to Vincent briefly. “So do I.”

“Sounds like paradise to me,” Vincent murmured.

Paradise, indeed. In fact, if the boy were pressed, he doubted that he could think of anything that compared with the prospect. A normal life? With her? Waking up every day next to her? Even just thinking about it sent his heart pounding.

Kurt sucked in a breath as though he’d been struck. A normal life? Of his own? Even just to think about it nearly brought him to tears of joy. He could finally go to university. Or get that coveted job in engineering.

“We need to be on the move,” Jack finally spoke, urging the group on after a moment. Though he would love nothing more than to allow the teens to bask in the prospect of a life free of persecution, time was of the essence.

Arriving at the station, the sergeant motioned the teens around to the back of the building to remain out of sight and earshot.

“Here’s the deal, guys. While I could technically buy us all tickets with this card, there’s the nasty, little detail of having to be verified by the system to purchase any sort of travel papers.”

The teens widened their eyes as realization dawned on them.

“You guys don’t have the chips in you, so it would most definitely flag the system.”

“And we’d be right back where we started,” Alice sighed.

Jack shrugged. “If we weren’t shot outright.”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “Sounds lovely.”

The sergeant continued. “Well, there’s also the fact that, if we purchase tickets with this card, anyone tracking it will see where we’re going.”

“So what’s the plan?” Kurt asked, adjusting the straps of the backpack he wore.

“We sneak aboard,” the sergeant replied. “It’s the only way. We can’t risk them scanning you guys or the kid.”

“But that’s crazy. How are we gonna sneak on board a train?”

Alice rolled her eyes at her brother. “You that eager to be put back in a cage?”

The brunette shuddered, quickly snapping his mouth shut.

“I think our best bet would be to find a cargo train. No inspections during the trip. Sure, we’d have to watch it boarding here and then again in Tolson, but that would be it. We sneak onto one of those passenger trains, and it could get ugly,” Jack suggested.

The trio of teens agreed.

A few hours later saw the group seated at the very back of a cargo car.

Vincent sat with his back propped up against the wall as he gazed out the side of the car that Jack had opened once they’d left the station. After so long of traveling on foot, it felt almost like a luxury to be riding in transportation again. Perhaps they would be able to get some decent rest, though he supposed that wouldn’t truly come until they were well out of danger.

The boy’s amber eyes drifted to their small group. They had gone through so much together within the last week. As the moment of truth drew near, he couldn’t help but wonder what would become of them if the journey really did turn out to be in vain.

The brunette turned his attention to the blonde head resting against his shoulder.

His lips curved into a tender smile as he wrapped an arm around his slumbering girlfriend. A soft sigh left her lips as she snuggled further into his side, seeking the comfort his warmth provided.

Girlfriend. A part of him still couldn’t quite believe it.

No. No experience with her could possibly be in vain. The sweet memory of their time at the lake beckoned the boy back, bringing another smile to his lips. Then the cottage. The hallowed place where he’d spilled his very soul to her, watching on bated breath as she clicked the final piece into place, making him whole for the first time he could ever remember.

The teen closed his eyes as he leaned his head back to rest against the wall. No. In a way, he’d forever treasure this moment. For while this particular adventure was drawing to a close, the end was merely giving way to a new beginning…with her…