A Kingdom of Our Own

Chapter Eleven - The Godfather

Dalton didn’t have to run for long and even if he did, he wouldn’t have lasted out much longer. In a matter of minutes he had slowed to a brisk walk, gasping for breath and looking around to try and get a bearing as to where it was he’d ended up.

There wasn’t anybody about, coming much to Dalton’s relief, although he had expected that much. It was the dead of night after all. For now at least he figured he was safe. It hadn’t taken long for his Mom to realise any sort of pursuit was hopeless and Blake certainly wouldn’t come looking for him. They hated each other’s guts and he was probably sitting there on the sofa right now, pretending to be remorseful when really it was he who had intended for all of this to happen in the first place. In fact, it probably wouldn’t be until the morning when Elijah found out what had happened and they came to realise that Dalton didn’t intend to come back that they would take any sort of action or inform the police on his disappearance.

Amongst so much uncertainty, one thing Dalton was sure on was that Elijah would come looking for him. He’d never give up either, because he simply cared so much for his younger sibling and for a moment or two Dalton was saddened by the fact that he’d never got the opportunity to say goodbye to his brother; the one person in life who had never let him down. It was only when he began to think on all the things his sibling had done for him over the years, since the departure of his Father, that brought him to think twice on his actions and the implications that would ensue them.

I might never see him again, he thought tearfully to himself. What if he needs me someday and I’m not there to help? He’s always been there for me.

Well Elijah does have Alice to stand by him now I suppose, he continued to think, countering his previous thoughts with some words of reassurance.

As far as his own life was concerned though, he knew that his days in Portland were numbered and his destiny was drifting to the open road. He’d be able to leave town with Harry now obviously, which lessened his concerns given that he’d go through all of this with a familiar face by his side. If he’d been alone, he’d probably have bottled it there and then. But he still worried a great deal. Where would they go? What would they do? How would they survive so far from home, away from all those who cared for them?

He didn’t have much of a family. His Father had been raised in a children’s home and his Mother had a sister in Arizona, but they never spoke. There was however a Godfather. Skandar his name was. Skandar Jepson. He was his Father’s oldest and truest friend, deemed so important that he’d been bestowed the honour of being the Godfather of his children. He visited from time to time, but contact had dried up lately, since his father’s absence and it had been over two summers since he had last seen him. Back then he’d been living in an Amish community near Waterville, up north in Washington State and so he guessed he could go there and stay with him for a while. They’d always got on extremely well, so there was no reason why he should object to the request. At the end of the day, he was his one and only hope. There was no other family he could turn to.

For sure, the boy was excited by the concept of travelling to a neighbouring state and moving away from the busy, congested city life. Now he was free to do as he pleased. It would be an adventure. A chance to start afresh and build a new identity for himself. Although he wasn’t all for taking risks like

Harry was, the daring sort, he still relished the idea of danger from time to time, taking weighty risks that could land him in a considerable amount of trouble. Not that he had much to lose anyway.

Although he’d made the journey to Harry’s house more times than he could remember, in the midst of the darkness and with a panicked state of mind, he made a few wrong turnings before he ended up where he wanted to be. Even then it didn’t take too long, although the time dragged out a considerable bit, with him being so tired and lonely. It was normally a place that Dalton dreaded to visit, a house so full of grief and sorrow, but given the circumstances he couldn’t help but feel a certain degree of relief on his arrival. No matter what happened here, at least he’d have a friend standing beside him who he trusted greatly.