Chapter 10: Reunion

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It's now late in the afternoon and we park at a church in the middle of the city. We all step out and stretch our legs, my leg's now fine and my shoulder's wrapped with cloth soaked in alcohol. "Son-of-a-bitch the fuel's low." Frank muttered and wipes his face.

Kieran approaches me and he immediately hugged me, "Darwin you're okay! I was so worried about you!" Kieran's tail wags, but his here... and that means the letter I gave him was useless!

I shove him away and slapped his cheek real hard. "Why didn't you listen to my fucking letter?!" I yelled at him, Kieran's tail suddenly drops and his eyes went watery. "You're supposed to stay! You wanna get yourself fucking killed, huh?! Do you!" I shove him again, and he fell down to the mud.

"Darwin stop!" Frank said, I confronted him and grabbed his shoulders. "Why did you let him?!" I yelled, he pushed me away and fought back, "He said he was being suicidal! He was about to kill himself back at home, Darwin!".

"What?" I take a step back and my paws started to shake. I look at Kieran, he's crying and whimpering. "I'm tired of being weak! People always push me around and torture me! If you and Chase are gone I have no reason to live anymore!" Kieran cried even more.

"You whiny little bitch!" I yelled at him, Kieran ran inside the church all by himself. "Kieran wait! It might be dangerous there!" Frank tried to call him out. "Oh for fucks sake Darwin go get him!" Jake yelled at me for the first time.

I enter the church, the colourful stained glass makes the lighting here pretty, "Kieran?" My voice echoes, "Kieran!" I called out again. Great job, Darwin...

I look around the chairs and the altar, I see a note on top of it, it reads: 'Mister Brown, your wife and I found a safe at the basement parking, the code is 11-18-14. We left all our valuables there and I think you should too.' "Well, thanks for the info." I said and kept the note in my bag.

Where could Kieran be? I try to find his scent but I can only smell rust and wood. I found muddy footsteps on the checkered tiles, it's his sole pattern alright, I remember giving those shoes for him on his birthday. I use the rusted spiral staircase and check upstairs, then I hear sobbing. It's coming from a room—"Kieran? That you?" I slowly open the door, he's sitting at the corner of the office crying.

"Kieran..." I said softly, "Just go! I don't wanna see you anymore! Just let me die!" Kieran hides his face from me, I take a sigh and look down. "I'm... I'm sorry." I said, "I didn't know you were depressed, you should've told me and maybe I could've helped you out." I said in a calm and upset tone, "You'll never understand." He said.

"That's because you didn't try to tell me. How am I supposed to understand if you don't try to speak up?" I said and Kieran went silent for a long while. "I just wish I was strong, people keep hurting me, Darwin. I can't even fight back because I'm weak and it's also wrong." Kieran slowly calmed down.

"Yes it's wrong to fight, but people are assholes and they mess with people like you because they want to show they're strong. You have to fight back, even if it means hurting someone—you understand? The world's not a place for people like you. You have to make yourself strong in order to keep yourself alive.".

He reminded me of Chase just like the day I met her, she was so innocent and only uses her gun when it's only necessary. Day by day back in Oregon, she got stronger and managed to overcome almost everything—she's a brave girl... that's what I wanted to see from Kieran.

 that's what I wanted to see from Kieran

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"I can't fight." He said, "Now's a good time for me to say this: you have to fight. Be strong, Kieran. No matter how cruel this world can be, you have to fight back." I lend my paw at him and he grabbed it, I raised him up and I hugged him. "I'm sorry about earlier, I just don't want to lose you..." I sniffed and about to cry.

"I should be the one apologising, it's my fault for not listening to your letter..." He said, I hugged him tightly knowing that this might just be my last. "Please, you have to live and grow up to become a strong, brave man." I said.

Few minutes after that emotional conversation, everyone's resting downstairs. I enter the dark basement with a wind up flashlight Frank gave me and found old antiques and other religious related furnitures, I'm looking for the safe. I can't smell any sulfur, "No Reefed? Good." I open some drawers and only found office supplies and documents. I enter an office and found the safe.

"Okay, what was the code again?" I brought out the paper and read the code again. "Alright, let's see." I turn the dial and follow the code, the safe was open. There's ammo, jewelry, and a pistol.

I kept all the things in my bag and come back upstairs. Frank and Jake rest on the floor with mats, while Kieran sits on the chair with his head facing down, is he praying?

I shouldn't disturb him, I confront the other two boys and I'm ready to go to Unity Station. "Frank, I have a lead where the cat is, her wolf friend's staying at Unity Station." I explained, "Unity Station... is it close?" He asked, "Yeah, we can get there in an hour by foot." Jake said.

"Wait, Kieran should stay here, it's too dangerous out there." I said, "Darwin, stay here with Kieran. I can handle this myself, I don't trust this raccoon." Frank said. "What? No! I'm going, your leg's still healing, you should rest. And besides, it's suicide to go out alone." I said, "She's my sister, Darwin! I can't just sit here and fucking pray! I'm going, whether you like it or not." Frank said angrily.

"Fine. Jake, you go with Frank. You have a lot of experience here in Colorado and please don't try to do anything stupid." I said, Jake salutes and said: "Roger that."

Frank sighs and step outside with Jake, "C'mon Jack, let's go." Frank shuts the door, I then locked it. I hear Jake saying: "My name is Jake." outside the door. I sit beside Kieran, it seems he's done praying. "Why didn't you go with them?" He asked, "It's not safe for you to come and it's dangerous for you to be here alone so I have to stay with you." I explained to him calmly.

"I guess I'm a burden now..." Kieran stammered, I sighed and slowly nodded. I open my bag and show him the pistol I found from the safe, "Kieran, I know you don't want to hold a gun again but I need you to have this." I give him the pistol, the fox starts to shake in fear.

"You should have known the risks of coming back to the outside world." I said. "But for now, let's just take a rest. From now on keep that pistol wherever you go." I said and stood up. "C'mon, let's find a spot to sleep.".

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