Cairo

Chapter 18: Loose Connections

'This is true hell.'

Fire destroyed. It put to rest the living and the dead, locked away secrets that no knew. Fire destroyed, fire took away, and fire cleansed. It burned the handmade floorboards, melted the imported metal pots, and it set free the chains that held down.

People rushed to the burning house with as many buckets of water as they could. Each one was frantic, serious to a point it hurt Cane just watching them. They were so desperately caring about a house that had no one to live in anymore, two people who they never liked in the first place. It was maddening. It was frightening. Cane tried to clear his head as he watched his house burn in flames that only seemed to rise higher the more water was thrown at them. He stood in the middle of a crowd of people who had gathered to see what had happened. Despite the noisy gossip flying through their mouths, they didn't care. No one cared. Not any one of the people trying to put the fire out, not anyone in the crowd.

Without a single word, Cane walked through the people who were more entranced by the fire than him. No one noticed him, and he was both happy and depressed at the same time. He walked up to Cairo who waited with Meredith at the city gates. She rushed to Cane as soon as she saw him, enveloping him in a long, tight hug.

"You poor thing," she cooed, stroking his head lightly with the tips of her fingers. "I so sorry. You lost everything. So much."

Cane stayed silently in her embrace for a couple minutes, relaxing in her touch before moving away. "None of this is your fault, you shouldn't be apologizing. I'm sure all of this happened for a reason, and besides, they never did have the best karma."

He tried to make a humorous joke, but his laugh came out as more of a sob. Meredith cupped his face in her hands, forcing his head up to look at her. She said nothing as she scanned the depths of his eyes, and when she found what she wanted, she let him go.

"Everyone always has same look," she sighed. Then she turned to Cairo. "You take care of him."

"I have been," Cairo said. "Though, he hasn't made it particularly easy for me, you have my word I'll protect him to the best of my ability. He brings more trouble than he's worth, but I know he's a good kid at heart."

She glanced at Cane before nodding. "I hope you will continue. And, Cane, if you need place to come home to, you come here. We always have room."

"Thanks, Meredith, I appreciate it, but I think that I want to find a place far away from here to settle down at. There's too many old memories here for me."

"I understand that," she said. "Perhaps that why I'm so entranced by this country. It very far away from homeland. You have safe trip, and when you find place, you come tell me so we can visit."

"Thanks for everything you've done, both you and Trent. Tell him I said bye for me."

"He miss you very much while you be gone," Meredith said, placing a soft kiss on Cane's forehead. "We love you so much. You remember that." She held onto his arms, searching his eyes again before giving him a small smile. "You be safe. There people waiting for you here."

Meredith called Cairo over to the side to talk to him in private. Cane stood in the middle of the street as he watched people go in and out of the city gates. A beep from inside of his backpack that Meredith brought pulled him out of his thoughts. He rummaged through the things Meredith put inside until he found the CDP. The screen flashed. Clicking it brought up a message.

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Call me soon.

From Aidan

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