Searching For A Home

Chapter 2

Diego felt something light touch his cheek and his hand came up to his face, waking him from his pleasant sleep. There was a light drizzle and Diego pushed himself up.

It was very early in the morning, 5am Diego believed, but he hadn't kept up with the specific time of day for a while now. He gathered his stuff quickly and stopped to look in the direction of where he last saw the marauders. Their fire was out and there was no sign they were still at their camp.

"Shit," said Diego to himself before dropping down inside the building.

Diego moved quickly and was back outside through the same way he entered. He pushed the window close.

He was careful as he went back into the street. He tightened his stuff around himself and went into a jog. He was going in the opposite direction of the marauders and going quite fast. The rain never picked up past a drizzle.

Hours passed when he reached an area he didn't recognize. He had to stop when he found the water level was getting a little too high. He didn't remember there being a lake all the way up here, but in this new world, all the lakes have become larger and this must have been Jamaica Pond.

Diego looked around at his surroundings and gathered two plastic bags that were stuck between branches. He put the bags over his shoes and tied them to his ankles. This was his way of keeping his feet dry. Diego stepped into the water and continued with his trip.

Two hours later, Diego stopped, his knees in the water, and his head held up high. This was always his destination but he still couldn't believe what he was looking at. It had been almost ten years since he had seen his childhood home.

Diego went up the stairs, his legs getting out of the water as he approached the entrance of his old home. He hesitated, but gathered enough courage to grab the doorknob. It didn't open, so he pushed the door and almost fell inside.

The house was covered in green moss but Diego could still recognize his old home. It's been over ten years since he moved but his grandparents never left this place. He grabbed a small figurine of a squirrel off of a table that belonged to his grandmother. He set it back down as he continued to move along the house.

The house wasn't in the best of shape but it also didn't look like it was ever raided. He searched the house and found many of his old things. He found some of his old toys, grandmother's jewelry and his grandfather's silver cane with a hawk for a shaft. He finally gave up his search but decided to make camp here. He made sure to lock the entrance door before making his way up to the roof.

The roof was in better shape than the previous house he stayed in. He stood tall on the roof as he looked out into the distance. It was getting dark and didn't take him long to see a fire in the far distance. The marauders were a good distance away, but near enough that he still had to keep his guard up.

He found a good spot on the ground and got comfortable before falling asleep.

****

Diego found himself dreaming again. He was ten years old and living with his grandparents, and running around the house and playing with his friend. They were playing hide and seek inside the house because it was raining out. The house was huge for two ten year olds and there were plenty of places to hide.

Diego's parents lived on the third floor of a three story building. Grandparents lived on the first floor while his uncle lived on the second. They had access to the entire house but Diego's favorite spot to hide was in the basement.

It was Diego's turn to hide and he went straight to the basement. The basement was in good shape and Diego knew exactly where he was going to hide. His father had a gym in the basement with a closet in the back of the room.