Complications Throughout Generations

Chapter 44

Eren's POV:

"So how was your first day, Eren?" My mom asked at the dinner table. We were a happy family. I was an only child. My father was a doctor and my mother was a stay at home mom.

"It was good." I started to chew on the piece of chicken she had made for dinner.

"Make any friends?"

"Not yet." I spoke still with food in my mouth.

"Eren, manners." My father said.

"Yes, sir." My father never reprimanded me, instead he always tried to teach me ways of respect and leadership. Even at the young age of 8, I knew he was a good person.

"Why haven't you made any friends yet, Eren?" He seemed worried. "Too shy?"

"I guess so." I shrugged. "But there's a couple in my class that I wanna be friends with."

"Oh that's nice, honey. What're their names?" My mother asked.

"Mikasa and Armin."

My father dropped his fork on his plate. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"Excuse me," he cleared his throat again, "sorry. That's good to hear, son."

The rest of the dinner was silent. But a comfortable silence. It's easier to eat when there's less talking. I asked my parents if I could be excused and they had said yes. So I ran up the stairs, brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. But first I grabbed my notebook that I like the draw things in. I felt inspired. Probably due to it being the first day of class. I took my pencil and pressed the lead down onto the paper. I pictured a woman with a giant smile and drew that to the best of my ability.

"Eren." My father called before knocking on the door. "Can I come in?" He asked even though he had peaked his head in my room already.

"Yeah." I nodded and laid under the covers. It's tradition that he tucks me in at night. When he sat on my bed, he noticed my recent drawing and started to shake.

"Eren." He whispered. "Who is that?" He tried to sound interested but he just seemed scared.

"I don't know." I shrugged, pulling the covers over my nose.

"Do you think you could tell me what you see in your nightmares?" I wasn't sure if I was prepared. I've seen a lot. The nightmares started 6 months ago. "It's okay if you can't." He patted my leg and made me feel safe. I can tell him.

"I see these giant monsters. They eat people." My eyes shot open at the realization of who was on the paper. "That thing ate mom!" I was terrified. I started crying and trembling. My father lifted me up onto his lap and held me in his arms.

"Shhh Eren, I'm here. No one's going to hurt you or me or your mother. I promise." I curled up closer to him and he gave me a tight squeeze. "What else have you been seeing?"

"Mikasa and Armin from class." I sniffled as he wiped my tears away.

"Anything specific?"

"Well I got a lot of images in my head once I saw them today. They've never been in my nightmares."

"Maybe it's because they don't scare you. What did you see?"

"We were running in a field with flowers everywhere. But then I also saw us flying through trees and across buildings. Those monsters were there again but I wasn't as afraid."

"Anything else?"

"Nope."

He nodded and then slipped me back under the covers. He tucked me in and kissed my forehead after moving the hair out of my face.

"You need a haircut." He laughed.

"But I want my hair to be long like yours." I smile.

"We'll see how mom feels about that." He smiled back and walked over to the door. "I love you, Eren. Goodnight."

"Love you dad. Goodnight."