Ryan Flame - The Library Window

Trees and Trust

"Ryan!" His father's loud voice rang in his ears, causing his eyes to snap open. Ryan bolted up in his bed. He didn't realize that he had fallen asleep, but that was to be expected seeing as to how the mind works.

Ryan quickly made his way out of his bed, but before his feet could heave the weight of his frame, his father burst through the door. "Ryan!" His dad said again. Despite the distress in his tone, he was still rather quiet. Ryan assumed that his dad had rather sensitive ears.

"Father, I'm here." Ryan didn't even start to speak when his father wrapped him in a tight hug. Ryan's fear rushed through him. Austin, his own father, his mother's other half, feared for him. "Sorry, I must have slept in," Ryan said as Austin released him. Gaining his cold composure once more.

"Yes. That is all. That is fine." Austin turned to glare at the empty door. As if a beast was to enter and take away his child.

"I'm safe Dad," Ryan said with a smile. Though they both knew he wasn't.

Austin gave Ryan a disbelieving look before he slowly nodded, "Sure." Never a man of many words. Never a man of believing the words of others. Ryan sighed.

"Is the food ready? What time may it be?" Ryan asked, smiling slightly. Austin eyed him suspiciously.

"Breakfast is over. You should sleep more." Austin let a long pause fall between them, but Ryan knew better than to answer. His father was thinking, not waiting for a response. "How much did you hear?"

His brother Lukis walked in with a scowl. "I told you he was sleeping! And now you went and woke him for no good reason."

Austin glared at Lukis's disrespect. "Excuse me?" he asked, eyes dangerously dark.

"Leave Ryan alone!" Lukis said back with a glare.

Austin looked Lukis up and down. Assessing his son. Ryan, assuming that his father found another topic more important than him, began to make his way out of the room. Austin stopped him, giving him a worried look. Ryan simply smiled back. "Well, I am up now, so both of you stop changing past events. Let us conquer the day." He said softly.

Lukis paused before finally agreeing. Making his way back out of the room. Austin watched as Ryan walked after him. Hesitant to let his eldest leave the room. Thoughts of insanity in his wife's expression played through his mind. He didn't like the knot that formed in his stomach. Something he hadn't felt since he ran away from Brian. He frowned deeply. Trying to solve all his problems while dealing with a family of his own.

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Ryan let out a sigh as Luke and Lukis bickered over tomatoes. He didn't think that it was that important to abide either by law or science. Let alone over something as small as a tomato, so he was doing his best to stay out of it.

Ryan had learned that earlier that morning their mother, Viper, had gone out with an odd lady. Ryan had also discovered that she wasn't a good person by his brothers' descriptions of her. No wonder his father was so worried. He probably thought that Ryan got taken right out of Austin's nose.

Ryan looked out the large half-circle window. He ran a hand through his raven hair and slowly got to his feet. Moving forward. The shape was indeed a full circle that stood high above Ryan's head, but it was almost like someone took a bubble to their wall. It caused beautiful scenery of the green forest and plains below. Ryan began to pick out different small signs of the death of the forest. Luke had told him that first, the trees would start to wilt before all other growth would follow. Not to mention there were no more birds. Soon this lively forest would be deserted waste.

"What do you think Ryan? Science or law!" Luke asked, snapping Ryan out of his daze. Luke's eyes were always drawn to movement.

"Does it matter?" Ryan asked, watching his brothers. They seemed shocked by this answer.

"Of course it does. Science is the right answer. It is based on facts and not human behaviors. Which changes, science doesn't!" Lukis argued back.

"Yes, but laws help keep rules in place and a human environment so that people can study science. Without proper laws and rules, people wouldn't be able to study science!" Luke defended.

"Both go hand in hand with one another." Ryan suddenly spoke up, "Law and Science stuck to each other like a bee to a flower. One can exist without the other, but doing so takes away the potential of both. There are laws in science and science in making laws." Ryan put an end to the argument like he usually did. He always saw things differently than the people around him.

Luke and Lukis both seemed overly shocked by this answer. "But I have a better question for both of you," Ryan said before looking back out the window. "How fast do you think this forest will die?" He asked, putting a hand lightly on the indented glass. Letting his toes stand on the glass.

"Step away from the window." His father's low voice whispered out to his side. Ryan didn't jump like his brothers. But he didn't listen either. Did he want to go through with what was in store for him here? He could leave. End it all. The stress, the walls, his own mind.

"Ryan?" Austin's voice was more questioned. His father was scared. Ryan sighed before stepping away and smiling at his father.

"I heard it all." he whispered before saying louder, "Hey Father. Sorry, the trees are dying. I was curious." His brothers seemed to snap out of their concerned state as they looked back at each other. Now discussing the forest. Austin was eyeing Ryan closely.

Austin always knew his son was different from the rest. Despite being so little he was smart. He understood things most people his age shouldn't. And he was asking for his help so suddenly. It scared Austin. The weight of his given job weighs on him. He had to protect his family from themselves, and he wasn't sure if he could. Austin looked away from his son's gaze. Leaving the boy there to fend for himself, so Ryan thought.

Ryan felt totally and utterly alone. His heart sank as water pressed against his eyes. He watched his father walk away. Ryan moved back to the window. Now standing on it.

"Two years." Ryan suddenly said. Both brothers stopped to look at Ryan. Confusion gracing their features.

"Ah come on. Don't go acting all creep on us again Ryry." Lukis grumbled. Not liking the accurate answer.

"Now come and be calm, what will happen in two years?" Luke asked happily. Enjoying their discussion about different things.

"The forest will be dead in two years." Ryan's tone turned to mimic his father's. Quiet and cold.

"Stop it!" Lukis suddenly slammed his hands on the table. "That's enough. It's not going to die. It will live and everything will come back." There is Lukis for you. The man who was so against change that he even would deny the truth. Luke looked concerned though.

"Two years maybe for the start of it. I doubt any forest would die that fast." Luke said softly. More concerned for the trees than what his eldest was referencing.

Ryan didn't respond to that as he continued to stare out the window. He didn't want to know what was killing the forest though. He didn't want to know why everything was running away from perfectly good land. He didn't want to know, cause he knew he wouldn't be able to run from it either.