Beyond the Boundaries

13

Chapter 13 - The World Is In Ruins

I've never felt so helpless before, sitting here like all I can do is wait for the world to end. Utopia is history.

I stopped for a moment. I realized that me and JJ had been walking for a few minutes now, too long. Like I said earlier, these springs already held bad memories. Luckily, the walk had led us out of the Golden Valley Springs, and there I was again, facing the school which was only a few dozen feet away.

"Where do you plan on going?" JJ asked me.

"I was going to ask you the same question. But you know, my second option was just... Home." I said. "I want to spend as much time with my family as I can."

"Do you mind if I come with you? To be honest, I don't feel that comfortable at home. That's usually why I make friends. So I can finally feel safe with somebody in my life." I looked at JJ's arms which were bruised with faint red marks. "You may have figured out that the Utopia isn't as perfect as everybody seems through finding out some things you weren't supposed to... But I found it out the hard way."

"I just want somebody to talk to."

"Hey," I consoled, putting my hand on JJ's shoulder. "Guess you're lucky I'm here."

I saw JJ smile, for just a moment. It was starting to become easier to make friends. Or maybe it was always supposed to be this way, and being on the Penurious side just made it hard.

Despite how much I miss the place, I can't resist but dwell on how horrible it was.

Getting rid of it wasn't the best option, especially in the way Luke Novak did it. I want to go back, and change what I did. Because maybe I could still be skateboarding with Maxwell and Liam. Maybe we could go back to that cave—with that killer coyote gone—and laugh at all of those funny drawings.

The greatest memories, made in the wrong place. Why does everything have to go wrong over here, where everything is supposed to be perfect?

JJ was a boy reliant on those around him. Who am I to take his word for things? Maybe he's wrong, maybe there's things we can do—even as kids—to fix this messed up society. Guess that just goes to show Luke Novak doesn't know what he's doing. Still trying to follow stupid dreams he had as a child, which is only leading to chaos. Truly a child in a man's body.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Kyrell." Jayden said.

"Last time I saw you, I'd think you wanted this. Why do you want to meet up with me now?" Kyrell questioned me. "Genuinely, I don't even know why I'm here. Just a month ago we were hating each other."

"Yeah, wouldn't you know it? Time flies." Jayden seethed impatiently. "I'm glad you understand now, the pit you've put yourself in. You put us in this pothole, you wanted to be so much like your father that you become him in the process. You ruined this world, so why are you taking it so lightly?"

"You should know me, I don't take anything lightly. You don't understand how much I've gone through, trying to fight my way out of this deep rabbit hole my father buried me in. I've seen things, things that aren't real. I sometimes feel like I'm going insane, and I don't know what to do anymore. So if you want to know, yeah, I still hate you. But you're the only one I have. The only one that talks to me. Because I feel like I've lost even my own family and those people I called "friends." I want to burn it all, and make sure my dad goes along with it."

"That'll happen for either path we take." Jayden sighed, resting on a bench. "I came here to say how sorry I am. For everything."

All this time, I've been trying to get out of here, but now I'm trapped in walls that are constantly closing in on me. Jayden thought to himself. I'm trapped with nothing to do. And now I've come back to the one person I hate the most. Goes to show how desperate a person could be.