Skyfall

Chapter 7

My mind slowly swirled back to reality from my intricate dream. The sun shone slightly through the open clear glass window, casting shapes and shadows around the large bedroom. I knew immediately where I was without opening my eyes, but the warm body next to mine freaked me out a bit. It took a matter of seconds for me to sum up that I was somewheres in the middle of nowhere, in the large cabin  of a boy whom I'd met only yesterday, in a bed next to someone who wasn't my little brother Daniel.

It hurt.

I wonder how it is at home, without us. Our bed, with its shaggy rough cover, a story of stains. The small bookshelf filled with all of our favorite books. Daniel's old stuffed animals. At least we'd thought to bring BoBo with us.

I wonder how mom's doing?

She's quite the opposite of Dawn, really, and although it's only been one day I feel like already I can search for some sort of comfort in this house. Be with someone, be loved and wanted. I just wish Daniel were here with me. He really deserved this much more than I did, with his beautiful, immaculate soul. It was tarnished in a matter of moments. I almost wish I hadn't left with Daniel, at least he'd be alive.

While these thoughts slowly dragged my mind around, I clutched the blanket and listened to the crinkling of sheets being pulled back. My breath shook, and I closed my eyes to the point that crimson specks were floating past my vision. I felt empty, like everything had been pulled away from my grasp. I saw an image of Daniel's smile lingering in my mind, and felt hot tears sliding down my dry skin. It was only when I felt the heavy hand of Madison shaking me frantically did I realize that I was sobbing relentlessly, my breaths coming out in short, fast gasps. I stayed still for a moment, and then twisted my body to look up at the concerned face of Madison.

"Nightmare?" Her high pitched yet smooth voice rolled through my ears, breaking me out of my horrific trance. Nightmare. If only it were that easy. This would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Yeah," I spoke, my raspy voice cutting through the dull air. "Nightmare."

**

A few minutes later, I was wearing an old peach dyed dress of Dawn's, ( what a tiny woman ) and sitting at the kitchen table with the whole family. The family Consisted of Maximus, Dawn, ( the mother ) Jim, (his dad) Grammie Jean, James and stella ( The little brother and sister) Madison (Obviously his sister) and an older brother named Andrew who I'd not met yet. He was very quiet, and kept looking at me strangely through breakfast.

The breakfast had to be one of the best meals I'd ever tasted. It consisted of eggs, bacon fried in butter, toast, and a bowl of fruit. Delecacies of which I'd not eaten in a long time, melting in my mouth, and there was plenty to go around. I had to wonder how they had so much food in this makeshift farm, but I decided not to question too much and just ate.

Being with Maximus' family was truly heartwarming. There was just so much conversation, glimmering eyes, laughter lines and just plain kindness. Whenever I felt like the third wheel, or in this case the ninth, They would always ask me questions about myself. What I liked to eat, what colors I liked, if I liked music . I got over the creepy glances Andrew was sending my way, and felt quite at home. It was so different from where me and Daniel lived before. So full of love. It left a warm feeling at the pit of my stomach that ran through my veins and into my heart.

It was a feeling of acceptence, like I'd finally found a family.

Maybe I had, but I wasn't about to allow myself to be comfortable here. I knew I had to keep moving, keep soldiering on for Daniels and my sake, Find Libertas. Even if it wasn't real, I could always find a better place.

After all of the dishes were cleaned, Maximus took me out to do the hunting he was supposed to do yesterday. I felt bad for interrupting that hunting, so I told him I'd go along with him to help, because that way he could shoot more and we could take more home.

We'd been walking for about an hour. My feet were beginning to get sore and we'd reached the entrance to the forest about 15 minutes ago. In my mind I wondered if there was actually any animals out here. Besides the rustling of the leaves on the trees, our footsteps on the dirt path, and the occasional snap of a broken branch I hadn't heard much.

"Maximus, Jeez, are we ever going to reach any sort of life out here?" I asked, my voice tired, lips chapped from a lack of water. He chuckled slightly and turned to meet my eyes with his.

"What, can't take the heat? Don't worry, we'll find some grub soon." He smiled, but then it turned stony and serious and he stopped dead in his tracks. He held out his arm to stop me and with the other one reached a finger to his lips to keep me silent. I stopped breathing for a moment.

He looked around, and motioned for me to stay there. I quietly sat down as he took steady footsteps out of my sight.

A couple of seconds later, I heard the clear snap of a branch breaking. I turned around quickly, staring into the hard, cold eyes of Andrew. We looked at each other for a couple of moments. It was eerily quiet, like time had stopped for a short while. He took another step, and then another until he was standing right in front of me. My voice caught in my throat when I tried to ask him what he was doing here and it came out as a strangled yelp. His eyes, green like Maximus' glared into me, searing my soul. Finally, he spoke. It was the first time I'd heard him, and his voice was rough and angry.

"I've seen you before, on the television, when we had one." One more step closer.

I found my voice, and it was clouded with disbelief. When had I been on t.v? I asked him that.

"It was fifteen years ago, I was young then so the memory is hazy but it was definitely you. It happened longer ago, back when the world was still good. They captured it all on a video and they show it on television every year on the reunion of that date. I saw you, in the crowd, when the terrorists were killing those innocent people. It was you, and you were smiling. Looking up at the sky with a god damn smile on your face."

Another step closer. I looked up at him, confused. That was over one hundred years ago, how could I have been there? I'm only a teenager. I voiced my opinion. He kicked a rock out of the way, and I flinched.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out, love. It was definitely you though. The cameras were pretty close up." He took yet another step forward.

"I'm convinced that it was you. Your some evil spirit thing that ruins lives, and I don't want you near my family. Get out." The blatant rage in his voice scared me to the point where I was stumbling over my feet trying to get up. He lost it. Andrew lost it.

He lunged at me, reaching for my neck.