You Tried

Chapter 24- Indirect Confrontation

-Sky's POV-
The next morning, I woke up to two boys curled up against me. Preston and Jerome had both shifted in their sleep, and they were both leaning against me. Preston is curled against my ribcage, and Jerome is actually laying on my foot. I lay there, afraid to wake them, and wait for them to wake on their own. Jerome wakes first, and goes out to the living room for breakfast while I wait for Preston.
An hour or so passes before he gets up. He yawns, and sits up. I sit up with him. "You okay bud? How'd you sleep after the nightmare?" "Good. I'm... okay."
We head out to the living room, but I stop by to check on Vikk. He's awake, and Lachlan had already gone for breakfast. I gently pick him up and carry him out. I set him down on the one chair and take him some food. While I eat, my thoughts stick to one question. How do I confront my dad about Preston's nightmare without getting caught?
Grace had left for work, and Josh had taken a day off to spend time with his kids. He caught my sour look as I thought, and frowned. "Sky. What's up with you?" His voice startles me, and I jump slightly. "Wha-? Nothing. I'm fine."
He looks suspicious of me, but lets it go and walks away. Mitch comes running past me, and the sudden movement scares the hell outta me. I jump, and fall off the chair. Mitch stops, and looks at me with his head tilted. Vikk has stopped eating, and is also watching me.
Mitch shrugs it off, and asks, "Are you okay?" I get back in my chair. "I'm fine Mitch. I'm fine." He runs off, unaware of how shaky I am. But Vikk has taken notice of me.
"Are you really okay? Sky?" "Vikk, I- to be totally honest bud, I'm not. I'm freakin' out." "Then... why'd you lie?" "Because I'm not ready to tell them about it yet. It's a family problem I've been trapped in." "But... you're telling me. And what kind of problem?"
"An issue with my dad. He'd given me a deadline, I ignored it. He told me I knew the consequences for it, and I do. I'm anxious and nervous. The consequences of ignoring him are huge, and they come at random times. I'm not entirely sure anymore."
Vikk tilts his head. "Will you get hurt? Or one of us?" "I hate to say it, but yes. Someone, whether it be me or one of you, will get hurt as a consequence for my actions."
His face displays confusion, and hurt. "Why would we get hurt for something you did? Did we do something wrong that made you make that choice?" "No! Don't think it was you. My dad doesn't care. He'll hurt whoever he sees fit. He's mindless, and doesn't care for anyone but himself. I've died twice to his sword."
Vikk looks down at his plate. "Oh. Then how are you here?" "I'm immortal, Vikk. I never permanently die. I respawn instead. Unless I'm bound to the void, I'll never die."
"The void? What's that?" "Let's just call it a black hole. It's hard to explain and describe. But still. I can't force answers out of my dad, because he'll trap me in my room again. If I get close to him, I'm stuck. But I can't figure out how to force answers out of him without getting trapped. It's impossible."
"Then don't." "What?" "Then don't do it. If it's not possible, don't do it." "Vikk, if I don't, poor Preston will refuse to sleep. If he doesn't sleep, he'll die. So I have to." "Oh..."
He shifts in his chair. "Can I go outside?" "Sure. C'mere." He reaches out his arms, and I go and pick him up. He twitches a bit, but when I get him outside, I set him down on the steps, and put a small box behind him so he doesn't lean forward or backward.
I make sure he's okay where he is, and set Lachlan back on 'duty' for watching after Vikk. (Hahaha. It's soooo funny. I said duty. Lol) Teleporting away, I sit on top of a dark oak tree. Bad news is, I still have no ideas on how to confront Dad without getting trapped. But at this point, he's no longer my dad. He's just the enemy. But I continue to say dad just because I'm stubborn.
Preston is hanging in the balance of my consequences, and he seems to be suffering for it. Jerome may be starting to suffer through it as well, because I had him in my room last night for screaming as well. They are fantasy creatures, and they are what my dad had wanted in that note. But I'm curious why he wants them. They can't leave the pocket.
Does he want to kill them by pulling them out of the pocket, enchantment free? They only change to human now because they're under an enchantment laid thin by Seto. If that enchantment was destroyed, and Jerome and Preston were out of the pocket, they'd die. But not only that, my dad would most likely not kill them, but keep them for 'entertainment' and testing. He'd torture them, knowing him. And I can't allow that with them under my protection.

-Vikk's POV-
I'm sitting on the steps, watching Lachlan play with Mitch. They're not just playing, they're fighting. With swords and no armor. Daytime passes fast, and soon, it's dark. Sky is gone.
Lachlan carries me inside and sets me on the bed. He props me up, and gives me my food. He sits with me so I'm not alone. Sky is still AWOL. He's not here.
I hear Mitch's mom come home, and she appears in the doorway. "Vikk. Are you okay, honey?" "I'm fine, Mrs. H. Just tired." Lachlan gets up, and Mitch's mom closes the door as she leaves. I lay down carefully, and Lachlan lays down behind me.
He's asleep before I am. I'm awake, because I'm thinking. Thinking of that day. The day my parents left me in the woods. I just sat there, staring at their backs, totally confused.
I ended up sitting there for a while, completely lost, until I stood, and started to wander in the direction they went. But I was stopped. A figure popped out of the bushes, and held a hand against me, stopping me from walking. He looked my age, maybe older. I'd been 3, so I couldn't hold much detail. He had yellow hair, ocean colored eyes, a red jacket, gray blue pants, and red shoes.
He stopped me. "It's not worth. Come with me." He had a different voice, one sort of like mine, but not. He later told me it was Aussie. What's an Aussie, don't ask me, because I'm 4.
Anyway, we lived in the woods for a while, and a monster caught up with me at our little home, and hurt me. When that happened, Lachlan just started to carry me around everywhere. I never was able to walk in the first place, and Lachlan told me I'd never walk. It just wasn't possible anymore. So he just carries me around like I'm a feather.
It's been a year since then, and I can't imagine life without Lachlan. It doesn't exist.  I've been in bed for a couple minutes, and I can hear Sky as he walks passed our door. His boots make a loud noise on the wooden floor. The door opens, and I see Sky poke his head in.
"Vikk? You awake?" "Ye-ah..." Sky comes around to see my face. He sits on the floor, and asks, "How are you doing? Does your chest hurt at all?" I nod, because it really does hurt.
"Okay. Come here." He stands and lifts me off the bed into his arms. "Where does it hurt?" I put my hand on my chest, over my heart. It really hurts, and I don't know why. Sky's expression grows serious. "Is it anywhere else? Or just there?" "Just... here."
"Okay... Let's go get you some meds quick." He then carries me to the living room, and sets me in a chair at the table while Ty and his brother are outside. He goes into the bathroom, and comes back out with a small bottle. He pulls out two little glowy blue pills. "Take these the same way I told you. I'll get you some water quick. One second bud."
He sets the bottle down, and goes into the kitchen. He reappears with a glass of water. I do as told, and Sky sits with me for a moment. "What're you thinking?" I glance sideways at him. "Huh?" "You're thinking. I can see it. Not to be nosy, but I'm kinda curious."
"Oh. U-um... I- I was... thinking, about, when... um. My uh... mom- and dad. Dropped- me in um... the- woods. And when uh... I met... Lach- lan." "Oh... Does that still bother you?" I just nod. Talking makes my head hurt. Sky looks at me quite sadly.
"Are you okay by yourself tonight, or do you wanna stay with me?" "Y- you." "Okay then. Let's go buddy. You need sleep, and so do I." He picks me up out of the chair, and carries me to his room. He lays me on the bed, and helps me get comfortable. "Good night Vikk. If you need anything, wake me up. Just push me, or call my name. I'll be right here."
"O-okay."