The Path You Didn't Want

A Hole Through Everything I Love

Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes. We protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Dan's old faction motto. Dan rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling the words etched into his skin. He may have left his family over two years ago but the memory still stung.

His family had been protectors. They had been medics and lawyers. They had protect people from injustice, injury, illness. As much as he cared for others he could never have been a medic or lawyer. He couldn't protect people. He'd known it from a young age. He'd known he'd have to leave.

The tattoo on the back of his neck continued to torture him with these thoughts. He could get them removed, he knows that, but he can't bring himself to do it. To remove his last connection to his family.

A faction motto is tattooed onto the neck of every faction member when they turn 13, the age of the beginning of adulthood. At the age of 18, the first year of matureness, you decide whether you want to stay in your childhood faction. If, later on, you decide you made the wrong choice you can apply to change factions. But the process is long and slow and undesirable.

But Dan had always known he'd leave. His faction didn't suit him. So he'd left at 18.

And here he was, nearly 21 and all alone.

He'd created a faction of his own called Imagine Dragons but no one ever joined. Which he was fine with. He hadn't really wanted anyone to join, he preferred solitude. He still felt a hollow feeling in his stomach however whenever he gets in this kind of mood.

He's lonely.

Dan sighs and he falls back on his bed. He has to attend the community meeting. The meeting which introduced newly factionless people. This is why it takes so long to leave. You have to wait for the next meeting, which only happens every 6 months.

Dan finally got up and got in the shower. He jumps at the sudden cold water which he really should be used to but isn't. His entire shower is spent huddled as far away from the water stream as he can get, only extending his limbs into the water to wash them for a few seconds before withdrawing them. He finally left the shower and got dressed.

If he got more faction members he'd get a larger income and could afford hot water, but that was never going to happen. He gathered his bag and customary badge signifying his faction and headed out the door. The badge for his faction was a white cross.

Once he reached the meeting he headed for where the factions of his sector sat. He used to sit in the middle sector but since leaving could only afford the lower. He sat as far away from everyone else as he could get and pulled out his notebook. He continued writing the song he'd begun a few days ago and only looked up when the speaker walked in. Behind the speaker were about 30 people who had all decided to leave their factions.

He sat through the pleasantries and the introductions of all the factionless and stayed in his seat for the lunch break. He suddenly became conscious of eyes on him. He looked up to see 3 men who were talking to the speaker while staring at him. He narrowed his eyes as a challenge and 2 of the men looked away embarrassed. But the one with the long hair just raised an eyebrow.

Dan smirked and looked back down at his notebook trying to figure out what the next line should be. He heard footsteps and looked up to see the speaker walking to him.

He knew the speaker, Mr. Meandez, he had gotten Dan the house.

"Hello Daniel Reynolds." Dan fought back the urge to wince at the use of his full name.

"Hey, Mr. Meandez." He responded back pleasantly.

"Daniel you have yet to take up any new members."

"I know Mr. Meandez I just haven't found anyone who I find interesting enough to have in my faction."

"I'm sorry to say this Daniel but if you don't get any members today I will be forced to relieve you of your house." Before Dan could argue, Mr Meandez continued. "I have taken it upon myself to find you some members. The 3 men who you saw talking to me would be a perfect fit."

Dan opened his mouth to interject but, again, Mr. Meandez interrupted. "I know you don't want this Daniel but it's the only choice I can give you. I fought for you in the council but they refused to budge. You need to have more members Daniel."

Dan sighed and dropped his shoulders subconsciously. He knew Mr. Meandez was right, but he hated the idea.

He finally decided that anything was better than being homeless. "I will try. But if I do not find them satisfactory after a week may I apply for a removal?" It was a part of the rules that if you did not like your new faction members you can ask the council to consider a removal of them from your faction.

"Of course, but the council will most likely say no."

"I know. I'll try to get on with them."

"That's wonderful news. I will inform the council immediately."

And inform the council he did and before the lunch break was up the 3 men had joined Dan's faction.

Dan and his new faction members were sent to the room where they would spend 15 minutes getting acquainted before they grabbed their things and moved into their new faction.

Dan learnt that their names were Daniel Platzman; "Call my Platz", Wayne Sermon and Ben McKee.

Once they had gotten to the Imagine Dragons headquarters they were faced with the realisation that Dan only had 2 bedrooms. "We'll have to share, one room between two."

In the end it was decided that Wayne would share with Dan and Platz and Ben would be in the other room.

Dan spent an hour setting up his room so that Wayne had room and then he and Wayne talked for a while.

He discovered that Wayne was a relatively nice person and also played guitar. He smiles a little at that.

As Dan settled into his bed, aware of the man in the bed on the other side of the room he thought that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.