The Mindless Man's Paradise

Chapter fifty-six | Cyrus

Cyrus sat on his couch, in his house, with Aspen sitting snugly next to him, and his mother smiling from the chair opposite of him.

  Everything seemed wonderful. They had escaped, right? He couldn’t remember everything precisely, he told himself it was because it had all been a blur, of course. So when Aspen told the story of their escape to his mother, he listened intently, hanging on to every word.

  But what scared him the most, what made his whole body tense with anxiety was the arrival of his father and Kian. He had a feeling they would be happy at first, but then they’d give him a bunch of malarkey about why he shouldn’t have gone, why he shouldn’t have left in the first place. How Aspen wasn’t worth it.

  But Aspen was worth it. He knew that for sure. Cyrus loved Aspen, and never again would he doubt that.

  Suddenly, the door swung open.

  Cyrus’s father and Kian walked in with dead animals slung over their shoulders, and guns in their empty hands. When they saw what stood before them in their living room, they dropped everything.

  Aspen gave Cyrus a reassuring look, knowing how nervous he was, as he stood up.

 “Hi guys.” he said awkwardly.

  His father pulled him into a manly, father-son hug, constricting Cyrus of his breath.

 “What the hell is the matter with you, boy?” he screamed.

  Here we go Cyrus thought.

  “That girl is no good for you.” he said, pointing to Aspen. “She’s brainwashed you, and she’s rubbing off on your mother, too.”

  “That girl’s name is Aspen.” Cyrus shot back.

  “I don’t care what her name is! She’s potent to this family, and I’m not letting her destroy it anymore!”

  “Shut up Dad!” he shouted.

  Cyrus felt Aspen’s hand suddenly on the small of his back. “Cyrus…” she pleaded.

  “Sit down, Aspen. This is my fight, not yours.” he whispered to her, but apparently his father still heard.

  “No! Let her defend herself. This’ll be interesting.” then he directed his words to Aspen. “Who do you think you are to take my son away from me like that?”

  Aspen opened her mouth to say something, but Cyrus interrupted. “She was passed out from infection due to the insane broken leg that you gave her! It was mom’s idea to take her to the Society, and I agreed.”

  Cyrus’s father shoved Cyrus aside, so that he could get to Aspen. Cyrus fell to the ground with a crash, and his father released his anger on Aspen. He punched her, so many times. Her squeaks and squeals were all Cyrus could hear. For a minute, Cyrus was too stunned by his father’s audacity to do anything at all.

  Then he heard his mother. “Jensen! Stop this! She’s innocent! She’s changed!”

  When Cyrus had tuned back in, Aspen was slung over Jensen’s shoulder like the dead animal had been only moments before, and he threw her down the stairs into the basement.

  For the second time.

  This can’t be happening. Cyrus thought.

  His mother looked at him, as if he had spoken his thought instead of thought it. Her eyes seemed to agree with him, like it wasn’t actually happening.

  Cyrus got the chills, but brushed off the feeling.

                                                                                 ***

  Cyrus was wearing the brown, boring attire of an HQ Landie. He found himself pulling on shoes, and looking down to a survival backpack at the foot of his bed.

  At first he was confused, as if he wasn’t supposed to be where he was, and then realized he was merely getting ready to leave for his Journey.

  He took his golden crescent-shaped necklace in his hand, smiling, feeling somewhat attached to his Soul Mate already.

  “It is time to go!” Mother spoke from the dormitory kitchen.

  He hopped of his bed and swung the backpack over his shoulders, excited for this monumental step in his life.

  At 12:00am, his necklace was activated with a quick sting.

  To himself, he muttered the Society’s coordinates, refusing to forget his final destination.

    35.7 degrees north, 83.5 degrees west.