The Refugees

Chapter 12: Ash

Edited

As I contemplate the dark and sinister walls of the cave around me, I feel trapped, claustrophobic. My mind plays awful tricks as I can sense the recurring memory of my mother smiling at me. I try as hard as possible to push the thought away but it keeps on coming back with more and more perseverance. It's always these late nights that she decides to show herself, her image almost taunting me as her kind eyes seem to yell at me that it was all my fault. Then there's Callie and Father. Callie doesn't often appear but when she does I don't see her, I simply her voice, her crying voice as Father decides he's been bored for too long, almost amused by her loud cries.

I snap out of it, looking out into the endless forest of overpowering trees and angry leaves, brushing in the night wind. Savannah's ash-brown hair is still while everything else is frantic and moving. She's like the eye of the storm, the only calm part in the middle of chaos and craziness. Here eyes as closed as she slowly starts to drift off, probably thinking of the beast she had just encountered, running with her in a field of daisies.

She looks peaceful.

I notice different features about her face that I was too occupied to notice before. Soft facial features making her look serene, and lips that are rather full and pink like the wild flowers.

Her lips look like Mom's; always upturned and smiling, yet my mother seemed to be serious when she had to and did it flawlessly. My mom was always my hero, the woman I looked up to, an angel stuck in the hell that was my house, the Devil being Father.

My eyes close as the dancing image of Callie runs around in my head and I find myself smiling in pride. She would have been beautiful.

Then the terrifying image of Father appears and my eyes open abruptly as I see his fist falling to my face. I never saw his face, only his big hard hands crashing onto numerous areas of my body. I try as hard as I can to block it all out but I can't help it, all I see is his hand coming down on me and then down again; relentless, tireless, endless. Just a perpetual cycle of pain and fear.

Then Savannah gently places her hand on mine, looking at me with curiosity and confusion and I feel everything soften; the tenseness of my muscles, the harshness of the trees, the impending tiredness, all of it just relaxes all at once.

"You okay?" She asks, her eyes searching for mine in a relentless manner.

"Yea, I'm fine." I reply, and as I look into her hazel eyes I see Robert when he first helped me.

"Look kid. There aren't a lot of places you can go at this point. They were your only family and they're dead."

"I know that!" I snap. I know that already...

The man pauses for a while briefly looking down in sorrow.

"Listen, I know it's hard. I feel the pain too. I was friends with your mother and went to school with your father. Life hurts. But being strong means you can get up even though you feel that the whole world is pushing you down, watching you fail. Prove them wrong, all of them. Those who wanted to see you crumble, those who don't believe in you, those who think you're nothing. Prove them all wrong."

As I look up to the man who is beside me in a house that feels even emptier than usual, all I feel is this numbing feeling in my arms and legs and then this aching feeling in my heart and for the second time that day, I felt weak.

"I'm Robert, you can call me anytime for anything. I would take you in if I could but it's my understanding that you want to join the army and surpass your father's skills. Are you sure that's what you want."

I look up to meet Robert's hazel-brown eyes with a blazing fire.

"Yea, that's what I want. For mother, for Callie, I need to be strong and the army will help me do that."

"It's tough you know." He warns.

"I wouldn't go if it wasn't."

"Suit yourself. If you need anything at all, call me." He scribbles a number on a piece of paper and then heads out as other men beckon for me to follow. This is when my life changes.

"Ash?"

I turn to look at her as my thoughts become clear again and the past goes back to the past once again.

"You don't seem tired... Just... Thoughtful. What are you thinking about?"

And that's the first time I feel as though it might not be such a bad thing to reveal something about myself to her. Maybe it's because she resembles the man that is the closest to my father, or has a personality which glows like my mother, but whatever it is, I feel as though I can trust her.

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Hey guys! What did you think? Another part of Ash's past! You guys enjoying it so far? Let me know and don't forget to vote and comment!

Song: Waterstrider - Twice