Sickened Minds

Chapter Five

July 8th, 1930

They woke up. Axel was sobbing. Aeryn sat up. "I... Father...."

Axel sniffled.

"I understand now," Aeryn said, staring at her doll. 

"What?"

"Father wouldn't have hated us, or mother, if his parents hadn't done that to him," Aeryn spoke slowly. "He loves us deep inside. He's... afraid! He's afraid! That's it! He doesn't want us to be near him so often and bother him so much that he would do that to us!"

"O-Oh."

Aeryn went to get up, but something stopped her. "Axel... it's twelve o'clock in the morning. We still have time to sleep...."

"So should we sleep?" He asked her.

"Yes."

Axel closed his eyes. Aeryn did, too. This time, they awoke in the same dream from the night before. The alternate reality. 

"Mommy!!!" Axel screamed.

Aeryn got up and pulled him out of bed. "Come on!"'

He nodded and followed.

Downstairs, Deonne was sitting on the couch with Melanie in his arms. She was crying. Jennie was in the kitchen, holding Leo. She was making soup.

Aeryn looked at Melanie. "What's wrong?"

"Her house... Her house was burnt to the ground," Deonne choked out. 

"Where is she gonna stay? How about her parents?" Axel asked.

Jennie walked out of the kitchen. "Soup is ready, my loves."

Deonne looked up at her, his expression sympathetic. 

"I want some!" Axel gasped, running to the table.

Aeryn's jaw clenched. I hate this world, she thought, then followed Axel. 

Jennie laughed lightly, then placed a bowl of soup in front of both of them. "Eat slowly. Don't get sick."

"Mom, what's going to happen to Mel?" Aeryn asked quietly. 

"I don't know, princess," Jennie said quietly. 

"She has nowhere to go... her family is gone... What if I lost my family, Mom? What would you want to happen to me?" Aeryn asked, tilting her head. 

"Well, what do you mean?" Jennie asked her, sitting across the table from her. She held Leo against her chest. Leo was reaching out for her hair, whining. 

"Where would you want me to go?"

Jennie took her hair out of its usual pin, letting Leo play with it. "Do you mean if both Dwayne and I died?"

"Yeah. Father is already dead, Mom." 

"I know. But if we both died, I would want you to stay with your siblings."

"But what if I had no siblings? That's how Mel feels."

"Go to a family friend."

"What's Mel gonna do?"

"Baby, I don't know."

"Can't she stay with us?"

"We don't have any extra rooms."

Aeryn smiled. "Well, Deonne has a big enough bed...."

"I don't want any of that in my house."