Isolation

Chapter Eleven: Family

It had been a long time since Robert watched the sunrise. The red-tinted sun was lazily rising over the horizon, faintly illuminating the dark sky and painting it in hues of pink and purple. The wind was crisp and chilly with the promise of fall, but it was a sweet deception from the sweltering heat that would rise in the afternoon. The waves lapped at the shore in a steady, relaxing rhythm. A few seagulls were squawking as they hovered around the beach.

Robert took in a deep breath of salty sea air as the wind caressed his face and tussled his hair. It was the first time in months that Robert had been outside.

Next to him, Walker and Trenton were holding cups of steaming tea. Trenton wore a thick jacket while Walker wore one of Robert's hoodies, which was large on her frame.

The trio had gotten up early to watch the sunrise on top of the Temple. It was Trenton's idea, he insisted they all needed some fresh air.

Lately, tension had been elevated. Not just between their group but the entire population of the Temple were on edge. Jasper had abandoned her search for Walker yet amplified her hunt to find Rose. There was a sort of reckless desperation in her destruction to locate the God. And it was hitting closer and closer to the Temple. The fear and despair were thick, trapped in the stone walls of the gigantic protector. Adding to the pressure of getting Walker home, everyone was close to a breaking point.

Walker silently handed Robert a cup of tea.

Robert had to admit that the serenity of the sunrise was pleasant. It was nice to have Trenton join them too. He had not seen too much of Trenton. He was busy trying to maintain harmony and hold everyone together. Robert suspected that this moment of tranquility was mainly for Trenton's benefit, but he did not mind.

Walker seemed to enjoy it too. There was a subtle grin permanently attached to her lips as she sipped her tea.

They sat in silence, taking in the ethereal beauty of the dawn and the smooth melody of the sea. Of course, it did not last too long. There was a loud bang from the door that led back inside, then Thomas popped his head through the opening.

"There you are," he cried, exasperated.

"Oh, hey, Thomas. We're just enjoying the sunrise and some tea," Trenton said, smoothly. "Care to join us?"

"I've been looking all over for you," Thomas exclaimed, eyeing the three of them.

Robert was not sure who he meant: him or Trenton?

Trenton ignored Thomas, pouring some tea from the pot into another cup then handed it over to him. Thomas looked at Trenton, shaking his head and putting up his hand. "You need to get inside."

"Five more minutes?" Trenton insisted, still holding out the cup of tea.

Robert smiled; Walker snorted; Thomas sighed, his eyes flickered briefly towards Walker.

"Fine. Five minutes." he took the cup, taking a seat next to Trenton. "It is a lovely sunrise."

Thomas and the others had made an effort to tolerate Walker, but it was a gradual process. Robert understood their hesitation; he knew what was going through their heads.

The isolation was affecting Robert's relationship with them and conjured memories of his family. His real family. The coldness, the sense of detachment, the loneliness. It was one thing to enjoy his privacy, it was another to feel abandoned. In turn, this brought a storm of conflicting emotions that he could not navigate.

"Time is up," Thomas stated, tapping his wrist as if there was a watch.

"How can you tell," Trenton asked, jokingly.