The Lorèn Project [Discontinued]

Chapter 36

     It took a lot of motivating on my part to force myself forward on the path back to my home. We've decided searching our home town might have more clues for us to find the whereabouts of my father. If I find my father I can question him more on his motives for making that medicine, to find more about myself.

I don't want to be that sheltered princess like everyone seems to believe, but I don't want to be some buffed up muscle man either. I want to make myself worthy of my father, to protect not only myself but the children as well. They're walking in front of me as I think all of this and I notice Ryan and Noah teasing Renee again.

"Renee look what we found!" They yelled simultaneously as they lifted their hands to show her something. Whatever it was, had her jump back with a shrill cry as she ran to hide behind Tessa. "Ahh! w-why would you do that!" She cries as she grips Tessa's short tighter, tears coating her small blue eyes. "Noah, Ryan stop picking on Renee." Tessa scolds as she bops them on the head. "Now go put that spider back wherever you found it!" She yells as she points off into the distance, hypothetically no one knows where they found that spider so I guess it doesn't matter where they put it. "Yes." They both pouted as they walked over to a large tree and put the spider onto it. 'Ew, I hate spiders. Good thing they don't know that.'

We continued on our path to my home, walking by tons of trees. Water was on both sides of us, the ocean on the left, a river on the eight possibly thirty feet away. "Aya look!" Tessa yelled up ahead of me. She was pointing to a small hot spring. She ran up to it and stuck her hand inside and let out a soft moan of pleasure. "It's not too hot we can bathe here. I really need a warm bath." She says with a broad smile. I nodded back with a broad smile of my own. 'Finally I can clean up!'

We made the boys sit beside the hot spring, but made them face away as we undressed and hopped inside the spring. We didn't want them wandering off too far in their own. They preoccupied themselves with telling dumb jokes to each other. The warm water surrounded me, washing away all the dirt and horrible memories since I've left home. It's quite ironic, the first time I've left home and all this stuff has to happen.

I let out a sigh as I sunk deeper into the water. Tessa and Renee were enjoying the warmth as well. I dunked my head under to wash my hair. My hair went everywhere but I scrubbed at it until I could see my naturally blonde hair again, not the dirty blonde I've had for the last week or so. I felt so much better after scrubbing all the dirt off of me. I felt eyes on me and I looked up to see Tessa and Renee staring with wide eyes. "What? Is there something on my face?" I said looking at my reflection in the water. My contact fell out again, that's what they must've seen. "You have a green eye. It's so pretty!" Tessa and Renee both said simultaneously. 'What? Pretty? Me?' "It's not pretty, it's only caused problems for me." I say sourly as I take my hand to cover my eye. Tessa reached out in shock at my action and tries to pry my hand away from my eye.

"Don't cover it! It's really pretty! I don't know what people said to you but it's beautiful, it's unique, it's you." She says with a gentle smile on her face as she pushes my gloved hand away from my face. I look up at her in doubt, a frown on my face. "R-Really?" I mumble as I look at her in disbelief. "Really! Right Renee?" She says as she looks at Renee. Renee looks at me and beams a bright smile at me. "Your really pretty Aya!" She says with a slight blush. 'Oh gosh she's too cute.' I thought with a smile. My heart feels warm whenever she smiles. She's everything right with this world, all of them are. I have to protect their smiles.

After we finished bathing we waited for the boys to get done before continuing down the path. Once we were all dry we walked more, it seemed to continue in this pattern for a while. Stop for a break, and then continue again.

After an hour or so if continuing our walk we finally made it to the border of our town. It's not what it used to look like. I looked on in sadness, my home is...completely destroyed. I look at all the burnt down houses, the destroyed buildings and the smell of burnt flesh. Oh god, someone killed everyone here! I looked on and sure enough the hospital was still there, but it was also destroyed. I ran forward and the kids followed.  I ran for a good five minutes, huffing and puffing with tears falling down my face. I ran as fast as my legs could take me.

I stopped in front of my home, which was covered in smoke and burnt marks but still standing. I let out a choked sob as I stared in happiness. My homes still here, my fathers work is still alive. "Haa, W-Why did you sprint like that? I've never seen you run so fast." Tessa puffs as she tries to catch her breath. I don't say anything as tears still rain down but she looks and notices the building. "Is this...your home?" She mumbles out the last part unsurely. I nodded in answer as I rubbed the tears from my face.

"So this is where you were." A deep angry voice called from behind us. I flinched as I spun around only to come face to face with a handsome but deadly man. "C-Captain Aeonis." Tessa stutters as we watch in shock. Evan and Levi stood beside him stiffly as they watch the captain clench his fists. He reaches out to me but stops all of a sudden. "Why are you—" but I didn't answer I just looked at my home, now covered in smoke and ashes.