Perfectly, Imperfect

#34 He's Stronger Than You Know

(A/N Special, longer chapter! I won't be able to post tomorrow, this chapter and two others will be posted tonight. Hope you enjoy!)

(Lachlan's POV)

     Jerome and I are still frozen at the door. Preston and Rob are frozen in the middle of the room, staring at each other. The man and woman are stuck staring at them. It's like an endless cycle of staring. That is until Rob does manage to squirm away from Preston. "I remember their voices! We were up on the hill, and now I remember. Preston.... we were somebody before the lab", Rob tells him, still crying a little bit. "No, I wasn't anyone before..... how could I? I'm not like you guys....", Preston looks away, backing up a step. "Fine, maybe you can't remember them, but can't you remember teaching me how to grow the dandelions in the backyard? Mom always told us that they were beautiful. Dad said that they were weeds. Don't you remember any of that?", Rob's shaking Preston by the shoulders now. I feel awkward and out of place here in this room with them. "Preston.... you're my big brother".

     "My..... brother?", Preston trails off. He looks around the room, as if finally seeing it for the first time. Preston's eyes land on a picture frame along the wall. It shows a young couple smiling at a pair of boys making silly faces at the camera. The older has an arm wrapper around the younger's shoulders. The resemblance is there for all four of them. "I...... I remember walking around with you. I told you all about the things that you couldn't see. We walked all the way around the wall once because you wanted to know how big it was. Mom grounded us for a month because we weren't back in time for supper", Preston starts to ramble. He looks back at Rob, fear and awe both in his expression.

     Preston and Rob's mother suddenly rushes forwards, pulling her two sons into a hug. I can't help but smile at the sweet reunion. Their dad quickly joins the group hug as well. "We've missed you, so much", he says, "Where have you two been all this time?". "We never wanted to leave", Rob cries, burying his head in the hug. "I r-remember now, we were in the f-forest just outside of town. The lab scientists found us there. T-They knew my name", Preston stutters, "Why would they want us?". Olivia lets go of her sons, but still holds Rob's hand tightly. "Lab? What happed, Preston?", his dad asks him. Preston gets a fearful look on his face stepping back. "You won't be afraid of me, right?", he mumbles. "Nothing would ever make me stop loving you two", Olivia promises him.

     Preston nods before backing up another step. He holds out one hand, his skin hearing up and glowing red. It melts into lava but keeps its shape and pulses a red and yellow color. Rob steps away from his mom a little bit, pulling back the collar of his hoodie to show his glowing spots. I shift beside Jerome and the older couple seems to finally notice us. "Something bad's been happing to all the missing children from a decade ago. We're just a few who were lucky to escape", Preston sighs, gesturing to us. I shuffle my wings and look at my feet, a little self conscious. Preston's hand fades back to normal as his parents watch. He looks away and Rob drops his hand from his neck. "I only wish we could of done something to find you sooner", their dad says. He doesn't think that we're weird or gross? Preston and Rob smile at their parents. So many words are clouded on their eyes.

     "Wait.... people are screaming", Jerome suddenly barks, sticking his head back out the door. "What!? What's happening", Preston asks him, immediately getting protective of his family. "Lachlan? Could you find out what's going on?", Rob asks me, leaving his mom's side. I faintly hear the family discussing something, but my mind is already zipping away. I'm quickly pulled into the chaos behind the wall. People are screaming and running away from a large group of...... me? I can feel my own pain in all of them. Trapped, tortured, and forced to obey. They're just like Preston. It's the experiments from the lab. Two others stand in front of three humans. I recognize them as.... Mitch and Vikk? But the humans that they're protecting......