You're Never Alone

Chapter 18

Word Count: 1312

That night the rebels move to the edge of the city into a couple of houses so that way they're not all together in one. Each house is big enough for roughly fifteen or twenty people. Dan is put in a house with around twelve people not including himself and the house has four bedrooms. Dan and Phil instantly claim a bedroom for the two of them leaving three open and the living room available for everyone else. Dan sat in the room and didn't go downstairs when everyone else ate. Instead he sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what the hell he was going to do.

    He still had to choose between avenging his best friend or killing his father. It was a choice that would decide his entire future. It would either make or break him and it was something he couldn't just do in an instant. This was the one things that would destroy him the more he thought about it. And thinking of Chris's grave that he saw earlier made this so much harder. All the pain and abuse that his father shows him makes it so much harder along with all the kindness that the rebels show him.

    Should he choose the path of getting revenge for the death of Chris? By killing and hurting all of the rebels or the one that killed him the way they hurt Dan. By betraying everyone who has showed him kindness and the meaning of friendship.

    Or should he choose the path of killing his father? By getting rid of the evil man that destroyed him and his life along with the lives of other people. By getting rid of the source pain to everyone in this city. This is going to be his choice that decides everything ahead of him.

    Dan doesn't realize he's crying until tears fall onto his hands. A knock echoes through the room and Dan rushes to compose himself.

    "Come in," he says quietly and Phil walks in with an apple (which is a common food that rebels have), a roll, and a cup of hot tea. Phil sets it all down on the nightstand before sitting next to Dan. Phil doesn't even ask before he just leans his head on Dan's shoulder, knowing that Dan doesn't want to talk and just wants someone there. Phil holds Dan's hand as Dan cries more. After he calms down, Phil looks at him.

    "What's on your mind?" Phil asks softly but Dan just shakes his head. "There must be something that you're thinking about."

    Dan just sighs sadly. "I just have a big choice to make and it'll either make or break the future," he explains softly and Phil nods in understanding.

    "I know the feeling well," Phil whispers.

    Later everyone goes to bed and Dan pretends to sleep until Phil is passed out before sitting in front of the fireplace downstairs with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands to think. He tries to connect the dots about who killed Chris because he knows that asking anyone would be way too hard.

    Suddenly the answer hits him like a wall about who is was. Dan remembers that riot over a month ago when he burned a rebel on the back. The rebel later killed Chris with a dagger to the heart and ran. Dan realizes that when Phil was changing the other day, his back had scars that looked like they were from a burn. And Dan also realizes that when he first met Phil, he had a bandage on his wrist, the same wrist that Alfie burned.

    With wide eyes, Dan frantically stared at the fire as the pieces fit together. All along he's been thinking it was just a coincidence but now he knows. The burns, the scars, the blue eyes through the mask, the black hair. All of it pointed to Phil. Phil was Chris's killer.

***

    Dan wanted to be mad, he wanted to be pissed, but he couldn't because now he and Phil we basically even. Dan killed Phil's mum and Phil killed Dan's friend, an eye for an eye. He finishes his drink and sets the mug down next to him, sighing sadly. Even though they're even, figuring it out is like a slash to his heart; it stings like an open wound. His lip begins to tremble and his heart twists as the memory of his best friend dying in his arms plays over and over in his mind like a broken record.

    Thankfully no one is downstairs tonight as the tears flow. Dan sobs holding his head in his hands and gripping his hair with his fingers. His shoulders shake as small gasps for air escape from his mouth despite his attempts in being quiet. Dan remembers that day so well.

    Dan catches Chris as he crumples to the ground and the rebel races out of the alleyway, gladly escaping. The light begins to fade from Chris's eyes and Dan's eyes fill with tears, dread clawing at his heart.

    "Stay with me, Chris. I can't lose you!" Dan says frantically and Chris brings Dan's ear to his mouth.

    "I love you, Dan. I would not wish any companion in the world but you..." he whispers and as Dan pulls away, his friend's last breath escapes his lips. Chris goes limp in Dan's arms and Dan taps his microphone.

    "Alfie, Chris is dead. He was killed by a Rebel moments ago." I glance down at Chris sadly before continuing. "Retreat and meet back at the palace now."

    He taps his microphone once more to turn it off before picking up Chris in his arms and running back to the palace with tears clouding his vision. He somehow makes it back and everyone rushes over. Skye grabs Chris and Jack pushes through people to get to Dan. Dan falls to his knees as they take his best friend away and Jack kneels in front of Dan, hugging him tightly as Dan sobs into Jack's shoulder.

    All Dan can do is sob for a good hour with his heart twisting and his lungs trying to help him breathe.

    Phil wakes up in the middle of the night, startled by a nightmare and panting in fear. He relaxes until he notices Dan's side of the bed empty. Phil sits up, curious of where he could be but as he looks around and sees all of Dan's stuff here, he realizes that Dan hasn't disappeared. So he goes back to bed knowing that Dan needs some space and falls back asleep.

    After Dan has finished crying, he just sits in front of the fire, staring into its flames with puffy eyes. He sniffs and wipes his face with his sleeve, trying his damn hardest to compose himself. Now that he can think clearly again, he's so pissed at Phil even though he knows that he has no right to be. He stands from where he sits and makes his way back upstairs after putting his mug in the sink. He quietly comes into the room and eats the food that was left on the nightstand earlier. He takes small sips of the now cold tea and looks at the stars in the sky through the window.

    In his fingertips, he holds the one thing he grabbed from his room before he left the palace again. The blade that killed Chris. It's a dagger roughly half a foot long with a black worn out leather handle and a blue gen in the center of the area where the blade meets the handle. He looks down at it and shoves it into its case before putting it back into the the secret pocket in his jacket.

He climbs back into bed as the sun begins to rise and quickly falls asleep from exhaustion.