Fears

Chapter 17-Alpha

Today, Alpha wanted to die.

But he knew he couldn't.

Who would look after his family?

It had been 8 months since her death.

And the world moved on.

When it shouldn't have.

Alpha's world was crashing and burning.

How could anyone move on?

Alpha pulled into his driveway.

He was surviving.

But was surviving living?

Alpha didn't think it was.

He walked into his dark house, dropped his keys on the counter. Turned on the news for his father to watch when he would wake up.

The same old routine, every day.

His father was sick.

Very sick.

He had kidney failure and needed to go to a dialysis center every few days.

Alpha would drive him.

He was also almost completely blind.

But he was completely dependent on Alpha.

And he was only 40.

As much as Alpha wanted to go to college in the fall, they barely had enough money to pay all of the medical bills, let alone college.

What with only one, low paying, part time job.

Alpha couldn't remember the last time he went to Goodwill to buy some clothes.

His siblings needed them more.

And stuff from Walmart was out of the question, so forget about name brand mall attire.

His sister, Annie, got home in 30 minutes.

Kevin and Eli would be home in an hour.

"Life just trudges on, I guess." He said miserably to himself.

"Aria"

Alpha quickly spun around to face the TV.

There was a picture of the girl he'd met 8 months ago.

Alpha still remembered her name, it was so original.

The news reporter described the 18-year-old teenage girl, telling her story of how she was kidnapped,

8 months ago.

"If you know anything about the whereabouts of Aria Stark, we advise you to call in now."

A number flashed on the screen.

Alpha called it.

He talked with a woman for about 20 minutes about Aria.

He told her everything he knew.

She thanked him.

Alpha was worried, Aria went to his high school.

And she had been missing for nearly 8 months now...almost the whole school year.

Since the day Alpha met her.