In Your Dreams

Chapter 34

In Your Dreams: Chapter 34

After waiting patiently for what seemed like hours for the storm to pass, Goku decided that he had no choice but to find a more suitable shelter from the elements. The once dry space he'd taken refuge in had flooded, and the ground beneath him was wet and muddy. The rain still managed to reach him with the aid of the harsh winds, and despite his best efforts to stay warm, his soaked clothes did nothing but chill him to the bone.

Luckily the place he'd met his sons at wasn't far from his old home. He had no plans to go there, however. He had no doubt in his mind that ChiChi and Victor would be there, and he had no desire to be in their company at the moment. He had nothing against them; he just preferred to be alone.

Instead, the Saiyajin chose to return to his original home, which was within a mile of ChiChi's house. Years ago they'd built their family home next to his original dwelling; something he'd requested of his new wife. The small structure held many pleasant memories for him, and he'd wanted to be near it always, even if it wasn't a practical place to live anymore.

The two mile walk back to the small home wasn't an easy one. The storm seemed to be picking up steam with each step he took, and the wind and rain blinded him with its' intensity. Goku thought about raising his ki to help shield his body from the elements, but he feared he might attract unwanted visitors if they sensed him.

So instead, the normally short trip turned into an hour journey, and Goku couldn't help but sigh in relief when he finally spotted the small house in front of him. The Saiyajin broke into a jog to cover the last small distance and he quickly pushed open the busted door and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him to block the heavy winds and used a stone to hold it shut; the latch had rotted away long ago.

Finally out of the rain, Goku took a long and deep breath. His eyes moved over the dusty home's interior, and a small smile tugged at his lips as childhood memories of the time he spent with his Grandpa trickled back to him.

The entire house was nothing more than a single room broken up into separate living spaces. To his left there was an old wood burning stove. A heavy cooking pot still sat on the single burner, rusty with its lack of use. Straight ahead was a large wooden barrel. His Grandpa used to 'attempt' to bathe him in it, but he never made it easy. The make-shift tub looked brittle now as if it would crumble at the slightest touch. Finally Goku's eyes wandered to the old mattress he used to share with the old man. It sat alone in the corner; its' sheets thin and torn.

A wave of sadness suddenly hit the young Saiyajin, and Goku fought back the tears he felt gathering behind his eyes. What would his life be like today if he'd never gone Oozaru that night and killed his Grandfather? What would the Earth be like? Would he still be living a solitary existence here in this small cabin? Would he had ever met Vegeta or learned of his Saiyajin heritage?

Goku shook his head to dispel the sudden flood of questions. None of that mattered now, and it would do him no good to dwell over it now.

Another chill wracked the Saiyajin's body, and he once again became aware of how cold he was. Black eyes scanned the small space, and Goku sighed and moved forward to the old tub. With a small amount of reluctance he broke the brittle wood into smaller pieces and placed the timber into the stove. A small spark of ki from his finger was all it took to light the dry wood, and he had a small fire burning in no time.

Goku crouched in front of the stove for a long while, soaking up the warmth the flames provided. He could feel the blood rushing back to his face and fingers, and he brought his soaked tail in front of him in order to dry it as well.

It was nearly another hour before the Saiyajin's clothes dried enough for his body to stop shivering. Normally he would have taken the wet garments off to dry, but he had simply been too exhausted to do so.