Revenge : Book 2

CHAPTER 2 : A World Beyond

All my bags were packed. I was showered and fully dressed. I wore a jet black down-filled parka, my neck bundled up in a navy blue scarf and a pair of dark jeans as my feet were stuffed into a pair of converse shoes. I picked up my bags heading for the door, but before I shut the door behind myself I turned, taking in one final look of my room. I couldn't believe I was leaving this place again. For most of my life these four walls had been everything. Back then I would have done anything to just to leave this place, I used to feel so trapped here. I felt like a prisoner. But in this moment I would have given anything for the option to stay. I didn't want to leave these four walls. I didn't want to go live in Alon.

But I didn't have a choice, did I?

I pulled the door shut before I started towards the stairs. I made it all the way out to the foyer where my father was waiting for me. I swallowed in a breath. I wasn't one for goodbyes. The last time we'd done this I was in tears the whole time. And though I did feel like crying I wasn't about to do that now. I was eighteen, I could suck it up.

"I'm ready to go," I informed him as I came up to stand in front of him.

"Oh, good," he said, his expression stoic.

"Yeah," we stood in awkward silence for a moment. I hated it. Why was it so hard for us to talk. I wanted to tell him I was gonna miss him, because I actually was. He was my father, who cared if we weren't super close or that we didn't always know the right things to say to each other. He was my father and I was going to miss him because I loved him. I also wanted to tell him that I didn't want to go. This was my home, I wanted to stay. It was so unfair that I was being forced to leave it again.

For the hundredth time in my life I wished I had a normal boring life. I wanted to live in my house with mom and dad. I wanted to go to school like a normal kid. To do dumb things like a normal teenager boy, go to parties, get drunk. It was just so unfair that I didn't get any of that.

Instead I was being shipped to another dimension so I wouldn't be kidnapped by demons who wanted me for goddess knows what. My life was so freaking unfair and I hated it. I just wanted to stay home.

I looked up at my father and for a second I thought I saw something. A glimpse of something he was desperately trying to hide behind an indifferent façade. However his eyes revealed everything. He didn't want me to go either.

"Bye dad," I said hugging him tightly and as much as I tried to fight the tears I couldn't. They rolled down my cheeks.

He hugged me back tighter, a show of affection I wasn't quite used to, from him at least. It only made me cry more, how embarrassing. "It's not for forever. You'll be home soon," he assured me but it felt like he was saying it more to himself. I hoped it was true.

"Yeah," I said back to him, "I'll be back soon," I sniffled, wiping away the tears. Just then I got a text from Abby, she was telling me she was waiting for me by the front door.

"I have to go," I said picking up my bags.

"Bye son," he said and I smiled sadly before turning for the door. This was it. The end, or maybe the beginning or most likely both. It felt like both, I was saying goodbye to my home, to West Chapel, to my life here. But I was saying hello to Alon and whatever my life was going to be there. I was scared. This was something new. And my experiences with new hadn't actually turned out for me. I just hoped this wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Abby was standing right outside the door when I opened it. She spotted me an awkward smile right before giving me a similarly awkward hug. "Hi," she said, pulling away from me.