White Sands, Red Blood

Chapter Two

My breath continued to be heavy as the cold temperature of the dark room did not help my overheated body. When my eyes had adjusted to the darkened room, I looked around.

James and Jacōb lied side-by-side near the heater as they cuddled under a couple of blankets, trying to keep warm in the arctic room. Shenya held the boys in a sort of protective 'c' around them to aid the sleeping boys in their warm slumber. As for Fredereque, she was no where to be found the mundane room.

Sleeping in Mother's cabin where there is heat no doubt. I thought bitterly. I never understood why Mother cared for her so much yet seemed to care for her real children so less.

As I glanced up, I saw the High Room. It was nothing special on the outside, just a large gray box suspended on the seemingly never ending gray ceiling. One sign of life was that of a flickering light, a fire. The only way to get to the High Room was a high set of white spiral stairs with no railing.

I stopped glancing longingly at the High Room and turned my attention to the family that cared for me.

I scooped up the blanket that kept me warm at nights and draped it over the boys. They were still young and their malnourishment didn't help for natural warmers.

The two shivered against each other violently before I had draped my blankets over them.

These two were always spoiled, but they were very special. Jacōb was a skilled mechanic for his young age of 10, a trait he had learned from Father before his passing, and had helped in creating amazing inventions that saved their lives such as the heater. James was learning how to be as inventive and creative as his elder brother by two years.

The two were an inseparable pair of geniuses and thank every and all gods I could think of for them.

Jacōb's eyes fluttered open once the new source of heat touched his body, he was a light sleeper. I was already away from the warmth of the group and stared up at the white ceiling, thinking of that horrific nightmare.

"Athena?" Jacōb whispered out, "Atheeeeeenaaaaa?"

I turned to look that the young boy, whose head stuck out on top of the blankets like a pea on top of a sheet of white.

"Yes child?" I replied soothingly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, crawling out of the sheets carefully to not wake Shenya and James.

"Sitting and thinking. Question is, why are you awake? You know we have the Authorities coming in today to make sure we're doing alright." I reminded him, "We all need our fair share of sleep."

"You're right," he mumbled and grabbed my hand, " we all need our fair share of sleep."

Without a word, he lightly tugged me into the mass of blankets beside James before curling up on my other side. My arms wrapped the two little boys lovingly as I laid my head back onto the pillow.

Within minutes, I was fast asleep.