Out With The Old, In With The New

"What do you mean Dover?" Andrew shouted.

"Calm down sir, you asked me where this place was and I said the outskirts of Dover." The butcher's boy replied.

"You should probably calm down a bit brat (Brother in russian)" Sergei said as he put a hand on Andrew's shoulder.

"Look, do you have a map or something?" I asked.

"No mate, I'm just a bloody butcher's boy. I ain't no geography expert." He said as he took a step back " Now are you here to buy something or are you leaving?" He said angrily.

"We were just about to leave." Sergei said.

"Better for you." Replied the butcher's boy.

We walked out of there and sat on the pavement in front of the butcher's shop. There was no sign of life on the streets. Just the occasional person or two going to their corner shops for groceries.

'Why is life so boring in Dover?' I said to myself.

"What now?" Andrew asked "You seem to be knowing what the hell is going on around here so why don't you explain to us what is going on and why you left that beast alive?" He continued in slight anger.

"I don't really know what is going on but I left Spike alive because I couldn't bring myself to finish him off just like that. The knife was burried in his neck so he would eventually die." I answered.

"Then why aren't you telling us where we are going?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked "London." I replied to myself.

They just nodded.

Andrew laid down, I assumed he was tired. We had been walking for about twenty hours with nothing to eat or drink. The butcher's shop gave us water but no food.

"Daniel." Andrew said.

"Yes Andy."

"My stomach says fuck you." He said.

"I know I know. All three of us feel the same. We need to find something, anything to eat at this point." I said.

"Anything like what exactly?" He asked.

"What do you two have in mind?" I replied with a question.

"I say we knock on her door." Sergei said as he pointed to a window of an apartment opposite of us. There was an elderly woman sat looking at us with a smile.

"You really think?" I asked.

"Got a better idea?" Sergei replied. I shook my head.

"Let's go knocking then." Said Andrew as he got up and raced before us to the apartment complex's door.

We climbed a set of stairs because the apartment was on the second floor and was to the right hand side.

We reached the door and all stood there.

"So?" I asked.

"So what? You knock." Andrew said.

"Why should I it was his idea." I pointed at Sergei.

"I'm don't knock because I'm russian they will say I came to kill family." Sergei said as we all giggled silently.

"Well one of us has to knock or else we starving." I said.

Then the door opened and the woman was looking at us with a big smile on her face.

"Umm... Hi." I said as politely as I could.

"Get in here. I have dinner cooked already for you lot." She said.

"Excuse me?" I said in surprise.

"Just get in and sit down. I will tell you about it as we are eating." She said as we slowly entered the apartment.

She slowly shut the door behind us and came to show us where to sit. From what I saw of her she looked like she was in her seventies. She was about 5'1 feet tall and had a little curve at the top of her spine. She had a relatively stable body and hands for her age. Most people at that age get a little shaky.

"I know you are starving so I will go and bring the food immediately." She said as she slowly made her way from the living room to her kitchen.

"Ugh guys." Andrew started "Don't you think there is something suspicious. She had already cooked dinner for US, AND she said that she knew we were starving. I'm guessing she knows who the hell we are as well." He finished.

"Eat first. Talk later." Sergei said.

We waited for a short while until she brought the food in a large tray. She had made salt and pepper chicken pieces, beetroot soup and some salad.

"This is nice and all but we don't know you still?" I said "And I'm not being ungrateful I just want to know you?" I continued.

"Honey, enjoy your food and don't you worry your pretty little heads about other things." She said.

"I'm afraid that won't be the case until we know exactly who you are and why you are helping us." I said seriously.

"This might be unrealistic but I had prepared food for my grandaughters birthday. They didn't turn up so I recognised you from Anshin, right?" She asked me surprisingly.

"Well yes I used to be in Anshin but I no longer am there." I answered.

"Well that is the reason why I brought you in. You looked hungry and I had so much leftover since no one came to my place to eat." She finished.

"Sounds good enough." Sergei said as he started eating away.

"Well thanks for your kind hospitality. This was much needed." I said as I started eating as well.

The food tasted amazingly delicious so we went to town on it. Clean sweeped it.

"I see you boys enjoyed the food." The woman said.

"It was incredible and for that we thank you." Andrew said.

"It really was." I said.

Sergie couldn't even speak because of how much he ate.

"I will bring you some tea and then you do what you want to." She said.

She brought us amazing cups of tea. We talked about general things afterwards for hours and learned that her name was Matilda. She had been a lawyer in portsmouth before retiring and settling in Dover because it was a quite place to live out her retirement days.

"Is it alright if we crash here for the night. We kinda don't have anywhere else to go." I said to Matilda.

"Sure thing. I am lonely most of the time anyways." She said.

She went and brought us some blankets so we sleep. We thanked her and she went to her bedroom as she left us in the livingroom floor so we sleep.

"She's a good lady." Andrew said.

"I agree." Sergei said.

"Just get some shut eye. we need to walk a lot tomorrow." I said as I closed my eyes.

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(TWO MONTHS AGO)

An old man had been walking to get to the jail which was his destination. Alongside him walked his son's dog peacefully. They had been on the way under the burning heat of the sun and the dry lands of Dover for many hours. When he finally reached he went to the family visiting section to meet the one person he wanted to see after this long journey.

"Who is he sir?" An officer asked.

"Daniel Hughes. He's my son." The old man replied.

After a short while Daniel came to see his father sitting and waiting for him. He sat opposite of him and looked through the glass at his father's face.

"I missed you son." Said the old man.

"I missed you too dad."

They had a five minute conversation before Daniel realised something wasn't right.

"Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"Why are you wearing a hat? You used to hate them."

Tears escaped the old man's eyes as he started crying.

"Take it off dad."

"You don't have to see."

"TAKE IT OFF." Shouted the son.

The old man took off his hat to reveal a bald head. Daniel started crying hysterically as he realised what had happened.

"How long do you have dad?"

"Less than a month son. This is why I wasn't able to visit you for a month." The old man said as they both started crying.

"Which type it is?" The son asked.

"Lung cancer." The old man replied.

"Why did you come then?"

"I came to tell you about something." The father started. "Something I want you and only you to see. You only can carry the burden that is left from that thing."