Aiden : The Soft Wind

(Aiden's POV)

The wind kept making me sniffle. It was cold at night and I wasn't wearing anything for the weather. The walk was tiring, especially after all that happened just a few hours ago.

'He's gone forever.' I thought about Gareth.

I was tired, sad, angry but above all, broken. I didn't know what to do other than stand there and watch.

'It's all my fault all of these things happened.' I thought as I broke down and sat down on the dirt.

I started hysterically crying. All the pain gathered into one person. Too much.

I stayed like that for long minutes which felt like hours. I had no motivation to go home let alone tell mum and dad.

'Oh god. How am I going to tell them?' Tears kept running down my cheeks.

I gathered whatever was left in me and stood up and started to make my way towards the village. Slowly but surely.

After about half an hour of more walking and looking down at my legs pace ahead of each other I finally sensed I was close. I looked up at last.

The sky was red and orange, filled with grey smoke.

My heart skipped a beat and I started running as fast as I could.

"No no no, please god no." I said to myself.

The sky was getting brighter red the closer I got. Flames, screams, cries, shouts all filled my ears.

I suddenly stopped running. I couldn't move a muscle. I watched as people I knew since I was a kid were burning before my eyes. Some of them being shot by Ramsey's men. Some shooting themselves because they don't want to burn.

I stood there motionless, useless, afraid, worried, and sad. Yet all I could do was stare into the eyes of others living their last moments.

Then I saw them. My parents, my mother shot in the head and my father dying from the fire and was shot in the belly. I ran towards them as fast as my legs could take me.

"Dad, please stay with me. Don't die on me, PLEASE." I cried out.

"Listen kid." He started as he was coughing "Everything will be alright. You can take good care of yourself. I know you will do what's right." He smiled through all the pain he was in.

"I can't live without you guys." I said as I started hysterically crying.

"Yes you can, you will do amazingly son. You will make us proud." He said as he coughed out some blood.

"But mum is gone, dad please don't leave me alone, please I beg." I said.

"You won't be alone son. You have Gareth and he has you." He said as he stopped moving.

I quickly checked him for any pulse, None.

I started shaking from anger.

'What am I going to do without them. Even Gareth is dead.' I said as I looked at them side by side, still holding hands.

My heart ached and I felt dizzy. I was clueless as to what I was supposed to do. I felt like curling up and dying.

'It may as well be my best bet, curl up and die.' I thought to myself.

"And that's what happens when you mess with me, kid." I heard Ramsey say from behind me as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry I ain't gonna kill ya, you are going to wish you died though." I turned to him as he winked at me and headed to his car.

I stayed frozen in place as his men walked past me and got in their cars and drove away. I didn't know what to do, how to react.

My mind was filled with the thoughts of those who died, most importantly my parents and Gareth.

"What the fuck do I do now?" I asked myself in a shaky, weak voice.

I couldn't think of anything apart from the dead people. The people I grew up knowing. The people I loved and they loved me back. The people I betrayed when I started working for Ramsey. The people who are dead because I was working for Ramsey.

"Jenna!" I remembered her.

I didn't know if she came back from our little place or not. I went into the town to search for her because she was the closest thing to family left for me.

I ran around the town looking into every house and screaming her name all over the place. It took me some time until I realized she wasn't there.

'Or she's dead too.' I thought fearfully.

I went to our house and stood in front of the door where my parents' lifeless bodies were laying.

I sit in front of them and bury my face in my arms as I hug me knees and start crying. I didn't feel like doing anything but cry or die.

"I lost everyone, everyone, everyone." I continued crying "I just... I'm so sorry mum and dad. For being the reason because all of this happened. I'm sorry for being the reason why Gareth is dead too. I'm so sorry for letting everyone down and causing them to die. I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. I won't ever forgive myself for this."

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Jenna standing over me.

She knelt down and pulled me for a hug. I buried my face in her shoulder and hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry, Jenna." I said breathlessly.

"It's alright, Aiden. This isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself." She said as she started rubbing my back to calm me down.

"But... It IS my fault Jenna."

"No it's not. Now let's go to the cave. I have something there that may help us find another place to stay for the night." She said.

I stood up slowly with the help of Jenna.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard." I whispered.

"What did you say?" Jenna came closer to hear.

"I SAID I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD RAMSEY GRANT."