Dylan

The faint sound of my moms cries were drowned out by her fast beating heart against my ear. Her jacket was warm and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep. I couldn't see or breathe well with the engulfing fog and smoke around our heads.

"I'm so sorry baby." I heard my mother say over and over.

My head thumped against her chest as we ran from something that terrified her to the point where her blood ran cold.

Bang Bang

The same sound over and over that sadly couldn't be drowned out by my mom's screams or heart beat. It kept getting closer and closer. Other kids were falling, crying, and upsetting their parents by not getting up. The parents couldn't get up after that either. So much grief in one area of the woods. So much pain.

My young caramel eyes saw so much more than they would ever dream of. Oozing red blood was splattered on the trees and covered the beautiful shaded leaves creating an image where beautiful doesn't exist.

"I don't know what to do Dylan I don't know where to go." My mom was sobbing as she ducked behind a few trees.

I was in my dad's arms but he fell over just like the bodies on the trail that was supposed to be fun. We were just hiking right Mommy?

I could no longer hear my brothers screams as they tried to catch up, I could only hear my mom, her deep ragged breaths filling my ear drums, and her hot breath on my face.

My mom got up again and continued to run for the only reason left she had to live for.

"AUGHHHH!!!"

I'll never forget that high pitched scream that haunts my dreams to this day. My mom held me close as I felt her fall over and we started to roll down a big slope on the mountains of Colorado.

My cries failed to make a sound with so much chaos around us as we were just one of the many families rolling down a landslide.

My mom's grunts and moans every time we hit the solid ground full of sharp rocks and thorns echoed in my head repeatedly.

When we finally stopped moving, my mom never started moving again. The red oozing stuff was coming out of her stomach spreading over me. Her bloody unmoving body kept me hidden while the enemy searched the site for any more families that wanted to hike that day. No one knew I was under her. My screams were muffled. Her smell was unbearable as day turned into night and then day again. I was exhausted, my eyes were swollen from crying. Why wouldn't mommy get up? She's hurting me.

A few days passed, I couldn't say a word, my throat was parched and my stomach did all the talking for me. Crows started to surround mom and I. They would nip at her shoes and hair while all I could do was watch. At night I heard the roars of mountain lions and the hungry snarls. They'll be at mommy's body soon. I could barely breathe, my lungs and organs were getting compressed and she wouldn't wake up to help me.

"Mommy, I want daddy." I whispered repeatedly.

No one listened to my whispers. No one heard them.

It seemed like it was forever before I started to hear voices. All I wanted to do was sleep and they wouldn't shut up. Then my mom's body started moving. She rolled off of me to reveal two young guys.

"Wait he's alive..." One guy with a beard said.

"What a great honeymoon. Finding a dead mom on her kid." The other guy with glasses whispered.

"He looks to be about five..." Facial hair said while leaning down.

"Hey kid I'm Lucas. You are safe now okay." He continued while picking me up slowly.

"He seems to be beat up pretty bad, can't we bring him back to our house." Lucas whispered trying to not let me hear.

"I'm pretty sure he's forbidden look at how many are dead." Glasses responded while pointing around us.

"I know, I know, just until he's better." Lucas pleaded.

"Oliver we can't leave him." He continued.

"I know. Fine. Just until he is better, but we bought a small house, where are we going to put him?" Oliver asked while we started walking back the way they came from.

"He'll be in the loft area." Lucas responded quickly.

I couldn't help but find smoothness in his voice and fell asleep on his shoulder quickly.

**********************************************************************

"HWAH"

I gasped sharply as I sat upright in my bed after yet another nightmare.

Boom

I then proceeded to hit my head on the low roof.

"Ughhhhh" I complained.

My heart was beating fast and I was crazy hot so I climbed down the loft ladder and walked into the kitchen where Oliver was cleaning dishes.

"Another nightmare?" Oliver asked without having to turn around.

"Yeah, same one too." I replied bluntly while getting milk out of the fridge.

"Hmm I wonder if I can fake a doctor out and get a medication for that. A 15 year old needs his beauty sleep trust me. Our voice drops, hair starts growing, acne starts forming. God Hormones destroy everything." He ranted while sitting down at the Kitchen table with me.

"You never sleep either Oliver." I added.

He looked at the empty bed under the loft.

"It's hard to sleep there without Lucas." He finally sighed.

He hasn't talked about Lucas since he passed away six months ago due to EPA. Honestly it was even hard for me to talk about him.

"We could switch." I said quietly already knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep there either. I remember being little and sleeping In the middle of them.

"No, you'll have the same problem." He chuckled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I don't know how we lost him Dylan. God he was right there and he just...collapsed. He started seizing, and he was gone. How did we not notice? The redness, his fevers. Why didn't we think about the possibility?" Oliver started getting mad. He's always been the one with anger issues.

"We didn't want to notice it." I answered.

"Got if that isn't the truth I don't know what is..." He said solemnly.

"He was the love of my life. We moved out here because no one wanted us, no one supported us, he left his family to be with me. I didn't have anyone to leave but he did. He had a sister and his amazing parents. All for me. He did all that for me." He started crying.

"Oliver he would be proud of you right now." I said while patting his back.

"Oh yeah right he would definitely be proud at me crying to our 15 year old son about me being mad that he loved me." Oliver said between breaths.

"No he would be proud because you are opening up. Oliver you rarely say your feelings. This is the first in 10 years I've heard any emotions come out of you. Lucas was all about emotion, he always got mad at you for not showing how you feel. Instead you would ignore it like you have been with his death, but look what it leads to." I explained.

"I know, I know." Oliver replied quietly.

"Dad sometimes it's okay if the only thing you could do today was breathe." I concluded.

"Wow." He gasped

"What..." I asked.

"That's the first time you ever called me dad." He smiled to the point where his one dimple showed and his eyes squinted.

Now that I think about It. Lucas was always more closer to me than Oliver. I called him dad right away but Oliver, was always Oliver. His death took a toll on me but it seems it brought me closer to my other dad that was here all along.

After our heart to heart it was already five in the morning so I decided to text Briana to see if she was up.

Briana💛🙄

Hey I know ur most likely not up but text me as soon as you can, thx!

She won't be up till like 12 probably so I have time to relax and get ready for the day. Since Oliver and Lucas went off the grid to be together I usually help Oliver outside with the crops and animals. We rarely get visitors unless they come to buy eggs or milk. If people who aren't state officials come they usually think I'm a nephew or cousin of some sort. I've never really felt the gist of forbidden childhood since I was five and witnessed my mom being shot trying to run me somewhere safe.

It's pretty relaxing If I don't say so myself, but I love people. I love surrounding myself with people, I love when people listen to me and admire me, I love being the center of attention which is a horrible thing to seek when you have been almost killed several times because of  your existence. Lucas would always say I would be a fantastic leader.

When I got Lucas's phone after he didn't see a reason for it after going off the grid. He also disconnected it from every active government server for none of his family could find him. I wonder how hard It was to choose what you love more. Your family or your soulmate. I got invited to this group chat, a notification was sent to every inactive server. I clicked it because I'm curious and not cautious what so ever but I have smart, fast instincts.

Soon every night and every morning over 40 kids were texting each other and gaining bonds that would never be broken. Briana and Maya have been my closest friends since I could remember. Maya got transferred to another facility recently and was very distant in the group chat creating fear in everyone when she didn't say goodnight or that she was okay last night. Especially since a broadcast showed one kid died and one kid is on the loose.

Briana and I have been debating even meeting the other kids because of our families. Oliver is already a mess I can't imagine how he would react with me suddenly being gone. He would most likely look for me until it killed him. I know for Lucas he would.

That day was an easy one, the cows cooperated when we milked them, the chickens laid a bunch of healthy eggs, and all the animals were easy to herd in the barn since there was going to be a bad storm tonight. Oliver and I trudged inside already extremely exhausted at six pm.

"I'm going to heat up some Chinese for dinner, how does that sound?" Oliver asked me while looking through the fridge.

"Really good at the moment." I said while climbing up the ladder to see my phone. I knew Briana probably spammed the hell out of me.

Briana💛🙄

Hey I'm up is everything okay?

Dylan?

Yoooo I'm bored!!!

You best be okay I swear to God

If you are outside touching cow nipples instead of reassuring me that your alive you won't be tonight

Yes, I'm fine lol. I decided to go meet them. I'm leaving tonight during the storm for he doesn't hear me leave.

Thank God you are okay, don't do that to me.

Sounds good, be safe please and stay in touch with me

What about you?

I haven't decided yet sorry, I'm really happy here idk why I would risk it...

I left her on read. I was mad but I didn't understand why. She definitely decided already, she's not coming she just doesn't want to admit it. Why am I mad at her choice though, we are all crazy for going and she's right. We are risking a lot and for what? Just to talk to each other in person for a day. It does seem highly unethical and dangerous, but I guess I just wanted to meet her really badly. I want to meet all of them. I'm so curious to see what they look like, what they sound like. I've only heard Briana's voice.

**********************************************************************

I walked slowly down the ladder an hour after Oliver shut off all the lights and became extra quiet, which he never is.

The storm was raging outside, lightning flashed across the sky while rain pelted the windows. I found Oliver's car keys which he hasn't used in years. I hope it still works. I saw Oliver sleeping on the couch snoring softly.

At least he is sleeping.

"Oliver, remember when you and Lucas found me and you both stated, "just until he is better." Well I think I'm better now. Thank you for everything." I barely whispered. I ran out of the house and jumped into his once bright red truck that is now chipped away with rust and old paint. I pulled out of the long driveway and continued my journey through the backroads of Colorado.

What can I say? Curiosity killed the cat.