Chapter 16 Solivagant

Soda became vodka, bikes became cars. kisses turned into sex. Remember when getting high meant swinging on the playground? When protection meant wearing a helmet? When girls would chase you around during recess? Dads shoulders were the highest place on earth and mom was your biggest hero? Your worst enemy was your siblings. Race issues were about who ran the fastest. War was only a card game. And the only drug you knew was cough medicine. When wearing a skirt didn't make you a slut. Tattoos were shapes drawn on our arm with a sharpie. Guns were branches off of a tree. Friends would come knock on the door with the bike in the yard waiting to chase each other around. When the floor was lava. When the couch was a jungle gym and our beds were trampolines.The most pain you felt is when you skinned your knees, and goodbyes only meant until tomorrow? And we couldn't wait to grow up.

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"Father..?" He trudged through the thick white snow that laid itself without permission, but so beautifully sat there.

The white creamy blue sky, and the black and brown trees with fading bark that tore itself away. "Father..?" He asked again. The cold tugging at his skin as the goosebumps slowly traveled throughout his body.

He walked in every direction. Running towards anything that looked familiar. It was quiet, too quiet. However it was a calm quiet, yet at the same time he could hear the intensity of his heart beating, as it pumped faster and faster. Spreading the blood to his veins quicker than it should.

Although his body felt numb. Himself feeling out of it, like his brain were awake but his body still slumber.

The boy turned his head in every direction, his shirt moving in swift motion congruent with where his body was telling it to go. He looked up at the sky, seeing the tips of the trees that surround him.

His eyes wandered across the sky as he belted. "FATHER!" "MERLIAH?!"

Knees becoming cold as they met surface with the soft ground of snow.

"Ida?" He cried. "..mother?" Spoke the boy, he lifted his head up, his eyes in search as the tears plummeted his cheeks. No one was there, however he felt he was being called. The boy slowly stood up, his brown curls gently swaying as his body moved.

He walked forward, still not knowing where he was going, he followed the voice, more - ever the feeling in his heart.

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"Gilbert!" Hollered Mr.Sailor. Him and many have taken it upon themselves to find the missing boy after William hurriedly rushed into town for help.

As the men walked through the forest searching high and low for the young boy. They heard a horse, the sound of it running through the thick blanket of snow.

They turn to the east of them and see a particular brunette. "Child what are you doing on that horse! That is very much improper for a young lady!" Mr.Gills piped up as he stood next to Mr.Sailor.

"No offense Mr.Gills, I do not think this is the right time to talk about proper adequate when Mr.Landon is out there and possibly dead." Merliah spoke. A deadpan silence overtook the group of men. Mr.Gills however just brushed off the comment made by the small girl. "I am guessing you did not find him?" Spoke again the brown eyes girl, as she lifted up her eyebrow in question. She was left with no answer other than a small grunt from one of the men.

Tough crowd, the girl told herself.

Merliah turned the horse to face the men that walked before her. "Right, I am assuming your group of men will be taking the north path. I will take the west and will come for you if I find Gilbert, and I expect the same from you." She spoke as she slapped the lead to gallop west of the forest.

"She is a witty one that is for sure.." Mr.Sailor laughed as he patted Mr.Gills on the back as he watched her ride off. Her hair flowing in the cold crisp air. "Was she not the girl who got in a quarrel with your boy?" Mr.Sailor went silent after that.

The horses hooves clutching against the floor of white, huffing as its breath is being taken away and put back in with cold misty air. Merliah looked left and right; turned around and went forward although there was still no sight of the boy.

The more she went west the more the trees started to space out, and the more snow there was to become.

The brunette reached the end of the field as there was only a bit of land before the cliff where the frozen water clashed against the frosted rocks. "It is beautiful is it not?" Merliah asked as she gently stroked James hair with her soft but cold hands.

Merliah admired the land before her eyes slowly landed on something. A tiny group of brown curly locks that poked out above the snow.

"Gilbert!" She screamed as she quickly jumped off the horse and ran to the boy.

As she reached the boy the quickly swiped away some snow and frost that had slowly began covering the top layer of the boy. She pulled him into her arms, he was freezing. His face did not have the pale pink color it normally did in the winter time, his lips were growing a darker shade of violet.

The girl whistled for James and as she did he came trudging towards her. She slowly stood up, trying with all her might to lift up the boy.

She groaned at how heavy he was, she dragged his body closer to the horse. Trying to be careful of the unconscious boy. As she moved his body as close to the horse as she could she knelt down and picked him up, propping him up onto her back. She lifted him up and shakily slid him onto the horse. His stomach grazing the sattle.

Once she finally transferred him onto the horse she quickly hopped on, turning his body so his head was facing the sky. She placed him to lean against her chest as she slapped the rein and began charging to the Landon’s home.

Merliah did not know if there was time to tell the others she found the boy they all had been looking for. Her main priority was him.

As the horse marched on as quick as possible, she looked down at the boy, his eyes brows pursed in a stressed tone although his lips stood downward in a plain expression. His curls bounced with every movement of the horse, staines of tears that had once streaked down his face. His hands.. so cold.

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What felt like an hour had only been mere minutes, and soon before he knew it he was face to face to the front door of his own home. He stood outside the door, the blue old wooden door. He noticed how he needed to repaint it as the color started to peel.

Gilbert!

He heard throughout the woods, the birds that were so comfortable in their nests had flown off from the calling of his name. He turned around from where he was standing and was met with no one.

That sounded almost like Mer-

He was taken away from his thoughts as he heard laughter.. from inside?

The hazel eyed boy placed his hand on the cold knob, his breath pitched. He stood there for a moment - not thinking of anything in particular expect for the voices of the conversation that flowed so well on the inside. He turned the knob and stepped inside, his eyes facing the ground until he turned around and closed the door.

The conversation stopped.

"Gilbert?" A voice said, his eyes dilated from the soothing voice, causing the boy to turn around in almost an instant. The boys heart was pounding and the ringing in his ears only grew louder.