chapter 4

Seeing my uncle I ran at full speed towards him. Slamming into him within seconds. If he wasn't so well built, he would have fallen over.

"Uncle I was so scared," I said, starting to cry. He hugged me comforting me by stroking my hair and patting my back. I needed that, I really did.

Whenever I meet someone new which was rare I kept my distance and never really showed much interest in knowing them, but it was different with Uncle Duncan. I have met a few of my fathers' friends. I didn't really like any of them and he told me not to get close to them but when I met my now uncle, he looked at me like I was a normal person. He didn't stare at my eyes curiously or with disdain, I was like he saw me as just another person so I thought I could get close to him. I got to trust him and he was one of my dads' closest friends even if they argued a lot. Like a lot. Sometimes I doubted that they actually liked each other, but my dad once told me that if anything ever happened while he was gone I should call him. That meant he at least trusted him. He was even one of my teachers.

Seeing him I couldn't keep my emotions hidden, I was relieved, his presence meant I wasn't alone. He would help.

"There, there, it okay now," he said reassuringly.

The officer standing next to him kept staring at my eyes. It made me feel uncomfortable so I shut them and fully immersed myself in my uncle's warmth. I could still feel him and others staring but I didn't care I just kept holding my uncle.

He took me to the station and asked me to tell him exactly what happened. And I did, breaking down once more as I told him every single detail, some of which I only just remembered. Like the men all wore black or navy blue, I couldn't tell in the dark. Point is that they all wore the same things, like uniforms and I remained seeing the emblem of a wolf just off the shoulders of their uniform. I didn't even know when my mind was taking note of these things. Uncle Duncan quietly listened, giving me time to calm myself between bursts of crying while he took notes.

He swore he would try to find out what happened and who did this and told me I could stay with him. He took me to his house and gave me a spare room, then left.

That was the first time I had a chance to truly process everything that happened. My home is gone. Dad is dead, and David too, apparently. I have no one. Why? why did this have to happen? I just wanted to be happy with them. Whoever did this was going to pay. I SWEAR IT.

I hated life, how unfair it was. I loath people, how cruel they were. I was spent the rest of the day wallowing in self-pity when the door opened again. It scared me and I found myself trembling for no reason.

" D c'mon you should eat something ", that voice immediately put me at ease. I looked up. Uncle... I have only him now. He was holding a plate of pizza and beside it was a small bowl of fruits. All the fruits were red or close to it. Strawberries, apple slices, raspberries. A whole assortment of red fruits. I guess he remembered that I liked them. It was a bittersweet jester as I my dad and brother always used to do that. I missed them.

"Thanks, Uncle Dun," I said forcing a smile.

He probably knew I was faking but didn't say anything and for that I was grateful. Instead, he sighed and sat beside me on the bed.

"Listen, kid, I know today has been really...hard, but it's all going to be okay. You're safe with me and I'll find whoever did this."

I knew he was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't working. even the way he said it. I could hear the uncertainty in his voice, he wasn't even convinced. We sat in silence for a long. I didn't say anything. There was nothing I could say. Though I was upset with what he said and then I started laughing at the ludicrousy of the situation. Well, it was more like snickering rather than laughing. My uncle looked at me with confused and worried eyes.

"Okay?, Okay?, My life was thrown into complete disarray within a single day! And you are telling me things are going to be okay. It's not okay. None of this is okay. I want my dad back! my brother, my home. This is not going to be okay! It's not." I was crying and half of what I said were incoherent screams and I found myself steering at him with such unadulterated hatred, that it even scared me. I knew non of it was directed at him. It was for whoever was behind this. And I truly hoped he knew that.

Big hands pulled me into what felt like a brick wall. Uncle Duncan hugged me so tightly that it almost hurt, but it didn't compare to how hurt I felt today. I continued to cry in his arms, then out of nowhere a strange thought popped into my mind. I had cried more in one day than in the last 12 years. I know it wasn't a really appropriate thought for the moment but whatever.

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Sleep was non-existent that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. Dad, David, even the people chasing me. Everyone calling out to me. I felt like I couldn't breath and thus woke up gasping for breath.

Surprisingly I felt completely fine waking up, like my whole family hadn't just been massacred. I waked into the kitchen and oh what a sight. My uncle bless his heart was making breakfast... or attempting too. The kitchen was full of smoke. I stopped at the door and my stomach tightened and my heart rate rose.

Don't tell me smoke was a trigger. RELAX. Its just your uncle trying to cook. I calmed myself and walked to him. "Oh your up, ah- how are you feeling." he asked not quite sure how to great.

"The beacon's on fire" I replied plainly.

Hearing that he immediately turned to see the beacon he was cooking were ash black. It was pathetic really, especially since he looked so distraught about it. It actually got a giggle out of me.

Hearing me laugh, he smiled and joined in. I ended up pushing him out the kitchen and making breakfast so it was edible. We ate in comfortable silence. Thing is Uncle Duncan was more like me. We weren't big conversationalists and we wouldn't try to make meaningless 'small talk'.

As I packed up the dishes, he brought up the topic I had been dreading. The funeral. Apparently, dad and David would be berried in two days time and the lawyer would read the will.