Chapter 6

Didn't expect that did ya? Poor Zander.

We split up into our groups. Abigail stood at my side with Zachary wrapped around her waist. We were waiting for one more, Tori. Zachary looked up at me and gave me a slight smile. At least he was trying. Tori held on to her closest brother, Phillip, as long as she could until finally William pulled them apart. Tori cried and ran to Abigail. She sat down Zachary to pick up Tori and he began to cry. Abigail struggled as she tried to get control of them. She reached for Zachary but I beat her.

There was a sense of shock that silenced him for a moment. I took advantage of it. “Zachary would you like to sing a song?” Abigail shot me a look as she wrapped her arms around Tori.

“A song?” He asked quietly through tiny sniffles.

I nodded, “Yes a song, how about a marching song to keep us motivated?” My eyes shot to the beautiful Abigail. She looked behind us to watch the other groups walk away slowly. She sighed and spun around. Her eyes looked up into mine and for the first time I saw fear. She smiled slightly to try and reassure me, but it had already been done. “The ants go marching one by one hoorah, hoorah…” I started. Abigail chimed in as we taught the younger ones the song.

We walked for hours. Finally the sun began to set. Zachary was already asleep hanging on my back. Tori was lying in my arms quietly as she slept. Abigail trudged on a few feet behind me. “We should keep going,” she huffed to my back.

“You should rest.”

“I’m fine.” She tried to pick up speed but failed miserably and dropped back a few more feet. “The more we walk the sooner we’ll get out of here.”

“What is here?”  I asked as if she had all the answers.

She sighed, “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

I shrugged, “I have. This looks a lot like the forests of France.”

“What?” She snapped loudly. I glared at her, ordering her to be quiet for the sleeping kids.  She picked up speed and came up behind me. “You’ve been here before?” 

“Not here, exactly. We don’t even know where here is. All I’m saying is that it looks a lot like France.”

Abigail walked silently for a moment, “What makes you think its France.”

I sighed, “I told you. I don’t think its France it just looks a lot like it. The trees look the same, obviously the nights are the same, and, you’ll think I’m weird, but it smells the same.”

Her eyes looked over me carefully, “I think we’re in France.”

“France?” I began to laugh loudly, “how could we have possibly gotten to France this quick?” My chuckles began to fade as Abigail scowled up at me.  “It’s the hero thing again isn’t it?”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe?” She asked sincerely.

I looked down to see her with a softer face, “Because they aren’t real. Heroes are something you read about in comic books. They don’t actually exist. If they did, why would we need the police?”

“Because police can’t solve hard problems that come along with Villains,” Abigail’s voice strained as she tried to convince me.

I sighed, “I’m sorry, I guess I’m one of those people who need to see in order to believe.”

She sighed also, “Tell me about your dads.” I realized that she really was curious.

My eyes looked forward to the setting sun. The dark purples and pinks spread through the clouds above us. The cool wind nipped at the tip of my nose with each step. “I love them.” I said quietly. Deep emotions began to fill within me. I struggled to hold back tears, knowing that maybe I would never see them again. “My dad Shiloh, he’s the sweet one. He always lets me go do anything when I want. He lets me experience every new thing that I need to. Where my other dad Rylan is the complete opposite.  He is always trying to control my life. He has a schedule for every single day on his phone of where I’m going to be what time I get home… Oh and god forbid I actually take the bike out.” I realized I had begun to walk faster than Abigail, leaving her a few steps behind. I slowed my pace and she caught up. “Somehow though, I miss him the most.” My body shook as tears began to appear. I held them back so that Abigail wouldn’t see this weak side of me. “The last thing I said to him…” I paused and tried to regain composure. “I told him that I hated him.”

Suddenly Abigail’s soft hand rubbed the back of my arm. She looked down at her feet as we continued to walk. “My parents are like yours too. Justin is sweet Phoenix is obnoxious. There’s no doubt I’ve been snotty to both of them, but sometimes I don’t deserve when they yell at me.”  I looked down on her. She curled her arm in the bend of my elbow and walked closer. “I’m sorry about what you said.”

“Me too,” I answered quickly. I tried to change the subject, “How’d your parents meet?”

She smiled, “They played football together in High School. They had been best friends for those four years and when my dad went to ‘find himself’ Justin followed. I guess they were just meant to be from the beginning. I already know the answer to this, but how did your parents meet?”

My eyes looked down again, she was smirking a little. “Well, they met in Miami. My dad Shiloh was a homeless drunk and was trying to kill himself. My dad Rylan took him in and saved him.  When they got married they had me. There really isn’t anything magical to it. How have you heard they met?”

I honestly was curious. I began to realize that maybe my parents weren’t really telling the truth. Nothing spectacular ever happened in our lives and I was beginning to wonder if that was their doing. Abigail started, “Well your dad Shiloh and my dad Phoenix they were together.”

My mouth opened wide “What?”

She smiled, “They met in high school. For the sake of the story let’s call him Collin.” I nodded with a confused look on my face and she continued.

 

 “They well, were intimate which caused your dad to become a hero. At the same time Phoenix’s dad was having issues with his son being gay, anyways!” She emphasized the fact that she was moving on. “My dad’s and your dad’s have this type of virus which turns people into heroes and the virus will actually attack and kill the person carrying it.  So your dad Rylan showed up and sent Phoenix away because he would actually do more harm. Collin went crazy started drinking and tried to kill himself. Rylan saved him and took care of him. At first they weren’t together, actually for like a year or something. Finally they got together and well, the rest is history I guess.”

“History I obviously don’t know.” She hugged her arm tighter around me and I suddenly realized how cold it was. “Let’s stop for tonight. You’re freezing.” Her pale legs had started to turn pink and she shivered next to me. I lead them to a grove of trees that blocked most of the chilly wind. I sat Tori and Zachary down in the tall grass. Abigail plopped down next to them. She wiped some sweat that had beaded above her brow. I started to walk around the group looking in to the shadows. “Why are we walking anyways?”

Abigail was brushing the hair out of Tori’s face and making the kids a little more comfortable. “William believes that we aren’t in reality. He believes that we are in someone’s mind.”

My eyes shot to her and she smiled knowing that I didn’t believe it. I played a long, “So again, why are we walking. Are we looking for something?”

“A portal,” She spurted out before I finished my sentence. “If we find a portal, together we may be able to come up with enough power to warp ourselves back into reality.”

I nodded, “So this portal, do I have one in my mind?”

She yawned and leaned back in the grass. Her arms wrapped around her bare arms and she curled into a ball, “There are different portals that lead to different times. You may have some in your mind you may not. That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

My hand went to the zipper that was pulled up to my neck. Slowly I pulled the medal tab down my torso and pulled off my jacket. Abigail’s eyes closed and I put my jacket on top of her. She snapped her neck to look at me. “I’m fine,” She took my jacket and handed it to me.

“Take it, please.”  My eyes pleaded with hers. My fist grabbed the jacket and placed it on her stomach. With a soft touch of her hand she grabbed the jacket and pulled it up to her chin. She smiled slightly and pulled Tori closer into her chest. They were both out within minutes.

I stood straight and opened my ears. I searched all around me for any sound or movement. As I listened carefully I began to hear the sound of water nearby. Quietly I walked away from the sleeping group, towards the water. I walked lightly across the grass trying not to startle anyone or anything. I walked past the tree break to see a dark stream glittering under the moon. My feet picked up speed as I ran for the water. As I approached the swift moving current I crouched lower. I placed my fingers in the water to feel the cool liquid run past them. I looked down the stream to where it leads. I couldn’t see the end, but it lead in the direction we were headed.

A branch cracked behind me and I leapt to my feet quickly. I spun with my hands in the air ready to fight. There was nothing. Inside my mind I started to sing a song to keep myself occupied. Every time a song filled my head it filled my whole body. Eventually the song would become me. This instance was no different. A soft melodic guitar started inside my mind. Simple strumming that seemed to calm every emotion down. The singer began to sing his voice radiating solely over the guitar, the words calming me and relaxing my mind.

Again I crouched down to the stream. My fingers slipped into the water and a shock went through my arm. My body was thrown back to the ground and images began to appear in my mind. I stood in the same spot as the earth rushed passed me. My body standing there was soaring along this stream which eventually turned into a river. I rushed faster and faster until finally a bright light stopped me. In front of me was a silver arch with a glowing white light in the center of it. My hand reached out and leaned on the silver arch. My head stuck in and that soared away again. Images and people flew past me until I reached two silhouettes of people. They both turned around at the same time. My parents opened their arms and I reached for them.

A shock shot through me and I came back into my own mind. The stars above me were spinning and my heart was pounding in my chest. I rolled over onto my side and coughed as I tried to regain my breath. Slowly I stood up. My eyes went to the stream behind me. The song from before had completely gone out of my head. One more time I placed my fingers in the water, only to get nothing.

I pulled my hand out and I ran back for Abigail.