Chapter 92

Dylan POV
5 years ago...

"Mom, we're out of milk again!" I shouted as I held the fridge door open with my right hand while juggling my 1 year old screaming brother on my left hip. "Mom!?" I groaned before slamming the fridge door shut and walking into the living room where my mother was seated two minutes ago. Only she was no longer there.

It had been a month since the new world had taken affect, and it had done so, much quicker than anyone had expected. We, being humans, were placed on rations. Basically we were given the bare minimum to live on.

After the initial takeover and my unjust lashing an old nurse from the hospital patched me up, Sheila, she had lost her job completely but even after a month she was still willing to help most of us humans out if we needed it.

Once I got home that day I realized just how much my world had turned upside down.

My back was radiating pain and I was still processing the death of my father, I hadn’t exactly had time to mourn, so when I walked into my house I wanted nothing more than my mom to tell me everything was ok, what I received however, was chaos.

Freddie was screaming in his downstairs crib, and my mom was absolutely nowhere to be seen. I guessed I wouldn’t be getting a hug anytime soon when I heard her wailing upstairs. She was a mess and a month later she wasn’t really any better.

I needed my mom to pull it together soon. I was exhausted from Freddie waking up in the middle of then night, and having to deal with it personally every time he did, once I got him back to sleep I checked on my mom who would be sobbing in her bed. There was nothing I could do to help her in those moments. She genuinely spent most of her time in bed but sleep hardly ever came to her. She was in a state of deep grief and I was getting more and more concerned with her lack of coping.

“Mom?!” I stormed upstairs still with my little brother still on my hip, and sighed when I saw my mom once again curled up in her bed. The Curtains were drawn and the room was dark, not only that but it was filled with my dad’s cologne and photos. I felt my eyes welling up again when at one of the frames containing his photograph. I couldn’t be sad though, my mom wouldn’t let me. “Mom? We’re out of milk again.”

We obviously weren’t being given enough, Freddie was drinking cows milk now and we were going through it quickly.

“We need you mom.” She just lay quietly sobbing to herself, I saw her curled up body get slightly more ridged as long wails came from her mouth. In other words, she had lost it. “We can’t live like this anymore… Freddie needs you…” I watched her head shake as more and more sobs left her lips. “You have to appeal for more tokens, we’re running out too quickly, if I do it I’ll get hurt again… Please mom?” I was nearly crying while I pleaded with my mother to help. “Mom? MOM?!” There was no point trying to get through to her, she had built a wall up around herself and wasn’t letting anyone in. “I’ll go to the store and try to get another bottle. Just, please get dressed for me…”

In the end I sighed and then frowned at my brother who’s little arms were wrapped around my neck tightly.

I wasn’t sure wether to take him with me or not. In the end I placed him in a harness and got him awkwardly on my back, before walking to the store. Once there I joined the small line of humans that were waiting to be searched before going in.

I was forced to take my brother off my back before being patted down thoroughly. Once I got inside I could hear whispers from the humans who were watching me and kept my head down slightly when their words sank in.

“She’s basically become that boys mother…” One of my old neighbours said to another. Once I made my way into the store I walked over to the desk and immediately spoke to the she wolf that was on duty there.

“I heard she might have to quit school!” Spoke another. One thing I hated more than anything was gossipers.

“Shes just a child herself, how can a mother put so much pressure on her daughter?!” Urgh, I was beyond livid. Yes my mom may have broken down, but no one knew how much she actually loved my dad. Now that he was gone she had nothing. I knew if thing’s continued I’d have to drop out of school, even in this new world I would be able to find a job to pay our way, not that I wanted too. “She hasn’t even been able to grieve herself, poor thing.”

I felt my eyes prick with tears but fought them back. Everyone could speculate on my situation as much as they wanted, but they would never know the truth, and that was that my small family were barely staying a float. It was easy to gossip and criticise other people when in you knew nothing about their life, but speaking about things and experiencing them first hand were completely different and I knew no one would truly understand. No one would ever know how thin the tightrope we were on truly was.







Present day….

“Your grace…? Your grace….? Dylan?” Huh, I shook my head quickly and finally met the eyes of the man who had helped me change the license plate of the crashed van to an almost identical one, I think his name was John? He was the son of the locksmith who had helped me out of my restraints when I had first arrived 8 hours ago.

“Sorry, I switched off for a second.” I was that exhausted after being awake and on the go for so long that I had began day dreaming. The entire time I was at the van site, I switched off and kept remembering how closed off my mom was after the death of my dad. Four months it took for her to finally come round slightly, and even then it was only because I ended up yelling at her. Only now after losing her too did I truly understand what grief could do to a person.

“Are you sure this is the route Ryan takes?” I nodded my head and sighed looking at the scrunched up piece of paper I had given him with the instructions scribbled on it.

“That’s definitely his route. When you get stopped at the borders don’t let anyone see that paper. Make sure you tell border control that you’re only late because you got a puncture. I’ve placed a spare tire in the back of the van and slashed it slightly, so you have proof of the story.” I explained everything to him and sighed, rubbing my stinging eyes roughly trying to keep myself focused on my task. I had zoned out for so long that a tired taste began to take over my mouth. You know the one I mean, the one when you start to doze off but get jolted awake so abruptly that your senses don’t have time to catch up.

“Is there anything you haven’t thought of?” The man chuckled before looking at me again this time with sympathy. I rolled my eyes slightly, I was beginning to get used to looks like that. Even though I hated them with a passion. “Hey, erm… I’m really sorry about everything that’s happened to you.” He looked somewhat ashamed for even bringing things up but I admit I was expecting to be questioned by people when I arrived. “It’s just, when the king made his announcement about the schooling law, you said some intimate things that…” he trailed off and my eyes widened suddenly.

I hadn’t even realised that I’d said something like that on live tv. Did I really tell the world that I had been defiled? Had I made myself out to be a victim? That wasn’t how I wanted to be seen, I wanted people to think I was a strong person. Although with the way I broke down at my mothers death I was hardly a strong character. I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I had said that day. Maybe I should rewatch some of the news footage.

“Everything I said was true, not that it matters now.” My sight went to a patch on the grass and I instantly zoned out again, I was seriously exhausted. “You had best head off.” I spoke while still staring at the ground, eventually my stare remained Blank and sleep filled, but diverted from the floor slowly to Johns own orbs. “That lycans body has already been reported so we really can’t waste anymore time.”

“Ok, I’ll be back in about six days. And I promise I’ll check up on your brother. Even if I just ask around slightly.” I nodded my thanks and sighed at the man. I had basically begged him to see how Freddie was, I made sure to stress to him about keeping his identity quiet though. If the king found out Freddie was in fact my brother I just know he would use him against me, and me being me would accept him in a heartbeat to save the boy. I genuinely couldn’t loose anyone else.

“Thank you. Truly.” He nodded and climbed in the new van before manoeuvring the vehicle out of the base. I watched in between long blinks as it disappeared from my view.

Now I could rest.

I trudged back to the tent the council had previously occupied and frowned when only V and Elias were present. I slammed the report I had scribbled down on the desk causing both their heads to turn to me.

“Ryan Clarke, the trader who had been injured helping me, is fine. He’s remaining in the medical section for a few days to keep his pain minimal but he will make a full recovery…” My eyes closed for a second and I felt my body wobble off balance slightly, before catching myself and forcing my eyes to blink tightly then I looked back at the two people in front of me. “The van has also been sent out. John said he will be back in a few days, and he will make sure everything is delivered safely.”

“Goddess!” Elias stated before hurrying over to me and placing his hands firmly on my shoulders. “You didn’t have to do everything straight away, your grace.” Huh? His voice was becoming very muffled in my ears and my sight lagged slightly behind my actions as I turned to face him. “I’ll take her to an RV. After everything she’s been through I imagine the privacy will be welcomed.” My head turned to V who simply nodded her head. A frown took over her features quickly when she met my eyes.

“Yes, go and get some rest. We can discuss everything else tomorrow after you’ve had a good sleep. You shouldn’t have pushed yourself so much, but thank you.” I nodded my head and turned my feet towards the exit of the tent, While Elias’s hands still remained on me.

“Come on, before you fall asleep on your feet.” I barely even heard him speak as the sight before me spun and turned into the ceiling of the tent. Had my body finally given into the exhaustion it felt? My eyes closed instantly and I fell asleep then and there, sprawled out on the floor.

I was genuinely surprised my exhaustion hadn’t hit me sooner.