-Erica's POV-

The wind, still howling with a raging passion, carried on.
Erica walked in unison with Tobias. He went on to try to continue conversation.

"So why do you-?"
Tobias stopped himself.

A sound echoed through the air.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Erica asked.

The sound boomed loudly, but seemingly closer than before.

"We have to leave." Erica said, quickly and seriously. "Now! We can just go back the long way!"

As they turned around, a faint shadow in the twilight was visible. Holding something in their right hand.

Erica could feel someone was standing behind, staring.

She slowly turned around, and saw that a guy was standing approximately three feet away from her holding a gun.

"Give me your fucking money!" He shouted, sounding somewhat desperate.

Tobias froze in his place. Erica just said nothing for a moment, but calmly replied "No."

The man looked enraged at her, but turned to Tobias.

"What about you, huh? Got any shit?!"

"I-I-..."

Tobias was audibly nervous, and was extremely panicked.

The man raised the gun at him.
His finger wrapping itself tightly around the glinting, metal trigger.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

Erica shoved Tobias to the side harshly. When a bang ran through the cold, sharp air.

Erica's arm being splashed with rich crimson blood.

Coiling in pain, she looks in anger; a fiery rage going through her whole piece of mind.

"You fucking son of a bitch! I'll! I'll.... kill you...... Why'd.....why did you have to lead us here.....Noah? T-Tobias. Run. Go. Before you get hurt."

"L-Leave you? Y-YOU'VE BEEN SHOT, DAMN IT! THINK ABOUT YOURSELF! And you! What the hell is wrong with you?! Why the hell are you so damn desperate that you have fucking nerve to shoot someone!"

"You have no fucking right with your privileged ass-!"

"Privileged? Me? Sure, I work two jobs. But, I never get the money that I earn. And, that..." He says, pointing to the gun in the guy's hand, "Is sure as hell not the way to get it."

"Hey!" Someone yelling from behind called out frantically. "What the hell, man?! You weren't supposed to actually shoot someone! And, I thought you emptied the barrel after you shot that damn tree that's not too far from here! Go! Let's get out of here."

The men turned, but their faces illuminated in twilight, somehow seemed clear as day to Tobias...

"Erica?" Tobias looked over to her and bent down. Her eyes weary, but she still tried to have her hand on her left arm. "I'll help you. You hold your arm on the bottom. I'll hold the top. We'll quickly switch, okay?"

They did so, carefully. Tobias took his phone out of his pocket and called the
AST. ¹

The three young kids laughed as they ran down the stairs and to their delight, their grandparents on their mother's side had paid a visit.

"Grandmother?" The girl said, out speaking the two boys. "Why can't Uncle Blasius come here? Isn't he a good person?"

The woman's eyes had overwhelming worry.

"Uh, well. Your father and Blasius had a falling out not too long ago. It was a bit after you and Michael were born. They had an argument....and it ruined their relationship."

"Will we end up like Father and Uncle Blasius?" She asked, worriedly.

"Oh no, no, no! You just have to have faith in each other. And then, everything will be fine."

The kids, now a bit older, walked down the stairs sullenly. The whole family had been called for a family meeting. Their older sister was already downstairs, so she didn't feel quite as bad.

The youngest boy had his face beaten and bloody.

As they sat down, their mother started to cry at the sight of one of her sons.

"I'm sorry." The youngest girl said. "I couldn't protect him enough. He got beaten up by that jackass Pallas...You know? Rina's son..."

"I know." Their father spoke up. "Rina may believe me, but the rest of her family does not. They're still bitter over Viktor's death."

"Well, I've heard s rumor that Rina, her husband, and Alexander are moving to Alaska. Is that true, Father?" The eldest son asked hurriedly.

"Yes. Rina called. She said that they are moving."

"S-So. He's not going to beat me up anymore?" The youngest son questioned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so damn sorry." The girl said, seeing the distraught on everyone's faces.

A family meeting has never happened for a year. But, yet, another one ensued. Abruptly; without one family member.

"I know this is a hard time for us all...but. We must recover. And, to recover, we should move. Now, I know it'll be stressful, and you'll all have to take tests to become a citizen, but, I have complete faith in all of you that you'll be able to pass them."

"Where are we going to move to, Father?" Michael asked.

"Alaska."

Somehow. Somehow we crossed the damn sea and settled down in Alaska, of all places.

Although beautiful, it's tainted with sadness. A house built. Dejection still lingered and just looking at the first room could send someone in a downward spiral.

But, Father wanted the house like it was before. The same, but it definitely felt different. While it may be true that it's home, it has never felt right. Hell, it never felt right back home when everything changed. It happened so fast, too. I think that's what really stuck with Father and Mother; it was so quick and unexpected.

Why'd he have to leave when he did? It was his birthday; July 15th. We had all thought that he had gone to see Brendan. We thought that until the damn cake rotted away. We were so happy. His fourteenth birthday. Yet, he never came back.

What are...all of these lights? They're sickening. I wish they weren't so blinding.
I hear people, but I can't understand what they're saying.

How did I end up here?
Oh, right.
That's right!
He lead me here. No, he led us here. All of us.

Why here of all places?

To be continued...

(Edit: 4-24-18 - Changed some rewritten details.)
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¹ The AST is the Alaskan State Troopers.