Chapter 1: I'll take you to him
REY POV
"Dear god, help me" I plead, looking out the window. "God can't hear you" Eric sounds tired. With any luck he will fall asleep at the wheel, sending the car and us to our demise. But he always sounds tired. "You sure you know where your brother is heading" he gruffs, I don't dare look at him, for fear of him, "Yes, I know where they're going, I'll take you to him, I promise" I try to sound confident.
"Oi" Eric wakes me, his fist connecting with my right shoulder, I jolt up straight, rubbing where the new bruise will appear in a few hours. I look at him cautiously "sorry" I mumble "I didn't mean to sleep" He doesn't like it when I sleep while his driving, I think his jealous that he can't. It's getting dark, Eric pulls the car off the road and parks it by a large rock.
We're sitting by the fire Eric made earlier with sticks he and I collected. "Here" Eric shoves a bowl of beans he heated over the fire into my hands "Thank you", he says nothing back. I say my thanks to God and polish off my small bowl, still hungry, always hungry.
"Why do you believe in God?" Eric asks looking at me from the other side of the fire, "because I feel him" I answer, Eric laughs, it's the first time I have heard him laugh, it's a deep and husky laugh, "You feel him?" His looking at me pointedly now, "Always" I look at the fire, his amused expression making me feel uncomfortable. "Do you think God will save you from me?" He sounds angry now, I've come to learn that his moods change very quickly, "If I pray enough" I answer, still looking away from him, I hear his footsteps on the hard rocky ground before I feel him, "If you pray?" His breath is hot on my face, his rough hand gripping my collar from behind my neck, "LOOK AT ME" he spits, when I look into his eyes I see rage "Do you know what I feel?" Eric seethes "I feel pain, is that what God feels like? Pain?" he grips my collar tighter "Does he?" I shake my head as much as his grip allows, "Nothing but pain and desire" his voice is husky now, a longing in his eyes, it's not the longing I have seen when he talks about his family or car, this is different.