Forgive Me

Chapter 7:

Dan's eyes fluttered open bringing him back into consciousness. "Phil…" he groaned as he tried to move. His body had been slung over a large piece of metal that was spread across the middle of the car to hold the barrier. He felt lucky and cursed that the car had managed to flip over and over until it landed right side up. Grabbing at the middle piece, he did his best to push himself up. His hands dug into pieces of the shattered barrier, which tore the skin on his hands.

Dan's vision finally cleared, and he spotted Phil at the bottom of the car. "Phil?" He climbed over the middle piece and rolled Phil. His heart dropped and pounded at the same time. Phil was clearly unconscious, and an area on his head near his temple had been cut and was bleeding. Dan used all of his strength and kicked the door to the car. Luckily, with the damage from the crash, the door flung open. Dan hurried out and started trying to pick up Phil. Once he got a good enough grip and was able to hold Phil up, he dragged Phil out of the car and onto the ground.

Looking around frantically, Dan checked for anyone that would threaten him and Phil. The car containing the men had crashed into their car, which Dan assumed was the cause for the second impact that he barely felt before falling unconscious. Apparently, the cars design to follow each other no matter what had a very fatal flaw. The other car had flipped onto its side, so Dan knew he had a chance to get himself and Phil somewhere safe. Dan carefully picked up Phil, holding him by his legs and back. After surveying the area, Dan spotted some buildings and dark corners of the city. Quickly, he made his way as fast as his legs would carry himself and Phil.

Dan found a place to hide, and he lay Phil down, positioning Phil's head to lie on his lap. Carefully, he brushed Phil's hair to side so he could get a better look at Phil's wound. "Phil…" he whispered. Fear overtook his being. What if Phil didn't wake up? Dan pressed his fingers to Phil's neck. He felt a decently strong pulse, but he was still terrified.

Hours passed; at least, Dan was pretty sure it had been hours. In all honestly, he had no idea how much time had passed. His throat was sore from crying. Alone in the alley, with the only person he cared about unconscious, all of his demons seemed to attack him from the shadows. He started hearing his father's threats, feeling Rebecca's poisonous touch, and remembering the pain in his stomach when he heard about Tracey. His entire body began to shake violently, which he wished was just from the cold. As if things couldn't get any worse, Dan heard thunder in the distance, and it wasn't long before the rain came.

Dan curled up into the tightest corner he could find whilst clinging to Phil, but nothing could keep the monsters away. The rain seemed to only make it worse. The water was pouring down in sheets, completely dousing Dan and Phil. Dan had to turn Phil on his side so that Phil wouldn't drown in his state of unconsciousness. The rain made it hard to see the world around him, which made the world attacking his mind that much more real.

"Phil," Dan whined. "Please…please wake up." He lightly shook Phil, not wanting to hurt him, but desperate for him to awaken. "I need you to wake up. I…" He stopped, but then realized that if he needed to get anything out of his system, now was the time. After all, Phil couldn't hear him. "I need you. I need you right now. I'm constantly attacked by these…by these monsters in my head." More tears dripped down Dan's cheeks as he continued. "When I close my eyes all I can see is Rebecca on me, or all I can hear is my father telling me that Tracey was removed." Reaching down, Dan gently caressed Phil's cheek with his thumb. "But you…you make all of that go away. I need you here with me. Please…"

Dan's heart seemed to hurt more from each passing minute that Phil was unconscious. Despite shivering violently from his terror and the rain, he took off his jumper and put it over Phil. He pulled Phil close and wept. For a moment, he was glad it was raining, because it meant he couldn't feel the tears. It meant he couldn't feel his horrors and nightmares slipping down his cheeks endlessly. His throat was even sorer than before, his eyes burned from the mix of tears and rain, he was freezing, his injured hands viciously stung, and he could have screamed from how much his own mind was attacking him. However, despite it all, all he could truly focus on was begging Phil to awaken.

"Please wake up…" he croaked. "Please…"


Rebecca and Alex were sat in the car, and Rebecca couldn't have been more irritated. For one, they sent a driver, which was annoying since cars didn't need them, and they had to stop because of the weather. Rebecca leaned forward in her seat, "Are you sure we can't make any more progress?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but in weather like this it is not safe. The rain is coming down in harsh sheets," replied the driver.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, "I know! I can hear it on the roof of the car!" She huffed and leaned back into her seat. Alex couldn't believe what she was witnessing. It was as if Rebecca was a completely different person. "This stress is not good for the baby!"

Then maybe you should have waited on getting knocked up, thought Alex. She wouldn't dare speak the words aloud. She was learning more about Rebecca from each passing moment, and she had already learned that Rebecca was the cut-throat type. Alex wouldn't even consider standing up to her unless she had leverage, which was starting to scare her. If they did in fact find Dan, what was she going to do to help?

"What is your plan anyway?" asked Alex. "You're going to find Dan, and then what? Force him to come home? Force him to love you?"

Rebecca shot Alex a look that made Alex regret opening her mouth. "He does love me; he's just struggling right now. He's…like, sick or something."

"Because he's," Alex mouthed the word "homo" so the driver wouldn't hear. Rebecca nodded her head yes. "So you think that makes him sick?"

"Obviously. Everyone knows that people like that are sick, but I can help him get better."

Alex was baffled. She had never really formed an opinion on homosexuality, but she knew Dan wasn't sick. He was her friend, and Rebecca was really starting to upset her. However, she couldn't help but to be fearful of Rebecca, and at the end of the day she had no idea what she would do if a situation ever arose. She hoped deeply that they wouldn't find Dan, and more than that, she hoped Dan was safe.


Dan had fallen asleep despite his best efforts to stay awake. He was still sat with Phil's head on his lap, but his head was resting against the brick wall of the alley, slightly tilted to the left. The rain finally died down to a slight drizzle. It was just passed 9:00 a.m., but the sun was hidden behind the rainclouds, giving the illusion that was it was still late. So when Dan woke for a slight moment, all that processed in his mind was that no sun meant it wasn't time to get up yet, and he fell into oblivion again.

Suddenly, Phil awoke. He coughed, which woke Dan up right away. Struggling, he tried to use his arms to boost himself up, but Dan stopped him.

"No, no! Don't get up yet," he said, gingerly positioning Phil to lie back down. Phil coughed, wheezed, and shivered. Dan wished there was more he could do. "Just rest." Phil didn't have the strength to argue. He just nodded his head and did his best to regulate his breathing. Dan gently brushed Phil's soaking wet hair away from his eyes. He then realized that his own hair was stuck to his forehead in a messy manner, and he swept it away from his range of vision. "Are you alright?"

Phil coughed a few times before responding. "I don't know. What happened?"

"The car crashed and knocked us out. When I woke up, you were still unconscious. So I kicked the door open and I carried you out. Then I found this area and hid us. It rained really badly, which explains why we're soaked, but they didn't find us. We're safe for now."

Phil couldn't believe what Dan had said. Surely Dan could have ended up caught from taking time to not only get him out of the car, but carrying him and hiding both of them. "After everything that happened you still took me with you?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Dan. How could Phil think he'd be so cruel? "I wasn't going to leave you behind. Besides…I got you into this mess. I'm going to get you out."

"You didn't get me into this mess, Dan," stated Phil firmly. "I chose to leave with you."

Dan lightly placed his hand on Phil's shoulder. He wanted to be comforting, but he didn't know what would be too much, so he settled on just resting his hand where it was. "I know that, but I was the one that planted the idea in your head." I was the one who planted the idea in Tracey's head too… "I just want you to be safe."

Phil simply nodded again, but his mind was racing. He didn't understand. From each passing moment, and from each action Dan carried out, Phil was beginning to believe less and less that what Dan had done was from pity. There was something about every little thing Dan did. Whether it was taking the first watch at night, or insisting on carrying their bags once Phil started getting tired, Dan always did little things that didn't come from the feeling of pity. He did so many kind things, even when Phil refused to speak to him.

Dan and Phil stayed there in silence, which Phil was grateful for. His brain kept piecing more and more things together, trying to understand, and trying to solve the mystery surrounding Dan's actions. For a moment, Phil considered that it wasn't pity, end of story. Then, that raised the question of what the reason was. Why did Dan decide to take him along for the escape? Why did Dan work so hard to protect him? And most of all, Phil wondered what he could have possibly done to deserve being given a second chance. What had he done to deserve to have the prince of Pacis decide that he needed to be saved?

Phil pondered and wondered for a while, but at the end of his train of thought, he couldn't figure it out. He hadn't done anything to deserve it, that was for certain, and he had absolutely no idea what could have possibly gone through Dan's mind. None of it made sense. He wanted to ask Dan, but he knew he'd either receive a lie or a subject change.

Carefully, Phil placed his hands on the ground and started lifting himself up. Dan tried to stop him immediately.

"Phil, no!" he demanded. "You need to rest!"

Phil ignored Dan and struggled against him. "We need to get moving. If we stay sitting ducks we'll get caught for sure." Phil struggled to his feet, and he wobbled slightly. Keeping his balance seemed to be harder than usual. The world started spinning, and he started to fall. Fortunately, Dan had stood up, and was able to catch him.

"Dammit, Phil! I told you, you need rest!"

Phil tried to regain his balance, which he did for a moment. "I said I'm fine." He took another step and stumbled. Dan wrapped his arms around Phil, holding him up.

Dan groaned, "You're like a dead weight. You can't even stand."

"I'm fi—."

"Shut up!" Dan lifted Phil's limp head with his hand. Phil blinked several times, as if trying to stay awake. "Look at me. You're hurt, and until you heal up we're not going anywhere."

"If we stay they'll find us."

Dan huffed. He knew Phil was right. "Then you're not walking." He bent down and slung Phil over his shoulder.

"This is really uncomfortable…" groaned Phil.

Dan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Put me down; I'd rather walk."

"I think you're delirious from the head injury."

Dan carried Phil for the entire day. Phil had nodded off on occasion, but he spent most of the time throwing in random complaints. Dan was ready to slap him, but he had a feeling Phil wasn't thinking straight from that hit to the head.

The sun was starting to dip into the horizon, which Dan took as a signal to look for another place to hide. Eventually, he spotted really tight nook that couldn't be seen from many angles, so that's where he decided to go. It wasn't long before Dan and Phil were in the same position as before. Phil was asleep, and Dan was alone in the rain. Dan felt better knowing that Phil was okay, but he did wish he had company. Despite that, he was glad Phil was resting.

Realization set in that they were in trouble. Dan had been so frazzled throughout the day, that he hadn't realized that their bags were gone. Then he remembered the men ripping their belongings away from them as they were shoved into the car. He had a moment of panic. Frantically, he felt around in his coat pocket for the information about Tuarium. When he felt a firm rectangle shape in his pocket, he let out a breath of relief. Pulling out the file, he started flipping through it, more and more thankful that he had decided to carry it on his persons instead of in the bags.

Dan drifted off, and the night passed by quickly. Morning came, and both men were rudely awakened by their stomachs. With their bags gone, they had nothing. Phil groaned and sat up, leaning against the wall next to Dan.

"How are you feeling?" asked Dan worriedly.

"Better," responded Phil. "I just wish we had our stuff."

Dan's stomach made a loud noise, as if agreeing. "Heh, so do I, but we'll have to make due."

Phil's eyes winded, and he turned to Dan, "Dan! The file on—!"

"Got it," Dan held up the information. "I decided it was safer to carry it in my giant ass coat pockets than to put it in the bags. Looks like I was right."

"Thank god," said Phil as he placed his hand over his heart. "If they had found that, I don't even want to think about it."

"Neither do I."

"We should get moving."

Dan reluctantly agreed, and he and Phil were on their way again. Luckily, Phil was strong enough to walk on his own. Their journey was made a lot harder with no food and their injuries, but they knew they had to keep going. Dan's hands burned from his cuts, and Phil's head ached, but neither of them said a word about their pain. They both wanted to fill the silence in the air, but no words came. So instead, they just walked side by side, both of them glad that the other was okay.


Mr. Howell couldn't remember the last time he had been so stressed. He stood in front of a detailed map of Pacis. The driver that he had sent to find Dan had reported back to him the previous night. Mr. Howell had to hand it to himself; he raised a smart boy, and that was biting him in the ass. He used the information to attempt to figure out Dan's route. Reports had come in of seeing Dan before the formal announcement had been made, so Mr. Howell accounted for that. It seemed as if Dan was going in the occasional circle. His son was either getting lost, or he was trying to throw people off. Either way, it was frustrating and making things difficult.

"Honey," said Mrs. Howell as she walked into the room. She saw the map and was overrun with worry. Tracing the lines showing in her mind, she could see that Dan was lost and probably terrified. There were pins tacked on the map where reports had come in, and Mr. Howell had drawn possible streets Dan had taken to get from location to location. "I hope we find him."

Mr. Howell tacked on another pin. "I hope so. He's in for a world of trouble when he gets back."

"Oh, he's just a boy."

"He's a grown man!" shouted Mr. Howell. He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I just can't believe that he would take off like this. And with," Mr. Howell walked passed Mrs. Howell and closed the door, "with a servant!"

"We don't know that. Maybe the servant we're missing just followed him trying to get away."

Mr. Howell pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you even know which slave we're missing?" Mrs. Howell shook her head. "His name was Philip. I had seen Dan talking with him on multiple occasions, and if that was suspicious enough, it seemed the more times I caught them speaking, the more I noticed Daniel avoiding Rebecca. Now, Rebecca can be a handful, we know this, but something wasn't right! That's why as soon as I found out that red head was a homosexual I got rid of her. She might have been planting ideas in our sons head. I was sending him a warning, and he clearly didn't care."

Mrs. Howell clasped her hand over her mouth. "You don't think our son…is…?"

"I don't know, but you know what we'll have to do if he is."

"No! I won't harm my own son!" shouted Mrs. Howell. "I don't care if our entire nation views it as vulgar; he is my son! We can help him!"

"And if he's beyond help?" yelled Mr. Howell. "We have a country to care for. We have a lot at stake here, and if Daniel isn't fit to handle it, then I will do what I have to do." Mr. Howell left the room. Mrs. Howell turned to look at the map. She gently pressed her finger by pin that marked Dan's most recent location.

"I hope you stay safe, baby…" she whispered and broke down into tears.


"Okay, just be quiet," whispered Phil. He and Dan were outside a gate that led to a large orchard. They had reached a part of Pacis that handled a large portion of the countries agriculture. Dan hoped that it was big enough that they could sneak around and grab some food without being spotted. Phil started climbing the gate, and Dan followed. Once they were on the other side, they looked around carefully. When they spotted no one, they took off deep into the trees.

"What if we get caught?" asked Dan in a quiet voice. "If they see me they're going to turn me in."

Phil looked both ways, and then gestured for Dan to move forward. "It's mostly kids that work out here. Adults have to deal with real jobs to earn points, so anyone under 16 is who works here. Besides, it's late. We'll be fine."

"How do you know?" asked Dan with an eyebrow raised.

Phil started climbing a tree with ease, and he laughed. "It's been so long." He looked down at Dan. "I used to live here before we moved. So I was one of the kids that had to climb up here and risk breaking my neck just to reach these." Phil tossed an apple down to Dan. Dan sank his teeth into the fruit was immediately relieved.

"How come I never knew you used to live out here?" asked Dan, through a mouthful of apple.

Phil tossed Dan a few more apples before starting to climb down. "Because you never asked where I lived when I was a kid." He took an apple from Dan and started to eat. "Thank God," he sighed. After taking a quick look around, he then pointed to his right. "This way. Come on."

Phil led Dan to a small lake that was surrounded by trees and flowers. They both sat down by the water. Phil reached down and started to trace patterns in the water like he did as a child.

"How is no one out here right now?" asked Dan as he took another bite. "It's actually…nice."

"This is at the end of the orchard; it's the furthest out, so this place is tended to first thing in the morning. So if we stay here tonight, we'll have to take turns sleeping for real this time. The second the sun peaks over that hill," he pointed, "we'll have to leave."

Dan swallowed his last bite of apple and tossed the core aside. "Sounds like a plan to me." Dipping his finger into the water, he mimicked Phil's actions. "So, what was it like living here as a kid?"

"Well," Phil thought for a moment. It was a little difficult to access memories from that long ago, but he did remember a lot of details even for being so young. "When I was five I started working here. It was my job amongst other kids to carry baskets into the sheds to store food, collect rotten fruit from the ground, and water the plants, stuff like that."

"That doesn't sound too bad," observed Dan. He reached into the water and splashed his face. Phil decided that was a good idea and copied him. "I guess maybe on hot days it would be a drag, but for a kid, you probably didn't mind as much."

Phil smiled softly, "Yeah. When you're a kid, picking things up and being in charge of important things makes you feel special." Phil's smile widened and he nearly jumped in his seat. "I remember this one time, Martyn and I climbed all the way to the top of an apple tree, instead of just high enough to get to the fruit, and we almost got stuck. Martyn climbed down first, and he had me jump. He actually caught me. I remember thinking he was like a superhero."

"That's a really nice memory," said Dan with a smile.

Phil's cheeks reddened and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble. I just miss him. I wish he was here. If anyone in this world deserved a second chance, it was him. He stepped up for the whole family after my dad died. That's actually why we left here. We needed to go somewhere cheaper and where Martyn and I could work once we were old enough."

"That's awful…" Dan placed his hand on Phil's shoulder. "I'm really sorry."

Phil looked up at Dan and offered a small grin. "It's alright." Sneakily, he dipped his hand in the water and brought it up to splash Dan in the face.

"What the hell?" asked Dan through a laugh. "What was that for?"

Phil laughed. He splashed Dan again. "That was the best part about this lake. Sure it's really small, you can see the other side at a glance, but it's really clean water. Me and all the other kids all used to all gather around here during break and we'd all swim and play games."

Dan splashed Phil in the face. They both laughed. Dan nudged Phil. "Next time warn me," he chuckled. "It's really cold water."

"Not in the afternoon," stated Phil in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "When the water has been boiling in the sun all day, it's actually warm, and it's perfect for swimming. We used to play sharks and minnows if we had enough break time."

"I think I remember that game from when I was a kid. That's kind of funny."

"What is?" Phil looked at Dan curiously.

Dan splashed Phil again before continuing. "We're two completely different people. We were even more different back then. I was a prince—."

"And I was a peasant," observed Phil. "I technically still am."

Dan shot Phil a look, "I wasn't going to say that." Phil shrugged in response. "Anyway, two different people, different statuses, the whole thing, and yet we played the same games."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, I don't understand why my community, my 'people' treat all of you so lowly. I don't get why my family doesn't do more to help everyone. It doesn't make sense to me. We're all people, aren't we?"

Phil raised his hand and pointed up with his index finger. "Actually! I'm a hybrid. I happen to come from a clan of werewolves." Dan busted out laughing. Phil joined him. "I couldn't resist."

Dan suddenly felt very happy, happier than he had felt in a long time. It seemed that for the first time, he was seeing who Phil really was. Phil was a young man with a good sense of humor, he had memories that he liked to share, and he seemed to be genuinely kindhearted. Dan wondered if that's why Phil stood out to him. Maybe despite circumstance, he carried enough of the essence of who he was that Dan was able to sense it.

Dan smiled wider than he ever had. He couldn't remember the last time that he couldn't resist smiling so much. Then, little lights started appearing around the lake. Dan jumped, which made Phil laugh.

"What is that?" asked Dan with a scared expression.

"Dan," Phil tried to stop laughing. "Calm down. They're just lightening bugs."

Dan looked at Phil as if he was crazy. "Lightening…bugs?"

"Hang on." Phil stood to his feet. He walked around the side of the lake and closed his hands around one of the floating lights. After making his way back to Dan, he sat down and just barely opened his hands. "See? They're little bugs that have butts that glow. Isn't that awesome?"

Dan chuckled. "Oh my god."

"Want to hold it?" asked Phil as he brought his hands closer to Dan.

"Uhhh…" Dan wasn't sure how he felt about holding a bug.

"Oh, don't be a wimp," Phil dropped the bug into Dan's hands. Dan winced for a moment, as if waiting for the creature to bite, but nothing happened. It just crawled along his palm. "See? It's cute!"

Dan smiled again. He felt warm inside because so much was making him happy. "It is cute."

"I can't believe you've never seen these before." Phil got up and caught another one to hold himself. Sitting back down, he opened his hands near Dan's so the lightening bugs could interact. "Aw, look, they're friends."

"They do look like they are," observed Dan through a laugh. He looked up at Phil, and it was as if his heart melted. Phil was beautiful in so many ways. Dan watched the older man smile at the two little critters in their hands. The fact that his world could be brightened by something so simple made Dan feel so much better about the world.

"We should let them go," said Phil. He stood up, and Dan followed. "Just put your hands up and they'll fly away." Dan and Phil both raised their hands, and the bugs took off. Phil sat back down. Dan stayed standing for a moment. He looked out over the lake and took a moment to just breathe. Despite all that they had already been through, both of them were managing to smile. However, Katrina's warning sounded in Dan's mind. Dan shook his head. No. He wouldn't let this moment be ruined. Sitting back down, he dipped his hand into the lake and played with the water, trying to distract himself.

Phil scooted back and lay on his stomach. He looked up at Dan, and the corners of his mouth rose. He had never seen Dan actually smile and look so relaxed. "You look happy," he commented.

"I am happy," said Dan. "I'm not entirely sure why, but I am." He started thinking of the stories Phil had just told him, and his grin only grew more. "There's just something about tonight that's making me feel relaxed. I'm thankful for that."

"It's a relaxing place," Phil stood up next to Dan. "Why don't I take first watch tonight? You've been doing it a lot lately."

"Are you sure?"

Phil nodded his head yes, "Yeah. I want to just sit here and look around for a while. I've missed this place."

Dan smiled softly. "Okay." He caught himself staring into Phil's eyes again. Phil looked stunning in the glow of the lightening bugs and the moonlight. He had no idea that Phil was thinking the same thing about him. Phil felt his heart beating a little faster, and he still didn't know why. Dan shook his head, "Right, okay. I'm going to get some sleep." He plopped down to the ground and got situated into a position that was at least somewhat comfortable. "Goodnight, Phil."

"Goodnight, Dan," whispered Phil. Dan closed his eyes and did his best to calm down enough to rest. Soon enough, Phil's stories and flickering lights from lightening bugs filled his mind, and he easily drifted.

Phil stood in place for a while, taking in everything around him. He felt equally happy and sad to be back where so much of his youth took place. It was a comforting familiarity, but it made him miss Martyn even more.

For years, Phil searched for Martyn all around the Community. He had spent 6 years serving, so he was transferred from home to home a lot throughout the years. Every opportunity he got, he asked around, looking for his brother. When nothing happened, he assumed the worst. In Pacis, you either lived at home, served at the Community, or you were dead. A few stray tears dripped down Phil's face as he gave the idea thought, but he also hoped that if Martyn was dead that he was somewhere nice. He hoped Martyn was somewhere safe.


Another week had passed. Dan and Phil were trying not to worry about running low on food, and mostly, they were praying that they weren't lost again. They seemed to be going the right way, but how could they be sure? Despite everything, they were keeping their spirits high. Dan's nightmares had lessened severely, and Phil's resentfulness was almost nonexistent.

Phil had been asking Dan stories about his childhood. Since he had shared his memories, he wanted to learn more about Dan. It turned out that Dan had pretty good times as a little boy; it was once he became a teenager that things started getting difficult, so Dan stuck to talking about his youngest years. Phil was amazed by the technology that Dan's community had. Even though he served there for many years, he didn't see too much.

Dan told Phil about the many different toys and gadgets he used to play with. Phil was in awe when Dan described the water gloves that Dan had used not too long ago. He wondered what had inspired such a device.

The days had become much easier since Dan and Phil actually kept each other company. They continued learning about each other, and it made everything seem worth it. They had both been through hell, but they had been given a chance at sanctuary. However, it wasn't long before things became worrying again.

Dan and Phil had been walking through a small town, and after a while, the buildings seemed to just stop. It was as if an imaginary line cut off civilization, and forward was nothing but open grasslands. Dan was certain they had gone the right way.

"I know this is the way," he said.

"Dan look," Phil gestured too the fields. "There's nothing out there. We can't even see buildings in the distance. There's no sign of anything."

Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out the information about Tuarium. "I know it's out there."

Phil threw his arms up. "Where? Be reasonable."

"I know it's out there!" stated Dan sharply. "I know this is the right way." Dan took a few steps forward before he realized Phil wasn't following him. "Phil…"

"I don't know…" Phil put his hands in his pockets. "I'm just scared. We've come so far, but what if it's truly empty out there?"

Dan didn't want to even fathom the idea that there was nothing out there. He stretched out his arm. "You can leave if you want, but I have to keep going." He held open his hand. "But…will you come with me? Please?"

Phil's eyes went to Dan's hand, and then back to his eyes. He had no idea what to do. The last thing he wanted to do was get lost and die in an open wasteland, but he saw the pleading look in Dan's eyes. Dan closed his eyes and turned his head away, feeling defeated and alone. He then felt Phil's hand grab his own.

"We started this absolutely mad plan together," started Phil. He gave Dan's hand a squeeze before pulling his hand away and putting it back in his pocket. "We might as well finish it together." Dan's face lit up instantly.

"Thank you," he whispered feeling a little embarrassed. Phil offered a smile and starting walking alongside the younger man. They had no idea where they were going, but they did have each other; and as cliché as they both felt it was, they knew that was enough.

The land seemed to stretch on for hours…miles… Eventually Dan and Phil reached a point where they could no long see the town in the distance, and worse, they couldn't see anything in the opposite direction either.

"I'm sorry," whispered Dan as he took a few steps ahead of Phil. "I'm such an idiot."

Phil stepped up to Dan and gingerly placed his hand on Dan's shoulder. He squeezed Dan's shoulder lightly. "No you're not. You're trying to find us somewhere safe."

"Right," Dan took out the file on Tuarium again. "You were right when I brought it up to you the first time. It's like chasing a fairytale."

"Maybe it is, but that doesn't mean we can't find it," observed Phil.

Dan shook his head. "I wish I knew what to do…" Phil didn't know what to say, so he just kept quiet and embraced Dan. Dan returned the hug, keeping his eyes on the empty wasteland that surrounded them.

"What are you two doing out here?" asked a voice. Dan and Phil turned around to see a man. He was tall, at least their height, but he was much larger in muscle mass. He had a buzz cut and square jaw. "Why are you out here?"

Dan and Phil exchanged worried looks. What should they say? Neither of them wanted to lie to that man. The man approached them and ripped the file from Dan's grasp. After one quick glance, he looked up at them. "Where did you get this?"

"I-I found it at a friend's house," said Dan. He was certain he would faint from terror.

"Come with me," the man handed the information back to Dan. Dan stuffed it in his pockets and gave Phil a scared look. Phil didn't know what to do either, so he returned the same expression. They both followed the man, making sure to stay close together.

Dan and Phil followed the man for several minutes before the man stopped walking. The man reached for what seemed to be nothing. He started pressing his finger in specific places. Then, it seemed like an entire city appeared out of nowhere. Both Dan and Phil practically jumped backwards.

"Don't be alarmed," said the man. "It's simple camouflage technology. Once you cross the barrier line, you'll be able to see from the inside after we turn the shield back on. Let's go." He led Dan and Phil several feet into the city, and the clicked buttons on what appeared to be a watch. All the surrounding area seemed to wobble according to everyone's vision.

"What was that?" asked Dan.

"That was the camouflage turning back on. You can't be seen. Nothing in this place can be seen." The man turned to face Dan and Phil. "My name is General Bryant Averill. Welcome to Tuarium."