How Life's Rivers Flow

By Vampire-knows

Lupo

By the time I went home the night after the death of Iggy's oven, Lobo was still on the phone with Loup. He was asking what he could do to fix this, to make Max not hate him. He liked Max. Not the way Max liked him, but he really did enjoy her friendship. She was the best friend he had made so far here.

It was just his habit to take women under his wing, to try and protect them and to make their day. It was compensation for not being able to protect me. I was always too out there, always in the line of fire, and always desperate to save myself all by myself. I knew he just wanted to help, but I was leagues ahead of what he could deal with. Even when we were put through the same hell, I got the brunt of it.

The next morning went by per usual aside from me and Max actually having a bonding moment that wasn't ruined by our own pride. I wondered if she knew about what had happened once again between Fang and I, or if she'd even care if she did know.

Iggy's attitude towards the whole ordeal was an odd one. It was as if he couldn't have cared less and yet he cared enough to punish me for it. His attitude about the last time had been so much strong. Was he just holding it back now? Would there ever be any mess along with this 'hiccup'? Or would it just fade into obscurity like I hoped?

When I walked into the recreation room, Aidan was nowhere in sight. I pulled a seat back to where we had set the first couple of days and whipped out my phone, texting Xavior who had given me his number at the band meeting Monday night.

Where's Aidan? I sent, waiting for only a second before I got back a reply.

He's home sick with mono.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, looking around as I thought of something to do. Walking the hallways wasn't that fun alone. No one else had a free period right now. And I had no guitar of my own anymore.

So I sat back and I relaxed with my headphones in and my eyes trained on the corner of the ceiling. I was lost in the Eagles, Take It Easy flowing through my ears, when I began to drift off. I didn't catch it, or I would have done anything to stay away from it, instead falling into the abyss that was my dreams.

Four years old. Four years old, wearing scraps for clothes, and starving. I was just hungry. I just wanted food. But, no, I was locked away. I was trapped. It was dark and cramped and the only thing I could see was the light seeping in from the window, through the hallway, and under the door.

I shifted, letting out a yawn as I tried not to knock over a broom or stick my hand in a spider web. I knew what it meant when the light was shinning fully under the door. The monster would be here soon. She would be back and I would be punished for being bad. She promised that she would deal with me later. And she always kept that promise.

There it was, the sound of one of her weapons in the door, and then her heals were in the house, clicking through the hallway on the old wooden floor. The monster was nearing. She was headed straight for me. I was her prey.

The closet door unlocked and flung open, and then the monster had me in her grip. I was raised off the floor, not daring to open my eyes, and then I was flying through the air.

It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real.

I took in the classroom around me, glad that everyone else was oblivious to my shaking. Nightmares were just nightmares, I told myself, shoving it all back beyond the still mending wall. Dreams were just dreams.

It didn't happen. It didn't happen. It didn't happen. It didn't happen.

AN: Yeah, I wrote the last chapter at two in the morning and I changed it because it was more like the beginning of a smut fic and definitely not for this story. Here is a good chapter instead.