A/N: First, thank everyone for the feedback and review. I absolutely love them. {{{reviewers}}}
Second, I wanted to say sorry for taking so long. Hopefully once my life gets back to normal, I'll be better at updating. Buttttt.....since you've all been so good in waiting here is a nice long, long chapter for ya!
So enjoy and I hope this doesn't get too boring at times.

Chapter 28

It took all of Beka's strength to drag her depressed soul up to command. All she wanted to do was to curl up in some nice dark corner and disappear. Harper was still haunting her every waking, and sleeping, thoughts and her only chance to escape the guilt and anger was in the chaos of the slipstream. That chance for peace was the only thing that was dragging her up to command.

Nearing command, she took a deep breath and hoped that no one would be in the room which awaited her. She could not take another one of Trance's pity-filled looks, or another one of Dylan's "Harper is evil" lectures messing with her already messed up head. At least Rommie and Tyr were giving her space, space to think, space to be alone. They would come and check on her periodically, assumedly to make sure she was still somewhat sane and not about to do anything rash. Rash like falling back onto the comfort of Flash, or escaping the pain in the most extreme and unchangeable way. She hated to admit it, but both of those thoughts were always hovering just above the constant haunting images of Harper in her mind.

The hissing open of the command door brought her mind back from the darkness of her thoughts. In the real world, the second to last person she wished to see was standing in the middle of command looking unusually nervous. There, fidgeting like a mad man with sweat glistening on his worry etched face, stood Dylan Hunt, a.k.a. "Mr. Lets-Throw-Harper-Out-An-Airlock".

As much as she felt betrayed by Harper, Beka still could not get behind Dylan's "Harper is evil incarnate" theory. She would remember what she was forced to say to him, how his eyes look so empty and hurt by the words...ego whore. Those words even sent a shiver down her spine. He was not evil, he had just done bad, degraded, psychopathic things. What got her was why now? Why did he not protect them the many times he would cower like a sick puppy behind each and everyone of them? Why was he hiding his survival kick ass side from them? She had so many questions, so many doubts, so many contradictory emotions, and all Dylan was was a high speed blender to those already mixed up emotions. 'Why him?' she groaned to herself. 'And why is he so nervous, what's he up to?'

As the door hissed closed behind her, she got her answer. Dylan stepped forward, looked down at his fiddling hands, looked back up, took a deep breath and spoke. "Um...Hi Beka. Uh, we need, um, I think we should...have a chat."

Beka eyed him suspiciously due to his odd behavior. Where was the anger, the preaching? But a chat? That was the last thing she wanted. "Look, Dylan, I just want to pilot, to get us to the drop off point for the beacons. And anyway, I know your speech, Harper is evil, I got it, okay." She quickly stalked by Dylan to try to reach the piloting station and get away from the strange acting captain.

But before she could get too far, Dylan was in her face, blocking her path. "No Beka. That's what I need to talk to you about. I was wrong." He looked down in shame, "So very, very wrong." The words came out in sorrow laced whispers.

"What?!"

The High Guard officer took a deep breath trying desperately to control his new overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame. 'Must be strong, must get the others through this...for Harper.' he reassured himself. He lifted his head and with tears brimming in his eyes, he looked straight into Beka's confused icy blue orbs. "Beka, I was deeply wrong about Harper. He is in no way evil. He saved our lives at the risk of his own. There were reason behind his...um...extreme actions that we were unaware of. Rommie...," he paused. 'Should I tell her?' He pondered worriedly. "um...enlightened me." He hoped that would be enough information, that Beka would not want to know the gruesome fact, but knowing his feisty questioning second officer he knew she would not let it be.

Beka shook her head in disbelief at what she was hearing. "W-What?" She spat out as her mind wrestled with the complete one eighty Dylan had just performed.

Silence was taking over command, so Dylan decided to fill the void. "Beka, I need you to understand this too...to accept it. We need our crew...our family, back together. For ourselves and for the universe. I need you to talk to me, tell me what's bothering you." He place a gentle hand on Beka's slumped shoulder.

The blonde quickly dropped her head realizing where the whole 'chat' thing was leading up to. An intervention, a therapy session, a lets-hug-all-the-pain-away chat. Well Beka Valentine was in no mood for any crappie warm and fuzzy chatting. "Go away." She spat out as she pushed him to the side in order to reach the piloting station once more. But almost instantly, she felt a strong hand gripping her arm as Dylan spun her back around to face him.

"No," he said in his full captain voice. "Not until you talk. Harper is coming back on board and you need to be able to face him again."

Again, confusion filled Beka's face. "BACK on board?! You mean he's not here now?" This whole thing was becoming like a very confusing dream. First Dylan's new personality and his wonderful vagueness, and now he's telling her Harper left and they didn't tell her. Mentally she tried to pinch herself to wake her from the chaos.

Dylan sighed as he realized that in his own emotional confusion he never informed any of the others about Harper and Tyr's little trip. "Um, yah, Tyr took Harper away to get some help, um, from.....um..." he paused knowing her reaction would be similar to his outright shock when Rommie told him who she sent Harper to go see. "...Rev." He stated quietly.

Beka's jaw dropped. "REV!!" She shook her head. "This has to be a dream, has to be." Massaging her temples, Beka tried to let the information sink in. Rev? They sent the now non-evil Harper to Rev. Her head shot back up and stared angrily at Dylan. "REV!!! Our Rev!? The Rev we haven't heard from for almost a year!? The Rev that abandoned Harper when he was dying!? W-Wha...Why....W-Who's brilliant idea was that!?" Anger and sarcasm dripped off her words. One thing Beka Valentine hated was being kept out of the loop, especially when it involved her crew, no matter how psychotic they had become.

Dylan looked down as if he was just scolded by school teacher Beka. "Rommie and Andromeda's. While we were all unconscious, they were able to track him down through some of his associates from several Wayist monasteries. She, they actually, couldn't think of anyone else who might be able to help Harper...but we are getting off the topic here, the topic is suppose to be your feelings Beka."

Looking up at Dylan in complete disbelief, Beka started yelling. "MY FEELINGS!? My feelings!? You just tell me you believe Harper is trustworthy and not evil, that there was a reason that you won't share, and that Rommie sent him off to see Rev of all people and you want me to talk about my frelling feelings!?" She paused to take a deep breath. "Fine. Confused, okay, I'm feeling utterly confused!" Her hands were in tight fists as her eyes glowed with anger. "And just a little angry if you can't tell."

"Understandable." The captain said with guilt in his voice while he silently hoped Beka would not ask that one question he was dreading.

Minutes passed as Beka's fury calmed down and her mind was settled enough to think straight. "Okay, help out my confusion here. What is the hidden mysterious reason for Harper's..." she shuddered as she remembered the torture and the melting Pythos, "psychotic behavior?" She ended by giving Dylan her you-better-answer-me-or-you're-dead look.

Dylan dropped his head as his hopes were smashed. He was going to have to share Harper's secret to save the unity of his crew. He only hoped Harper would forgive him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to break Beka's heart. "Beka," he looked directly into her eyes. "You've lived with Harper for about seven years now. Have you, in any of that time, seen his bare back or chest?" he asked hoping she would be able to connect the dots herself if she had seen the scars.

Beka looked down as she remembered the first time she caught a glimpse of Harper's brutalized body. He was just coming out of the shower and she walked in on him by accident. He froze like a deer in headlights for a second and then regained his senses. Quickly he covered his scar-ridden body and slammed the door in Beka's startled face. When Beka approached him later and asked how he got the scars, he simply looked down, mumbled "Nietzscheans", and walked away quickly. Never again was the subject mentioned.

Returning her thoughts to the present, she looked back up at Dylan. "What does his body have to do with...the..." Her words grew softer and slower, "...oh...crap," she whispered as the information finally clicked together. "The torture," her quivering hand flew to her lips, 'T-That's how he....oh god."

Dylan walked up next to her and supported her gently in his arms. Beka was beginning to tremble all over as the swarming mess of emotions and information were finally beginning to find their homes again. Then a horrifying thought hit her head on and a gasp escaped her lips. "A-Andromeda..." she paused not really wanting to know the answer to the next question. "Do you know if the Pythos have ever invaded Earth?" She held her breath waiting for the answer.

"Yes, they have." The all powerful voice answered.

"When?" Beka closed her eyes and hoped that her hunch would be wrong.

There was a pause before Andromeda answered. "Twelve years ago. They occupied Earth for two years." There was a hint of sadness in the normally cold voice as the AI knew what her crew were about to discover.

As the humans did the math, the light bulbs above both of their heads suddenly lit up in a storm. "Oh crap," they whispered in unison.

Beka looked up at Dylan with tears brimming in her eyes. "Harper would have been fifteen."

"Andromeda," Dylan spoke to the air. He needed to know for sure that their hunch was correct. "Is there anyway you can get an idea of how long Harper has had his scars?"

The air answered him. "Not to an exact year, but I would estimate they are around maybe ten to fifteen years old."

"That explains it all then," Dylan whispered as the last few pieces of the puzzled fell into place. Harper wasn't hiding evil this whole time, he was hiding immense feelings of hurt, pain, and anger. He hadn't been holding back on them, using them as shields while he was faking defenselessness. No, he was just unleashing twelve years of build up anger in an act of understandable revenge. He was just a hurt, angry mudfoot doing the only thing he knew how to do. Survive.

Beka's legs begin to give way as all of her muddled emotions fell to the background and guilt overwhelmed her. Luckily, Dylan caught her just before she slammed into the floor. Together, both stunned captains slid onto the cold grated deck.

"Poor Harper," Beka whispered into her hands as tears finally escaped her.

Dylan pulled her in closer. "It will be okay, he has us now. We will get him through this. We will get through this."

"But...what we did to him...what I said to him...what I called him..." Sobs now shook her body. "H-How can he ever forgive us?"

"Beka, you have to remember, as Harper will, that we did not say those things. The Calastors did. They were also the ones who....who beat him." Dylan stumbled over the words as his own guilt was still too fresh. "We had no control then." Dylan felt Beka shudder at the words "no control". "He has to know that. If not, then we will have to help him understand that and show him how much we do care for him. We will get past this...we have to."

The weeping freighter captain felt Dylan's arm tighten around her trembling body. She felt her precious control slipping away as the tears began to intensify. 'No, can't loose control,' she ordered herself. Suddenly she stopped crying as if someone had dammed up her tear ducts. She swallowed hard as she pushed Dylan away.

"Are you okay Beka?" he asked surprised by the sudden change.

"Yah, fine. You're right, we'll get through this. It will be fine." She said sounding very Harper-like. She quickly stood up, straightened out her tank top and started heading towards the piloting station. "We still have the beacons to put out and slipstream is calling me."

Following her lead, Dylan got up as well. Confusion and worry were etched in the wrinkles on his face. 'Is that it? Is Beka okay now? What is with my crew and hiding emotions all the time? Shrink, we definitely need a shrink,' he reminded himself.

Against his better judgment he decided to try to push her just a little more. "Is that it? A few tear and then back to slipstream?"

"Yes actually. I'm fine, okay. I'll deal." Beka didn't let Dylan ask another question as she quickly called forth the slip portal and piloted the large warship into the electrifying strings.

Dylan sighed as he watched Beka's mind disappear into the mediation of piloting the steam. 'Why is it never easy?' he thought to himself.

"Beka, just come to me if you decide you want to talk, okay?"

"Mm huh," Beka responded absentmindedly.

"A shrink, maybe two, definitely." Dylan mumbled to himself as he exited command leaving Beka behind to loose her pain in the vastness of the slipstream.

**********

Once again Harper felt the comfort and warmth of the sun brush against his face as it gently woke him from his dreamless slumber. Slowly he rolled over onto his side and was quickly reminded of his present living nightmare by the pain radiating from his still healing broken ribs.

As he remembered Dylan's foot slamming repeatedly into his chest, all he could feel was numbness. Anger was absent from his mind, as was sadness or the need for revenge. It was as if his emotions had been sucked into a quantum singularity as he slept.

Gently pushing himself up into a sitting position, he glanced around the small cabin as the wonderful sweet scent of fresh oven baked bread and some other savory food filled his nostrils. Harper's eyes searched for the source of the aroma and saw crouching over the small stove the cloaked covered back of Rev Bem. Just like the way the smells had hit his senses, Harper's memories of last night hit his consciousness...the rampage, the attack, the breakdown. 'Great, add another friend to the people I've hurt list,' Harper thought as he tried to push his weak, malnourished body off the low mattress.

At the sound of Harper's grunts of pain as he stood up, Rev turned around to welcome the boy back to the land of the living but when Rev saw Harper's skeletal body he realized that that statement would have been a bit premature. Not only was the mudfoot's body close to dead, but his eyes had an emptiness in them that mirrored death. The breakdown last night was just a small step in Harper's recovery, a very small step.

In order to fix Harper's mind, he needed a healthy body. As Rev turned to face his guest, his furry hands held a large plate filled with the sources of the sweet aromas that filled the small cabin. Two large soft golden brown rolls laid next to a bowl of steamy creamy soup. "I'm glad to see you are up Master Harper. Did you rest well?" Rev asked as he watched with concern as Harper barely stood, wobbling as he tested out his weak, quivering legs.

As most of Harper's concentration was on making his world stop spinning and getting control over his legs, he only responded to Rev's inquiry with a grunt and a nod.

Slightly disappointed, Rev dropped his head an inch. He had been hoping to have made a little more progress with Harper's emotional state, but it looked like they might be back to the silent withdrawn stage. But no matter how slow the progress was going, Rev had promised himself to stick by Harper. He would not abandon him again.

Slowly the magog approached the still unbalanced human. "I thought you might be hungry since you haven't eaten in days." Rev held out the plate hoping for the best.

As Harper moved slightly to steady himself against the wall, he eyed the plate of food with disgust. Even though the hunger pains were eating him alive, he somehow found solace in the overwhelming pain. It was as if he was getting the punishment he felt he so deserved. There was also the fact that after almost a three weeks of eating next to nothing, the mere sight of food was enough to sent his stomach into convolutions. His digestive tract was turning into a happy loner and food was not wanted nor welcomed.

"No thanks," he grunted as he pushed his way past the monk making sure to keep one hand on the wall for support. He had no idea where he was heading but he was beginning to feel a little to trapped with a wall on one side and an magog with a tray of food on the other.

Rev turned as Harper pushed by him. "Let me rephrase that Master Harper. You need to eat, so eat." His gruff voice made the kind order sound much more threatening than intended.

Completely ignoring the demand, Harper continued on his escape to nowhere and all he knew was that nowhere was outside the small cabin. With that thought in mind, he was making a bee line towards the door.

"Master Harper." The normally calm voice had a demanding edge to it that sent a shiver down Harper's spine. A shiver which ordered his shaking and tedious steps to stop dead in their tracks.

"What?" He asked in defeat as he kept his back to the magog.

Rev walked up behind his charge as he regained his normal gentle and kind voice. "Please, eat."

The pleading and sadness in the gruff voice demanded Harper to turn around and face his friend.

In the weak sun-lit light of the cabin Harper looked liked a skeleton that someone had dressed up as a joke. The gray long sleeve shirt hung like a sheet on his tiny pale frame. If Rev was not blessed with the superior senses to hear Harper's heartbeat, he would have thought him dead already. He knew that if the boy did not eat soon, that valuable heart beat would disappear into nothingness. "Please, Harper eat..." Fear filled Rev's dark eyes. "You're scaring me." He let the words hang in the air as he hoped Harper still cared more about his friends than about himself.

The fear in Rev's voice awoke some of the slumbering emotions that resided deep within Harper's lock box. Looking down, Harper saw a lone shard of glass from the night before. He realized that the cabin had been cleaned while he slept. Guilt started yawning in it's corner of the box as it awoke. Harper had destroyed most of Rev's meager belongs, attacked him and then abandoned him as he passed out in weakness. Then, to top off Harper's shame, Rev was forced to clean the mess up himself. With his booted foot, Harper nudged the lone shard as he let the guilt wash over and engulf him. He would eat just to save Rev from any more pain.

Slowly he turned around to face the bowed magog. He reached out and grabbed the plate just before he slid his back down the wall and took up a sitting position. Rev nodded in acceptance and gratitude as he watched to boy begin to eye the food as if it was an alien about to attack.

"It's Recka soup. Made from one of the local animals. I've been told by the locals in the town that it is very tasty," Rev stated hoping to ease some of Harper's nervousness.

For a few more minutes Harper just spooned up the liquid and let it fall back to the bowl below. The steam had disappeared and the buns were hardening. Finally after working up his courage, one of the spoonfuls of liquid made it into Harper's mouth.

Almost immediately he started to cough as the lukewarm liquid burned down his sore throat and esophagus. He could feel the soup hit his vacant stomach as it sloshed around in the wide open space. As the minutes passed, his stomach tried repeatedly to expel it's unwanted guest as Harper struggled to keep the soup down.

Rev watched as the engineer's face contorted into many uncomfortable positions as he eventually won the battle with his digestive tract. "How is it?" Rev asked with great uncertainty.

Harper barely glanced up at Rev as he gave a slight nod. He didn't dare to speak fearing that his stomach would take that opportunity to expel it's new guest. Very hesitantly, Harper brought another spoonful of soup to his chapped lips...

Two agonizing hours later the bowl was empty and all that was left of the rolls were crumbs.

"Don't you feel better now?" Rev asked as he took up the empty plate.

Once more, Harper only grunted as his stomach was still trying to make up it's mind about it's new roommates. Groaning some more, he pulled his legs up against his full churning, aching stomach and leaned up against the wall.

As the human's complexion changed from pale to a nice shade of green, Rev's concern started to return. "Um, Harper? Are you okay?"

Just as he replied with a weak nod "yes", Harper's stomach decided it was better off alone and expelled it's unwanted visitors. Quickly his cheeks puffed out as he began to re-taste his partly digested meal. Swirling around to face the wall, he let his stomach have it's way.

Rev watched as Harper's body shook violently with convolutions as he rejected the food. Gently he crouched down next to the sick man just in time for the wrenching to stop and for him to hear a weak "Sorry" escape Harper's lips.

Rev quickly grabbed a clothe to clean up the mess. "Don't be. It's okay. Maybe it was just too much too soon. How about we skip the bread next time?"

Harper forced a smile on his face as he grabbed the towel from Rev and began cleaning up his mess. " 'Kay."

After the breakfast was washed off the floor, Harper had returned to his position of sitting quietly in the corner of the mattress.

"How would you feel about some fresh air" Rev asked not happy about Harper's cocooned behavior. "The exercise would be good for you."

"Whatever," mumbled out of Harper's mouth.

"Good." Rev quickly gathered up some water containers and food and headed towards the door. "Come on," he said as he opened the wooden door and allowed the sunlight to invade the darkened room.

As the gentle breeze from outside hit Harper's face, he slowly pushed himself off of the mattress and dragged his lethargic body towards the light.

Outside, the darkness and confinement of the cabin disappeared amongst the sea green sky and the sister suns that hung above the foliage filled hills and valleys. Rev took the lead as they waded through the waist high flowing golden grasses. Soon they left the bright wide open space of the meadow and entered the cooling shade of the thick forests. A soft breeze wafted through the large old growth trees as the few invading rays of sunlight danced on the forest's floor.

In total silence the two walked down a small dirt path that Rev had wandered down many a times. He was leading them to his favorite place, a place of great peacefulness and solace. 'Just what Harper needs,' Rev thought as he listened to the bird-like creatures sing their songs of wonder.

Behind the monk shuffled Harper who was finding great interest in kicking the small pebbles that lined the path. Kick, step, kick, step. The rhythm was the only thing that could keep his now very sober mind occupied. 'I'd kiss Tyr for a beer right now,' he bargained as he was completely oblivious to the beautiful, colorful blooming flowers that grew on the trees around him.

As they continued deeper into the forest, Rev was keeping a close eye on Harper's state of being. He was hoping the still recovering human would be able to make it to his secret spot. As he enjoyed the symphony the forest provided, he was also listening for any slowing in Harper's uninspired footsteps.

After an hour of walking without one word exchanged they reached a barrier. Ahead of them was a wall of shimmering rock that rose up above them for miles, but Rev kept walking, seemingly ignoring the barrier life had just handed them. Harper slowed to see what the monk was up to. To their right, the rock wall was covered in leafy vines which Rev approached. He reached out and pulled the nature-made curtain aside to reveal a three foot wide crack that ran up the rock face. He turned back to face the halted Harper. "Are you coming?"

Still not saying a word, Harper answered with his actions as he stepped forward and followed Rev into the dimly lit cave. As soon as they entered the fissure, they could already make out the light radiating in from the other side. A hidden smile grew on Rev's face as they neared his sanctuary.

Harper felt at home in the confinement and darkness of the passageway, but the invading light from the nearing exit pushed away his sanctuary. A second later, sunlight hit his face with full force as he quickly shaded his eyes to see where Rev had lead them too.

The first thing Harper noticed was the water, the calm, shimmering water of the river that weaved it's way through the lightly forested canyon. Walls of rock rose up above them and surrounded them on all sides. The river flowed out from high on one of the rock walls and fell to the forested ground in a gentle waterfall. Once there, it weaved it's way through the small patches of trees and meadows only to disappear once more into a dark crack in the rock.

As peace engulfed Rev, he looked back to see how Harper was taking in the wonderful site. A blank expression still hung onto the pale face. Frowning Rev asked, "Shall we find a place to sit and rest before we head back?"

"Whatever," again Harper mumbled as he wanted to go back into the darkened cavern.

Rev took them to his favorite spot near the gently flowing river. There he took a seat under the shade of a large old tree which was wrapped in blooming vines. Harper plopped down next to him and rested his back against the tree's large trunk.

Silence still hung over them like a thunder cloud. Being daring, Rev broke the silence as he pulled out the water and food from the small bag he was carrying. "Did you want to try any more food?" He showed Harper the rolls he brought.

Once more puffing out his cheeks and turning green, Harper quickly shook his head and pushed away the offering rolls.

"Well at least drink some water." Rev ordered throwing a container to Harper.

There they sat in silence as they watched the water pass by them, Rev in meditation and Harper fidgeting with the long blades of grass that they sat on. Boredom was encroaching on Harper's mind as his thoughts began to wander. Slowly one question grew and starved out the others as it overtook his mind. Silently he watched Rev. The magog looked to be in a state of complete peace as he sat and stared into the water. All Harper saw when he watched the water flow by was a chance to drown himself.

As he continued to watch Rev the question grew and grew until he could stand it no more. He took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Rev?" he asked quietly as he looked down at the blade of grass he fiddled with nervously.

Hope exploded in Rev as he heard that nasally voice. He turned his head and looked over at the source of his hope. "Yes Master Harper?"

"Um..." Slowly he looked up at Rev. "How do you do it?...I mean, how do you live with the knowledge of what you are, what you were created for...what you've done?" Surprisingly, his head did not drop back down but instead his eyes remained locked on Rev in hope of some answers.

Rev looked down, thinking of how to answer the difficult question posed to him. After a minute of returned silence he looked back up at the awaiting mudfoot. "That would have been easy to answer before we meet the Magog Worldship...but now...." he paused. "But now, I don't know how to answer that. Before I would have said I put my trust in the Divine, that it had reasons to make me what I am...but now, I am unsure of even that." He dropped his head in shame. "That is why I left you, to try to find an answer to that very question." He looked back up with sorrow and regret in his dark eyes. "I'm afraid to say I have not found an answer yet. All I know is that one must find their own path, their own answers....their own way to peace."

Rev studied Harper to try to read the now stoic boy's reaction. Still that blank face remained. "Does that help any?" Rev asked with hope in the edge of his voice.

Harper pondered Rev's words...his empty useless words. "Find your own path." Great, what a load of help that was. His small egg of hope crumbled and cracked under the weight of all the doubts and unanswered questions. Darkness once more encroached his mind as the box of demons began to stir once more. Quickly Harper added on another titanium layer on the box as he shut out all feelings and thoughts. His mind was blank once more.

Gingerly he pushed himself off the soft ground. "Can we go back now?" he asked as he bypassed Rev's question.

Just like Harper's egg of hope, Rev's was crushed as well. He sighed and rose up next to Harper. "Yes," he said in utter defeat.

Slowly they left Rev's secret sanctuary and re-entered the forest. On the muted hike back through the woods, both beings enjoyed the views of their feet. Harper was wondering how long it would take him to starve to death while Rev was desperately searching for any sign of his Divine in his new world.

As the first sun fell below the horizon, the depressed pair reached the small cabin. Entering the shelter, the pair quickly disbanded with Harper slinking off to the darkest corner he could find while Rev took up occupancy at his mediation spot in the front of the one roomed hut.

A few minutes later, Rev turned to the occupied corner. "Harper, do you want to try any more food?" he asked with a hint of defeat still in his voice.

Only silence answered. Quietly Rev stood up and approached the darkened corner to find out why there was no reply. As his eyes pierced through the shroud of darkness, Rev saw Harper. The boy was curled up in a fetal position on the dirt floor, sound asleep.

Fearing movement might wake the sleeping boy, Rev just covered him in a blanket and stared down as his very troubled friend. "Oh Harper, what are we going to do with you?" he whispered to himself before he shuffled away back to his mediation.

Behind the retreating magog's back, Harper's eyes began to move rapidly underneath his closed eyelids while a look of utter fear flashed across his sleeping face.

TBC.........