Destroying Myself

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Of course I donÕt own WA3, are you crazy?!

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An innocent mewing of the kitten that was placed in CliveÕs hands made him smile. He couldnÕt feel the soft fur of the baby through his gloves, but he could make an accurate guess that it was very soft indeed. The man sighed, staring at the small snowy-white kitten for a moment before Catherine gently stole it back and placed it in the box. He had to admit, he was at first confused, but Catherine stood up from her place next to Kaitlyn and stood beside him, ready to explain the useless summer conversation.

ÒShe was getting a little nervous with you holding her baby so high in the air.Ó A warm smile was on her face and she shifted closer to Clive, not noticing the other people who waited solemnly at the front door. Clive took a moment to regain himself and get directly to the point. He felt horrible leaving his family, especially if it meant not seeing Kaitlyn. Clive knew it sounded selfish, but he needed his daughter around to keep him sane. Without her, he doubted he would be able to go on.

ÒCatherine...Ó He turned his body to face her, hands on her shoulders so all attention was on him. Clive sighed, not wanting to tell her enough to make her worry. Kaitlyn could be heard yawning from near the box, suddenly tired though she had slept a long time in the night. Catherine gave a questioning glance at her husband, seeing the others from the corner of her eye.

ÒSomething... Has come up, and I have to leave again.Ó He nervously gulped, hoping she wouldnÕt be sad, and when Catherine nodded and replied with a quiet ÔAll right.Õ Clive knew that Catherine understood the importance of the matter. He wouldnÕt leave unless he had to. The woman turned towards the door and greeted the three drifters who had seemed to ÔdriftÕ inside the house. She put on a warm smile and moved from her spot next to Clive.

ÒDonÕt be shy, come on in. You know youÕre always welcome...Ó She offered them some tea, and they politely accepted. It was Clive who was eager to leave the house as soon as possible, and during the whole conversation had Kaitlyn in his lap.

Jet seemed to agree with Clive, his lavender gaze not once leaving the door. He had somewhat of a caffeine rush, nervously tapping his foot and not even looking at his mug of tea. It seemed the silver-haired male knew something that was coming, and that it was going to be a rough ride. Clive retied KaitlynÕs ribbons and sighed, giving her one last hug before setting her on her feet and walking outside without so much as a hint about where he was headed.

Ò...Well, I guess he needs to say goodbye to everybody before he leaves...Ó Catherine excused her HusbandÕs sudden leave, calmly setting down her mug of tea. Virginia gulped and took a sip of her drink, attempting to hide behind her mug.

They couldnÕt tell Catherine, could they?

Jet glanced over at Kaitlyn, who had found herself a spot next to the box of kittens. The young girl was humming to the mother cat and her kittens, some of them snowy white, and others a rusty orange. He inwardly sighed, acting as if he was waiting to get out the door. They couldnÕt waste any more time. Kaitlyn already looked paler than she used to be.

~

Why did he leave?! Clive was mentally kicking himself, wandering around in the outskirts of HumphreyÕs Peak. His eyes were focused on his feet while he stumbled towards the town entrance. What little time he had left with Kaitlyn for a long time, he was blowing it! He took a deep breath and held it in for courage, marching back to his home. The door was shut, and he was half-ready to knock.

ThatÕs right. Clive was going to knock on his own door. The man blinked for a moment, trying to figure out what he was thinking, and placed his gloved hand on the doorknob.

A minor effort in twisting his wrist to turn the knob, and the light door shuddered open. All eyes were on him, and Catherine managed a weak smile. Had they told her? Clive sighed and returned the smile, just as weakly while he came in without a word, quietly and slowly shutting the door behind him. Clive self-consciously listened for the small ÔclickÕing sound that signified the door was fully closed, and cleared his throat.

ÒI hope that didnÕt come off as too odd. I just needed some fresh air.Ó Clive rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, knowing that he was altering the truth to a small extent. Catherine stood up and took the empty mugs, as if to fill in the awkward silence, while her husband took to staring at the floor.

ÒShall we go, then?Ó He asked, and the rest of his comrades stood to their feet in unison, agreeing. Clive said his goodbyes, a bit prolonged around Kaitlyn, as if he was regretting taking leave.

The next thing Clive knew, HumphreyÕs Peak was a mere lump in the horizon, and they were getting further and further away. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. Clive snapped out of it and smiled at the owner of the hand.

ÒIs everything alright, Clive?Ó Virginia asked, rubbing his shoulder for comfort before taking her hand away from him and giving the man a little space. They were on a train, bound for Midland station. Gallows had convinced Clive that Halle would know something along the lines of an antidote...

ÒClive...?Ó Virginia asked, waving a hand infront of his face. Maybe this was she would get his attention. The train entered a tunnel, and he could no longer watch HumphreyÕs Peak grow smaller. Clive responded to her actions by looking her way and half-smiling.

ÒYes?Ó He asked, uncrossing his arms and shifting in his seat. A comforting smile spread across VirginiaÕs face, though she did seem a bit concerned for him. Clive had been staring out the window for the longest time, but now that they had entered the tunnel, he may be more responsive.

ÒI was just wondering how you feel. Are you hungry?Ó Virginia clasped her hands together in her lap, and found herself staring out the window at the darkness. She watched Clive mimick her by staring out the window at the nothingness, and as he shrugged in answer to her question.

Gallows and Jet entered within the next minute, and Virginia greeted them with a warm smile. Gallows sat across from Clive, and Jet across from Virginia. The large baskar thought for a moment, before nudging Clive with his boot.

ÒHey, Clive. What are you thinking about?Ó A long silence followed, another awkward one. Clive shrugged again, trying his best not to be distant. He had to stay happy and optimistic like Virginia was. It would be the only way he could continue.

ÒArrow.Ó Jet broke the silence, and it seemed only Gallows understood what he meant. The baskar looked at Jet, who didnÕt return the glance but instead closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

ÒWell, are you going to play, or not?Ó The platinum haired male would feel like an idiot if Gallows hadnÕt piped in, but the Baskar did so.

ÒBaskar!Ó He smiled proudly at his word. It was the alphabet game that Jet had seen Clive play with Kaitlyn a while back. It brought back a few memories that didnÕt matter, and Virginia decided to cut into the next part.

ÒCat!Ó She cheered, nudging Clive as if prod him into the game. Gallows shifted in his seat, trying to think of a word that started with ÔDÕ, but all he could do was his his elbow on the wall. He cringed and grasped his elbow as if trying to recover from the bried injury.

ÒDumbass...Ó Jet stepped in with a semi-serious insult, kicking at the man next to him. Gallows responded by kicking back, and Virginia attempted to stop them.

ÒCut it out you two... WeÕre almost there.Ó

A/N: And yet I call it angst.... Another chapter finished.