Chapter 14: Tomes of Home
Shaun groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying in some grass and heard birds chirping. He sat up and realized he was in a forest, not just any forest. The one behind his mom's house. He stood up and started to panic. He went to take out his phone but realized something that shocked him even more. He was a human again. Shaun grabbed his phone to call Chilli or anyone, but the screen was broken and had no battery. He sighed and put his phone back into his pocket and started remembering the path back to the house. He made it and walked up to the back door and knocked.
Two years ago, Rad decided to move into his sister's house to take care of it for her and to hold on to the hope that Shaun would return, but he was starting to lose it. He was sitting in the living room watching TV when he heard a knock on the back door. He jumped a bit at the sound and cautiously walked up to the door to see who it was. When he opened it, his heart skipped a beat and his mouth hung open as he couldn't believe his eyes, seeing Shaun standing there. Even though it's been years, Rad could never forget the sight of his nephew.
"H-Hey Uncle R-" Shaun tried to speak but he found himself wrapped in a tight hug from his uncle as he began to cry.
"Where the bloody hell were you?! Do you know how long it's been?!" Rad spoke through the tears.
Shaun couldn't hold his emotions back as he too cried in his uncle's embrace. "I'm sorry Uncle Rad, I'm so sorry!" He spoke, letting his tears flow freely.
"It's okay mate, you're here with me now. that's all that matters."
After the two cried for several minutes, they entered the living room and Rad gave Shaun a glass of water.
"So, Shaun, where have you been all this time?" He asked his nephew.
"That's… a long story, but I have to tell you." He replied taking a sip of water. Shaun proceeded to tell his uncle the important parts of where he's been the past years. Rad listened to everything he said and found it hard to believe.
"So let me get this straight. After you ran away you fell into some weird portal thing, and ended up on the other side of the world but instead of people, everyone was a dog that acted like us? And you forgot everything for a bit and these two Heeler dogs, Bluey and Bingo, found you and their family tried to find me there but couldn't, so they adopted you and you have a crush on their neighbor's kid, you started high school there and made some friends, and got into a fight with the bully there? And now you got sucked into another portal that was under your bed and showed up back here?" Rad said to make sure everything he said was the truth.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Look kiddo, I want to believe you but all of what you said seems impossible."
"But it is true! I even have pictures on my… phone." Shaun said remembering it was broken.
"You have a phone?"
"I do but it's broken." He said, taking his phone out and handing it to his uncle.
"Geez what happened to it?"
"I think I fell on it when I went through the portal."
"Well anyways, I have a friend who works on electronics, I could get it fixed for you." Rad said to his nephew.
"Really? You would do that for me?"
"Of course, mate! I gotta make up for all your birthdays I missed." Rad said with a chuckle.
The Uncle and Nephew sat in the parking lot of the repair store. Rad looked a bit nervous to leave his car and Shaun noticed.
"Uncle Rad? Are you okay?"
"Yeah mate, I will be. It's just been a while since I've seen Jack. We've been friends since I was a teenager."
"It will be okay, I'm sure he's still your friend." Shaun replied with a smile.
"Thanks, kiddo." Rad replied with a laugh. "You really grown up these past years." He ruffled his hair on his head.
The two exited the car and entered the building. Jack, who was at the counter working on a smartwatch, heard the door ring and looked up at who entered. He had a big smile on his face as he walked up and hugged his friend. "It's been forever since I've seen you, Radley! How you been man?"
"I'm doing good, I'm glad to see you again."
Jack ended the hug. "And who's the little kid? Did you finally find the one?" he asked with a smirk.
"No, you know it's hard for me to find someone. This is my nephew, Shaun."
Jack extended his hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Shaun."
"Same, so how do you know my uncle?" he asked wondering why he never mentioned his friend.
"Me and your Uncle Radley used to… work together back in the day." Jack replied. "But while I'm glad to see him again. He wouldn't see me if it wasn't for a reason."
"My phone is busted and Rad said you would be able to fix it."
Shaun handed his phone to Jack. "I see." Jack looked at his friend. "Finally turning in that favor I owned you huh?"
"Yep, do you think you can fix it?"
"Of course I can! I'm the best after all!" Jack said with confidence. "Come back in a few hours and it'll be fixed for you."
"Thank you!" Shaun said with a smile.
"No problem kid." Jack replied.
"Yeah, thanks Jack, I'll try to come by more often. See you later mate."
I hope so, catch you around." Jack said as the uncle and nephew duo left the shop.
Rad decided to kill some time by taking Shaun out for lunch at the restaurant they used to go to. After eating they went to the park. Rad sat on the bench watching Shaun play. He was on the swings trying to see how high he could go when he noticed a man in the parking lot standing by his car, staring at him with a smile. He started to approach him. Shaun didn't know this person but the way he was smiling scared him, He wanted to run but couldn't.
"Hey, Shaun." The man said, still smiling.
Shaun didn't reply because Amy, Bandit, and Chilli taught him to not talk to strangers, so he acted like he wasn't there.
"C'mon kid, don't you want to say hi to your dear old dad?"
Shaun's eyes widened as he spoke, was this man really his dad? Shaun was about to say something but then his uncle walked next to Shaun while looking at his phone.
"Hey kiddo, let's go see if your phone is... ready." Rad said when he looked up at his phone and locked eyes with Shaun's father. He got a bad feeling in his gut and put a hand on Shaun's shoulder.
"Oh, I see you two are busy, I'll just be on my way now. Nice seeing you Radley!" he said as he walked off back to his car, he turned around and smiled one last time at them both before driving off.
"Uncle Rad? Was that my dad?"
"Look kid, Yes, he is, or rather was."
"What do you mean?"
"He hasn't been the same since Amy died. If we see him again, I want you to be careful, okay?"
"O-okay." Shaun said. Even though he was surprised to see his dad, he never knew him growing up, so he trusted his uncle.
The two went back to where Jack worked and he gave Shaun his phone, it had a new screen and was fully charged. Shaun thanked him again and the two headed home. It was now late evening, and the sun was starting to set. He handed Rad his phone and showed him all the pictures he had taken of his family.
"To tell you the truth, I already believed you from the start." He said looking at the pictures on his nephew's phone.
"What? But I thought you said it was impossible!"
"Yeah, I was just teasing you for being gone for so long." Rad replied patting Shaun's head.
"Okay, I guess I deserved that. "Hey, Uncle Rad let's take a picture together!"
"Sure, mate!"
Shaun took out his phone and smiled next to his uncle as he took the picture. Rad looked at his nephew happily until he thought about something he dreaded to ask.
"Shaun? Do you plan on going back?"
"I have to, I can't leave my family." he replied looking up from his phone.
"But I'm your family too, and I only just got you back."
"I…" Shaun started to get nervous and couldn't think of what to say. There was a knock on the front door. Rad cautiously walked up to the door with Shaun following behind him. He opened the door and felt his heart drop.
"Hey again Radley, did you really think you could keep my son away from me?" Shaun's father said as he pulled a knife from his back and swung it at Rad's face.
He reacted quickly and moved away but the knife still managed to hit him, cutting his cheek. Rad blocked Shaun with his body and used one hand to cover the wound on his cheek, blood slowly coming out of it.
"You move pretty quick, but it isn't gonna stop me from cutting you up like I did your sister!" He said as he charged at Rad.
Shaun felt his heart sink as he heard what his father said, and then he felt something building inside him like when he fought Lance, rage. He ran up to Rad and sunk his teeth into his father's arm. He yelled as Shaun bit down on him but since he wasn't a dog anymore, the bite wasn't that strong. His father punched him in the eye and knocked Shaun off him and stood back up, only to see Rad with a baseball bat coming right towards him. Rad swung his bat right into his gut, causing him to flinch and drop his knife. Rad used his bat to shove him back out the front door. He slammed it shut and locked it. Shaun's father pounded and kicked the door trying to break it down, it wasn't going to hold for long. Rad put his back to the door to try and stop Shaun's father from coming back in.
"Shaun! Get out of here!" Rad yelled at his nephew.
"But what about-"
"Don't worry about me! Now run!"
Shaun ran out of the house through the backdoor as fast as he could. he looked back at the house as he heard the sound of the front door breaking down and his uncle and father yelling at each other. He continued running around the trees until he noticed a faint light in the distance and ran up to it. He moved some leaves and revealed the portal he fell into for the first time.
Shaun looked back at his home one last time as he entered the portal.
