...What a Beautiful Lie...~

Chapter 2. Is Reality Any Better than This Nightmare

I woke up with a start to the sound of soft cries, shivering as the cold air blew on the beads of sweat that trickled down my face. Sucking in a breath I brought my hand to my head hoping to sooth the slight throbbing pain brought on by the nightmare of what occurred only a couple days prior. Thanking God I woke before having to relive the whole terror again through my dream. Looking down I met eyes with the source of the cries. His Beautiful light brown eyes stared up at me with tears welling in them, soft whines leaving his lips. I leaned forward kissing him on his chubby cheek before taking in his beautiful full head of slightly curly hair, Pinkish pale skin and button nose. Pulling him closer I moved my dingy shirt to the side in an attempt at breastfeeding him. It took him some time before he latched on but I was happy he did at all.

With a soft yawn I rubbed my eyes taking a look around. breathing in the fresh scent of the chilly forest air. The trees that stood around us broke up the setting sun's beam, leaving small bright spot lights scattered around the grassy dappled ground.

"Mommy..." My thoughts were cut off by Neo's small tired voice. Looking over I noticed he was still wrapped up in the thin brown blanket I brought with us that barely covered his small form. "Is it time to get up?" He began to rub the sleep out of his tired green-hazel eyes with one hand.

I had chosen for us to always make our journey towards the night and sleep during the day. It would be harder to make us out at night if the man were to come look for us. The thick trees hiding us in the day as we slept, keeping us cool. The opposite being true as continuously moving would keep us warm as the temperature dropped the later it got.

"Yea, Let's start walking love." As much as I didn't want to get up and walk into the town that lay not too far away from us. I knew we had no other choice. The aches and pains of my stiff body, the throbbing of the unhealed bruises and cramping of my postpartum stomach, only made the journey this far more dreadful. If I was feeling this way I am sure Neo's little form was struggling as well. To add to it I had no clue if the baby was healthy or not, he seemed to be hanging on well for the most part however anything could change with his health at any moment considering the conditions he was brought into this world in, adding on this perilous journey. With a sigh I let the thoughts escape me, looking forward into the distance between the tree lines. Seeing where I believed the town began.

Now I wasn't sure what to expect walking into this small town in practically the middle of nowhere. Securing the baby in my arms after burbing him, I reached a hand down to Neo's leading us in that same direction. Slowly finding our way out the thick bustle of trees.

The last thing I wanted to do entering this town was to draw attention to us, being that I had no clue where we were, it was worrying me. The night also helped as I expected not as many people would be wondering about to notice us outsiders. Being seen and seeking help could just cause us even more strife than security. When I was younger I remembered hearing small towns like this didn't have the best policing system. For all I know reaching out to them could lead us right back into that man's clutches.

If I was going to reach out for help I would rather it be in a large city easy for us to hide and a greater and more reliable criminal justice system.

Standing out too much could have the same unwanted effects. However our appearance would scream something was wrong. Looking down at Neo I took in his full form. I noticed the baggy clothes on him had even more holes as they got darker with dirt. It broke my heart that I couldn't do more for my boys, but I wasn't going to give up on them. I needed to figure something out.

"Neo, you need to stay by my side at ALL times. Do you understand me?" I spoke sternly realizing just how much closer we were to the town. I noticed him slowly nod from the corner of my eye before I focused ahead of us again. The first thing that was clear to the eye was a pretty large gas station, it stood with a neon sign that read "Quick Break" it looked as though it'd fall from its screws any second now. The actual building itself seemed to be a decent size. The darkening sky made things harder to make out, one street lamp that stood in the middle of the pumps helped slightly. With its dim light I could make out about four pump stations outside, the faded red color that adorned most of the shop obviously hadn't been touched up for quite some time. The thin walls were dingy on the outside, the windows had stains and writing scratched all over them that were illuminated by the small lit "Open 24" sign that shown through from the inside.

A makeshift cement path to the entrance aligned with different rocks was the only thing that stood out on the mostly dirt road. Getting closer I could see that there was a smaller sign that labeled the many different things they offered; Food, Drink, Cloths, and some small autoparts. I'm guessing this was a designated stop that those on long trips used to refresh and restock. This was perfect, with the cash I took from the man I could get us some slightly better clothes. That way we don't stand out much the further in town we get.

Stopping I turned to face Neo as he did the same to look up at me. "We are going to go in here to get some warmer clothes." I saw the slight gleam in his eyes at my words. I knew he had been pretty cold these last couple nights after getting away but he had been such a brave boy pushing forward. Leaning down to place a lingering kiss to his forehead I continued.

"You stay by my side and stay quiet, I will do all the talking, okay?" I stated rather than asking.

"Okay.." He replied in a small voice, I noticed his little hands in a fist as he shook slightly. Most lightly realizing there will be others inside.

"Don't worry baby, I am here with you always and that will never change." I spoke with conviction lacing my voice fully. His shoulders seemed to relax slightly at my words. Pulling him close to my body we made our way further towards the station. Before we knew it we were standing by the entrance. I didn't realize at first but I was also shaking. Be brave, you have to be brave for the boys.

Being directly in front of the building now, I could really make out just how old it really was. Dust and dirt were collected in chunks all across the outside walls and windows. The small plant area that rested directly in front of it for decoration was all dried out and dead. Turning my head slightly I noted the pumps were just as sad looking, rust residing on the structure that held them up.

At this time my attention was stolen as a nice white truck rolled onto the dirt path, being wobbled by the slightly large rocks it had to drive over. As I examined the truck my eyes met another pair through the clear drivers side window. I couldn't make out their face fully as the sun was practically set. The only help was from the dim street light that shined overhead. This small encounter gave me an uneasy feeling, knowing they were clearly facing my way. It spooked me enough to finally step foot inside the actual station pushing new slightly ahead of me.

Entering I heard a loud 'Ding' that caused Neo and I both to jump as the baby let out a cry. Soothing him in my arms I took a full look around, it wasn't at all what I was expecting.