A Love Lost

Chapter 22

Aubrey felt as if he had been punched in the chest.

He stared in shock, unable to speak for the longest time, as a dark cloud descended over him. 

His vision began to fog, and he stumbled back, grabbing the edge of a cabinet to support himself.

He clapped his hand to his mouth then, feeling suddenly sick. He let out a whimper, eyes beginning to shimmer.

Philip watched him without emotion.

Aubrey regained some control, taking his hand away from his mouth.

'How...?' Aubrey uttered, tears running down his cheeks as he cried silently.

'His fever ran high' Philip spoke calmly. 'His body was weak.........he died late last night.'

Aubrey let out a sob, biting onto his fist.

His legs tremble, and he fell to his knees, and he began to cry into his hands.

'How could this happen?' Aubrey wailed. 'How....?'

'His mother passed onto him the same sickness she suffered herself' Philip continued. 'He has been sick for a long time.'

'No this can't happen' Aubrey cried hysterically, shaking his head. 'This can't!'

'I'm sorry' Philip spoke. 'He is dead.'

Aubrey raised his head, eyes wide and reddening.

Philip approached him.

'I think you should leave this place' Philip said to him. 'I'll arrange a ship to take you back home.'

'What?'

'You had to take a ferry to get here from home didn't you' Philip said to him. 'You've been expelled. Because you ran away, because of your record. You've caused trouble for too long.'

*

*

Aubrey left the manor, accompanied by a man who travelled with him to the docks so that he could be sent back home, to make sure he got on the ferry, and didn't try to return to school. Philip wanted him gone.

Philip had told him that his parents had been informed of what had happened, though Aubrey did not know to what extend they knew of the details, he didn't care. Aubrey's parents knew he had been expelled, and that he was coming home to them.

'The ferry will be here soon' the man who accompanied Aubrey told him. 'Philip wants you gone as soon as possible. Back home and away.'

They were at the docks now, after a short drive. Aubrey had been brought here, and now he waited. But he barely heard the words the man spoke to him, glancing towards the stranger with eyes out of focus, his mind still a haze.

Nothing seemed real anymore, and he experienced the same sense of unreality he had felt when Amelia had died.

'It will be just a few more minutes' the man said to him. 'Your things will be brought to you later, anything you own that you've left back at school.'

Aubrey turned away from him, looking back out towards the sea.

For a long time, he had hated his own home, and never wanted to return. But despite this, he still caused trouble at school and for a long time risked getting expelled. He didn't know why he did this, he just did it anyway. It was just how he was. He had never felt at peace anywhere in his life, not unless he was with his friends, and not since he had admitted his feelings for Haru.

He did not remember feeling happier in life than when he was with Haru. He had been in love before with previous girlfriends, but with Haru it felt different, he couldn't explain it.

Aubrey buried his face in his hands, shoulders trembling as he sobbed silently, still not believing this had happened, still not believing any of this was real.

'Haru......oh god no....... why......?'

*

*

Sasha had reached the manor at last, it had been difficult, it was a long long way to travel on foot from the school. She moved quickly, but despite this, it had taken many many hours.

When she reached the place, she was blown away.

'Oh no way' she gasped as she stared into the grounds, and the manor that sat in the middle. 'Haru...... is this your home?'

Her stomach growled and ached painfully inside her then. The excursion had made her ravenously hungry, but she ignored this as she leaned towards the great gates, hand curling around the bars as she gazed up at the manor.

'This place is a literal mansion' she breathed, speaking to herself. 'Haru....you told me your family had a lot of money.... but I had no idea...'

But something stopped her from entering the grounds. She didn't know what, but something felt wrong, some sense she couldn't explain.

Instead of trying to enter the ground as Aubrey had done hours before her, she moved off to the side, moving to sit in the small patch of trees to rest, and to think.

Back at the school a great distance away, Ben sat. He was in his room now, having controlled himself, his breathing regular again, the pump he used lay on the table beside his bed in his dormitory. And as he leant forwards on his elbows, he glanced to the side out of the window, wondering......wondering.... what was happening beyond the grounds of the school?

'I hope everyone comes back safely' he worried. 

*