Dreamers- A Merome, Pooflan, Wroetostar and Minizerk Story

⋖Chapter 25⋗

Mitch's P.O.V.

I cried the night after Simon and Josh left, I wasn't afraid to admit it. I might not have known them for long but it was completely heart-breaking to know that neither of them would be coming back to us, while on top of that Harry was dying too. Vikk was already a mess, I could tell no matter how much he tried to hide it, because he had already lost two friends, now he was going to lose a brother as well.

I couldn't imagine how alone and scared Vikk felt now that Harry was slowly slipping so that he was less and less like a person and more like a ghost, lying on the ground, pale and listless. I didn't know when the end would come for him, it could be in days or it could be in weeks, but it was coming and we all knew it.

On top of that, I was still internally struggling with everything that surrounded what humanity used to be. I didn't express it out loud anymore because everyone was dealing with their own shit but inside I was tumultuous, scared and worried and barely able to sleep because of everything that was going on. I didn't know what to do. There was something that didn't want to tell Jerome, he was preoccupied with making sure the shelter was waterproof and Harry was comfortable, but I knew I had to eventually.

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The opportune moment didn't really present itself for me to talk to Jerome and as everything just continued the way it was I figured I would just have to gather courage and do it. I didn't know why I was so nervous, I had known Jerome all my life. Surely this would just be another conversation, sharing everything like we always did.

But this, this wasn't like normal. My feelings on this were on something that Jerome had deliberately hidden from me for my entire life and it gave me conflicted feelings because while I understood his side, why he had done what he did, it didn't stop the feelings of anger and betrayal. I sat on it for weeks, scared about what he would say, but finally I just had to.

One evening as the last rays of sun were creeping over the hills, I steeled myself. Harry was sleeping in the entrance to the shelter, the closest one to us, but I didn't worry about him overhearing us, while the other 6 sat drinking in the remaining sunlight, basking in the warmth. They wouldn't hear us from all the way from across the clearing.

"Jerome?" I finally said, catching his attention.

"Yeah? What's up Mitch?" His soft words made me hesitate but there was no backing out now.

"I- I need to tell you something." I mumbled, looking away. Jerome sensed my nervousness because he moved closer and wrapped his arms around my waist, settling my head against his collarbones.

"You can tell me anything." He whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I managed to chuckle a bit but I was still nervous.

"It's about... it's about..."

"Old humanity?" Jerome interrupted, startling me. I nodded quietly.

"Yeah."

"Do you understand why I didn't tell you?" He asked, his lips barely moving.

"Yes. I do." I whispered. "But I still can't help but feel..."

"Anger? Betrayal? I get that, and I don't blame you. I knew that if you ever found out you would feel that way." He ran a gentle hand through my hair. "But I want to make it up to you. I don't want you to feel like you can't trust me."

"I do trust you Jerome." I said almost pleadingly. "But I want to know more! What do you know that I don't, what do you believe that I didn't?"

"You want the full story?"

"Yes, everything. Please."

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Jerome spent several hours straightening everything out, giving me all the information we had 500 years on. Obviously it wasn't all entirely accurate and I took everything with a pinch of salt but the big details, the war and global warming and the bombs, were quite clearly true and I knew I couldn't deny it. It was their own technology that ended in their own destruction. It was scary to think about but, funnily, it didn't change my view on where I wanted us to be.

I still wanted us to begin progress back- not to where we were- but to somewhere new. I wanted some of what they had, the ability to produce food for everyone, the shelter and the community they all had. But I wanted none of the things that had destroyed them- the technology that warmed the earth and the bombs that eventually destroyed it.

Jerome, thankfully, understood that.

"I want that too." He whispered, careful not to wake the others- they were all asleep now. "I want to be able to rest and know that there's still food for everyone and shelter too."

"Mm." I mumbled, my head practically spinning with relief. I just wanted to sleep, and sleep I did.

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I laughed a bit as Lachlan attempted to drag me from the ground, whining about wanting to go and do something because he was bored. Vikk watched with a smile on his face but he wasn't feeling great, his rickets preventing him from walking or even moving with wincing in pain, so Lachlan had to bug me instead- while I did everything I could to annoy him.

"Mitch!" He complained, dragging me across the dirt by my arm. I cackled, taking great pains to very slowly get to my feet and then fall back to the ground. "Please?"

"Fine, fine." I groaned, getting up and following him down to the river where we played like we did every day, splashing around in the cool water while squealing and attempting to push each other in. It was a good time, just unfortunate that Vikk couldn't join us.

About an hour later the blonde boy and I were sitting on the banks of the river dangling our feet in the cool water. The sunlight reflecting off the water honestly gave him the effect of having a golden ring floating around his head and he looked so much younger than I knew he was, even younger than Harry and Vikk. I completely understood why Rob and Preston were so protective of him and now why Vikk and Harry had fallen into the fold of being protected.

It was peaceful and that night, lying in Jerome's arms with the other boys asleep around me, I felt happy for once. Sure we might have just lost Simon and Josh and we could lose Harry any time, but there was this seed of happiness and joy in my chest at having some many people around me. It was comforting.