Savage Moon 06 - The New Breed - 40. Chapter 40

It was almost relaxing...feeling Virgil's truck taking us away from his cabin and possibly bouncing us towards a place that might be a lot safer than where we were to begin with. I mean, it's not like I haven't witnessed the rest of my brethren make short work of anyone that dared to stand in their way before. Usually with the goriest of results. But the ride appeared to comfort me, just the same.

The silence in that front seat was providing me with more than enough time to think and possibly come up with a plan to get us out of this mess...but I just didn't want to. It was almost like this traumatic block in my brain that kept me from dwelling on things for too long. I think I just kept trying to mentally write the whole experience off as some kind of hellish nightmare that I could simply wake up from and leave behind at some point.

Somehow, I don't think that I'm going to end up being that lucky.

"How far away are we?" I asked. "From Rainbow's End?"

"You're still quite a ways away from home, youngster. Looks like Cyrus wanted you as isolated from your folks as he could get you. But I'll get you there. We may have to stop for gas and a bite to eat before you're close enough to travel the rest of the way on foot...but as long as you lay low and keep your head down, I'm sure that we can make it there by late afternoon."

Jesus! "Late afternoon? I can't be THAT far away, can I?"

"You're concept of time might phase in and out when you're with your pack. You give up a lot of your logical freedoms to think for yourself when you've got Cyrus constantly telling you that he's running the show." Virgil said, his eyes still fixed on the winding road.

"I was so….stupid..." I sulked.

"Nah. You weren't being stupid. You were being lied to by a group of people who told you that you could trust them at their word. That's all." He replied. "The world is full of manipulators, Wesley. Always making their own wants and needs sound like they're yours, in order to get you on board. But you're young. You'll catch on when you get older." It was then that Virgil adjusted his rear view mirror and then leaned forward to look over at Isaac...who was painfully awkward and noticeably silent as he gazed blankly out of the passenger side window. "And what's your deal, fella? Rumspringa or not...you're going to be an awfully long way from Amish country by the time we reach Rainbow's End. Are you planning to take your chances out there with Wesley, or will you be looking to hide elsewhere?"

To be honest, I hadn't really thought about Isaac's whole situation at all. It's not like my mom and dad can just randomly adopt him or anything. So what do I do? I can't exactly leave him out here in the middle of the woods to fend for himself against a pack of urderous wolves that I brought to his doorstep to begin with.

Timidly, Isaac looked back at Virgil and asked, "Would it be possible for me to go home as well? To my mother and father? They might be worried about me. They may think that I decided to leave the child for a life of decadence and sin if I don't...at least try to..."

Virgil cleared his throat with an old man's cough, and told him, "I wouldn't do that. Not if I were you. Not unless you were looking to have your whole damn family pay the price of those savages picking up your scent some time in the near future before they reclaim their 'property' and bring him back into their union. I'd suggest that you stay under the radar for now, kid. And do it with someone who might be able to protect you for a little while. Or at least buy you a little bit of time when the shit inevitably hits the fan."

"You're a subtle one, aren't you?" I scoffed.

"Subtlety isn't going to keep you alive. So be thankful that I'm here to tell you like it is while you've still got a chance to listen." Virgil replied, and Isaac and I both stayed quiet for a minute or two afterward. The really strange thing, however...is the idea that virgil was actually open to the concept of softening his tone, somewhat, once he looked over at us and saw the stress and worry on our young faces. Through all of his sandpaper gruff exterior...he did seem to let his expressions slip from time to time to remind us that there actually was a beating heart in there somewhere. No matter how ashamed he seemed to be to have one. "You boys hungry?"

I was going to lie and say no, but Isaac beat me to the punch by quickly piping up with, "SO very hungry! I had some of your soup, I think...but that was yesterday."

Grunting, he said, "Alright, alright...no need to give me the whole Oliver Twist routine. I suppose I can afford a few burgers or something for you two. Just don't get carried away with anything fancy, ya hear? And just the burgers! You're out of your mind if you think I'm here for milkshakes and fries on top of it. Be happy that you're getting this much."

I tried not to smile when he said the words out loud. I really did. But my senses could pick up this...strangely genuine scent on him. Something really sincere. And good. And selfless. I wonder if all dogs can do this? You know...just tell when people are 'safe' and just willing to be nice to them out of the kindness in their hearts. It's really not all that different than being able to sniff out the presence of a dangerous predator in your midst...but in reverse. The aroma was sweeter. Inviting. It was so different from every fragrance that I've been able to truly sense and analyze since Father gave me his mark.

Wait...

...Since Cyrus gave me his mark.

Sorry. You'd be amazed at how hard it is to break that habit. Even when I know it's damaging me on the inside.

I could feel the vehicle slowing down, as if he was getting ready to turn into some place to feed us...but the moment that I saw it, I recognized the place immediately...especially since it had been closed down, the outer walls black from the fire that had consumed it shortly after my brethren and I had walked out and left it behind.

"Well I'll be damned..." Virgil mumbled to himself. "Must have had some kind of accident. Shame, really. They had some really good grub in that old greasy spoon." And he kept on driving to see if he could find somewhere else for us to grab some sustenance.

I couldn't help but to silently look back out of the truck's window...and witness the damage and debris that Cyrus and my pack had left behind in that place. Damage that, I'm sorry to say...I might have been a part of.

We kept traveling down the road for the next five minutes or so, but I noticed that Virgil kept looking over at me while he was driving. I mean, I had been pretty quiet the entire time, but my current lack of communication seemed even more distant than usual. He could tell. The scent of paranoia was all over him. It smells so similar to fear, but nowhere nearly as strong.

"The burden of self reflection. You pay a heavy toll for it, don't ya?" He said, eventually breaking me out of my trance.

"I don't know. Maybe." I said. But once things got quiet again, I asked him, "Do you think Hell is real?"

He hesitated on his answer. I thought, for sure, that it was a bad thing...but I think he was just trying to give me the most honest answer that he had to offer. "I think Hell is whatever we make of it, Wesley."

"You know what I mean." I told him.

"Yes. I know exactly what you mean." He replied, tightening his grip a bit on the steering wheel. "If there really is a Hell, kid...it wasn't built for those of us who make mistakes in life. Evil is deliberate. It's the things we do on purpose that we need to be most weary of. Or at least, that's what I was brought up to believe."

"That's just it, Virgil..." I said, a cloud of gloom hovering over my head and getting darker by the second. "...I don't know if the things I've done were deliberate or not. I can't even figure out whether I should be ashamed or not. I mean, this is what I asked for, isn't it? I mean...isn't this the freedom that I was searching for?"

"Go with what your heart's telling you, boy." He said. "Something tells me that it won't steer you wrong. Not so long as you're honest about it."

Isaac spoke up and said, "Whenever I go to church...my father would tell us the dangers of everything. Every day. There was no real 'choice' involved. Deliberate or not. Hell was always chasing us. It became so exhausting, constantly trying to outrun it. Second guessing myself, feeling bad about my actions, my thoughts, my feelings...afraid to be cast out from the only community that I've ever known. I felt more threatened by the forced loyalty to the church than I ever did by the devils looking to ensnare me with some sort of temptation that I couldn't resist." He looked back out of the window again, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. "It was like...our leaders saw us in pain. Afraid. Lost in the wilderness. And instead of providing us with shelter and grace...they used our weaknesses against us. Manipulating us to sell our souls into servitude for their best interests instead. That's why I considered leaving them behind during Rumspringa. Our holiest of men...were beckoning us to bow and scrape at their feet while convincing us that it was a necessary tribute to thank them from keeping us free from the fires of Hell. Devils in their own right. Every last one of them."

Isaac trailed off for a moment, possibly ashamed for his honesty. But when I thought back to meeting him for the first time at that massive party a few nights ago...I could totally see it now. Isaac wasn't just there for a good time, was he? He was trying to escape the temptations of this mythical 'devil' that was constantly plotting against him and trying to draw him into a river of fire. A devil that didn't even exist...until I came along.

I felt really bad about it. Validating his belief in some sort of outer evil that was looking to prey upon his vulnerable soul at all hours of the day. The truth is...while Cyrus may have manipulated the pain and insecurities that I held closest to my heart...I could have said no at any time. I could have stopped things before they got this far. I could have...chosen my true humanity over this cult like bullshit...even if it meant being humble enough to admit that I was wrong for diving, head first, into this madness and defending it with all of the pride and anger that my corrupted heart could provide.

It hurt, yes. But I was just...so happy to not be lost anymore.

Virgil was able to pull over at some point and grab us something to munch on. A few burgers from the franchise's dollar menu, and a large bag of fries for us to share. I did offer him some, but he turned it down. I think that it made him feel good to see a couple of hungry teenage boys scarf down and gobble up everything that he was able to provide for us. I know that he was hiding it, trying his best to not look like a big softie after all the work he put in to crafting that grumpy old man exterior that he presented to us in the beginning...but I could still tell. The scent of it was still there.

However, as I was eating...something felt 'off' about the taste of it all. Like the flavor had been cooked out of it. Melted away. It wasn't cold enough...or wet enough. I wasn't quite sure if I was imagining it or not...but the taste that I seemed to be craving had this slightly 'bitter' tang to it. Something like warm butter and garlic...but different. Something slightly saltier. Something like...

...Blood...

"We shouldn't stay here for too long." Virgil told us. "Finish up what you've got and be sure to wash your face and hands in the bathroom before we leave. The longer we can keep any kind of recognizable scent from sticking to you, the better. Cyrus is far from being an amateur about this kinda thing."

Isaac was already sucking his fingertips as he shoved the last bite or two in his mouth. He really was starving, it appears. And he didn't show a moment of shame for getting his belly filled up, at long last. "Thank you so much for the rations, Virgil, sir!" He said, never once taking his eyes up from his food.

I wish I could have enjoyed it as much as he was in that moment, but like I said...my tastes weren't really absorbing it the way that I wanted them to. In fact, I think that I was getting hungrier with every bite that I took. Is that normal? A withdrawal symptom of being away from the calling for such an extended period of time, maybe? It was kind of hard to tell. All I know is that my hunger was unsatisfied with what I was feeding it.

By the time we got back to the truck, Virgil was already looking at me sideways. Something that he wouldn't allow me to ignore. "It's already got a hold of you, doesn't it boy?"

"What? No. I'm...I'm fine..."

He looked me over for a few seconds, and then said, "If you get a chance...try some beef jerky. It won't sustain you forever, but it might give you a break from wanting to tear into something while it's still wiggling."

I still wasn't sure how he seemed to know so much about this...'affliction' of mine, but I just nodded and took his advice as Isaac climbed up and sat in the front passenger seat beside me.

It was a long trip, but Virgil kept his promise...and despite there being nothing but trees and pavement where we were traveling, things began to look slightly familiar to me again. It's hard to explain. Maybe I knew the area a little bit better than I thought I did.

And he eventually slowed down to a crawl...and then a complete stop on the side of the road. "Alright, boys. You remember what I told you, right? Stay clean, stay quiet, and keep out of sight if you can help it. Don't let your guard down until you're far enough away from this place to avoid Cyrus and his pack. He's not going to just let you run off without punishment. I can assure you of that." He got out of the truck, and walked around to the back to hand us our bags. "I put some of that scentless powder in the side pockets for you to use. If you run out, you can probably pick up more at any sports store or hunting shop. You'll probably run across a few of them on your way out of town. Get as much as you can afford and get out of here before sunset if you can." Isaac and I both looked up at his eyes, and I think that was all the warmth and caring that we were going to get from him, willingly. "I'm afraid that I can only wish you boys the best of luck from here on out."

"You are not coming with us? To this Rainbow's End place?" Isaac asked.

"This is as far as I go, kid. Besides, I'm a little too old to show up on that beach. Those kids will scatter if they see me walking up, thinking that I'm some kind of narc. The last thing you want is to cause a disturbance right now. You boys need to lay low until you find the best opportunity to run. You understand?" He said. "This isn't a game. Cyrus and his gang aren't just a roaming collection of high school bullies. He'll kill you...and everyone you love. It's up to you both to keep that from happening."

Grateful, I stepped forward with the intention of giving Virgil a sincere and well deserved hug for helping us out...but he immediately put his hand up and stepped back from me. "No no no...don't get my scent on you. Cyrus and his crew can detect it, easily." He told me.

"Thank you, Virgil. For...everything." I said, feeling the physical and emotional distance between us.

"Listen...you go home when you can, and you hightail it out of this place before you find yourself face to face with the likes of your brethren again. You may feel like you're out of harm's way, but you're not. And the only thing worse than having them cash you out is the possibility of them drawing you back in. You hear me?" He grumbled, and I nodded to let him know that I got the message. "You seem like a good kid, Wesley. And I'm sorry that you got sucked in to such a fucked up mess of a situation. But we're past that. What counts now is that you find your way to travel down a different path. And that you don't let your friend, Isaac, here make any of the same mistakes." He backed away from me again to go back to the driver's seat of his truck. "You were both lost. I get it. But you'll never find yourselves out there with the likes of other people who are looking to use your confusion and lack of experience against you. When you're feeling lost...look within. That's where all the answers are." He pointed his finger out to the left side of the road. "Rainbow's End is about a quarter mile South of here. Keep going straight until you hit the lake, and it'll lead you back to the beach."

"Ok..." I said, almost sad to see him go so soon. "Thanks again. For givin us a chance to go home. I mean that."

He looked back for a moment, and with a soft voice, he quoted the words, "'God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.'" Then he opened his truck door to climb in. "I'll be expecting good things from you boys. Listen to your heart. It's the best weapon that you've got against them." Then he added, "I left a couple of my business cards in your backpacks. I'd rather you not use them to contact me. Ever." But with a bit of a grin on his face, he added, "But...if the need arises...just know that I'll be around."

"Cool..." I said, just above a whisper...a grin of my own spreading across my face.

"Get out of here. Go. Both of you." He said, and put his truck into gear. "Best of luck to ya." And with that...he drove off, leaving me and Isaac to fend for ourselves once again. Out in the wilderness.

Among the wolves...