(Kyle is a character from a longer story of mine. There will probably be several stories with him in the future. Also, this story was written while listening to this song.)
He slept quietly in the deepest corner of the cave, his mind lost in a world of dreams. Annie watched him as she stoked the fire, melting some snow in a pot so that she could cook their breakfast. She was tired, so very tired, but she couldn't sleep. She was so afraid for her son, her only child, the reason she was living in this cave instead of a nice, warm house with all her books, her supplies, her love...
Kyle couldn't live in such a place, though. He was a Blue Wolf, a blessing and a curse, an angel and a demon, the most difficult and wonderful child she could ever have. If they took him away, he would be driven to insanity, he would become a demon, he would suffer so much... and she was determined not to let that happen.
She had thought that it would be easier to take him away from Oakwood, to raise him someplace far away from their old home, so that while they had to hide away from the rest of the world, he could at least see more of it than he ever would in that square mile of land their kind had been confined to. She hadn't realized how difficult it would be, though. Kyle needed friends. He needed to be around other people. He needed his father...
Even now, after they had been living this way for nine months, she still didn't know if she'd made the right decision. Kyle was resilient, and he rarely complained about their situation, but she could tell he was beginning to lose heart. Annie had thought it would be a good idea to take a break from his schooling, but instead of relaxing and enjoying his freedom, Kyle was becoming cranky and withdrawn. He asked constantly to go home and see his father, and Annie had no choice but to deny her son that possibility again and again. It had been hard enough sneaking out the first time. To have to go through that again... she didn't think she could stand it.
They couldn't even stay at her friend's house for a week like she'd been planning. The government had found out that the small town in which her friend lived was composed almost entirely of half-wolves, and it was far too dangerous to go anywhere near there for a long time to come. She couldn't just go to a different friend's house, either. These visits were planned out with the utmost care, and showing up ten days early would cause too much trouble for their host. They would just have to hold out for a little while longer...
She heard a whimper and looked over at her small son. He seemed to be dreaming, and she prayed it wasn't a nightmare. She wasn't sure she had the strength to comfort him. Not today.
But he soon quieted, and he slept on, snuggled comfortably in the pile of blankets they shared, and he didn't wake up until the sun's first light crept into the cave and landed on his face. Then he opened his eyes and slowly made his way to the fire. She wrapped her blanket around him as he sat by her side, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Bad dream?" she asked quietly as she rubbed his small back.
He shook his head. "No. It was a good dream."
She sighed. There was no mistaking what his dream had been about. "Were you at home with Daddy?"
Kyle nodded. "Me and Katie were playing outside with you and Daddy. There was a big purple dragon, too."
"Was it a nice dragon?"
Kyle nodded again. "I want to go see Daddy."
"Me, too," Annie said.
"How long do we have to stay like this?"
Annie sighed. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Kyle."
He didn't say a word. He simply stared at the fire. She could feel him trembling, and she silently pulled him into her lap and held him close. "It's okay to cry. You've been so strong and brave, you don't have to hold it in all the time."
He began to sob. It was the most painful sound she'd ever heard, and she wished she didn't have to hear it. But she didn't want to let go of him, so she endured it. She had forced this miserable life on him, and she was going to get him through it no matter what.
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