AOT: Insight

Nightmares

"Stop, thief!" The little boy ran harder. He clutched the loaf of fresh baked bread in his arms as he tried not to cry.

"This way!" A boy waved him forward pointing to a hidden door.

The kid with the bread dashed through it to find himself on the next street over. The small kid came with him. He beamed at the boy beside him. The boy was smaller than he was. His grey eyes were large in his face, yet seemed stern to the kid looking at him.

"You got a name, bright eyes?" His savor asked.

"Eren." He told him.

The boy held out his hand. Eren was confused. He ripped a chunk of the bread to place in the open palm, a thank you. The boy chuckled.

"No, silly. When you tell someone your name, you shake hands." The boy gave him back the bread, took Eren's hand to shake it.

"I'm Levi." He offered.

"Nice to meet you." He smirked. Eren could only gape at him.

"Say you are happy to meet me too!" Levi coached.

Eren repeated the words back to him. Levi ruffled his hair. He told the boy it would be fun to watch him. Eren took Levi back to the place he was living, on the streets. The boy had been alone for a long time. That changed that day. He met a friend. Levi didn't stay with him all the time, but whenever he came around he always had food for Eren.

Months went by as their friendship blossomed. Spring turned to summer, summer turned to fall, the days grew colder, shorter, as winter approached. Levi showed up with warm clothing for Eren. He even brought warm bedding for him too. Eren was grateful to have such a nice friend.

Yet, nothing good ever lasted in Eren's life. The same would happen to Levi. The two boys had gone out to the park to play with a ball Levi brought with him. Eren was full on the food Levi fed him. Their happy laughter, teasing cries filled the air around them, until Eren heard his name called out. He spun seeing the monster who had abused him all his life.

"Eren, whose that?" Levi asked.

"Father." Eren whimpered.

"We have to run, Levi." He grabbed the others hand racing away.

The ran down through the tunnels but father chased them. They ran into the alleys, but father was still there. He wasn't going to give up on bringing Eren back to be his slave once more. Levi held tight to Eren's hand as they ran. There up ahead was another hidden place Levi knew about. He had shown Eren it. If they could just make it there...

A shot rang out. Eren flinched but kept running. Levi's hand slipped from his. Eren turned to see his friend fall to the ground. Levi was kneeling holding his stomach. He looked at Eren. Father was almost to him.

"Run Eren, don't look back, run! I will find you again!" Levi yelled., he was falling face first toward the dirt. In fear, Eren ran.

He screamed as he sat upright the shot still ringing in his ears. Sweat beaded his forehead, he kicked the blankets off. A light shone off to his right, he glanced over to see his only friend sitting beside the small fire. Armin held up a cup for Eren to see.

"You have been tossing all night, figured you would be waking up soon." Armin smiled.

"It's the same every year." He added eyeing the silent teen.

Eren walked over to sit on an over turned plastic crate. He had moved from the area were Levi died. He couldn't stay there after seeing what his father had done, not to mention said father had found him. Eren had stowed away on a train. That was were he met Armin. The boy was all alone crying in a corner. Eren shared his blanket, what food he had brought, with him. They had been traveling together ever since.