Robotic Night

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Neighborhood

*APRIL 30 2033 - TWO WEEKS LATER*

I placed the last box in the back of my truck, getting myself ready to leave this place that I have called home for so long and move on to the next chapter of my life. It has been over two weeks since I told my mother that I was going to move out and her helping me get that house in the neighborhood that I was going to move into very soon. After getting the house, it felt so surreal. I was about to become independent and live on my own.

To be honest, I felt really bad about leaving my mother alone all by herself. I couldn't even imagine how empty the house would feel now that I, the only family she had left, was now leaving. As much as I didn't want to, I had to. The memories were too painful and I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to get out and hopefully move on with my life. The memories were too much to bear.

Five years have passed since the loss of my father and sister. It hadn't been easy to forget about it since I was living in a house filled to the brim with memories. It didn't help that the nightmares continued to plague me. They had gotten worse over time. I wasn't feeling comfortable sleeping in the house anymore. I felt that by moving somewhere new, I could relax.

"Mihael, you don't have to do this," she said, her tone pleading. I felt my heart ache at that. So much so that I could feel myself breaking. I couldn't allow myself to do that. I had to do what I thought was right.

"I want to do this," I said with determination, putting on my best-determined look. We already bought the house so why stay and leave it in the dust? It would be like we bought that place for pretty much nothing. There was no turning back now.

To top it off, I had to get away. I knew I was being a coward by running away, but what else could I do if I was being reminded of what I lost? I didn't want to live like that anymore. It didn't help that my mother would be living alone from now on. Leaving her alone would be close to like abandoning her. However, I knew that I wasn't really abandoning her. She knew as well as I that she could visit me once I fully settled in.

"I'll miss you," she said as she wrapped her arms tightly around me. I could hear her sniffling, no doubt on the verge of tears. I hated this so much, but I couldn't back out now. I hugged her back as tightly as I could.

"I know," I said simply. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Mihael," my mother said weakly. "Be safe."

With that, we ended the hug. I hopped into my car, slamming the door shut. Starting the engine, I took a deep breath, pulled out of the driveway, and began the 15-minute drive all the way to the small neighborhood where my house was located, leaving my childhood home behind.

It took me a while, but I managed to make it to the neighborhood that was I now going to be a part of from now on. As I drove to the house, I took notice of the neighborhood and how it looked.

The neighborhood itself was small, the kind where the people knew each other and were overall very pleasant, just like the old one. From what my mother and I gathered about the neighborhood, it was a pretty safe neighborhood and the chances of a crime taking place here being zero. It was one of the reasons why I even decided to move into this neighborhood in the first place.

The houses were your typical one-story structures that were either made out of wood or fine red bricks. The house I was looking for was one of those houses that was made out of fine red bricks with a triangular-shaped roof fitted with a garage and a driveway. I could only hope it wouldn't take too long to find.

After a while, I managed to locate the house. I tried my best to smile, despite the heartache I still felt. Just like the pictures, the house looked beautiful. Hell, it had everything the seller said it would have. There were trees behind it. If I ever needed to get some fresh air, I could take a little walk in the woods. Who knows? I might find something beautiful.