Love and War - (Book 1)

Chapter 1 (Part 3 - Journey)

Lucas finally managed to escape the Military Base after long six months of torture, humiliation and planning. He has some information he'd like to give to the Rebels in revenge against the Military. But first of all, he needs to get back to his home. He trails across the fields, his feet becoming restless, his face aching from the bruises. Though he cannot stop for food or beverages, as the Military took all his money and everything else he had in his wallet, and it would've taken far too long to go back and retrieve his items during his escape. Alas, he is penniless.

He reaches many towns and find directions to where he lives. He notices restaurants and corner shops and off-licences, but knows he must ignore them. As starved as he is, he knows he must ignore them to keep his mind off of it.

It's been two hours walking. 'Two too many,' Lucas would say. He feet pain him too much to stand. Is this really how low he has gotten? He needs a rest. There's a bench. He isn't homeless, but feels that this is where he needs to make rest for when it is time to sleep. But what if Alex is after him? There needn't be any worry; it's not as if the Military can lose the war just because he's escaped. Lucas wasn't vital in their long-term plans.

He notices the knife he took from Robert is still with him. It had been with him his entire walk and he never even noticed it. If he disposes it in a bin now, it would look suspicious. Not that he isn't a murderer, but there's no need for the police to arrest him for disposing of Robert's knife. It's too much of a risk; Lucas keeps the knife for the time being.

Lucas swore he would never steal. So he will never enter one of the shops to prevent temptation. As hungry and needy as he is, he mustn't enter one of those shops and Lucas knows this.

An ice-cream van goes driving down the town with a loud tune being sung as it drives along, to inform and lure the kids over. But the person it's luring over is Lucas. He ignores it. He blanks it out. 'How can there be ice-cream vans around with all the horror in the world?' he thinks.

It must have been usual English weather lately: a puddle on the ground, Lucas notices. Completely bored and with little energy left, Lucas goes to inspect it. In the puddle he can see only his reflection. But who was Lucas anymore? Not just the blonde haired, bluey-green eyed, serious-looking boy anymore. He saw himself differently. And it wasn't just from the scars and bruises that remain on his body. It was from having killed Robert and that other man. It certainly showed how desperate he was to escape home, but murder is wrong. It always has been and will be to Lucas. But have those long six months changed him? What will his friends see in him when he returns?

That's just it. What Lucas dreads to think about. How his friends react to his return. Happiness? Fear? Did they even care about him in the end? Many questions make him judge whether his return is a good idea after all. But why shouldn't it be? Surely they'd be glad to know he's alive.

-Alexander-

"Where the fuck is he?!" Alex shouts to all the guards in Lucas' torture room concerning the disappearance of Lucas. Jonathan is there, looking at Robert's bloody corpse, although not looking particularly affected by his death, nor Lucas' escape. "I wanna know how the fuck he escaped and killed two fucking guards! Somebody tell me, or we're gonna be recruiting a lot more soldiers than just two!" Alex threatens them.

"Robert doesn't have his knife on him," Jonathan points out, a lot more calmer than Alex. "Lucas could've made any old excuse to be uncuffed from the ropes - say, needing the toilet, perhaps - and he let him loose. He then would've taken Robert's knife... and we can see what he did with it. As for the guard outside, he was killed by a corner. I'd say it pretty obvious that Lucas hid and took him by surprise." Jonathan perfectly guesses the entire escape, all with a calm, soft voice, as he usually does. 

"That would make sense, aye," a Scottish soldier agrees.

"You're a smart man, Jonathan. This is why you're my second-in-command. As much as I want revenge against that bastard, we have a war to plan. And the both of us play a very important part. Not too long, I'm gonna strike against the Rebels in their bases across the Middle-East. If I can gain the control of Asia, it'll be easier to win this war. Let's begin..." Alex says, clapping his hand and exiting the room. Two soldiers drag Robert's corpse out of the room, while Alex, Jonathan and the Scotsman round up the soldiers to plan and strategise for the coming wars.

-Lucas-

Becoming dusk, Lucas returns to the bench after a short walk around the town, saving his energy for tomorrow when he goes back home. He plants himself down, expelling a lot of air from his mouth and nose. He clicks his fingers consecutively and clicks his small finger with his thumb, clicks his thumb in his hand. Clicks his neck. Takes off his shoes and clicks each toe consecutively. His feet pain from the walking, so he gives them a little massage, before sliding them back into his shoes - the same ones he's been wearing those long six months.

"Oh, I just can't wait to get home," Lucas says aloud to himself. No one's around to hear him going crazy, despite he regularly talks to himself. 'No one understands me better than myself,' Lucas would say. 'I'm the perfect person for myself to talk to,' he would also say. Both statements can apply for everyone, and that's Lucas likes them. He has many cathphrases and sayings, though to go through them all will take some time.

The sun gradually goes down as it always does. Though in truth, it doesn't actually go down. Lucas studies astronomy and has for years, but to find a job in it is quite the outcome he expected. He watches as the light disappears from the sky and watches the waxing crescent moon arise. Restless and bored and so very tired, Lucas uses the bench as a substitute for a bed and sleeps.

After a few pleasant hours of uncomfortable sleep on a bench, Lucas awakes. He immediately starts walking again. Strolling to his home. Finally returning to a life that was, simply, wonderful...