The Life of the Wife

Chapter thirty one

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

JOHANNA

I laid back on the backseat of the commune truck, my heart pounding in fear. Aiden was told to turn on the police scanner and our biggest fear had surfaced. They made it to the police and were preparing to come our way, guns cocked. These recent events had pulled us into some sort of horror movie, where anything goes. My worries and fears of losing everything were in grasp and I wasn't sure how to react.
'There's nothing left is there? We're finished aren't we?' Tom muttered, flattening the hairs on his chest.
'Just calm down! We all need to stay calm!' Aiden yelled, making the hairs on my arm raise.
'We just need to go somewhere for a while, somewhere secluded to get our heads straight.' He continued.
'I'll ask around.' Tom whimpered, lifting the walkie talkie before contacting the other commune members.

I couldn't stop reliving the recent events that had just unfolded and comparing it to my life before. I knew there would be struggles and tests of my faith but I wasn't ready for any of this. The only thing that had ever kept me from falling to pieces was my love for Aiden and his for me, but now all he was doing was scaring me.
'Jenny knows an island with secluded camping grounds, just a ferry ride an hour from here.' Tom repeated, after hearing it over the walkie talkie.
'Give me the directions it will have to do, make sure they follow me and we stay close.'
'Yes father.'
'Tom! Don't call me father!'
'Aiden, you're our leader now, you're taking on the responsibilities and power of us all, you are the last of pure blood, you are our father.'
Aiden sighed in protest but just took a deep breath and carried on his path to the road that would take us to the ferry.

'Goodbye Garnet, I hope you're okay.' I whispered under my breath as we left the town that was supposed to be our safe place.
Aiden's consistent mood swings had everyone on edge. One minute he was calm and collected, the next he was beating at the steering wheel or screaming into the walkie talkies. No one dared talk back, even I stayed hunched back, keeping to myself in fear of an anger burst towards me.
I was tired but kept my eyes wide, checking for sirens. I'd have to shake my head a little to make sure the sirens or flashing lights weren't just me dozing off and falling into a dream. They always were, but I kept a lookout just incase.
My head felt like explosions bursting in every minute, and my body felt limp and weak. Staying awake proved harder than I first anticipated and I eventually fell into a heavy slumber.

The loud echo of the ferry horn woke me abruptly. The sun glared through the truck windows and the smell of gas and sea water had my stomach in knots. I had always been sea sick my whole life, but it didn't stop me from climbing aboard my fathers little tin boat to go fishing, and it didn't stop me now.
'Sweetheart, put these on please.' Aiden spoke in a monotone voice and kept his eyes glued ahead while throwing back a khaki sun hat and big bulgy sunglasses with the name "Maria" etched on the side. She was one of the members who had to be killed for trying to send us all into an early death. I silently said a prayer as i slid them on with a perfect fit

We slowly moved forward in the line of cars and then eventually parking on the top floor of the ferry before the gates lifted and the engine started to rev.
IIt was a slow start but once we were moving to a regular pace we all grew less tense, relaxed even, Aiden smiled as Toms excitement from his first time off land had him questioning every sound and movement.
Aiden told us not to exit the truck and radioed everyone in the other vehicle to stay put too, he was taking no chances to be caught, and everyone happily obliged.
The others radioed that they could see dolphins from there car swimming with the ferry, saying hello as it seemed to the excited tourists. It reminded me of my father and when we would go to the beach, carrying his tin boat with some help from friends to the shore because we didn't have a car or trailer for that matter. I would try to help and cary some of the boat, but being as short as i was pointless. However it did not stop my father from telling me "how strong" i was and thanked me for my invaluable help.
I wondered what my father was doing at that moment and imagined him with a beer and smoke in one hand, and stroking my cat with another whilst happily watching midday movies. i hoped he had not yet heard of my deeds and was left out of this battle with the police.

The trip was fairly long, and i had to use the sun hat as a barf bag, but got excited when Tom yelled in excitement from seeing the mountains of the island we were to soon make home.
Our happiness was short lived when the red and blue flashing lights over threw the ferry dock, and police swarmed the area.