2050: A Time of Courage

Chapter 27: Lilian

A/N:
As always, not edited.
I'm starting college in a few days, so I'm not too sure what will happen to my updating schedule yet.
I. Am. Stressed.
Hopefully everything works out for the better, though, and my updates for different stories don't come to be too sporadic.
Let me know what you think of this chapter down below.
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Sleeping proves to be more difficult than I ever thought it could be. On either side of me, Theo and Dimitri find their way into oblivion pretty quickly, though I can't seem to force myself to follow. For hours, I have too many thoughts running through my mind to even consider falling asleep, as though everything that happened today is determined to continue haunting me around the clock.

Once I do fall asleep, my dreams are filled with the marks of Alessa's destruction, the smoke in the air and the motionless forms of Mr. And Mrs. DiLorenzo.

I was wishing to fall asleep, but now I'm fighting to wake up again.

When I come to on the cramped couch, it takes me several seconds to realize that it's beginning to grow lighter outside. I must have gotten at least a few hours of sleep, though I feel like I never closed my eyes. I'm exhausted, though there's no way I'm going to risk the sea of nightmares again.

Next to me, Dimitri is still lost in slumber while Theo has also woken up, and for a few moments I wonder if my dreaming was what disturbed him. Catching sight of my brother's sleeping figure at the far end of the opposite couch, I decide that if it had been the case then Jason would have been awakened too.

Emilio is sitting in the same position as he was when I fell asleep, staring straight ahead but looking like he's gazing off into a world I can't see. Next to him, Shemik keeps twitching in her sleep, as though nightmares are following her too.

I can't keep my gaze from finding Rose, who looks even worse in the light of early morning.

"Lili?"

I don't realize that Theo is talking to me until he stands up, stepping in front of me and obscuring my view of Rose's face.

I stare back at him, wordlessly demanding to know what he wants.

"I want to go out for a walk," Theo tells me, glancing between Emilio and me, "but he won't let me go alone, and he's not about to leave right now. I don't blame him, but you know you could come... or not ... Maybe it would help you get away from things for a while. I think we're all pretty worried, but you look like you're about to lose it."

Almost without my permission, my head begins moving up and down, giving my affirmative response before I've had the chance to completely make up my mind.

Theo doesn't seem to sense the slightest hint of reluctance in my decision, offering a small smile before turning to look at Emilio again.

"Good enough for you?" Theo asks the older boy, "We won't get ourselves killed, I promise. We'll take a backpack with us too. Please, I can't take this anymore and she won't say it, but Lili's about to go mad too."

Emilio's expression doesn't change, though he gives Theo a sharp nod. I scramble to my feet, following Theo into the kitchen as quietly as possible. Though none of us are having the best luck with sleep, there's no excuse to wake Siena up so early in the morning.

The two of us pull our boots on in silence, and Theo shoulders the smaller of our two packs.

"Where to?" he wonders, pulling open the front door and waiting curiously for my response. Following him onto the sidewalk, I give him a noncommittal shrug that proves exactly how apathetic I am toward the matter.