Requiem for an Aberrant Chapter 19: Chapter 19- A Distant Memory

Read chapter 19 of Requiem for an Aberrant by TheJestersGambit on NovelPedia.

The room was quiet, comfortably so. Cole, his blurry brother, and his mother sat in a living room that always seemed brighter when his mother was in it. The fire in the hearth burned low, its glow reflecting in the polished mirror. She was stitching something. She always seemed to be stitching something. Her hands moved with a practised grace, needle and thread darting through the fabric like tiny dancers. Cole watched her from his place on the floor, leaning against the sofa. His brother was on the opposite side of her body sleeping. She had let Cole stay up later that night, a rare indulgence. “You’re restless.” Although she didn’t look down, her words were warm and soft like sunlight through the clouds. Cole shrugged. “I’ve been thinking.” His mother smiled, her lips curving gently as she worked. “What’s on your mind, my love?” Cole hesitated. “Do you ever get scared?” Her hands monetarily paused before continuing their work. “Of course,” she said. “Everyone does.” “I don’t think you do,” Cole muttered. “You’re always so… calm.” She laughed softly, the sound like music. “That’s what mothers do. We stay calm so our children don’t have to.” Cole frowned, shifting uncomfortably. “But what if something happens? What if you can’t protect me?” This time, she set her sewing down. Her hands, still and steady, rested in her lap as she faced Cole, her eyes full of an unshakable strength meeting his. “Cole,” she began, her tone serious but gentle. “There will come a time when you’ll feel the same way I do now. You’ll look at someone, and you’ll want nothing more than to keep them safe. You’ll do whatever it takes to protect them, not because you have to, but because your heart won’t let you do anything else.” Cole blinked at her, unsure how to respond. She smiled and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “It’s not about being fearless. It’s about being brave enough to act, even when you’re terrified.” “But I’m not brave,” Cole whispered. Her smile widened, and she cupped his cheek in her hand. “You’re braver than you know, my clever boy. And one day, you’ll see it too.” Her words settled over him. They were warm and comforting, yet heavy with a weight he didn’t fully understand. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. The fire crackled softly, and the world felt smaller within the walls of the living room. For a while, neither of them spoke. He didn’t need her to say anything else. He just needed her to be there. Cole awakened with a sharp inhale, the warmth of that room lingering in the back of his mind. He remained where he was, not yet opening his eyes, letting the remnants of the dream settle around him whilst trying to grab onto memories he could not quite remember. By the time he opened his eyes the living room was already gone, replaced by a cave lit only by moonlight. “How are you feeling?” Filoa’s voice reached him, close enough that it took him a second to understand why. Cole blinked again, only then realising that his head had been resting in her lap. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and trying to gather his thoughts. “Where am I?” “We moved deeper into the Lost Gorge,” Filoa said, stretching her legs out in front of her now that his weight was gone. She winced faintly as she individually rolled both her ankles. “You were unconscious for a while.” “How long?” “A few hours, I think. Maybe more.” Her gaze drifted briefly toward the cave entrance before returning to him. “It’s hard to tell how time passes nowadays.” Cole looked around properly. The cave was small, and though someone had clearly tried to make it livable for the night there was only so much comfort to be found in a place like that. Their packs had been arranged against the wall whilst a burnt-down fire sat near the centre, no more than faint heat and a thin curl of smoke now. He noticed Faith in the far corner. She was asleep with her head resting against one of the packs, knees drawn in slightly whilst one hand tucked beneath her