Omnis Nam Tu. Pt. 46 (Ch.13)

          As soon as they were healed enough to move without becoming tired or feeling weak, Father made them head out in search of the women he wanted. Helen didn’t mind leaving, she loves being away from that house, James was indifferent, as always, about the whole thing. Helena though was furious, as usual, for having to leave. She would get over it in a few days however. They had lost track of where the women were, so they would have to start all over again looking for them. Father suggested they search the places Michael and George had gone to last, as they are more likely to be there. So, that is what they are doing.
          Splitting up, they searched all the towns and villages where Michael and George were last seen. None of them had any luck. They had gotten there to late, they had already moved on. Frustrated, Helena took her anger out on Helen and James. Before she could do anything horrible to them, Helen and James ran away from her. They decided to search for the women apart from Helena. She could look for them on her own.
          Much to Helen’s pleasure, there had not been any snow fall since they left. She liked snow, but not very much. She already had enough of it. When they first left Helena, James suggested stopping in one of the villages they had visited. He did not want to search for the women today, only because Father had been so insistent on them looking. It was his little way of rebellion. Helen, of course, agreed to, she did not want to upset him, he made her life a little more pleasurable than it had been. Reaching the small village, Helen and James walk around, enjoying the countenance of it.
         
          Ben still refused to speak. He moped about the small house, staring blankly into space. Anna was greatly worried about him, she had no idea why he was acting like he was. Many times she had tried to get him to speak, write, or do something, anything, to tell her what is wrong, but he wouldn’t. He would sit statue still or move away from her. Rita and Cassandra also tried to get him to speak, but they were unsuccessful too. Deer never bothered. He did not care enough to. His focus was all on where is brother could possibly be.
          Everyone else, being to worried about Ben, seemed to have forgotten about Seth and Mark. Anna was also starting to get ill again. Try as she might to hide the fact, she was. She was becoming weaker and coughing much more. Rita was really the only one who noticed this too. To cover up the fact she was ill, she would make up lies like she had allergies which were acting up or she was so worried about Ben she wasn’t getting enough rest, which all new were lies. She insisted they were not though, no one argued with her though, they figured it best just to leave her be and hope her condition would not worsen. They had shelter in a village that they could easily get a doctor, and food, all thanks to the elder woman, she should be fine for awhile, or they hoped.
          Now, Ben being asleep, Anna and Rita watched television as Cassandra helped the old woman do some chores, Deer sat in a chair near a window and stared outside. As soon as Cassandra and the woman finished the chores, she took the girls with her to the grocery store, knowing she would be in need of some help. Not long after they had gone, Ben awoke and sat in front of the now picture-less and soundless television, staring at his reflection in it. Deer sat next to him.
          Ignoring his presence, the boy shifted his gaze to the opposite side of where Deer was seated, thinking he would pressure him to speak too. He was becoming very annoyed by all of them pressuring him like they were. When he felt he wanted to talk, he would, he thought. At the moment, he did not feel like speaking to anyone. He did not experience anything very traumatic, but with everything that has been going on, it was just becoming way to much for him. He just needed some time to think and sort everything out. He did not feel like discussing his problems with anyone, so he remained silent, knowing that if he did speak, he would say what was wrong, he wasn’t one for bottling up his emotions for long. Snapping him out of his thoughts, Deer began talking.
“Whatever is bothering you, you really need to get over it. Watching you mope around is becoming tiresome. You’re holding us back from finding your sister too. You’re mother is to worried about you to leave and search for her. Instead of being depressed over your problems now, wait until we find your sister.”
          In truth, Deer could care less about finding his sister. The only thing he was worried about was finding his brother. Using his sister as an excuse, he was hoping, would get the boy to start acting closer to his normal self. From the boys expression change, it appeared to be working.
“Whoever took you,” Deer continued, “They still possibly have your sister. Who knows what they are doing to her, what they’ve subjected her to. Do you really want her to go through all that? Especially when we can go out now and get her out?”
          He was feeling bad about using his sister, whom he knew the boy would be very worried about, to try and get him to speak, but, it seemed to be the quickest way to get him to speak. The faster he opens his mouth, the faster they can leave and start their search again.
“So, why don’t you just pretend that you are fine? It would mean we could leave and find her much faster. And who knows, maybe you’ll feel much better when you do?”
          His persuasion skills were horrible, much more so when it was a ten year old boy having emotional conflicts. The last time he persuaded someone, it ended badly. He had tried to get his brother to, in one of his rebellious moments, stop what he was doing, and in the end, what Seth had wanted to do in the first place, turned out way worse than what it should have. He only accomplished in making Seth more furious than what he was. However, this time, that is not what was happening. Ben began speaking.
“I forgot….I forgot they had taken her too….You know where she is?” he asks.
Surprised that he actually talked, Deer says nothing.
“Do you or not?” the boy asks again.
“We have an idea.” Deer answers.
“Can we leave when my mom gets back? I don’t want Wendy getting hurt.”
“Your mom will probably want to wait to leave. To make sure your fine.”
“But I am fine!”
“She doesn’t know that though. After your days of silence and being unconscious, what else would you expect her to think?”
“But, Wendy….”
“We’ll look for her soon, but, we wont be able to unless you start talking and acting yourself again. Do that for a few days, and we can probably leave.”
“Okay….” Ben sighs.
          The rest of the time the women were gone, Deer and Ben sat in silence. Once they returned, Ben became loud and talkative, acting hyper and happy, trying to convince his mother he was fine. Which was being accomplished. His mother was relieved and overjoyed by her sons behavior. Now, after a few more days, they will finally leave and begin their search once again.