I am a void of sorrow. The world has been completely stripped of all its light and color leaving me surrounded by true pain. I am blind to my own world. Nothing is left. My heart aches so much that I feel it hurting inside my chest. My entire world destroyed just when I thought I returned to it.

I sob into the pillow, struggling to breathe again. My body shakes from my tears as I struggle to comprehend what just happened.

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact I just lost my mother. She's gone. Completely and utterly gone. She's left me all alone to fend for myself. I was numb when Clara broke the news. I stared at her for a while as a million questions rushed through them. Then came the rage. I started yelling at Clara for not telling me sooner than angry with my mom for leaving me as Dad did. She left me all alone to fend for myself and abandoned me.

The boys jumped when I started screaming. The poor guys were confused and tried to ask what was wrong but instead, I turned on them. I told them that if they hadn't dragged me into their mess, I could have been here. I could have done something to help. As soon as I said it, I instantly regretted it but I kept going and started to blame myself.

What if it was my text messages which killed her? What if it was me who distracted her while driving?

I suddenly wanted to die, just as I did when the forest was messing with my head. I had to catch myself before I tried to convince the boys to kill me once again. I was angry with everyone and myself. Even Mom.

It was a short burst of anger before I fell into a dark place.

My emotions dulled from anger and all I feel is a gripping sadness.

The boys panicked and thought the forest tried to take hold of me. Gideon tried to tell me to calm down and remember they are here for me. To protect me, just as they did before. He even tried to tell me to shut out those emotions and not let sadness take over. But it was Adrien and Shiloh who knew what was going on. They experienced grief as well.

They had to explain to Gideon that what I was feeling was normal here. I had just lost my mother and I was experiencing grief. Just as Shiloh did when his parents died and just as Adrien did when Tressa died. Clara cried as well and said she missed Mom too but all I felt was angry.

She could never know how much I miss her. How dare she believe she feels the same way. She might have been Mom's friend but I was her daughter.

There's nothing she could have said to make me feel better anyway.

I just wanted to be held.

So the boys obliged when Clara left.

I sit on the bed with the boys who lay around me, holding tight to me to keep me with them. I cry into the pillow begging silently for God to bring her back.

"I did everything," I whimper shakily, "I made it back home, I-I don't understand, why did this happen?"

"I'm sorry Eve..." Shiloh whispers gently, stroking my hair back. "It's not your fault."

"It's not fair!" I moan before lifting my tear-stained face. I gasp for breath unable to think straight. "I-I don't even know what to do. W-What-? How do I live? Both my parents..." Suddenly, Alexius's voice rings clear in my head reminding me of what he said.

He said my dad was alive. He also said Gideon and him were half-brothers.

Why hasn't Dad come home? Why did they stay there? Why did he leave us?

"We'll help you," Gideon answers softly. He presses his head against my side with a distant look. "We won't let you suffer like this."

"I know it's hard," Adrien says, looking up at me such care in his eyes I burst into tears again. "Losing someone you love is terrible. No one can understand how much pain it causes. But we can be there along the way to help you."
"You helped us see life in our dark lives," Shiloh comments sweetly. "Now it's time for us to return the favor. We were lost in our own heads but you brought us out of that. You led us out of the forest to be free, so let us do the same for you."

"That's very sweet of you guys," I cough loudly trying to reach for a kleenex. Shiloh leans over for me and hands it instead. "But this isn't your fight. I-It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Yes it does," Gideon argues, "you're our new family. And if you're sad we have to help you."

"You helped us," Adrien repeats distantly.

"But how?" I ask feeling confusion take over. "How exactly did I help you? It just doesn't make any sense, you guys made the decision to leave. You made the decision to let go. I had nothing to do with that."

"You had everything to do with it," Adrien argues, grabbing ahold of my hand. His smooth and pale hand reminds me of a porcelain doll. "If you had never met us, then we would still be murdering random people in the streets. We would still be stuck in our heads and never think of ever moving on again. You came and you gave us a new perspective on another life. You gave us hope that we could be something different. Free."

"I saw how brave you were," Shiloh adds warmly. "You faced so many monsters and though they were scary, you held your ground. You even held your ground against us. Having you around reminded us that emotions aren't something we should hide. It's okay to feel something. We have you to thank for that."

"You loved us when no one else would," Gideon continues seriously. 'You understood us, you didn't treat us like dirt even though you were scared. For our entire lives, we have been thrown away or forced to change ourselves in hopes of being loved. We've been bruised and broken from our pasts and that made us into monsters. But you loved us anyway and never blamed us for our choices. You're the first person to truly show us love."
"You helped us in more ways than you realize," Adrien shifts in my arm. "And now, in your darkest moment, we will help you."

My eyes well up with tears again before I hug the three boys tightly. I rest my chin on top of Shiloh's head before squeezing my eyes shut. Pain still stabs my heart like a knife but overwhelming thankfulness nulls the most painful part. "Thank you," I whisper shakily, "for not killing me."

Shiloh lets out a laugh before cuddling up next to me. "You're welcome."

"So much fuzziness in the air," Gideon jokes lightly, flashing me a smile in order to help distract me from the pain.

I smile weakly as I try to wipe away tears. "You guys..."

"And just to let you know," Adrien begins spitefully, "I'm not enjoying being stuck in this body. It's quite uncomfortable, you know."

"But you were doing so good earlier," Gideon whines playfully. "You even let the doctors touch you!"

"Only because you guys forced me," Adrien argues before rolling his eyes. "Besides, they were pretty interesting to talk to." He pauses with new curiosity in his eyes. "Modern medicine is quite interesting on this side... much more advanced than I thought before..."

"You should be a doctor," Shiloh suggests excitedly. "You'd really like it. You can also help a lot of people."

Adrien thinks about for a moment. He shakes his head, "Maybe..."

Such irony. He was terrified of doctors when he was younger but now he wants to become one? Granted they are completely different types of doctors but... did Adrien stand up to his fear? And to help people?

"Is there anything we do?" Gideon asks, looking up at me again.

I shake my head, "Just keep talking. It's kinda helping."

"Umm... so... what type of food do you guys eat here?" Gideon asks quickly, nodding at the others.

"Maybe we could make a feast," Shiloh suggests lightly. "A human food feast."

"Hey did you guys forget all of our stuff on the other side?" Adrien asks with a frown. "I didn't see it in the house..."

"No, we dragged it all into the kitchen," Shiloh answers before giving Adrien a look. "Don't change the subject, talk about food."

Adrien raises an eyebrow at him.

"Silence yourself," Gideon scoffs before smiling. "Let's keep talking about food."

"But-"

"Silence yourself, Addy," Shiloh jumps in. "We're talking about food now."

Adrien groans before going limp on the bed, sinking low into the pillow. He rests one hand on his bandaged stomach before rolling his eyes. "You guys are impossible."

"Understandable," Gideon replies with a nod.

The door opens and another nurse walks in. She pauses at the sight of all of us on the bed before nodding. "How are you doing, Adrien?"

Adrien begins to frown before shrugging silently.

"He's okay," I answer shakily, wiping a few tears.

The nurse nods before turning to me with sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry about your mom, Eve... if you need anything, we are here for you. We loved your mom very much here at the hospital..."

"Thanks," I answer tightly as grief comes crashing down on my head all over again. "I'll keep that in mind."

The door opens again revealing a mid-aged man dressed in a police officer uniform. He must be the new recruit because I don't know his name yet. He scans over our crowded bed before walking over to the side of it.

"Hello, my name is Officier Roger. I'm going to have to ask you a few questions about your disappearance, okay?"

I sniffle loudly before nodding weakly. "Okay."

"Your house was found in shambles as if something exploded. There was also blood all over the floor. Do you have any knowledge of it?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah, I was waiting for Mom to come home-" my voice catches before I force myself to remain calm, "-and saw Shiloh outside the door. He was... covered in blood and appeared to be injured so I took him inside to help him." I gesture to Shiloh before looking back at the cop. "Later, Gideon and Adrien ran out of the forest looking for him."

"These boys came out of the forest?" the officer asks in shock.

I nod. "I was surprised too. They were running from something. They said it was chasing them through the forest. It came and attacked us, nearly destroying the house in the process."

"The monster..."

"Yes."

"Did you see it?"

"It was too fast. I-I never saw it. It was like a giant bear but... I didn't really see it like I said. We ran outside and into the forest before we got lost again. We survived on their food supplies, these boys have been surviving in the forest for a while."

"We should probably get these boys to child services..." Roger scratches the back of his neck. "I can't believe you boys survived in there for so long... where are your parents?" "Dead," Shiloh answers bluntly. "All of our's."

Just like mine.

"Where do you live? When did you get lost?"

"Dunno," Gideon answers simply. "But we're going to live with Eve."

"Huh?"

"I know this is going to sound weird but I can take care of them," I answer carefully. "You see... they've grown quite attached... It would be traumatizing to separate them after all of that."

"Well I'm sure there's an emergency foster home that can take them..." Roger reminds me gently. "They can stay together but I'm not sure about you taking care of three little boys by yourself."
"Little boys?" Adrien seethes quietly.

Shiloh nudges him before flashing the cop a pleading look. It nearly melts my heart. "Please," he pleads in a soft voice. "Don't separate us from Eve. She helped us survive... we were starving out there... I beg of you, don't make us leave her." His eyes widen allowing the fluorescents to reflect in his eyes creating the illusion of stars in his eyes. "She's-, she means everything to us. Don't make us leave..."

Gideon catches on. He clings to my arm with wide eyes, his lip quivering. "I don't want to leave Eve," he moans in a pained voice. "She saved us... I don't want to leave her."

"I have some friends in town," I suggest lightly, stroking Gideon's wild hair back. "I'm sure someone could help me out just until I turn eighteen next year. I could become their guardian after that."

They are going to age themselves anyway when we get back home. They are going to older soon enough so I won't have to worry about that. Though... I am a bit worried about them trying to live a normal life here. School, jobs, living with me... How am I going to support three boys? Well technically, they aren't 'boys'. They could pass as college age actually, college freshmen maybe. Or younger if they wanted to.

"I'm not too sure..." Roger trails off appearing unsure. But he shakes his head, "That's a later issue. So, today, you returned to the house and Adrien claimed he... was stabbed by a sword?"

"It did look like it," I answer carefully. "We found a collapsed shed and the metal pieces..." I trail off a flash Roger a pained look. "Adrien slipped and was impaled. Thankfully it didn't give him tetanus but... The way it flashed it looked like a sword."

"How... odd," he answers skeptically. "You do know to lie to an officer is a crime, right?"

"She's right," Shiloh adds quietly. "We were being stupid." He drops his eyes in shame, "I-I didn't mean to push him..."

"I'm still mad about that," Adrien answers spitefully before lightly smacking Shiloh. "If you didn't push me I wouldn't have a hole in me."

Thank God for their acting skills.

"Yes... but that still doesn't explain-"

"Sir, I'm going to need you to come with me," Clara appears in the doorway with a large purse in hand. "I think I can take it from here."

"Chief," Roger straightens his back at the sight of her. "S-Sorry Chief, I didn't know you were coming. I thought you were on duty."

Clara tilts her head. "Who said you could interview them? I thought you were supposed to be on patrol?"

"Ooo," Shiloh whispers smugly.

Roger blinks in surprise. "Officer Nick, ma'am."

Clara begins to glare. "Did Officer Nick receive my orders about not sending someone to interview Eve?"

"He said it was protocol and had to be done immediately."

"I said I was going to do it." She curses under her breath before stepping inside. "You may go, Roger. I can handle this and be sure to tell Nick 'hi' from the Chief. We'll be talking more later."

Roger nods shortly before walking back outside. Clara turns to me with sad eyes. "Sorry, I didn't think Nick was going to be stupid tonight. The damn idiot has been trying to show me up lately, thinking he could do better as Chief than me. You know the drill."

I nod slowly. "Yeah."

"Anyway, I heard some of it... But I assume parts of it have been altered?"

"Is that a bad thing?" I ask weakly, wiping my tears again.

She sighs before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Yes and no. The forest is not easily explained. I've received countless weird accounts from it so I understand if it sounds insane and difficult to believe."

"What do you think is in the forest?"

"Me? Oh... like anyone else, I think there's some kind of animal. Maybe a messed up experiment." She shakes her head, "Then again, people can see things differently due to trauma. Things can be distorted and messed up from trying to cope."

She glances at the boys curiously. "You boys are pretty lucky to have survived out there. How old are you?"

"Uhh..." Gideon trails off looking confused. "I never really paid attention..."

"Twenty-one," Shiloh answers tiredly before freezing. We all flash him a panicked look before he realizes what he did. He stares at Clara in shock before shaking his head quickly. "Wait no... sorry, I-I mean six-, er five." He laughs nervously before rubbing his head, "I-I must have hit my head too..."

Gideon groans and smacks his forehead. "De crey..."

Clara only smiles at him. "You do look rather familiar, Shiloh. What's your last name?"

Shiloh remains quiet.

Clara studies him further before looking up at me. "You remember the first attack, right?"

"Yeah?"

"There was a family of three who went into the forest," she begins slowly, watching Shiloh for a reaction. He remains still. "They were out hiking until they disappeared. It was sixteen years ago when you were only one year old, Eve. The child's body was never found... his name was also Shiloh."

Shiloh grimaces.

Clara sighs before nodding at him. "I know a lot of strange things happen in those woods. I wouldn't even be surprised if it were aliens or some other crazy theory. If you are in fact Shiloh Ladlow I do know how to call your family. Your grandma has been very worried about you."

Shiloh's eyes widen in shock before looking up with sudden hope in his eyes. He swallows nervously before looking up at me for some kind of reaction. He glances at Gideon and Adrien before nodding slowly. "I-I don't want to leave Eve or my friends but... it would be nice... to see her... maybe."

Clara's eyes soften. "Of course."

Shiloh looks relieved before lowering his head again. Gideon watches him confusedly before whispering, "What's a grandma?"

"The mom of one of your parents," Shiloh answers back.

"Those exist?"

"Yes. Your parents had to come from somewhere, right?"

"That is true..."

"As for you two... I've never seen anything like you guys..." Clara continues curiously. "I would have remembered someone like you."

Adrien squints at her with skepticism. "Maybe we aren't from here," he answers ominously.

I rest my hand on top of his head before forcing a laugh. "Intense, isn't he?"

Clara laughs in response before nodding. "Very."

I sigh sadly as grief clouds my head once again. "So... what do I do now?"

"Of course I'm going to help you," Clara answers obviously. "This town adores you, Eve. You won't be alone."

Shiloh squeezes my hand in reassurance.

"Starting with free food," she continues with a soft smile. She begins to pull out sandwiches from the purse along with soda cans, a large bag of Doritos, and a package of Oreos. I smile weakly and look up at her gratefully. "Thanks Clara."

"No problem," she answers kindly, "you guys look pretty hungry too. So eat as much as you'd like."

I smile at the boys who stare at the food with excitement and deep curiosity. "Here's the feast I promised," I tell them.

Gideon begins to laugh as he takes a sandwich and slowly unwraps the plastic wrap. Adrien takes his carefully and inspects it thoroughly, muttering about the packing to himself. Shiloh lights up at the sight of soda and Oreos. "I nearly forgot these existed! I'm glad to see they still do!"

I smile as they dig into "human food", mumbling thanks to Clara and eating hungrily. Adrien falls in love with soda and Gideon vows to try more of our meat.

Despite my horrible grief, I feel a little better being surrounded by people I know care about me. It's more comforting than words and helps in a way I can't explain. This is my new family and I know they'll take care of me, as I would for them.

〰✷〰

My entire life has always been surrounded by the forest. From the moment I was born I was connected to the forest. My father was taken by it and I lived in fear of it. I feared the monsters lying within and felt controlled by it. But one day, a little boy covered head to toe in blood showed up at my house and changed my life forever.

He took me into the forest where I faced monsters of my own. I overcame temptations, fear, and finally understood others. Every person has their own reason for doing things and even if they are wrong or we disagree,