Brave New World

Dorian

The next morning, dad was up early packing for our trip to New York. My girlfriend came over and I told her everything that happened. I told her I wouldn’t be going to school for a couple of days.

“Just tell people I’m mourning still” I told her.

“Sure thing” she said as she kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her and I pulled her into a hug.

“I will,” I said as I placed a kiss on her head.

“Alright, bye. I hope you find your mom,” she said as I nodded as she left.

“Are you ready?” Dad asked as I nodded. I got into the passenger side of the car as my dad locked the door and got in.

“Dad are you ok?” I asked as he looked at me.

“Why you ask that?”

“I ask that because you seem too happy”

“I like being happy” he said as we set out on the journey.

I don’t know how long this trip is going to take and it just seemed like it was taking forever.

“Dad, how much longer?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but we’re almost close to New York” he said as I sighed and I fell asleep.

“Mom?” I asked as I walked forward.

“Who are you?” he asked as he backed away.

“Mom it’s me Dorian”

“I don’t know anyone named Dorian, and stop calling me mom, does it look like I’m a woman?” he yelled as I began to cry.

I woke up shaking and crying.

“Dorian, Dorian. It’s ok” I heard dad cry as he pulled over. He stopped the car and looked at me. I looked at him, and then I burst out crying.

“Dorian, buddy, everything’s going to be ok” he said soothingly.

“I-I know,” I stuttered out as his arms wrapped around me. “I had a-a weird dream” I started as he pulled away to look at me. When I looked at my dad I could tell I was his son, we have the same eye shape and colour, and I had my dad’s nose and cheek bones, you could tell my dad won the gene battle. I looked nothing like my mother, my biological mom that is.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked me as I nodded.

“I saw mom, and I called out to him, but he didn’t know who I was,” I cried as dad rocked me back and forth.

“It’s ok, we’re going to find your mother, and he will remember you,” he said as he kissed my forehead. “You’re my buddy, now are you ready to find your mom?”

“Dad you’re talking to me like I’m five”

“Sorry, but are you ready?” he asked again as I nodded.

“Yes dad” I laughed as he started the car up again.

It seemed like we were driving in circles or we just couldn’t find a destination, when dad stopped the car too fast and I jolted forward.

“DAD!” I yelled as I choked on the seatbelt.

“Dorian, I’m so sorry, but look” he said as I looked up, there was mom, with someone else. Someone I’ve never seen before.

Sebastian

I stopped the car a little too fast and I sent Dorian flying forward.

“DAD!” he yelled as I cursed under my breath.

“Dorian. I’m so sorry, but look” I pointed up through the windshield. What I saw was two people who once knew each other, together happy. It was like all Carsten needed was to get away so he could forget what happens back at home. He wanted to erase us from his memory and start over.

“Dad, who is that?” I heard Dorian whisper but as he looked over at me, he knew an answer wasn’t coming out of me.

I drove slowly to a motel where we would spend the night.

“Dad are you ok?” he asked as we got into the room.

“I’ll be fine,” I said as I closed the bathroom door. I started splashing cold water on my face. This couldn’t be real, any of it. Why did I even come out here? Love, and the person I loved, used to love, is still madly in love with. I’ve never ever fallen out of love with Carsten, no matter how mad he made me, or I made him, I was always madly in love with him, and right now I couldn’t deny that I didn’t love him, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be out here in New York wanting him back. I thought as I turned the taps off. As I did the memory from earlier filled my mind and I had a sudden urge to feel violent. I punched the mirror and I let my hand just bleed, I watched it as it bled.

“DAD” I heard Dorian screamed. But I made no attempt to go over and open the door. I felt glued to my spot.

“Dad, are you ok in there? Please open up” he called again. I could hear him at the lock, but it wouldn’t budge.

“I’m fine,” I finally say as I wrap my hand in a towel and I start cleaning the glass around the sink.

I notice something shiny sticking out of my hand; it’s a piece of glass. I yank it out as more blood spills all over the place. I try to stop the bleeding, but I don’t feel the need. Images fill my mind and all I want to do is bury those images.

I still hear Dorian at the lock, but I finally open it and he looks at me and my hand. His eyes ask the questions ‘what happened?’

“I got mad, I punched the mirror, I’ll be fine, the mirror, not so much” I got a smile out him, but that was it. I washed my hand and bandaged it up with the band-aids under the sink. Reminded me of Carsten and his knife wound. I found my eyes watering up, but I did not cry.

“Dorian, you ready to go home tomorrow?”

“Home?” he asked surprised. “What about mom?”

"I quit" I said slowly.

“Dad you love him. Sleep on it and if tomorrow you want to go home, we will” he said as I nodded as I lay back on one of the beds.

“Ok” I say as I turned out the light.