Now or Never: Escape to Freedom Ch. 04

"So you're like my guarding angel now?"

"One of them. You have two others watching over you." Eric smiled.

"Who are the other two?"

"You know who they are. They've been watching over you for the past four years. They were the ones who guided you that stormy night you left the highway when the alternator on your car was dying."

"Mom and Dad." Austin said with tears in his eyes. "Are they here now?"

"No. They wanted this time to be just you and me."

"Why haven't they visited me before?"

"The time wasn't right. When that time comes they will visit. I will tell you this, they are very proud of you."

"Will I ever see you again?" Austin asked as Eric started to fade away.

"Whenever you come to our field of blooms I will be here. I will always be with you and watching over you. Whenever you feel a warm breeze dance across your face or see the breeze dancing in the plants of a field, know that is me, watching over you." Eric said as he finally faded away.

Austin was left alone standing in the field. He watched as the flowers danced in the wind and felt the warm breeze swirl around him. He closed his eyes, laid back in the flowers and could feel the sun beating down on him. Off in the distance he could hear someone calling his name, it was Ryan. Each time Ryan would call his name he sounded closer and closer. Finally Austin opened his eyes, he was back in bed surrounded by the heated blanket.

"Austin, Austin wake up. Look outside!" Ryan said excitedly.

Austin slowly got out of bed and made his way over to the balcony doors to see a fresh blanket of snow covering the world. He looked over at Ryan who had a smile on his face like the ones children do on Christmas morning. Austin knew that Ryan had never seen snow like this before so he suggested that they get bundled up and go outside. Ryan was completely dressed and ready before Austin had even changed out of his pajama's. Ryan came over and helped Austin change into his winter clothes. As they walked towards the front door Cindy called out to them.

"I'll have breakfast ready by the time you come in, and Austin make sure you are careful with your wrist."

"I'll make sure he is okay, Aunt Cindy." Ryan called out as he shut the front door.

Ryan made sure he helped Austin down the front steps making sure he wouldn't slip and hurt himself. "You where right, it's so neat to see everything covered in a coating of snow and then think back to what it was like in the summer." He smiled.

"You want to build a snow man?" Austin asked.

"I'd love too."

While Ryan starting building the base of the snow man Austin went around and found some sticks for the arms, then he went inside and asked Cindy if he could have a carrot for the nose. She handed him a carrot and told him to check in the laundry room and look through the old scarves and hats for the snow man. When Austin returned outside, Ryan had the snow man almost finished. It wasn't a bad snow man for his first one. He was just placing the head on top when Austin walked over with what he found in the house. He finished off the snow man with the sticks, a hat and a scarf. Once the snow man was finished they went back inside and had breakfast.

"So how did you like your first real snow fall?" Josh asked Ryan as he sat at the table.

"I really like it. There is more snow out there now then I've seen my entire life." Ryan replied as he scooped a large helping of scrambled eggs onto his plate. "Where is Justin?"

"I'm going to bring him something to eat soon. He had treatment yesterday and isn't feeling good." Josh said as he took a bite of bacon.

"That has to be so hard on him." Ryan offered.

"It is. Justin is has been through so much and has been putting up a fight for so long I'm worried that he is just going to give up. He is so worried that I am going to leave him or hold it against him that he has cancer."

"I can understand how he feels." Austin offered.

"I don't know what I can say to help him understand that I'm not going to leave him."

"There isn't anything you can say. The only thing you can do is be there for him and show him how much you love him." Ryan said as he placed his hand on Austin's. "And you know I'm only a phone call away if you ever need to talk or vent."

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll be taking you up on that offer." Josh replied as he took his plate to the sink. "I'm going to take Justin something to eat. I'll be back down a little later."

After breakfast Ryan and Austin got back into their winter clothes and went for a nice winter walk. Austin having grown up in the north was used to the cold, but Ryan wasn't handling it to well. At one point Austin looked over and saw that Ryan's teeth were chattering.

"Why don't we head back? I can see that you're cold." Austin offered.

"I am a little but it so beautiful and peaceful out here. I really am enjoying this time out here with you." Ryan said as he put his arm around Austin and pulled him closer to you.

"I really am enjoying it too." Austin smiled. "But You don't want to get sick out here. You know your mom and Aunt Cindy will have a fit if you do."

"I guess you're right." Ryan said reluctantly.

"Do you think we could go by Eric's place?" Austin asked.

Ryan was shocked at hearing Austin say that name. "Yeah. What do you want to go there for?"

"I want to get it ready to be closed up. I still don't know what to do with it."

"You don't have to make that decision right away. Like Aunt Cindy said you can take your time."

Once they got back to the house, Ryan went and got the keys to the car and let his Aunt Cindy know where they were headed. As they past the cemetery where Eric had just been buried, Austin said a silent prayer. The closer they got to the old house, the more nervous Austin started getting. He wondered if it was a good idea coming to the house so soon after everything that had happened. When Ryan pulled in the driveway he instructed Austin to wait for him to help him up the walkway since it hadn't been shoveled. Austin dug in his pocket for the key and opened the front door. A small chill went up his back when he stepped inside remembering what happened to him the last time he entered this house. Ryan stood behind Austin watching him as Austin looked around the house. He could see that Austin was starting to get upset.

"Do you want to leave?" Ryan asked as he help Austin's hand.

Austin took a deep calming breath. "No, I'll be fine. I know you are right by my side."

"What would you like to start with?"

"I guess we could get some sheets and start covering up the furniture."

"Where are they at?"

"In the upstairs hall closet. I'll show you." Austin said as he started to head up the stairs.

As they made their way to the hall closet, they passed Eric's old room and Austin came to a sudden halt causing Ryan to bump into him. The door had been left open and Austin could see that the bed was still a mess from when the EMT's had come in to try and save Eric. Then he noticed something sitting on the nightstand. He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, Ryan sat next to him.

"I thought this was lost in the move." Austin said as he picked up a silver photo frame containing a old boardwalk photo from one of those old style photo booths.

"When was that taken?" Ryan asked as he looked at the photo.

"It was the summer of our junior year. We had spent the summer in Ocean City since it was the last summer of our high school lives." Austin said looking at the photo with tears forming at the base of his eyes.

"It's sad that things changed the way they did."

Austin rubbed the sides of the silver frame with his thumbs. "It is, but everything happens for a reason, that's what my mom always told me. That chapter of my life is over and a new one had just begun."

Ryan smiled. "Do you think we could find a old photo booth like that?"

"I know of a few." Austin smiled back. "It's weird, I no longer feel sorry for Eric."

"Why is that?"

"I had a dream last night and he told me that he was sorry for everything that he had put me through. He wanted me to know that my life is going to be better than I ever could have dreamed for. He didn't say exactly what was going to happen. He told me the he was given a second chance on the other side and that he and my parents are watching over me."

"Like guardian angels?"

"Yeah, like guardian angels. He told me something that I had long wondered, my parents are very proud of me and that they still love me." A single tear slid down the side of Austin's cheek.

"I knew they would be. You are a awesome person, Austin. Who wouldn't be proud to have you as their son."

"Thank you Ryan. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you would do all of this for me. I know it was very hard for you to come with me but I couldn't have made it through without you. I love you." Austin said as he kissed Ryan.

"I would do anything for you. I love you too."

Soon they were busy working around the house. Ryan had taken some extra sheets and covered the furniture while Austin was in the kitchen cleaning out the fridge. As Austin was putting the last of the old food in the trash bag, there came a knock at the door. He wondered who would be knocking since no one really knew he was there. When he opened the door he saw Mrs. Steinbach standing there.

"Mrs. Steinbach, how are you doing?" Austin said as he stepped aside to let her in.

"I'm doing just fine Austin." She smiled. "I'm sorry to hear of Eric's passing."

"Thank you." He smiled back at her.

Just then Ryan came down the stairs to see who had been knocking at the door.

"Well who is this handsome young man." Mrs. Steinbach asked.

"Hello ma'am. I'm Ryan Davenport." Ryan said in that wonderful southern accent.

"This is Ryan, my boyfriend. Ryan this is Mrs. Steinbach. She is the lady who helped me escape." Austin offered.

"I want to thank you for helping Austin escape. If it wasn't for you then I would never have met him."

"I'm just glad that Austin was able to get away and find someone who is going to take good care of him."

"I'm going to do my very best." Ryan replied.

"Are you boys hungry? I'm sure you worked up an appetite." She asked.

"I could go for something to eat." Ryan said as he looked at Austin.

"Good. Then come over in about ten minutes and we will have lunch." Mrs. Steinbach said as she headed for the door.

Ten minutes later, Austin and Ryan joined Mrs. Steinbach at her house for lunch. The boys sat there and ate while they listened to Mrs. Steinbach tell stories about how someone long ago helped her leave her old country and move to America. Before they knew it an hour had gone by. They could have stayed all afternoon listening to her stories but they knew they had work to finish. She told Austin that she would look after the place until he decided on what he was going to do with it. They both thanked her and headed back to the house.

By the time the sun had dipped behind the trees, Ryan had just turned the water off and Austin had shut off the heater. Austin took one last look around to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. As he stood outside he took one last look at the house that had been his home, his safe haven and his dungeon, but it was no longer those things. It was now just a house, four walls covered in a blanket of snow.

"Are you ready to go?" Ryan asked as he opened the car door for Austin.

"Yes, I'm ready to go home." Austin smiled.

Austin knew that this chapter of his life had finally come to a end, but that a new one was just beginning...

*****

Thank you for reading Chapter 4 of Now or Never: The Final Good-Bye. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.