Separation
Gavin awoke suddenly. He dreamt of being in a wilderness, hot and overgrown, not knowing where he was or where he was going. In fear he scampered out of his bed and walked toward his door, barely dodging the child's playthings that adorned his room; wooden weapons and toy soldiers. The door was closed; light flickered out from its frames. He approached it cautiously, hearing low but familiar voices beyond. It was his father and mother. Their voices were quiet but desperate, their inflections resounded deep worry and conflict. Never before had he heard murmurs like these. He pressed his ear to the door. "...He can't stay here", he heard his mother say. "Why?", the father asked. "You know why. He'll die here." "He'll die anyway. At least we'll be together." "You can't mean that." "And you do? You want to cast him out, let him go alone." "He has a chance out there. He can find hel...