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“I could recognize him by touch alone” -Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
“No one wants to help you, Tommy. You’ve killed people, you’ve hurt people, you’ve ruined everything.” Clay spoke calmly to Tommy.
This wasn’t anything new to him. His life has been like this for the past five years. Wake up, try to gain what he lost, see Clay, lose his stuff, and repeat. This life, this torture was nothing new at all. But he wanted out. Tomorrow he was gonna run, instead of going to the mines like he always does, he was going to run. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go but he knew he was going to go somewhere that was no exile. He was going to run no matter what happened, he was willing to take the risk.
He ran. He wasn’t sure how long he ran for. All he knew was that he was cold. He was scared too. What would he say when he sees Tommy had run away from his exile. He wasn’t supposed to leave camp. He was supposed to stay there, away from everyone, away from those he loved, those who cared for him. He looked back soon, camp was so far away. What he knew for the last 5 years. It was so far away. Yet he hurt, it hurt being in that camp. It was no camp, it was exile, he was exiled away from his friends, his home, and his brothers. Everything soon became so unfamiliar to him. The air was freezing cold, nothing like his ‘camp’. The floor soon began to be made of snow. This hurt him, The boy wore no shoes. He lost them long ago, god knows what his shoe size is anymore. Cold…It was so cold- why was it so cold..? Wasn’t he just in the open fields just a few moments ago?
“Cold…So cold” The boy mumbled to himself.
It was blurry, he couldn’t see very far anymore. The next thing he knew was him passing out. His body hit the soft snow. He turned onto his back to face the sky. It was so peaceful yet he hurt so much. He lay there for what felt like ages until he heard heavy footsteps crunching in the snow.
“Clay..?” The boy struggled to just get the simple name out.
He trusted Clay. Clay was Tommy’s only friend, the only person who visited Tommy during his exile. God, he should have never run away. He knew Clay would kill him when he returned to exile.
“No. It’s not Clay, It’s your brother Tommy.”
He was safe. He was his brother, his space spot, his home.
“Techno..?” Tommy whispered only being able to see a blur of pink.
That’s how he knew it was Techno. Only he had pink hair, his long pink hair. He felt himself being picked up. Safe, He felt so safe being picked up.
“Hang on kid, I got you, stay awake for me” Techno spoke with a deep monotone voice as he walked quickly into his cabin holding the boy.
Techno’s cabin was warm, there was always a fire going in the fireplace, and loads of books on the floor. Techno quietly placed Tommy on the couch as he walked into the kitchen with his dog not far behind.
“Now, where did I put my medicine last..”
Techno moved swiftly around the kitchen as if it took no effort to walk. The kitchen was littered with many types of things, from old bottles that once held useful potions and even some untouched food left there to rot. Techno had found what he was looking for and turned to go back to the blonde boy who lay unconscious in his living room only to find him standing there in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Jesus Christ- Do not scare me like that again-” Techno spoke after he fixed himself after jumping back slightly.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to” Tommy whispered. His throat hurt so much, it hurt to speak even. “No need to say sorry, go back to the couch, I am getting stuff together to help you” Tommy nodded, grabbing an apple from the table as he went to lay back down.
Tommy and Techno sat there quietly not speaking a word to each other. Tommy’s wounds and bruises were something that someone his age should not have. Tommy hated the quiet, it reminded him of his exile. It reminded him of Clay
. “So…What are you reading?” Tommy asked, breaking the silence between them.
“Greek mythology,” Techno replied in the same monotone voice he always speaks in.
It was no different from when he would speak when they were younger.
“Still? How much Greek mythology can one person read?” Tommy questioned leaning over Techno’s shoulder to try and get a peak of what he was reading.
“Lots actually, there are many stories and many heroes. My library is filled to the brim with these types of stories Tommy” Techno spoke, he sounded like an English teacher again.
“Sounds lame and reading it sounds even more boring” Tommy complained sitting back down at Techno paid no mind to him.
“Patroclus,” Techno said as he looked up from his book
“What?”
“Patroclus. You remind me of Patroclus.” Techno chuckled, fixing his reading glasses as Tommy just looked more confused.
“I am no lame mortal from Greek mythology!” Tommy spat back, offended by the fact that Techno would say such a thing.
“He wasn’t some mortal he was very important” Techno stood up grabbing a book off one of the bookshelves
Tommy gasped quickly waking up. He looked around horrified. It was so cold, he was back in his stupid tent.
“Glad you are up Tommy! Welcome back!”
His stupid voice..
It was truly bittersweet, knowing what someone had to go through to be part of history in Greek mythology. Maybe that’s why Techno called everyone a different Greek mythology person, Wilbur was Pirithous, Clay was Menestheus, and Tommy was always somebody new according to Techno each time they spoke. His role changed to Theseus, Patroclus and so many other people that Tommy didn’t bother remembering. All he knew is that he was associated with many things, and being associated with something meant being loved, and that means he was loved. Tommy was loved. Tommy was safe. Tommy had Techno, and Techno had Tommy. Just like Achilles and Patroclus had been best friends long ago. It was even funny. He missed home so much he dreamt about it. He thought he was back with techno,
He thought he was safe.