The rain tapped idly against Rylan's window as he slowly woke up and gazed out at the golden sea that was South Dakota's plains. Before the boy slowly drifted off back to sleep with the shoebox clung to his lap.

Abeline's eyes glued to the road in front of her, until she glanced at Rylan and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. She sighed and looked back at the road. Her hands tightened on the wheel as she stared ahead at the tarp covered back of her father's truck.

Once again, the young boy slowly stirred awake and looked around. The boy glancing between his mother and the window before he sat up and sheepishly stretched out. He looked at his mother again, as she gazed back at him and smiled slightly.

"Had a nice nap?"

She asked softly as he rubbed the back of his neck groggily and held his shoebox once again.

"Yeah."

She chuckled softly and loosened her grip against the wheel as he looked out of the window once again.

"That's good."

Rylan nodded slightly and continued to stare out at the sprawling fields spread out around them. His eyes on the field as his one arm relaxed off his box while he placed his elbow against the car window and rested his chin. He stared at the plains for a while, before he turned towards Abeline. His grip tightened on the shoebox with his free hand.

"Mom...are we there yet?"

She glanced down at him before concentrating on the road and Ethan's truck along with it.

"No but soon. We've got 10 minutes to go before we get there Rylan so we're almost there."

He nodded and glanced at his Grandfather's truck along with her. Before he stared back out of the window for anything other than the ocean of grass until a few minutes later a dark green sign peaked his interest.

Entering
Black Oak Indian Reservation

With that, they pulled over to a smaller road for another hour until they reached a large cluster of civilization situated along the flanks of a distant tree line. This nest of civilization nothing but cabins and various other old buildings. Some of them relatively recent looking and others on the verge of falling apart.

A majority of them webbed together by thin roads and even a few dirt paths. The tree line had no doubt been the unexpected result of some sort of water reserve. Maybe a river or a lake of some sort, providing the life force necessary for them to grow.

To Rylan, this new world looked relatively new, but relatively familiar. Close and intimate, but not in the same way as their home from before. That little home tucked away in their old suburb on the brinks of the base.

But for his mother, well for Abeline it was a different story. It was as if Abeline has once again reunited with Ethan in that old living room. The apprehension had started to return again at the sight of this isolated branch of civilization.

That same uneasy fog that had once clogged the room on that day now busy clogging up the car as Rylan averted his gaze from his mother at the carpet of homes sprawled before him.

Their eyes were now focused on his grandfather's truck as Ethan turned down to a thinner branch of the community. Until the older man stopped at a light blue cabin tucked away behind a low wired fence and overgrown plant life.

Ethan furrowed his brow at the untended yard and huffed disapprovingly as he climbed out and stared at the cabin. His gaze still focused on the aging cabin as he crossed his arms. At least before Abeline climb out as well and stand next to him. He glanced at her and pointed at the overgrown yard with his thumb.

"Abeline, please remind me. Never ask that brother of yours to help with the lawn. Apparently..."

He averted back to glaring at the fenced off square of grass.

"He still needs to work on keeping his promises"

She sighed and shook her head, walking up to the cabin.

"It's okay Dad, we'll take care of it later."

He nodded softly and took out the keys, unlocking the cabin for them as Abeline got Rylan out of the car, his shoebox now tucked under his arm. Rylan's eyes on the cabin as he tried to piece together the slight familiarity given off by it.

As they walked in, Ethan turned on the light and walked through the house. The elder occasionally moving around the furniture they carried in days before to the right places as they walked around the cabin.

"It really isn't much."

He said, clicking on the kitchen light before he proceeded to the bed rooms with Rylan on his heels. All while the boy curiously looked around the cabin from the small but somewhat welcoming kitchen to the living room with the other doorways strewn against the wall.

Ethan flicking on the lights of the bathroom and his mother's room, even a spare room. At least before he opened up one door to reveal what was evidently Rylan's room. Evident to him due to his old room's furniture inhabiting it. Somewhat neatly pushed against the light sky blue walls that almost bordered on the blue paint used in a nursery.

Yet as Rylan stood there and observed his new room, Ethan sighed and watched him wearily.

"Don't ask, we tried our best to repaint it. Originally we wanted to move you into your cousin's room but his was too small, so we moved you into here instead. Even if it used to be the girls' room. So naturally, we didn't find it very appropriate to move you into a pink room filled with flowers and butterflies."

He explained upon watching Rylan's observation. Eventually met with the young boy looking at him with a curious sort of surprise.

"Oh, so, this used to be Uncle...Uncle Eric?....Oh...Erin...."

"Your Uncle Erin's house? Yes. It was. At least until...well... the rest of that story isn't exactly my business"

The elder responded before he cut off to a complete silence. Ethan was careful not to look around the room before he left the room quickly. Where his mother eventually called Rylan over to help pack out the boxes.

At which he followed Ethan and his mother, only to see him stare blankly at the distance with a furrowed brow. But after the pair shifted around the furniture some more, the last few hours were spent packing out the boxes into the cabin.

Rylan often stuffing the cardboard structures full of belongings that he could carry where he could. At least until it started to get dark and start to rain again, at which Ethan helped Abeline cover up both trucks with their tarps.

Yet, while they waited for the heavy rain to subside, it didn't stop Rylan from getting his shoebox out of the car and tucking it under his arm. The box was covered up by his father's jacket and as he went inside to put the box on his bed.

Despite being half way drenched, he sat there for a while, fingering the box lid slightly. His hand ready to take off the lid before hesitantly pausing moments away from pulling it off. At which he took the box and gently put it on his bed case. As if the contents were so fragile it would've broken with a single harsh touch.

As he put the box down, he sprawled out against the bed, staring up at a stark white ceiling with a webbing of grey cracks along one of the corners. Until he heard his door open on the one side of the room.

"Rylan?"

He sighed softly and looked over at his new doorway to see his mother leaning against the doorway, slightly concerned.

"How you doing?"

He looked at her before lying back down.

"Well, I'm doing okay it's just well,it feels kind of weird being here...and...overwhelming"

She relaxed slightly and walked up to him, sitting next to him.

"I understand that but..."

"I think we'll get used to it. After all, we're in this together"

"Besides, this is our home now"

She crooned softly as she brushed his hair out of his face. Even when he continued to stare up at the ceiling but nodded regardless. The two stayed there in silence, before she ruffled his hair and got up.

"Come on...I think Dinner's almost ready"

She walked to the door and looked back at him, noticing him looking out of energy more than usual. Abeline sighed and helped him up, taking him to the kitchen.

"But first we have to get you on your meds"

She continued softly as he leaned against her gently, rubbing his back soothingly as they made their way to the dinner table to sit him down. His heart unknowingly to them, getting slightly worse. His chest only growing tighter as he walked with her to the kitchen.