And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer Novels & Stories

The journey there felt longer than it should have. The road stretched endlessly, trees growing thicker on both sides, the weather became cooler and heavier. The road was so narrow, I questioned myself if the vehicle would be able to fit in. The journey was exhausting, I took two naps before we got there.

Amara Cross POV The road after that was longer than I expected, but I did not complain. I was lost in my thoughts. I finished my breakfast, and the strawberry milk still left a sweet taste on my tongue. I leaned my head against the window, watching the trees get thicker and the ground get rougher. The sun was starting to turn into a warm evening glow. When the short brown houses with their small gardens and slanted roofs appeared in the distance, my lips opened automatically into a wide smile.

Mika As I trudged down the familiar, cracked pavement on my way home, dread seeped into every step I took. My heart raced, pounding a frantic rhythm in my chest as I replayed the morning in my mind. I couldn’t shake the image of my father’s disappointed face; it loomed over me like a dark cloud. What would he do when I walked through the door without breakfast set out for him yet again? I could already imagine the stern lecture, the raised voice—maybe even worse.

Minutes stretched into an eternity before we turned down a long, winding road lined with trees—like the ones in our woods. But their gnarled branches twisted like skeletal fingers, reaching for the car. "This is different," I said, more to myself than anyone else. But Eric seemed to have caught on. "What is?" He asked, his tone laced with curiosity. "This road. It's different from the one we drove into. It looks more like... home," I said, thinking about the times I would run into the woods and stay there for hours. So much had happened in just a few weeks.

The sidewalk was busy with people—some rushing home, others strolling leisurely as if they had nowhere in particular to be. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. The day’s events replayed in my mind on an endless loop, like a haunting melody I couldn’t silence, no matter how desperately I tried. Each memory clawed at me, but I forced it all down, burying the weight of it beneath the steady rhythm of my steps and the distant hum of a car engine. The walk home had always felt longer than it's supposed to be, and today was no exception. My legs ached, my mind felt heavy, and every noise around me seemed sharper, more grating.

Walking through the trees never felt so lonely. In two days, I found my way back to the trail. I took a short cut and walked through some people’s yards to make better time. The closer I got to my house, the long it seemed to take me to move my feet. I walked up the hill and then turned on to another. I was finally at the top of my street, but I didn’t feel at home. How could I? Something caught my eye as I proceeded down the hill on to my street.

The final length of the drive was long and to say the least, I was getting impatient. My mind was at war with how my ancestral home looked now it has new management. Was it the same picturesque image I remember or had everything changed. My impatience was getting the better of me, I sat forward with anticipation of the sight I knew that was so close yet so far, it was eating me inside. Then I blurted out like a little child, 'are we there yet?'

He bit his lip, frowning. -I can't find out a truth if I'm not a Researcher.- With that thought fixed in his mind, he walked home, with a light and unusually serene step. Speaking with that mysterious minstrel, he had not realized the actual passage of time and, along with the morning hours, the enormous worry with which he had awakened had also disappeared.

My heart beats faster every time I think about it. When we finally pull into the long, winding driveway, the house looks like a giant shadow against the sky. It feels unfamiliar now. It feels like a place from a nightmare I had a long time ago. The driver stops the car and opens my door. I thank him with a tired voice and walk inside.

I watch Kaelara grow smaller against the horizon. Home is no longer a place. It is my brothers beside me And the woman we choose, every single day. -The End