Tears of the Dragon

An alien nation awaited him. A new start, almost. Excitement coursed through his veins. Picking his bags up, and with a large grin across his face, he started towards the gates. Just as he reached them, he stopped. A sudden emptiness filled him, and he realized there was no one by his side. Slowly, he turned around. His parents stood there, some distance away, with smiling countenances. But there were tears, little drops of transparent liquid, making rivulets down their faces. Suddenly he felt lonely. Suddenly, contrary to what he had always been thinking, he knew he didn't belong in that place. Everyone around him was alien, and the only faces he could recognize, the only ones he could ever live with, were those of his parents, but they were going away. He wondered what he was doing there. This was the path he had chosen, and he had been supported by everyone. They said he would be in a great place. They said he would enjoy it. It was something he had come to believe, but now those beliefs seemed to be unstable. Now, he just wanted things to be the way they were. He wanted to go back. He looked at his parents again, but they seemed to be drifting away.
"Wait, don't go. Not just yet. Please," he cried out. He took a step towards them, and then another.
"We can't son. You'll be alright. Don't worry, we will wait for you. We will see you soon." They were still smiling, but the tears came down in torrents.
But how long was 'soon'? When would he see those familiar faces again? When would he see his home? Emotions welled up in him. He fought them, just like always, and suppressed them.
His parents had gone. With stoic resolve, he turned around and walked through the gates, plunging into the alien land.
Decrepit buildings rose around him, decayed over the years by the harsh weather. Home was so much more beautiful than this. He navigated the unknown streets, guided only by a map. There were groups of people everywhere, talking, joking and laughing with each other. He couldn't understand what they were saying. Their speech was totally different from his. For some reason, he felt they were talking about him, and laughing at him. He hurried on, blocking out the sounds of mirth that filled the air.
It was growing steadily darker, and he could feel unfriendly eyes watching him go by, all alone. Every sound seemed to be magnified by the emptiness. Clutching his bags close to him, he closed his eyes, trying to remember the good times, the days of old. Tears welled up inside again, and again he held them back. He wanted to scream out, hoping against hope that things would return to normal if he screamed loud enough. With his emotions still locked up, all that came out was a growl through gritted teeth. His eyes were wide open, and red. He quickened his steps, until he broke into a run. He sprinted as fast as his legs would allow, trying to outrun the loneliness.
Finally, at long last, he reached his destination. A worn down shack, large enough for two people. A lantern burned inside, its flickering light casting eerie shadows on the windows. Stepping up to the door, he pushed it open. He was greeted by the sight of another person, with his two parents. They started talking to him, in a guttural tongue he could not comprehend, and then they stopped when they saw the confused look on his face. He paid them no attention, as he looked around the room. It was dull, with meagre possessions. A dusty cot lay by the corner, old and disused. Dropping his bags, he sat down on it. The other occupants of the room were having a meal, talking and laughing as they ate it. There were fruits and fowl, sweets and juices, all laid out neatly on a cloth. One of them offered him a leg of chicken, and he realised he was very hungry. He declined though, taking out a sandwich from one of his bags, something that his mother had made for him. The noises of happiness from the others played in his head. But he couldn't see anyone. The blank walls glared at him. Everything was so empty. He closed is eyes and bit into the sandwich. When he opened them again, there was no light. The candles had been snuffed out. Two of them slept on the floor, and the third slept on the other cot in the room. Everything was shrouded in darkness. He reached out to hold some one's hand, hoping against hope that someone would be there, someone to reassure him, but there was just emptiness. The sandwich fell from his fingers, and he lay back down on the cot.
Their smiling faces flashed before him, his parents watching him run around when he was a child. The good times came rushing back, the nights of wonder.
And this time he let the tears flow.