Grey Sanders TM
A Mark Left By Me
Saturday, May 26, 2007
OVERVIEWS!!!!!
ATTENTION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STRICTLY READ THE STORY CH 1-6 PLEASE CLICK HERE- http://overview-dreamingreality.blogspot.com. THIS SITE ALSO HAS CHAPTERS 1-6 BUT NOT IN ORDER, AND IT ALSO HAS OTHER INFO.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Portion of Chapter Seven
This is the beginning of Chapter Seven.
Chapter Seven
*I*
Ryan had just returned from the cremation. He wished he was still at the park, but as always happiness was only a quick visitor in Ryan’s life. He held the ashes in a jar in his hands. He was once again sitting on his bed, staring intently at the ashes. It was a small jar because only a portion of his mother’s body had made it. Ryan didn’t care, he just was happy to be holding his mom again.
Mother’s day was on the 13th; it was now the 10th. He was happy he had his mom to celebrate with, but he wished he could hug her. It wasn’t fair to him- why was his family dead? He already had a miserable life, but now it was filled with no family. He was choking back tears, and he succeeded. He figured that crying would only lead him to being even more upset, which is exactly what he wanted to avoid.
Chapter Seven
*I*
Ryan had just returned from the cremation. He wished he was still at the park, but as always happiness was only a quick visitor in Ryan’s life. He held the ashes in a jar in his hands. He was once again sitting on his bed, staring intently at the ashes. It was a small jar because only a portion of his mother’s body had made it. Ryan didn’t care, he just was happy to be holding his mom again.
Mother’s day was on the 13th; it was now the 10th. He was happy he had his mom to celebrate with, but he wished he could hug her. It wasn’t fair to him- why was his family dead? He already had a miserable life, but now it was filled with no family. He was choking back tears, and he succeeded. He figured that crying would only lead him to being even more upset, which is exactly what he wanted to avoid.
Chapter Six
Chapter Six
*I*
Julie let the warm water run down her back. She felt good to stand in the steaming shower. It refreshed her, revived her, let her start anew. She looked at her legs disapprovingly. They had not been shaved or put lotion on in 2 days. She had meant to do it the day before, or Sunday. She was so ready to send Ryan back to school. She was excited that he wanted to get out and see the world again. But than this God forsaken accident happened, and once again, where does he wind up, but the hospital.
She stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. She help in all of her emotions to the best of her ability, but her best wasn’t good enough. Her perfect blue eyes let a tear escape, which was followed by another, and soon she was sobbing. Lately she had felt every feeling possible, and they were all stirred up inside of her. Finally they had settled, and for the past day she had felt on edge, like she would snap at any second. Finally all of them had let out. Her insides no longer stirred, and she felt better. Each new tear was like an old emotion escaping the body.
She got herself changed, still slightly crying, sniffling, and raspy breathing. The feeling of being a bad parent left her, and she was ready to start fresh, she was ready to start on a clean slate. The car ride to the hospital was boring, and quite dreary. Julie then realized how tired she was becoming. She pulled out her phone to call Linda, but uncontrollably her eyes began to shut. She was petrified; she new she was falling asleep. She was falling asleep at the wheel; she was falling asleep at the wheel on the interstate.
She heard the sound of a truck horn but it was just a blur to her. She was no longer steering the car. She was heading toward the edge of the road. There was one problem to this situation other than the fact she was falling asleep. The one problem was that a 18-wheeler was blocking her way. The horn was louder, but still not loud enough to wake her up.
Now it was Linda’s turn to get the phone. The call that she received was horrific, and well basically, unimaginable. The news she received caused her to lose her breath. It took her several seconds to regain the grasp of reality. She looked over at Ryan. She had felt bad for him, but now she felt even worse. The reason for this was because Julie Corsiva was dead. She was dead and Ryan was the last of his family. Ryan Corsiva was the last of the Corsivas.
Peter did not know what was wrong with his mom’s expression. It was the most sorrowful expression he had ever seen her hold. It was a mixture of complete sadness, and possibly even some anger. He was relieved when she finally chose to speak. He was not so relieved at what he heard.
“Peter, honey, well I don’t know how to put this, but something terrible has happened,” Linda said. Peter was afraid to here the news.
“Well what happened?” he choked out.
“Julie, you know Ryan’s mom, well, she got in an accident on the way here. She died on the spot, she is gone.” Peter was in complete and utter shock. He had never thought someone he had just seen and heard was now dead.
“Oh.” Oh was all he could say, all he could force out. He had said Oh before, but never like this. He had nothing else to say. He felt like crying, not only for Ryan, but for himself. It had been such a stressful past few days. He was only a kid, and he could only handle so much. This pushed the limits.
“I know this sounds crazy, but we have to go. We have to find her will, and you didn’t know this, but she left us to be the guardians.”
“What?!” Peter exclaimed. He didn’t know whether he was excited, shocked, angry, or all three.
“You see Peter he has no more family, you know all of this, so why am I telling you?”
“No more family? What? I know his mom’s side has no family, but what about his dad’s?”
“You know this; his dad’s entire family went on a reunion and the plane crashed. There were no survivors.”
“Why weren’t Ryan and his mom on the plane? Where were they?”
“Peter, for God’s sake, do we have to talk about this now. You already know where they were. Julie told us everything just the other day!”
“Mom, please, just tell me where they were.” He was now in tears and he was holding back sobs. He did not know why he couldn’t remember. He did not know what was wrong with him. He didn’t know much at all at the moment.
“Peter, Peter… I don’t know why you don’t remember. She just said it. They had a basketball tournament.” The room was silent and they exchanged silent stares. Everything in the room stood still, and the white, bare walls seemed to be swallowing them up.
They were at Ryan’s house now. Ryan was at the hospital. He had a nurse to watch over him. They were searching for the will. They did not know how the mysterious man on the phone knew that they would be Ryan’s new guardians, but they left that question buried in the graveyard of dead questions, which was quickly filling up.
They had finally found it and unsurprisingly all of her possessions went to Ryan, jewelry and all. All of the money was to be left to the Stuarts, except for the 10% that was for Ryan. They did not have a truck for all of the items, so they went back to the hospital. They decided that they would deal with this whole thing when Ryan woke back up.
Ryan was still asleep at the hospital. The nurse Anna was waiting anxiously for the guardians to return. She did not like the eerie silence in the room. The silence was broken by a gasp for air. It caused Anna to jump and let out a little yelp. Ryan had woken up and was staring at the hospital wall. He stayed silent for a moment, and then casually spoke, as if nothing had happened.
“Why am I back here?” he asked.
“Let me get a doctor, one minute,” Ana said. A few moments later a doctor entered the room, followed by a happy looking family, the Stuarts.
“Hello, how are you feeling?” the doctor asked in a friendly voice. He felt like he thought he was 2.
“I’m fine, why am I here?” Ryan was severely confused and did not want to be questioned. He felt like he should be the one asking the questions.
“You fell out of a tree and you landed funny. You have been in a coma for 2 days, thank God it wasn’t longer!” Linda said.
“Where is my mom, why isn’t she here?” This time Peter spoke.
“I know you don’t like things to be sugar coated so here is the news. Ryan I don’t know how to say this but your mom is dead.”
*II*
There was to be no funeral. There was to be no ceremonies. This is what Ryan and his mother had mutually agreed on. The will had been confirmed. Yes all of the possessions had been given to Ryan, but he had decided to donate half of it to the Stuarts, and half of it to charity. What was he to do with a couch, and not to menti0n his mother’s bed? All of the money was given to the Stuarts as well, except for 5% of it, which went directly into Ryan’s saving account.
The cremation was to be scheduled May 10th, a Saturday. It had been a week since Ryan had been released from the hospital, and even though he should feel better, the slight blurriness of conscience was still lingering in the vicinity of Ryan’s many emotions. The fact that his last living relative was no longer living, but on a stone slab at the undertaker’s had not hit him yet.
He only had one thing to look forward to. This was just a minor thing to look forward to, and he was wondering if he was even looking forward to it anymore. He had been looking for a good friendship, a sincere friendship. Moving in with his current best friend could strengthen the friendship, or it could brutally and unmercifully slaughter it.
He was thinking about all of these things as he sat on his old bed, but in his new room. He had stayed in his room the entire week, with the exclusion of going to school. The Stuarts didn’t want to intrude on Ryan, and especially not at the moment. All of the feelings he had felt in the past week were probably unknown to most of the human race.
He was staring at the solid blue walls that surrounded him, that stared right on back at him. They were menacing, and were closing in, just like the walls in the hospital. The sound of a TV was drowning out Ryan’s thoughts. He did not recognize the TV show, but it was loud and obnoxious, and completely, well completely a waste of a half an hour.
He no longer felt sad, but he just felt utter carelessness, complete numbness. The realization of everything that had happened to him had not hit him, and he was getting prepared for the day when it all brutally comes to him. From the accident to the death of his mother he had just been drowned in feelings. All he could think about was his feelings, and how he feels almost all of them, all of them except happiness.
That’s when he remembered it. That was when he remembered the assortment of items he bought at the store. One week later he remembered buying these things, and he remembered that he did not know where they were. This thought caused Ryan to shoot out of the bed, for the first time in a week. He ran down the hall to Linda’s room. He had never noticed how perfect the walls were. He guessed that having only one kid and a dead husband didn’t make much of a mess. He burst through the door without knocking, without even warning her.
“Do you know where my target bag is?” he asked loudly. Linda yelped and turned to face Ryan. She was in a towel, and nothing more. Her face showed surprise, and even a bit of anger.
“Umm, Ryan I don’t think I know what you’re talking about, can we talk about this later? I’m kind of busy at the moment,” she said. She looked flustered and felt it to.
“No, you have to tell me, it had some random items in it and it was lying on the kitchen counter. Where did you put it?”
“Now that you mention it I think I put it on our kitchen counter, yeah, that’s where it is. Not to be rude but can you please leave?” He didn’t even reply. He just burst right on out the doors he came in. He raced downstairs into the kitchen, where he saw Peter eating a snack. He and Peter hadn’t talked all week; he assumed it was just the uneasiness of the whole situation. As he grabbed the bag he forced out a “Hi”, and left the room before a reply.
He now ran upstairs and back into his room. He spilled the contents out of the bag. Everything was there, which greatly relieved him. Then he remembered, he remembered the stupid note. “Where the hell did it go?” he thought aloud. He felt bad for the language but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He tried to remember where he put it, but he was drawing a blank. But then it hit him; it was in his back pocket, the pocket of the pants the day he fell out of the tree.
“Oh crap!” he said. “It’s long gone now, God I’m such an idiot, a bloody idiot.” He heard a rapping at the door. “Come in,” he said. He tried to make his voice sound a little less panicky. Peter emerged into the room. He looked at Ryan strangely and scanned the floor.
“Um, hi. I was just wondering if you would like to come to the park with my mom and me. We are going to Legion Park, it’s off of Mariette Street. Ryan thought for a moment, and concluded that it would be a good idea to get some fresh air. He didn’t speak, but just stood up and headed toward the door. He hoped that this gesture would be enough to signal that he wanted to go.
Peter looked at him and let a slight smile form on his frustrated face. Peter was so happy that Ryan was recovering and he was glad that he was there to help him at any time of the day. Peter followed Ryan down the stairs where they met his mom and climbed into the mini van. At the last minute Linda said, “How about we take the convertible.”
“We better not, it looks like its about to storm,” Peter replied, trying not to let too much confusion show in his voice. Ryan just smiled and turned to Peter and winked. Peter thought how odd this was, but dismissed it, and waited to hear what Ryan had to say.
“Ms. Stuart, I think your idea is a fine one. I’d love to go to the park while it was storming, and I definitely don’t mind taking the convertible. I need as much fresh air as possible. I have been cramped up in my room for a week now.” Linda seemed to take this in painfully, but a smile spread across her face and they moved into the convertible.
Ryan gestured Peter into the front seat, but Peter declined and hopped into the back. Ryan showed a smile and was secretly happy that he declined his offer. He had never had the experience of sitting in the front of a convertible, and he was about to find out how magnificent it was. The car was pulled out and Ryan’s “joy ride” began.
The wind was the first thing he felt, which was followed by the occasional drop of rain. No one in the car seemed to mind the drizzle, not even Peter, who tended to avoid all bad weather. Unfortunately the drive was short, and Ryan was surprised he didn’t recognize the park when they pulled in. It contained some slides and some swings. Ryan did not fancy these childish items, but he was looking forward to hearing the roll of thunder, and maybe if he was lucky he would get to see a streak of lightning.
The group climbed out of the car and Peter headed for the bench, but Linda and Ryan ran together to the center of the park. Luckily they were the only ones at the park, because someone else may think they were crazy. Then he heard it, the crack of thunder, followed by a violent streak of lightning. Ryan began to laugh and spin in circles, and Linda followed Ryan’s actions. Then the rain came.
Ryan was wondering why Linda was “playing” with him, and so was Peter, but they both set the thought aside, and Peter joined them.
*I*
Julie let the warm water run down her back. She felt good to stand in the steaming shower. It refreshed her, revived her, let her start anew. She looked at her legs disapprovingly. They had not been shaved or put lotion on in 2 days. She had meant to do it the day before, or Sunday. She was so ready to send Ryan back to school. She was excited that he wanted to get out and see the world again. But than this God forsaken accident happened, and once again, where does he wind up, but the hospital.
She stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. She help in all of her emotions to the best of her ability, but her best wasn’t good enough. Her perfect blue eyes let a tear escape, which was followed by another, and soon she was sobbing. Lately she had felt every feeling possible, and they were all stirred up inside of her. Finally they had settled, and for the past day she had felt on edge, like she would snap at any second. Finally all of them had let out. Her insides no longer stirred, and she felt better. Each new tear was like an old emotion escaping the body.
She got herself changed, still slightly crying, sniffling, and raspy breathing. The feeling of being a bad parent left her, and she was ready to start fresh, she was ready to start on a clean slate. The car ride to the hospital was boring, and quite dreary. Julie then realized how tired she was becoming. She pulled out her phone to call Linda, but uncontrollably her eyes began to shut. She was petrified; she new she was falling asleep. She was falling asleep at the wheel; she was falling asleep at the wheel on the interstate.
She heard the sound of a truck horn but it was just a blur to her. She was no longer steering the car. She was heading toward the edge of the road. There was one problem to this situation other than the fact she was falling asleep. The one problem was that a 18-wheeler was blocking her way. The horn was louder, but still not loud enough to wake her up.
Now it was Linda’s turn to get the phone. The call that she received was horrific, and well basically, unimaginable. The news she received caused her to lose her breath. It took her several seconds to regain the grasp of reality. She looked over at Ryan. She had felt bad for him, but now she felt even worse. The reason for this was because Julie Corsiva was dead. She was dead and Ryan was the last of his family. Ryan Corsiva was the last of the Corsivas.
Peter did not know what was wrong with his mom’s expression. It was the most sorrowful expression he had ever seen her hold. It was a mixture of complete sadness, and possibly even some anger. He was relieved when she finally chose to speak. He was not so relieved at what he heard.
“Peter, honey, well I don’t know how to put this, but something terrible has happened,” Linda said. Peter was afraid to here the news.
“Well what happened?” he choked out.
“Julie, you know Ryan’s mom, well, she got in an accident on the way here. She died on the spot, she is gone.” Peter was in complete and utter shock. He had never thought someone he had just seen and heard was now dead.
“Oh.” Oh was all he could say, all he could force out. He had said Oh before, but never like this. He had nothing else to say. He felt like crying, not only for Ryan, but for himself. It had been such a stressful past few days. He was only a kid, and he could only handle so much. This pushed the limits.
“I know this sounds crazy, but we have to go. We have to find her will, and you didn’t know this, but she left us to be the guardians.”
“What?!” Peter exclaimed. He didn’t know whether he was excited, shocked, angry, or all three.
“You see Peter he has no more family, you know all of this, so why am I telling you?”
“No more family? What? I know his mom’s side has no family, but what about his dad’s?”
“You know this; his dad’s entire family went on a reunion and the plane crashed. There were no survivors.”
“Why weren’t Ryan and his mom on the plane? Where were they?”
“Peter, for God’s sake, do we have to talk about this now. You already know where they were. Julie told us everything just the other day!”
“Mom, please, just tell me where they were.” He was now in tears and he was holding back sobs. He did not know why he couldn’t remember. He did not know what was wrong with him. He didn’t know much at all at the moment.
“Peter, Peter… I don’t know why you don’t remember. She just said it. They had a basketball tournament.” The room was silent and they exchanged silent stares. Everything in the room stood still, and the white, bare walls seemed to be swallowing them up.
They were at Ryan’s house now. Ryan was at the hospital. He had a nurse to watch over him. They were searching for the will. They did not know how the mysterious man on the phone knew that they would be Ryan’s new guardians, but they left that question buried in the graveyard of dead questions, which was quickly filling up.
They had finally found it and unsurprisingly all of her possessions went to Ryan, jewelry and all. All of the money was to be left to the Stuarts, except for the 10% that was for Ryan. They did not have a truck for all of the items, so they went back to the hospital. They decided that they would deal with this whole thing when Ryan woke back up.
Ryan was still asleep at the hospital. The nurse Anna was waiting anxiously for the guardians to return. She did not like the eerie silence in the room. The silence was broken by a gasp for air. It caused Anna to jump and let out a little yelp. Ryan had woken up and was staring at the hospital wall. He stayed silent for a moment, and then casually spoke, as if nothing had happened.
“Why am I back here?” he asked.
“Let me get a doctor, one minute,” Ana said. A few moments later a doctor entered the room, followed by a happy looking family, the Stuarts.
“Hello, how are you feeling?” the doctor asked in a friendly voice. He felt like he thought he was 2.
“I’m fine, why am I here?” Ryan was severely confused and did not want to be questioned. He felt like he should be the one asking the questions.
“You fell out of a tree and you landed funny. You have been in a coma for 2 days, thank God it wasn’t longer!” Linda said.
“Where is my mom, why isn’t she here?” This time Peter spoke.
“I know you don’t like things to be sugar coated so here is the news. Ryan I don’t know how to say this but your mom is dead.”
*II*
There was to be no funeral. There was to be no ceremonies. This is what Ryan and his mother had mutually agreed on. The will had been confirmed. Yes all of the possessions had been given to Ryan, but he had decided to donate half of it to the Stuarts, and half of it to charity. What was he to do with a couch, and not to menti0n his mother’s bed? All of the money was given to the Stuarts as well, except for 5% of it, which went directly into Ryan’s saving account.
The cremation was to be scheduled May 10th, a Saturday. It had been a week since Ryan had been released from the hospital, and even though he should feel better, the slight blurriness of conscience was still lingering in the vicinity of Ryan’s many emotions. The fact that his last living relative was no longer living, but on a stone slab at the undertaker’s had not hit him yet.
He only had one thing to look forward to. This was just a minor thing to look forward to, and he was wondering if he was even looking forward to it anymore. He had been looking for a good friendship, a sincere friendship. Moving in with his current best friend could strengthen the friendship, or it could brutally and unmercifully slaughter it.
He was thinking about all of these things as he sat on his old bed, but in his new room. He had stayed in his room the entire week, with the exclusion of going to school. The Stuarts didn’t want to intrude on Ryan, and especially not at the moment. All of the feelings he had felt in the past week were probably unknown to most of the human race.
He was staring at the solid blue walls that surrounded him, that stared right on back at him. They were menacing, and were closing in, just like the walls in the hospital. The sound of a TV was drowning out Ryan’s thoughts. He did not recognize the TV show, but it was loud and obnoxious, and completely, well completely a waste of a half an hour.
He no longer felt sad, but he just felt utter carelessness, complete numbness. The realization of everything that had happened to him had not hit him, and he was getting prepared for the day when it all brutally comes to him. From the accident to the death of his mother he had just been drowned in feelings. All he could think about was his feelings, and how he feels almost all of them, all of them except happiness.
That’s when he remembered it. That was when he remembered the assortment of items he bought at the store. One week later he remembered buying these things, and he remembered that he did not know where they were. This thought caused Ryan to shoot out of the bed, for the first time in a week. He ran down the hall to Linda’s room. He had never noticed how perfect the walls were. He guessed that having only one kid and a dead husband didn’t make much of a mess. He burst through the door without knocking, without even warning her.
“Do you know where my target bag is?” he asked loudly. Linda yelped and turned to face Ryan. She was in a towel, and nothing more. Her face showed surprise, and even a bit of anger.
“Umm, Ryan I don’t think I know what you’re talking about, can we talk about this later? I’m kind of busy at the moment,” she said. She looked flustered and felt it to.
“No, you have to tell me, it had some random items in it and it was lying on the kitchen counter. Where did you put it?”
“Now that you mention it I think I put it on our kitchen counter, yeah, that’s where it is. Not to be rude but can you please leave?” He didn’t even reply. He just burst right on out the doors he came in. He raced downstairs into the kitchen, where he saw Peter eating a snack. He and Peter hadn’t talked all week; he assumed it was just the uneasiness of the whole situation. As he grabbed the bag he forced out a “Hi”, and left the room before a reply.
He now ran upstairs and back into his room. He spilled the contents out of the bag. Everything was there, which greatly relieved him. Then he remembered, he remembered the stupid note. “Where the hell did it go?” he thought aloud. He felt bad for the language but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He tried to remember where he put it, but he was drawing a blank. But then it hit him; it was in his back pocket, the pocket of the pants the day he fell out of the tree.
“Oh crap!” he said. “It’s long gone now, God I’m such an idiot, a bloody idiot.” He heard a rapping at the door. “Come in,” he said. He tried to make his voice sound a little less panicky. Peter emerged into the room. He looked at Ryan strangely and scanned the floor.
“Um, hi. I was just wondering if you would like to come to the park with my mom and me. We are going to Legion Park, it’s off of Mariette Street. Ryan thought for a moment, and concluded that it would be a good idea to get some fresh air. He didn’t speak, but just stood up and headed toward the door. He hoped that this gesture would be enough to signal that he wanted to go.
Peter looked at him and let a slight smile form on his frustrated face. Peter was so happy that Ryan was recovering and he was glad that he was there to help him at any time of the day. Peter followed Ryan down the stairs where they met his mom and climbed into the mini van. At the last minute Linda said, “How about we take the convertible.”
“We better not, it looks like its about to storm,” Peter replied, trying not to let too much confusion show in his voice. Ryan just smiled and turned to Peter and winked. Peter thought how odd this was, but dismissed it, and waited to hear what Ryan had to say.
“Ms. Stuart, I think your idea is a fine one. I’d love to go to the park while it was storming, and I definitely don’t mind taking the convertible. I need as much fresh air as possible. I have been cramped up in my room for a week now.” Linda seemed to take this in painfully, but a smile spread across her face and they moved into the convertible.
Ryan gestured Peter into the front seat, but Peter declined and hopped into the back. Ryan showed a smile and was secretly happy that he declined his offer. He had never had the experience of sitting in the front of a convertible, and he was about to find out how magnificent it was. The car was pulled out and Ryan’s “joy ride” began.
The wind was the first thing he felt, which was followed by the occasional drop of rain. No one in the car seemed to mind the drizzle, not even Peter, who tended to avoid all bad weather. Unfortunately the drive was short, and Ryan was surprised he didn’t recognize the park when they pulled in. It contained some slides and some swings. Ryan did not fancy these childish items, but he was looking forward to hearing the roll of thunder, and maybe if he was lucky he would get to see a streak of lightning.
The group climbed out of the car and Peter headed for the bench, but Linda and Ryan ran together to the center of the park. Luckily they were the only ones at the park, because someone else may think they were crazy. Then he heard it, the crack of thunder, followed by a violent streak of lightning. Ryan began to laugh and spin in circles, and Linda followed Ryan’s actions. Then the rain came.
Ryan was wondering why Linda was “playing” with him, and so was Peter, but they both set the thought aside, and Peter joined them.
Chapter Five
Chapter Five
*I*
Peter drove home in silence. He could feel his mother’s burning stare. Peter was thinking about the last three days, and how much they changed his life. His eyes were red from crying, and his head hurt from lack of sleep. His mother looked the same.
His mother, Linda Stuart, was worried about Ryan, of course. But she was more worried about Peter. He had finally found a great guy friend and he was so excited. She didn’t want him to lose it. She didn’t understand how his friend just had changed so quickly. One second he was fine and the next he was screaming at the radio.
Peter was thinking of the radio incident as well, but a little differently. Peter had heard Ryan being sad before. But the sound in his voice sounded like it had just came out of Hell, and was stopping for a visit, knowing it would return in just a moment. His voice was the most depressing thing he had ever heard. He didn’t understand why the song had set him off. Yeah, it’s a depressing song, but still, it doesn’t make the typical person scream at the radio.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Linda could no longer hold it in. She needed to break the eerie silence that was settling in the car, and was getting just a little too comfortable.
“Well, I suppose I could call him. Yeah that’s what I’ll do.”
“That’s an excellent idea, let him know you care.” Linda was making this stuff up as she went. She just wanted to let Peter know he could talk. He had never been through anything like this. Even though Peter wasn’t saying it, he felt like the whole thing was his fault, and his mother knew that’s exactly how he felt.
Ryan sat in his basement staring at the wall. He decided to put in a movie. His mother let him stay home from school, and he was glad. He looked through his library of movies, and decided on Signs. He was in for a good scare. He heard his mother vacuuming above him. It drowned out the noise of the movie, and he felt his consciousness float off into a distant land, know as dream land. He slowly felt his eyelids shut, and his mind turned off. He fell into a deep sleep, but unfortunately it didn’t last long.
Chris was glaring at him. He was glaring at him, glaring strait through him.
“You haven’t gotten prepared at all, you are a miserable creature. Attempted suicide, failure, what next. We’re not going to spoon feed you all the answers Ryan. You have to get off your butt and search for yourself. All 30 people count on it, and possibly 31 people count on it. I understand that you have gone through a lot, but you said you would give your life to prevent the past. Well you can do something, and suicide does not count as giving your life.”
“I, I, I, I’m… I’m sorry. I just have one question, why when I you know, breathed in, why was Maggie crying?”
“Well Ryan, why do you think? Why do you think she was smiling? She was trying to make you feel better. And when she was crying, well she was sad that you had given up. She thought that you were stronger than that. But I guess she was wrong.”
“I will improve, I promise. I’ll get myself prepared. I just don’t know what to get prepared for.”
“Well think about all of your dreams. What did they show you? What did they mean to you? What did each individual dream stand for? That is what you need to prepare for.”
“OK, I will try, but you are here for me right? You aren’t going to give up on me too? I can trust you…”
“Well haven’t I been here for you all along. Aren’t I the one who is giving you the second chance?”
“Yes, yes, I guess your right. I’m ready.” Ryan watched as Chris’s glare softened into a smile, not a large smile, but still a smile.
He woke, but this time more peacefully. He noticed the credits were rolling on the movie, and his mind was already thinking of how to prepare. First he remembered the first dream. He remembered it perfectly. He knew what he needed to do.
“Mom, can we go to Target, I need to get a few things.”
“Sure, I guess, let me take a shower first,” his mom replied. She was wondering why he was so ready to go out into the world again. For over a month he wouldn’t leave his room and now he couldn’t wait to leave. She kept these thoughts to herself.
While Ryan’s mom was getting ready he ran upstairs into his room. He began to make a list. He began to make a list of items to obtain.
Picture frame for Lindsey’s picture
Folder for the “klutz”
A thank you card for Jerry
An explanation for the note
That was it, he had forgotten the note. He knew exactly what pair of pants he had worn the day of the crash. He had gone home, cleaned up, and thrown them in the corner of his room, not bothering to wash them. He ran over to them, and started flipping out the pockets. A yellow piece of paper fell out of the last pocket he turned out. He unfolded it, his hands shaking. He read the note aloud to himself. It read;
Dear Ryan,
I’ve been holding something in for the longest time. I can’t hold it in any longer. In fact, I DON’T want to hold it in any longer. I know that I’m just a pretty face to you, just makeup and bouncy hair. Well to me, you are my king, my hero. I have never felt so passionate about a person, ever. If you don’t feel the same way about me it’s fine. I will MOVE on. I love you…
Yours truly,
Maggie Lucida
The note was incredible. He finally had proof that she loved him. But the thing that was really getting to him was why 2 specific words stuck out to him; don’t and move. Together it makes Don’t Move…
He heard his mother call for him. His heart was pounding and his hands were clammy. Don’t Move, wow that was a great help. It just didn’t make sense, no sense at all, just like the rest of this whole thing. He stood up with his legs shaking, heart pounding. He managed to make his way out of the room.
“What’s wrong Ryan?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s, it’s nothing. I just had this weird feeling come over me, that’s all.”
They pulled into the Target parking lot, and Ryan was relieved to get out of the car. It had been a silent ride, and he felt like is mom’s stare was burning hole into the side of his head. He stepped out of the car and felt the cold air come in contact to his skin. He felt a raindrop hit his forehead, and his mom asked for him to get the umbrella. He followed her instructions, and climbed back into the car to get it. He was having difficulties trying to reach it, but after several tries he was triumphant, and followed his mom into the store.
Ryan kept his list hidden from his mom. He told her she could go look at what she wanted, and that he would meet her at the car. She thought that this idea was strange, but went ahead and followed it. After losing his mom Ryan began to collect the items. He quickly found all of the items, and ran to the register.
“Hi, thank you for choosing Target,” the clerk said unenthusiastically. He continued, “Why, you have quite a collection of items. What do you need these for?”
“Um, well, uh, I had to get some family members presents.” He felt the clerk’s eyes staring at him through his glasses. The excuse wasn’t very convincing.
He walked outside to the car, and it was poring rain. He saw his mom gesturing to him to hurry up, but Ryan took his time, trying to absorb the water. He couldn’t wait to get home. He was going to go play in the rain, like a four year old.
The car bumped over the curb into his driveway, and the rain had begun to pick up. His mom was stressing out, but a grin was forming on his face. He ran inside, set his stuff down, and ran out the back door.
“Where are you…?” She was cut off by the slamming of the door.
Ryan ran further and further, all the way to the woods. The rain was cold, but Ryan didn’t care. His smile was what showed his feeling. He felt the rain pounding down on him, and began to spin around. He looked straight up into the never-ending sky. It was gray, and he could see the drops for miles up. He thought of how much one raindrop went though before it actually hit the ground. He had to blink several times to get the droplets out of his eyes, and he ran on.
He finally reached his destination; the climbing tree. He flung himself onto the braches, climbing faster than he ever had. The wind was picking up, and his sopping hair began to fly in the wind. The joy inside of him was building up, and tears began to fall from his eyes. He kept climbing, higher and higher, until he was almost at the top. He had never been this high before, and he did not know the branches. He reached up to grab one and it was sturdy. He lifted his leg and heard an unforgiving sound; the crack of a tree branch. One second he was leaping upwards, and the next he was falling down. He tried to grab a branch, but he was unsuccessful. He hit the ground, and heard a funny sound, and then nothing. He began to lose feeling of the drops on his face, and his world began to get blurry. Soon he lost sight, and was unable to talk.
*II*
When Peter was informed that he had a phone call he had no idea who it was from. He was literally shocked. He hardly ever used the phone, and part of the reason was because he hated to talk on it. He only used it on his birthday, and that was when he was talking to his grandparents.
“It’s for you Sweetie.” Peter took the phone and looked at it like it was a foreign object.
“Hello?” There was a pause. “Ok, I’ll try to make it. Bye.” He hung up the phone. His mother asked who it was.
“It was Julie, Ryan’s mom. She wants someone to talk to at the hospital.”
“Oh Lord, don’t tell me that Ryan is in the hospital again. What happened now?”
“Yesterday he fell out of a tree when it was raining. He landed funny. He still hasn’t woken up.”
“I guess we can go.”
Julie Corsiva was pacing back and forth in her son’s hospital room. The room was bare; no pictures on the wall, just white paint. On top of the empty feeling the room gave her, it was cold. There were Goosebumps forming on her arms. She was exhausted. She hadn’t slept but two hours the night before. She was worried sick.
She tried not to remember what happened, but the task was becoming increasingly difficult. If he had just came back in when she called him. He wouldn’t have fallen out of the tree. Thank God he didn’t get struck by lightning. She glanced over to her son. He lay there, still and peaceful. His breathing had slowed, and his heartbeat relaxed. She heard a rapping out the door.
“Come in,” she said, trying to sound loud, but failed to do so. The door opened and she saw Linda and Peter walk in. She was relieved to see them. She was worried she was going to go crazy sitting in that room alone much longer.
“Hi, how are you doing?” asked Linda.
“I could be better. I haven’t slept much at all the past night. I’m exhausted. I haven’t showered either, I’m a mess!”
“Don’t be silly you look fine,” said Peter. He felt stupid saying it, but he felt he needed to say something. He felt like he was naked, in the middle of a crowded room. In reality he was well dressed, and only with 2 other people. He too noticed that the room was dull, white. It was like a box, closing in on you from all sides. You got a sense of insanity when you were standing there.
“How polite of you Peter. I just don’t know what to do. I really would like to go home and shower, but I don’t want to leave Ryan here all alone. And on top of all that, I just want company.”
“We can watch him why you shower if you’d like,” Linda offered.
“Would you really? That is so kind. I feel like a jerk doing this to you; dragging you out here to baby sit.”
“Don’t feel bad, that’s why we came. You just head on home, get yourself cleaned up, and come on back. We won’t leave, I promise. Julie followed the advice and went home. She felt terrible when doing it, but she assumed it would be for the better.
*I*
Peter drove home in silence. He could feel his mother’s burning stare. Peter was thinking about the last three days, and how much they changed his life. His eyes were red from crying, and his head hurt from lack of sleep. His mother looked the same.
His mother, Linda Stuart, was worried about Ryan, of course. But she was more worried about Peter. He had finally found a great guy friend and he was so excited. She didn’t want him to lose it. She didn’t understand how his friend just had changed so quickly. One second he was fine and the next he was screaming at the radio.
Peter was thinking of the radio incident as well, but a little differently. Peter had heard Ryan being sad before. But the sound in his voice sounded like it had just came out of Hell, and was stopping for a visit, knowing it would return in just a moment. His voice was the most depressing thing he had ever heard. He didn’t understand why the song had set him off. Yeah, it’s a depressing song, but still, it doesn’t make the typical person scream at the radio.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Linda could no longer hold it in. She needed to break the eerie silence that was settling in the car, and was getting just a little too comfortable.
“Well, I suppose I could call him. Yeah that’s what I’ll do.”
“That’s an excellent idea, let him know you care.” Linda was making this stuff up as she went. She just wanted to let Peter know he could talk. He had never been through anything like this. Even though Peter wasn’t saying it, he felt like the whole thing was his fault, and his mother knew that’s exactly how he felt.
Ryan sat in his basement staring at the wall. He decided to put in a movie. His mother let him stay home from school, and he was glad. He looked through his library of movies, and decided on Signs. He was in for a good scare. He heard his mother vacuuming above him. It drowned out the noise of the movie, and he felt his consciousness float off into a distant land, know as dream land. He slowly felt his eyelids shut, and his mind turned off. He fell into a deep sleep, but unfortunately it didn’t last long.
Chris was glaring at him. He was glaring at him, glaring strait through him.
“You haven’t gotten prepared at all, you are a miserable creature. Attempted suicide, failure, what next. We’re not going to spoon feed you all the answers Ryan. You have to get off your butt and search for yourself. All 30 people count on it, and possibly 31 people count on it. I understand that you have gone through a lot, but you said you would give your life to prevent the past. Well you can do something, and suicide does not count as giving your life.”
“I, I, I, I’m… I’m sorry. I just have one question, why when I you know, breathed in, why was Maggie crying?”
“Well Ryan, why do you think? Why do you think she was smiling? She was trying to make you feel better. And when she was crying, well she was sad that you had given up. She thought that you were stronger than that. But I guess she was wrong.”
“I will improve, I promise. I’ll get myself prepared. I just don’t know what to get prepared for.”
“Well think about all of your dreams. What did they show you? What did they mean to you? What did each individual dream stand for? That is what you need to prepare for.”
“OK, I will try, but you are here for me right? You aren’t going to give up on me too? I can trust you…”
“Well haven’t I been here for you all along. Aren’t I the one who is giving you the second chance?”
“Yes, yes, I guess your right. I’m ready.” Ryan watched as Chris’s glare softened into a smile, not a large smile, but still a smile.
He woke, but this time more peacefully. He noticed the credits were rolling on the movie, and his mind was already thinking of how to prepare. First he remembered the first dream. He remembered it perfectly. He knew what he needed to do.
“Mom, can we go to Target, I need to get a few things.”
“Sure, I guess, let me take a shower first,” his mom replied. She was wondering why he was so ready to go out into the world again. For over a month he wouldn’t leave his room and now he couldn’t wait to leave. She kept these thoughts to herself.
While Ryan’s mom was getting ready he ran upstairs into his room. He began to make a list. He began to make a list of items to obtain.
Picture frame for Lindsey’s picture
Folder for the “klutz”
A thank you card for Jerry
An explanation for the note
That was it, he had forgotten the note. He knew exactly what pair of pants he had worn the day of the crash. He had gone home, cleaned up, and thrown them in the corner of his room, not bothering to wash them. He ran over to them, and started flipping out the pockets. A yellow piece of paper fell out of the last pocket he turned out. He unfolded it, his hands shaking. He read the note aloud to himself. It read;
Dear Ryan,
I’ve been holding something in for the longest time. I can’t hold it in any longer. In fact, I DON’T want to hold it in any longer. I know that I’m just a pretty face to you, just makeup and bouncy hair. Well to me, you are my king, my hero. I have never felt so passionate about a person, ever. If you don’t feel the same way about me it’s fine. I will MOVE on. I love you…
Yours truly,
Maggie Lucida
The note was incredible. He finally had proof that she loved him. But the thing that was really getting to him was why 2 specific words stuck out to him; don’t and move. Together it makes Don’t Move…
He heard his mother call for him. His heart was pounding and his hands were clammy. Don’t Move, wow that was a great help. It just didn’t make sense, no sense at all, just like the rest of this whole thing. He stood up with his legs shaking, heart pounding. He managed to make his way out of the room.
“What’s wrong Ryan?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s, it’s nothing. I just had this weird feeling come over me, that’s all.”
They pulled into the Target parking lot, and Ryan was relieved to get out of the car. It had been a silent ride, and he felt like is mom’s stare was burning hole into the side of his head. He stepped out of the car and felt the cold air come in contact to his skin. He felt a raindrop hit his forehead, and his mom asked for him to get the umbrella. He followed her instructions, and climbed back into the car to get it. He was having difficulties trying to reach it, but after several tries he was triumphant, and followed his mom into the store.
Ryan kept his list hidden from his mom. He told her she could go look at what she wanted, and that he would meet her at the car. She thought that this idea was strange, but went ahead and followed it. After losing his mom Ryan began to collect the items. He quickly found all of the items, and ran to the register.
“Hi, thank you for choosing Target,” the clerk said unenthusiastically. He continued, “Why, you have quite a collection of items. What do you need these for?”
“Um, well, uh, I had to get some family members presents.” He felt the clerk’s eyes staring at him through his glasses. The excuse wasn’t very convincing.
He walked outside to the car, and it was poring rain. He saw his mom gesturing to him to hurry up, but Ryan took his time, trying to absorb the water. He couldn’t wait to get home. He was going to go play in the rain, like a four year old.
The car bumped over the curb into his driveway, and the rain had begun to pick up. His mom was stressing out, but a grin was forming on his face. He ran inside, set his stuff down, and ran out the back door.
“Where are you…?” She was cut off by the slamming of the door.
Ryan ran further and further, all the way to the woods. The rain was cold, but Ryan didn’t care. His smile was what showed his feeling. He felt the rain pounding down on him, and began to spin around. He looked straight up into the never-ending sky. It was gray, and he could see the drops for miles up. He thought of how much one raindrop went though before it actually hit the ground. He had to blink several times to get the droplets out of his eyes, and he ran on.
He finally reached his destination; the climbing tree. He flung himself onto the braches, climbing faster than he ever had. The wind was picking up, and his sopping hair began to fly in the wind. The joy inside of him was building up, and tears began to fall from his eyes. He kept climbing, higher and higher, until he was almost at the top. He had never been this high before, and he did not know the branches. He reached up to grab one and it was sturdy. He lifted his leg and heard an unforgiving sound; the crack of a tree branch. One second he was leaping upwards, and the next he was falling down. He tried to grab a branch, but he was unsuccessful. He hit the ground, and heard a funny sound, and then nothing. He began to lose feeling of the drops on his face, and his world began to get blurry. Soon he lost sight, and was unable to talk.
*II*
When Peter was informed that he had a phone call he had no idea who it was from. He was literally shocked. He hardly ever used the phone, and part of the reason was because he hated to talk on it. He only used it on his birthday, and that was when he was talking to his grandparents.
“It’s for you Sweetie.” Peter took the phone and looked at it like it was a foreign object.
“Hello?” There was a pause. “Ok, I’ll try to make it. Bye.” He hung up the phone. His mother asked who it was.
“It was Julie, Ryan’s mom. She wants someone to talk to at the hospital.”
“Oh Lord, don’t tell me that Ryan is in the hospital again. What happened now?”
“Yesterday he fell out of a tree when it was raining. He landed funny. He still hasn’t woken up.”
“I guess we can go.”
Julie Corsiva was pacing back and forth in her son’s hospital room. The room was bare; no pictures on the wall, just white paint. On top of the empty feeling the room gave her, it was cold. There were Goosebumps forming on her arms. She was exhausted. She hadn’t slept but two hours the night before. She was worried sick.
She tried not to remember what happened, but the task was becoming increasingly difficult. If he had just came back in when she called him. He wouldn’t have fallen out of the tree. Thank God he didn’t get struck by lightning. She glanced over to her son. He lay there, still and peaceful. His breathing had slowed, and his heartbeat relaxed. She heard a rapping out the door.
“Come in,” she said, trying to sound loud, but failed to do so. The door opened and she saw Linda and Peter walk in. She was relieved to see them. She was worried she was going to go crazy sitting in that room alone much longer.
“Hi, how are you doing?” asked Linda.
“I could be better. I haven’t slept much at all the past night. I’m exhausted. I haven’t showered either, I’m a mess!”
“Don’t be silly you look fine,” said Peter. He felt stupid saying it, but he felt he needed to say something. He felt like he was naked, in the middle of a crowded room. In reality he was well dressed, and only with 2 other people. He too noticed that the room was dull, white. It was like a box, closing in on you from all sides. You got a sense of insanity when you were standing there.
“How polite of you Peter. I just don’t know what to do. I really would like to go home and shower, but I don’t want to leave Ryan here all alone. And on top of all that, I just want company.”
“We can watch him why you shower if you’d like,” Linda offered.
“Would you really? That is so kind. I feel like a jerk doing this to you; dragging you out here to baby sit.”
“Don’t feel bad, that’s why we came. You just head on home, get yourself cleaned up, and come on back. We won’t leave, I promise. Julie followed the advice and went home. She felt terrible when doing it, but she assumed it would be for the better.
Chapter Four
Chapter Four
*I*
The fact that Ryan was at Peter’s house kept him from having a nervous breakdown. The information that he had learned from his dream chilled him. If the worst still hadn’t happened, that HAD to mean that he would be shown the accident. He had been so go about trying to let go of the whole terrible thing, but now that was all he could think about.
He was eating a chocolate chip muffin as he was thinking about the previous night. Peter was telling about his dreams, and Ryan almost laughed when he said his dream showed his dog dying, and it was the worst dream he had ever had.
“If Peter was having the same dreams I am having, he would be crying to his mom,” Ryan thought.
Ryan had considered telling Peter about the dreams, but he knew that he would immediately be considered crazy, and he would be rushed to therapists, and sent to an asylum. Basically his life would be ruined and no one would believe why he was so upset. The idea was not pleasant in the slightest.
Peter had been planning to take Ryan to his new house, which was currently being built. They had a huge lot, which was full of trees, and there was a creek running through the woods. Their house was also enormous, 4 stories. Ryan was looking forward to seeing the house, and getting some fresh air. He had always loved the woods, and not to mention the water.
“Are you guys done eating, and ready to go to the lot?” Peter’s mother asked. The boys responded in unison with a yes. Ryan made sure to get all his stuff, and he remembered that he had forgotten his toothbrush upstairs in the bathroom.
“I’ll be out in a minute, I’m just getting my toothbrush,” he told the other 2. Without hesitation they walked out into the garage to the car, and Ryan went upstairs. When he got to the bathroom he found his toothbrush without an issue. Involuntarily he turned to the mirror, and took a minute to look at himself. The freckles on his nose were becoming more noticeable now that the sun was coming out. In another month, or June, they would be a lot more noticeable. His arms looked less muscular. He hadn’t been exercising very much after the crash. He quit his basketball team, and spent his spare time in his room. Suddenly Ryan realized the time. He had been upstairs for almost 5 minutes.
When Ryan reached the car Peter and his mom were in a discussion about colleges, and they didn’t mind that Ryan had taken so long. They hardly noticed when he got into the car. Peter was talking about going to college out west. Money wasn’t an issue for Peter’s family, but his mom was not too thrilled with the idea.
“Don’t you want to go to school here in North Carolina, your home state? You’ve lived here all of your life, why leave?”
“Well, I want a change, I’m tired of the same town, the same faces, the same everything. I hate feeling like I’m confined here!” Peter replied. Suddenly the 2 realized Ryan was in the car and they were off.
Peter turned on the radio and the song Chasing Cars came on. He couldn’t seem to get rid of the song. He felt like it was following him around. The thought of Peter leaving didn’t make him feel better. All of a sudden Ryan had the urge to scream, it just came over him.
If I lay here,
If I just lay here;
Would you lie with me?
And just forget the world?
“NO, no, no, I won’t, I want change!” Ryan screamed.
At this point Ryan felt like a complete moron, he just screamed at the radio.
“What won’t you do?” Peter and his mom asked almost simultaneously.
“Um, I don’t know, I’m really sorry; I don’t know what came over me.”
Ryan was relieved when the pulled into the driveway. He was ready to get out into the open air. He was ready to have fun.
The two boys hopped out of the car and Peter headed for the forest. Ryan followed behind, trying to keep up, and trying not to trip. Peter had long hair, and it was flying in the wind, and looked quite funny. Ryan couldn’t help from laughing. This was the first time he had laughed in a very long time.
Peter led Ryan into a deep part of the forest. Ryan had seen a sign marking the end of Peter’s property, and was beginning to worry.
“Are you sure we are supposed to be out here?” Ryan asked.
“Of course we are, just stay quiet, I’ve heard that the man that owns this lot has a shotgun.”
“Way to make me feel better.”
Ryan felt a breeze on his face, and it felt incredible. The sensation made him feel like he could fly. Trying to take in this feeling he shut his eyes, and relaxed. He was still walking and he breeze was still blowing.
If Ryan had been paying attention he would have noticed the stump and stopped, but instead he came crashing to the ground. Instinctively he stuck his hands out to break the fall. Ryan looked at his hands. They were cut up and bleeding.
“You all right?” Peter asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Suddenly Ryan wasn’t so fine. As he was standing up he got a chill down his spine, and his blood turned cold. He felt that he wasn’t supposed to be where he was and whatever didn’t want him there was giving him a warning. The wind began to pick up and the trees seemed to cast a shadow that put the boys into complete darkness.
Suddenly Peter ran off yelling, “Don’t let the monster get you!” Peter said this in a friendly way, a joking way, but Ryan was not laughing. He was terrified. It wasn’t the ‘monster’, but the feeling that had just entered him. The feeling could be described as simply evil. Ryan started screaming after Peter. Peter, still taking at a joke laughed and kept running. Ryan broke into tears, and ran faster.
He was running at full speed when his foot slid on some mud. Once again Ryan came crashing down, but this time on his face. About a yard ahead of him he saw the creek. He crawled over to it and looked at his reflection. His face was muddy, with tear streaks on his cheeks. He hit the water and the image changed. He was now wearing a fancy shirt, and was clean. He was smiling, and he was next to Maggie. His heart dropped and the tears came harder. Ryan finally was breaking down, and this time for good.
The tears came to a stop, and Ryan tried to feel happy, but he only felt all of the sad, depressing things. Ryan let his hands go from underneath him. He rolled into the creek, which was surprisingly deep. He opened his eyes and swore he saw Maggie’s face staring back at him, except it was crying. The water was murky, and little sunlight passed through it. He shut his eyes, and thought about the accident, and Maggie, and Jen, and Zach, and Lauren, and Jerry, and Peter, and Lindsey. The thoughts were stronger than ever, and Ryan wanted them out, so without hesitation Ryan took a deep breath, but instead of air, it was water.
*II*
Ryan was watching as his past self was talking to Maggie. He watched as she handed him a note. Ryan watched as he yanked it out of her hand and stuffed it into his back pocket. At this point Ryan realized he had forgotten the note.
“Hey, what’s that yellow thing in your pocket?” Lindsey asked. (The note was on yellow paper)
“It is absolutely none of your business!” Ryan replied.
Once again Ryan had been a jerk. He could have just told her it was a note, plain and simple. Most likely she would have just left it at that, and no meanness would have been involved. But as usual Ryan couldn’t just let anything go.
The past Chris and the present Chris’s attention was now turned toward Maggie. They were both looking at how beautiful she was. At the moment her hair was hanging loose, and some of it fell over her eyes. Her blue eyes were full of life, and looked happy. Off and on she would laugh, and both of the Ryans felt a small surge of excitement when she did.
Ryan, both past and present would have kept on looking all day, if it hadn’t been for the five year old trying to get past. He was heading to the bathroom. Ryan knew how gross it was inside it, but he wanted to make the whole experience even worse, so he tripped the little boy as he walked by. He didn’t even know who he was, probably a chaperone’s kid, but either way he didn’t care.
The present Ryan was shocked. He was having trouble understanding why he was such a jerk to his own age group, but to little kids, what was wrong with him? You don’t push people around you don’t know, and especially when they are still little. He watched as the boy stood up glaring at Ryan. The past Ryan just laughed. The present Ryan watched as the boy’s eyes were filling with tears. He could tell that he was holding them back. At the moment Ryan was doing the same.
The present Chris walked over and began to speak.
“Well you have seen all the terrible things you have done. I hope you feel terrible too. Lucky for you, you have a chance to change it, not prevent it, and keep that in mind. I have shown you what I can, so now it’s your turn. I hope you get ready. Oh, and by the way, the next time you try to drown yourself, make sure you don’t have a good friend like Peter around!”
He woke up gasping for air. The sent of the room was strange, and the temperature was unusually cold. He couldn’t figure out what the smell was, and then he recognized it. It was the smell of latex gloves. He opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital room.
“Thank God, he’s alive,” he heard his mother say. He turned his head. She was sitting beside him, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. She had her fingernails in her mouth, but they left her mouth to hold Ryan’s hand. They were wet and clammy. She had been worried sick.
“What happened?” Ryan asked.
“That’s a good question, how about you have Peter explain!” Her voice was soft, but it had an uneasy chill to it, like she knew something that he did not. Ryan’s glance turned to the other side of the room, and he saw Peter. He could tell that he had been crying.
“Hello Ryan, how are you doing?” asked Peter.
“Um, fine, how ‘bout yourself?” he replied.
“I’m doing fine. Ok, let’s cut with the mushy crap, and get on with the story. I’m a nervous wreck!”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Well, hmm, how should I begin? Well I ran off and I was just playing around. You know I was, and I knew you knew there was no ‘monster’, and in the beginning I thought I had just scared you. But when you screamed at me, and I heard you crying, I could tell something was wrong. It was in your voice, I could feel it. At this point I began to run back because I thought something terrible had happened, and I was right, but it just hadn’t happened yet. I was running when I heard you stop crying, and then a splash.”
Peter paused, shuttering, as if he was reliving the moment. He stayed quiet for several moments, and Ryan knew what was coming next, but he simply said; “Go on, I insist.”
“OK, sorry, I just, just, well you know. Well I heard the splash, and I began to quicken my pace, and I started to scream as well, but for my mom. I needed help before I even got to the scene. I know what had happened. By the time I reached the pond you were floating on the top of the water, face down. I panicked and ran into get you. My mom bumped into me as I was carrying you back. She took you from me, because I was mortified. I have stayed home for 3 days. I finally built up the courage to come see you. I thought I had killed you.”
“Three days, three days, what do you mean three days?” Ryan yelped. “You said I fell into the creek, why was I out for three days?”
This time his mom spoke.
“It took so long for you to begin to breathe again. We thought you were dead. Ryan I know you didn’t fall into the creek.”
“What do you mean?”
“You let yourself fall, I know this because you are a perfectly fine swimmer, and Peter’s mom said you were acting funny in the car.”
Suddenly a nurse entered the room and called his mom over. They talked for a few moments in hushed voiced. Peter was asked to leave the r0om. Before exiting Peter said, “Watch yourself, promise me you’ll watch yourself.”
Ryan’s mom returned to him several minutes later informing him that he could go home, but he should rest. The walk to the car seemed like one of the longest walks he had ever taken. He knew his mom was glad he was alive, but he could feel her anger in the air, and in her voice.
“So, you think killing yourself is going to make you feel better?” his mom asked sternly.
“No, it’s just, well, you wouldn’t understand,” he said. He was holding back tears.
“I won’t understand. Young man I think I understand. You act like you are the only one who has gone through an experience like this. When your father died I was devastated, and I didn’t go try and kill myself did I? No.”
“Shut up, just shut up! Yeah, dad died, but we were all sad. I saw 30 deaths, and I feel like it is all my fault. You didn’t experience that did you? No.”
“Excuse me; do not say shut up to me. You have no idea how sad I felt. I stayed strong…”
“And so have I, I’ve stayed strong to. I have visited the families, and I am reliving it,” he interrupted.
“Relived? What the heck are you talking about?” At this point Ryan knew he had made a mistake, and as he entered the front seat he was thinking of what to say to cover himself up.
“Never mind, I’m sorry,” he replied.
“Honestly Ryan, do you think killing yourself is going to bring Maggie back. Huh?” his mother asked. She had begun to cry. Ryan joined in with her, but he still kept talking.
“No I don’t think it will bring back Maggie or anyone else for that matter. Why did you single her out?” Ryan asked scornfully.
“You want to know why I singled her out. I singled her out because as you were sleeping all you said was Maggie. Over and over again, Maggie.”
“Mom, you just don’t understand.”
*I*
The fact that Ryan was at Peter’s house kept him from having a nervous breakdown. The information that he had learned from his dream chilled him. If the worst still hadn’t happened, that HAD to mean that he would be shown the accident. He had been so go about trying to let go of the whole terrible thing, but now that was all he could think about.
He was eating a chocolate chip muffin as he was thinking about the previous night. Peter was telling about his dreams, and Ryan almost laughed when he said his dream showed his dog dying, and it was the worst dream he had ever had.
“If Peter was having the same dreams I am having, he would be crying to his mom,” Ryan thought.
Ryan had considered telling Peter about the dreams, but he knew that he would immediately be considered crazy, and he would be rushed to therapists, and sent to an asylum. Basically his life would be ruined and no one would believe why he was so upset. The idea was not pleasant in the slightest.
Peter had been planning to take Ryan to his new house, which was currently being built. They had a huge lot, which was full of trees, and there was a creek running through the woods. Their house was also enormous, 4 stories. Ryan was looking forward to seeing the house, and getting some fresh air. He had always loved the woods, and not to mention the water.
“Are you guys done eating, and ready to go to the lot?” Peter’s mother asked. The boys responded in unison with a yes. Ryan made sure to get all his stuff, and he remembered that he had forgotten his toothbrush upstairs in the bathroom.
“I’ll be out in a minute, I’m just getting my toothbrush,” he told the other 2. Without hesitation they walked out into the garage to the car, and Ryan went upstairs. When he got to the bathroom he found his toothbrush without an issue. Involuntarily he turned to the mirror, and took a minute to look at himself. The freckles on his nose were becoming more noticeable now that the sun was coming out. In another month, or June, they would be a lot more noticeable. His arms looked less muscular. He hadn’t been exercising very much after the crash. He quit his basketball team, and spent his spare time in his room. Suddenly Ryan realized the time. He had been upstairs for almost 5 minutes.
When Ryan reached the car Peter and his mom were in a discussion about colleges, and they didn’t mind that Ryan had taken so long. They hardly noticed when he got into the car. Peter was talking about going to college out west. Money wasn’t an issue for Peter’s family, but his mom was not too thrilled with the idea.
“Don’t you want to go to school here in North Carolina, your home state? You’ve lived here all of your life, why leave?”
“Well, I want a change, I’m tired of the same town, the same faces, the same everything. I hate feeling like I’m confined here!” Peter replied. Suddenly the 2 realized Ryan was in the car and they were off.
Peter turned on the radio and the song Chasing Cars came on. He couldn’t seem to get rid of the song. He felt like it was following him around. The thought of Peter leaving didn’t make him feel better. All of a sudden Ryan had the urge to scream, it just came over him.
If I lay here,
If I just lay here;
Would you lie with me?
And just forget the world?
“NO, no, no, I won’t, I want change!” Ryan screamed.
At this point Ryan felt like a complete moron, he just screamed at the radio.
“What won’t you do?” Peter and his mom asked almost simultaneously.
“Um, I don’t know, I’m really sorry; I don’t know what came over me.”
Ryan was relieved when the pulled into the driveway. He was ready to get out into the open air. He was ready to have fun.
The two boys hopped out of the car and Peter headed for the forest. Ryan followed behind, trying to keep up, and trying not to trip. Peter had long hair, and it was flying in the wind, and looked quite funny. Ryan couldn’t help from laughing. This was the first time he had laughed in a very long time.
Peter led Ryan into a deep part of the forest. Ryan had seen a sign marking the end of Peter’s property, and was beginning to worry.
“Are you sure we are supposed to be out here?” Ryan asked.
“Of course we are, just stay quiet, I’ve heard that the man that owns this lot has a shotgun.”
“Way to make me feel better.”
Ryan felt a breeze on his face, and it felt incredible. The sensation made him feel like he could fly. Trying to take in this feeling he shut his eyes, and relaxed. He was still walking and he breeze was still blowing.
If Ryan had been paying attention he would have noticed the stump and stopped, but instead he came crashing to the ground. Instinctively he stuck his hands out to break the fall. Ryan looked at his hands. They were cut up and bleeding.
“You all right?” Peter asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Suddenly Ryan wasn’t so fine. As he was standing up he got a chill down his spine, and his blood turned cold. He felt that he wasn’t supposed to be where he was and whatever didn’t want him there was giving him a warning. The wind began to pick up and the trees seemed to cast a shadow that put the boys into complete darkness.
Suddenly Peter ran off yelling, “Don’t let the monster get you!” Peter said this in a friendly way, a joking way, but Ryan was not laughing. He was terrified. It wasn’t the ‘monster’, but the feeling that had just entered him. The feeling could be described as simply evil. Ryan started screaming after Peter. Peter, still taking at a joke laughed and kept running. Ryan broke into tears, and ran faster.
He was running at full speed when his foot slid on some mud. Once again Ryan came crashing down, but this time on his face. About a yard ahead of him he saw the creek. He crawled over to it and looked at his reflection. His face was muddy, with tear streaks on his cheeks. He hit the water and the image changed. He was now wearing a fancy shirt, and was clean. He was smiling, and he was next to Maggie. His heart dropped and the tears came harder. Ryan finally was breaking down, and this time for good.
The tears came to a stop, and Ryan tried to feel happy, but he only felt all of the sad, depressing things. Ryan let his hands go from underneath him. He rolled into the creek, which was surprisingly deep. He opened his eyes and swore he saw Maggie’s face staring back at him, except it was crying. The water was murky, and little sunlight passed through it. He shut his eyes, and thought about the accident, and Maggie, and Jen, and Zach, and Lauren, and Jerry, and Peter, and Lindsey. The thoughts were stronger than ever, and Ryan wanted them out, so without hesitation Ryan took a deep breath, but instead of air, it was water.
*II*
Ryan was watching as his past self was talking to Maggie. He watched as she handed him a note. Ryan watched as he yanked it out of her hand and stuffed it into his back pocket. At this point Ryan realized he had forgotten the note.
“Hey, what’s that yellow thing in your pocket?” Lindsey asked. (The note was on yellow paper)
“It is absolutely none of your business!” Ryan replied.
Once again Ryan had been a jerk. He could have just told her it was a note, plain and simple. Most likely she would have just left it at that, and no meanness would have been involved. But as usual Ryan couldn’t just let anything go.
The past Chris and the present Chris’s attention was now turned toward Maggie. They were both looking at how beautiful she was. At the moment her hair was hanging loose, and some of it fell over her eyes. Her blue eyes were full of life, and looked happy. Off and on she would laugh, and both of the Ryans felt a small surge of excitement when she did.
Ryan, both past and present would have kept on looking all day, if it hadn’t been for the five year old trying to get past. He was heading to the bathroom. Ryan knew how gross it was inside it, but he wanted to make the whole experience even worse, so he tripped the little boy as he walked by. He didn’t even know who he was, probably a chaperone’s kid, but either way he didn’t care.
The present Ryan was shocked. He was having trouble understanding why he was such a jerk to his own age group, but to little kids, what was wrong with him? You don’t push people around you don’t know, and especially when they are still little. He watched as the boy stood up glaring at Ryan. The past Ryan just laughed. The present Ryan watched as the boy’s eyes were filling with tears. He could tell that he was holding them back. At the moment Ryan was doing the same.
The present Chris walked over and began to speak.
“Well you have seen all the terrible things you have done. I hope you feel terrible too. Lucky for you, you have a chance to change it, not prevent it, and keep that in mind. I have shown you what I can, so now it’s your turn. I hope you get ready. Oh, and by the way, the next time you try to drown yourself, make sure you don’t have a good friend like Peter around!”
He woke up gasping for air. The sent of the room was strange, and the temperature was unusually cold. He couldn’t figure out what the smell was, and then he recognized it. It was the smell of latex gloves. He opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital room.
“Thank God, he’s alive,” he heard his mother say. He turned his head. She was sitting beside him, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. She had her fingernails in her mouth, but they left her mouth to hold Ryan’s hand. They were wet and clammy. She had been worried sick.
“What happened?” Ryan asked.
“That’s a good question, how about you have Peter explain!” Her voice was soft, but it had an uneasy chill to it, like she knew something that he did not. Ryan’s glance turned to the other side of the room, and he saw Peter. He could tell that he had been crying.
“Hello Ryan, how are you doing?” asked Peter.
“Um, fine, how ‘bout yourself?” he replied.
“I’m doing fine. Ok, let’s cut with the mushy crap, and get on with the story. I’m a nervous wreck!”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Well, hmm, how should I begin? Well I ran off and I was just playing around. You know I was, and I knew you knew there was no ‘monster’, and in the beginning I thought I had just scared you. But when you screamed at me, and I heard you crying, I could tell something was wrong. It was in your voice, I could feel it. At this point I began to run back because I thought something terrible had happened, and I was right, but it just hadn’t happened yet. I was running when I heard you stop crying, and then a splash.”
Peter paused, shuttering, as if he was reliving the moment. He stayed quiet for several moments, and Ryan knew what was coming next, but he simply said; “Go on, I insist.”
“OK, sorry, I just, just, well you know. Well I heard the splash, and I began to quicken my pace, and I started to scream as well, but for my mom. I needed help before I even got to the scene. I know what had happened. By the time I reached the pond you were floating on the top of the water, face down. I panicked and ran into get you. My mom bumped into me as I was carrying you back. She took you from me, because I was mortified. I have stayed home for 3 days. I finally built up the courage to come see you. I thought I had killed you.”
“Three days, three days, what do you mean three days?” Ryan yelped. “You said I fell into the creek, why was I out for three days?”
This time his mom spoke.
“It took so long for you to begin to breathe again. We thought you were dead. Ryan I know you didn’t fall into the creek.”
“What do you mean?”
“You let yourself fall, I know this because you are a perfectly fine swimmer, and Peter’s mom said you were acting funny in the car.”
Suddenly a nurse entered the room and called his mom over. They talked for a few moments in hushed voiced. Peter was asked to leave the r0om. Before exiting Peter said, “Watch yourself, promise me you’ll watch yourself.”
Ryan’s mom returned to him several minutes later informing him that he could go home, but he should rest. The walk to the car seemed like one of the longest walks he had ever taken. He knew his mom was glad he was alive, but he could feel her anger in the air, and in her voice.
“So, you think killing yourself is going to make you feel better?” his mom asked sternly.
“No, it’s just, well, you wouldn’t understand,” he said. He was holding back tears.
“I won’t understand. Young man I think I understand. You act like you are the only one who has gone through an experience like this. When your father died I was devastated, and I didn’t go try and kill myself did I? No.”
“Shut up, just shut up! Yeah, dad died, but we were all sad. I saw 30 deaths, and I feel like it is all my fault. You didn’t experience that did you? No.”
“Excuse me; do not say shut up to me. You have no idea how sad I felt. I stayed strong…”
“And so have I, I’ve stayed strong to. I have visited the families, and I am reliving it,” he interrupted.
“Relived? What the heck are you talking about?” At this point Ryan knew he had made a mistake, and as he entered the front seat he was thinking of what to say to cover himself up.
“Never mind, I’m sorry,” he replied.
“Honestly Ryan, do you think killing yourself is going to bring Maggie back. Huh?” his mother asked. She had begun to cry. Ryan joined in with her, but he still kept talking.
“No I don’t think it will bring back Maggie or anyone else for that matter. Why did you single her out?” Ryan asked scornfully.
“You want to know why I singled her out. I singled her out because as you were sleeping all you said was Maggie. Over and over again, Maggie.”
“Mom, you just don’t understand.”
Chapter Three
Chapter Three
*I*
Why, why were they showing him all of his mistakes? Why not all the good things he had done. Maybe he didn’t do anything good. Why was he the only survivor? Why was the number of deaths 30, and not 31?
These were the questions in Ryan’s mind as he tried to sleep. It was only 4:00 this morning.
“The dream must have been shorter tonight,” Ryan thought. “Yes, it must have been shorter, maybe it was the only dream I had, but that would still make it hours long. I must have had other dreams, I absolutely must have!”
Even though Ryan came across as thinking this firmly, on the inside he was questioning himself.
“What if this whole thing was planned or something along those lines? But, no it was too sci-fi. But, really, maybe some high up being, or secret organization was causing this, like you see in the movies. This all would have been easier to be believed as a coincidence if the events hadn’t been sequential. All the details in the dreams also perfectly matched up to real life. Maybe this was God’s doing, but no his job is to make to make everyone feel better, right? Right?”
The more he thought about this the harder it was to go back to sleep, and without a surprise the alarm began to buzz. Ryan sighed and using all his strength he rolled out of bed. Once again he hopped into the shower and ignored the fact that it seemed colder. The smell of Maggie’s perfume still slightly lingered in the air, but Ryan figured it was probably just his imagination.
By the time Ryan got to school he decided that if he had another dream that this was like a premonition event, or something that has been planned out for him. If the dreams ceased he would decide that the dreams were just a coincidence. This idea made sense to Ryan, and seamed reasonable.
During Spanish he really had to go to the bathroom and he knew his teacher wouldn’t let him. According to her the elective was an “academic” and we couldn’t miss her class. He asked her and obviously she said no. He held it until fourth block, which was math, and fortunately he was allowed to go.
All through math he thought about Chris. He didn’t understand why Chris was the “guide” through the dreams. Jen or Zach would have made more sense. He didn’t even talk to Chris! Why would Chris try to help him, but really he wasn’t helping at all. Ryan had severely confused himself by the end of class, and was relieved when he remembered he was a car rider. He was spending the night at Peter’s house.
He was really hoping that the dream thing was just a coincidence by the time he arrived at Peter’s house. The whole car ride they were discussing the school day, but Ryan was thinking of other things. He was never one for stupid small talk. He especially hated it when he used it with Maggie. Why ask her why her how her day went when he spent the whole day with her.
That night the boys were slaves to Peter’s Xbox 360. They stayed up past midnight and when bed time came Ryan was happy. The dream thought was not going through his head at this point; he was just looking forward to laying his head on a soft pillow. He laid down on the pull-out mattress Peter’s mom had prepared and became very comfortable. His hair fell over his eyes, but he didn’t care.
His dream started with an image of a girls face. It was normal except for the fact that there was a gash in her cheek, and her eyes were staring strait at him, not blinking. She was dead. Ryan felt like screaming. It was Lindsey.
Chris’s voice came into the scene and Ryan was on the bus.
“You are late.”
“That’s what you have to say to me. I have gone through so much, and your consoling is a ‘you’re late’. I have gone through enough, and enough is enough. What is going on?”
“Why do you ask, you already know, this isn’t a coincidence, and you know it all too well, you just don’t want to admit it!”
“So I’m guessing this is real, oh my God, it can’t be. I can’t relive this whole experience. The death, the screams, no, I can’t, why would I want to?! Are you insane?”
“You haven’t seen the worst of it yet, and you will, but for now just watch.”
The past Ryan was now sitting down. A boy named Jim, who was sitting several seats in front of him, was calling his name. Ryan remembered ignoring him, just for the heck of it. Why did he do it, why did he have to be so mean? The present Ryan was curious to what Jim wanted, so he walked over, and all Jim wanted to say was sorry.
Ryan’s uncle had died a week ago, and since Ryan didn’t know him well he didn’t really care. But the fact was that Jim was trying to show sympathy, and Jim hardly knew Ryan.
The past Ryan was such a JERK! He thought he was so cool, but to his surprise, Ryan learned that he wasn’t, he was a dork, a loser, a selfish, mean person. He began to realize that he was learning this the hard way.
If the dreams continued it would take him all the way to the accident, and he really hoped they stopped. Like he had told Chris, he couldn’t watch it again, and for all he knew it could get worse.
Ryan focused on the bus scene again. He overheard Jerry talking to Jen.
“You know, I’ve tried to be nice to Ryan, but no matter what I do, he still treats me like a piece of trash,” he said.
“Yeah, I agree, I’m his friend, but lately he has just been really mean. I think he is trying to fit in by being ‘cool’, but honestly he has gone too far. I don’t know how Maggie stands him. I especially don’t know what she sees in him!” Jen exclaimed.
“See in him, what do you mean?”
“You haven’t heard, she is like in love with him, and I think he likes her, he’s just to chicken to ask her out.”
Ryan couldn’t believe it; one of his best friends didn’t like him anymore. He knew he had really screwed up, but he didn’t know how to fix it. He would if he could, he honestly would, but they were all dead, and the last time he checked you can’t help a dead person feel better.
At this point Chris was coming back into the scene.
“You will only witness one more dream, and then the next stage comes. After tomorrow night I suggest you prepare yourself. If you don’t, you’ll regret it,” he said.
“What, I don’t understand?” Ryan inquired, but it was too late, he already felt himself drifting out of the dream.
*I*
Why, why were they showing him all of his mistakes? Why not all the good things he had done. Maybe he didn’t do anything good. Why was he the only survivor? Why was the number of deaths 30, and not 31?
These were the questions in Ryan’s mind as he tried to sleep. It was only 4:00 this morning.
“The dream must have been shorter tonight,” Ryan thought. “Yes, it must have been shorter, maybe it was the only dream I had, but that would still make it hours long. I must have had other dreams, I absolutely must have!”
Even though Ryan came across as thinking this firmly, on the inside he was questioning himself.
“What if this whole thing was planned or something along those lines? But, no it was too sci-fi. But, really, maybe some high up being, or secret organization was causing this, like you see in the movies. This all would have been easier to be believed as a coincidence if the events hadn’t been sequential. All the details in the dreams also perfectly matched up to real life. Maybe this was God’s doing, but no his job is to make to make everyone feel better, right? Right?”
The more he thought about this the harder it was to go back to sleep, and without a surprise the alarm began to buzz. Ryan sighed and using all his strength he rolled out of bed. Once again he hopped into the shower and ignored the fact that it seemed colder. The smell of Maggie’s perfume still slightly lingered in the air, but Ryan figured it was probably just his imagination.
By the time Ryan got to school he decided that if he had another dream that this was like a premonition event, or something that has been planned out for him. If the dreams ceased he would decide that the dreams were just a coincidence. This idea made sense to Ryan, and seamed reasonable.
During Spanish he really had to go to the bathroom and he knew his teacher wouldn’t let him. According to her the elective was an “academic” and we couldn’t miss her class. He asked her and obviously she said no. He held it until fourth block, which was math, and fortunately he was allowed to go.
All through math he thought about Chris. He didn’t understand why Chris was the “guide” through the dreams. Jen or Zach would have made more sense. He didn’t even talk to Chris! Why would Chris try to help him, but really he wasn’t helping at all. Ryan had severely confused himself by the end of class, and was relieved when he remembered he was a car rider. He was spending the night at Peter’s house.
He was really hoping that the dream thing was just a coincidence by the time he arrived at Peter’s house. The whole car ride they were discussing the school day, but Ryan was thinking of other things. He was never one for stupid small talk. He especially hated it when he used it with Maggie. Why ask her why her how her day went when he spent the whole day with her.
That night the boys were slaves to Peter’s Xbox 360. They stayed up past midnight and when bed time came Ryan was happy. The dream thought was not going through his head at this point; he was just looking forward to laying his head on a soft pillow. He laid down on the pull-out mattress Peter’s mom had prepared and became very comfortable. His hair fell over his eyes, but he didn’t care.
His dream started with an image of a girls face. It was normal except for the fact that there was a gash in her cheek, and her eyes were staring strait at him, not blinking. She was dead. Ryan felt like screaming. It was Lindsey.
Chris’s voice came into the scene and Ryan was on the bus.
“You are late.”
“That’s what you have to say to me. I have gone through so much, and your consoling is a ‘you’re late’. I have gone through enough, and enough is enough. What is going on?”
“Why do you ask, you already know, this isn’t a coincidence, and you know it all too well, you just don’t want to admit it!”
“So I’m guessing this is real, oh my God, it can’t be. I can’t relive this whole experience. The death, the screams, no, I can’t, why would I want to?! Are you insane?”
“You haven’t seen the worst of it yet, and you will, but for now just watch.”
The past Ryan was now sitting down. A boy named Jim, who was sitting several seats in front of him, was calling his name. Ryan remembered ignoring him, just for the heck of it. Why did he do it, why did he have to be so mean? The present Ryan was curious to what Jim wanted, so he walked over, and all Jim wanted to say was sorry.
Ryan’s uncle had died a week ago, and since Ryan didn’t know him well he didn’t really care. But the fact was that Jim was trying to show sympathy, and Jim hardly knew Ryan.
The past Ryan was such a JERK! He thought he was so cool, but to his surprise, Ryan learned that he wasn’t, he was a dork, a loser, a selfish, mean person. He began to realize that he was learning this the hard way.
If the dreams continued it would take him all the way to the accident, and he really hoped they stopped. Like he had told Chris, he couldn’t watch it again, and for all he knew it could get worse.
Ryan focused on the bus scene again. He overheard Jerry talking to Jen.
“You know, I’ve tried to be nice to Ryan, but no matter what I do, he still treats me like a piece of trash,” he said.
“Yeah, I agree, I’m his friend, but lately he has just been really mean. I think he is trying to fit in by being ‘cool’, but honestly he has gone too far. I don’t know how Maggie stands him. I especially don’t know what she sees in him!” Jen exclaimed.
“See in him, what do you mean?”
“You haven’t heard, she is like in love with him, and I think he likes her, he’s just to chicken to ask her out.”
Ryan couldn’t believe it; one of his best friends didn’t like him anymore. He knew he had really screwed up, but he didn’t know how to fix it. He would if he could, he honestly would, but they were all dead, and the last time he checked you can’t help a dead person feel better.
At this point Chris was coming back into the scene.
“You will only witness one more dream, and then the next stage comes. After tomorrow night I suggest you prepare yourself. If you don’t, you’ll regret it,” he said.
“What, I don’t understand?” Ryan inquired, but it was too late, he already felt himself drifting out of the dream.
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Code of the words
My Story...
A Blurred Glance
This is a blurred glance at me...
