Back in 2013, I took part for the first time in NaNoWriMo. I had high hopes on that novel, which I called "Dream On", but let's face it, I wrote it and intended to edit it just to leave it forgotten for ages. Now, I'm working on another WIP and I thought I had to do something about "Dream On", so I'm going to post a chapter once a week for you guys to enjoy (or not).
The First Dream
He was running on a playground, chasing his sister. He used to be faster than her, as she still walked with the unsteady step of the toddlers, but that time she got off easily.
-Wait!- Albert scream.- You’re going to get lost!
His sister, however, ignored him, continuing her blind race. Albert ran faster and fell after stumbling with a root. He saw, from the floor, how his sister hadn't even noticed that he was no longer running after her.
-Mayra, come back! Mayra!!
He would shout with all his voice, yet he couldn’t even hear himself. Maybe he was becoming deaf, or maybe not, because Mayra didn’t seem to hear him either. She kept running faster, and faster still, at an unbelievable speed for a 2-year-old girl. Albert saw that she was approaching the cliff, just outside their town. Everything seemed to slow down, being clearer and sharper.
-MAYRA!- he screamed once more from the top of his lungs.
She heard him, then, but it was too late as she had already arrived at the edge of the cliff, he saw her falling, her arms spread open, trying to clutch to something to stop the drop. Then, he woke up covered in sweat. He saw that his mother was looking at him from the door.
-Are you alright, honey?- she asked with a sleepy voice while approaching his bed.
She sat down next to her son while Albert explained her everything, shuddering uncontrollably.
-Don’t worry, Al, it was just a bad dream, go back to sleep.- she said while caressing his fine dark hair.
She kissed him goodnight and tucked him under the sheets. He tried to go back to sleep but every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing his sister running to what seemed the end of the world. However, in the end, exhaustion won over desperation, and he did fall asleep again. He woke up to his mother shaking him softly.
-C’mon sleeping beauty, you’re going to be late for school.
Albert liked school as all 6-year-olds do, he liked the recess and meeting with his friends every day, he liked when the teacher would play a song or make them draw, and he was usually excited to go to class. That day was different, though. He couldn’t get rid of the feeling of despair that had woke him up.
-I don’t want to go.- he said grudgingly.- I want to stay at home.
-Mmmm, are you feeling sick, Al?- asked his mother while sensing his temperature.- You don’t look feverish to me.
-I don’t want to go.- he repeated.
-Listen, sweetie, is this because of the dream?
Albert stayed silent but nodded slowly. His mother took his face by the chin and looked him in the eye. He focused on her dark eyes, so dark that they looked black, with his own honey colored, like his father.
-Albert Ian Miller, that was just a dream and it was not real. It might be the first dream you remember, but it still doesn’t make it real. Also, hiding under the blankets when you’re scared of something is not brave and it’s not something your dad ever did. Do you want to be brave like dad was?
Albert nodded again, holding back his tears. Then he got out of bed and put on the clothes his mother had laid off for him. When he was done he went to the kitchen, where his sister was already making a mess of the breakfast.
Breakfast time was usually war zone at the Miller’s, but that day Albert was so relieved about seeing his sister was ok that he didn’t even mind that she had scattered his favorite cereal all over the floor. He looked curiously at her, as she managed to get more food on her than inside her and their mother was trying to clean up after her.
-Al, finish your breakfast now! You’re going to be late for the bus!- she said while wiping milk from the table.
He finished his breakfast in a hurry and took his school bag, then he waited for his mother to go with him to the bus stop. She put Mayra on the cart, not minding that she still had food all over, and set off for the bus stop.
-Al- she said lowering to his level.- I want you to have fun today and don’t worry about the dream, ok?
-Yes, mom.
She kissed him on the forehead and bid goodbye as he got on the bus. Albert looked at her as the bus was leaving and waved back, before seeing how she turned around to go back home.
No comments:
Post a Comment