Wildest Dreams

t h i r t y

Breathe.

I gasped for air when I opened my eyes. Pain instantly shot throughout my body, jolting me to stand up. My breath was ragged, eyes blurred, mind cloudy while I walked away from the flaming room.

Only when I took my first step did I realized I wasn't in the boiler room anymore. I stood in a middle of a field, surrounded by tall grass reaching up to my waist. There was a long stick laying in front of me and it was obvious that it didn't belong there.

Thunder clapped above me, dark skies swirled like smoke. The wind began to race, a heavy atmosphere consuming the land.

Looking ahead, I saw a white wooden house in the distance. A shed stood behind it, a tree and a picnic table on the left.

There was a blood splatter on the wall.

"MOM! DAD!" I heard myself scream.

Then I was running towards the house, almost tripping on the stairs when I pulled the back door open to get inside.

"There you are!" A voice greeted me, a voice I thought I'd never hear again.

I slowly turned to the source, and there stood my father wearing ragged red jacket, dirty jeans with holes, and muddy shoes. He had a smile on his face while looking at me.

I heard footsteps coming and my mom emerged from the living room. She had a worried look on her face but when she saw me, there was a relief within her. She rushed towards me and gave me a tight embrace.

"Oh Pancake, don't leave us again like that. You gave us a heart attack," she told me as she brushed my hair.

She smelled of pine and citrus—the scent of home.

Dad joined and we shared a group hug. I should be feeling okay with this, the comfort and familiar love I lost now I have them back again. No, I was only dumbfounded at the moment.

"I was about to call the station," Dad said. "Honestly, we've been very worried for you, Maple. Where have you been?"

When Mom pulled away from the embrace, she noticed the look of confusion on my face.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?"

It took a minute before I replied to them. I muttered, "Am I dreaming?"

Dad let out a nervous chuckle. "What? Why would you say that?"

"She must've hit her head when she ran to the field. Let's sit on the couch and have a better look on that head, hmm?"

Mom led to me to the couch in the living room. Dad placed the first-aid kit on the small table in front of us.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

"You've gone missing, Maple. After we had lunch, you went to the field but we couldn't find you there. We're so glad you're back now," Mom replied, cleaning my face with cotton ball.

I furrowed my eyebrows at them. Things were the exact opposite of what I knew. We just had lunch and I went to the field. But instead of them dying, I went missing for who knows how long.

"With a weather like that outside, I thought it would be more difficult to look for you. Your mom and I were about to call the station when you came back," Dad elaborated. He placed his hand on my head, brushing the strands off my face.

"I'll grab some of what's left in the apple pie. That would make you feel better." He gave a gentle squeeze on my shoulder before he headed back to the kitchen.

My heart ached for their touch, their voice, just them. I wanted to see them again in personal, not just in photographs and nightmares. I wanted to be with them again and I'd give anything to make it come true. All I wanted for the past years was to have my family back and have the life I would've loved.

"There, you're looking all better." Mom threw away the cotton balls and cupped my face. She pressed a kiss on my head.

I closed my eyes and a tear rolled down my cheek. I sniffed as my hand reached to my mom, grabbing the hem of her shirt.

"I missed you so much," I sobbed.

Mom wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in to her chest and rubbing my back.

"Shh, we're here now, aren't we?" She cooed. "You're home now and we're all together again. Nothing will harm you, my love."

The lightning cracked all of a sudden, making me hold my mom tighter. I don't think I'll ever let them slip through my fingers again.

My fingers. The tips were scratched when I flicked the screwdriver to create a fire.

My hands. They were wrapped in towels, torn and made dirty when we fought Freddy back at the boiler room.

Slowly, I lifted my hand to see that it was still bandaged with the towel. The tips of my fingers were red, but not bleeding, just pricking from the sparks of flame I had set. I quickly lowered it again when Dad entered the room, smiling at me.

He had the plate in his hand, except the pie had crimson red liquid flowing out of it. He took another step and the spoon fell from the plate. Lightning flashed again in the outside, white light blinded me for a second. It was gone within a blink of an eye, and Dad had put the plate down on the table. He sat beside Mom.

I gazed at the two of them as my heart broke into pieces. The loneliness filling me again.

"When I finally got you back, I had to leave you again," I murmured, more tears streaming down my face. I took Mom's hand and squeezed it. "I don't know if I'm still dreaming or if I'm in the afterlife reuniting with you. I wish I knew so I can make a choice."

"Maple..."

I sobbed, gazing up to them again before their faces fade into figment of dreams.

"I love you guys so much and I miss you like hell. I never got over your deaths and it's been eating me up for too long. I wish I could just be with you again."

"We're always with you. We made a promise, didn't we?" Mom took my hand. She and Dad led me back to the kitchen.

"And we love you no matter what, Maple Tree." Dad kissed my head. He then motioned to the door I went in earlier. The weather outside was a storm and I was afraid to venture it. But when the thunder roared, I swear I heard it like a friend calling my name.

Two other figures appeared in the living room. It was my grandparents, they held each other's hand while they looked at me. They nodded, which I warmly returned.

I gave my parents one last look before letting go of their hands, and running full speed to the door. It crashed and I was falling into a dark pit. I reached its bottom made of solid concrete. Pain shot through my body like lightning bolts.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was back in the boiler room. Charcoal and smoke painted my face. My vision was blurry but not far from me, I could see a hand sticking out in the corner wall.

And it was holding a bat.