Guardian Angel

Nightmare

A woman was walking on the sidewalk carrying a large plastic bag filled with vegetables and fruit.

The woman walked quietly, fiddling with a car key in her hand. The parking lot was only a few hundred meters across the street in front of her and she could see a handsome young man standing in front of a black car looking down at the phone in his hand.

The woman intended to wave to the young man but a group of men suddenly surrounded her.

She was confused, caught in a fistfight between the group of men. A loud fist knocked the woman down onto the hard pavement and she screamed as her head hit the pavement. The plastic in the handle came off and some apples and oranges rolled out of the plastic into the street.

The woman struggled between foot kicks and fists, trying to get herself out of the battle arena. She tried to stand while staggering and holding her bloody head. Her voice was barely audible as she tried to shout the name of the young man standing in front of his car, in the parking lot across the street. Her voice dropped along with a loud crash that sent her flying.

The young man across the street looked up, taking his eyes off his phone when he heard a loud bang. He stared at the road in front of him in confusion.

The fighting was still going on, but some people appeared to have fallen to the ground on the pavement. A bulky man with black shirt stands in front of a white sedan and stares at something in front of him.

The young man across the street saw someone lying in front of the car, motionless. A woman.

The woman wears a light blue shirt, a dark blue skirt with a yellow stripe pattern and on her right foot she wears light blue sneakers. Her hair is mahogany brown.

The young man in the parking lot stared in horror as reality hit him. His eyes met the man in black shirt in front of the car, who looked deathly pale.

Just as the young man in the parking lot ran towards the woman lying on the road, the man in black shirt in front of the car ran into his car and immediately drove his car away from the scene at high speed.

The young man  at the parking lot screamed in panic, rushing towards the woman lying on the street.

"Mom!"

Beam woke up screaming. He was panting with tears and sweat dripping down.

Forth gasped when he felt something happen to Beam. "Baby, what happened? Did you have a bad dream?" asked Forth while stroking Beam's wet back under his pajamas.

Beam turned and threw himself at Forth in tears. Forth hugged Beam tightly as he continued to whisper. "Sshhh... Baby, calm down, sshhh... I'm here, honey...."

Beam couldn't stop crying. Forth's words reminded him of what his parents used to say whenever he was scared or sad.

Beam hugged Forth tightly. Forth rocked himself slowly while humming softly and made Beam finally stop crying.

Forth grabbed Beam's shoulders and pulled him away from his embrace. Forth cupped Beam's face with both hands and wiped Beam's wet face, then kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose.

"What were you dreaming of, Beam? Was it so terrible? You've never been like this before."

Beam held Forth's hands and took a deep breath. "My mother. I've dreamed about it a few times, but this time it all seemed so clear and real."

Forth stroked Beam's head. "You want to tell me?"

“That… I think now I also know why I hate people who fight so much,” Beam muttered as he stared intently at Forth. "They also caused my mother to die."

Forth was stunned.

*****