A Dream Chronicle

12

Dad was here, so was Mum. They sat with me on the grass, smiling at my face.

"Hello, sweetheart." Mum sat me up and hugged me.

I was speechless.

I turned my head to see Hope and Hartburrow, sitting to the side of me, smiling.

"What...happened?" I could barely make out my own words.

It felt like I had been crying, my eyes stuck with water. I felt fine, but I had a small aching feeling that I wasn't ready to let go of.

My eyes pondered around the forest, but I mostly observed the open space which revolved around me, my parents, Hope, Hartburrow, and Creeton. They were all either crouching or kneeling and my side, looking curious. They were possibly filled with wonder or distress.

The air seemed more crisp and sharp. I had began to notice everything more closely, but still my mind was a blur.

"What happened?" I asked again, a bit firmer, a slight quiver in my voice.

Hope, who I found to my left, rubbed my thigh and sighed. "It is hard to explain." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Mum? Dad? Anybody?" I brushed off my dusty, bare legs, and fell back into an awkward position, having to be caught my Dad.

"Listen and look closely. Look all around. Can you remember anything from before.?" Hope looked at everyone and then shot a glance back towards me.

I nodded. "Yes. Coming here, the village, Hartburrow, magic, being pushed off the cliff...!" I realized that I had been in so much pain for what seemed like days upon end.

"Indeed, you were pushed off the cliff, but you didn't make it. Neither did your father."

I turned and looked at dad, a confused look of depression on my face.

Dad nodded. "You died, honey. You're here, now." Mum smiled at me, but in a comforting, "I am sorry", way.

"But it was just a dream, I thought." I stared down at my bruised legs.

Hope joined in the circle surrounding me. "It all stopped. The dream stopped as soon as you hit the ground, like an actual dream. When you feel like you're falling, and then you wake up. The rest was all real, sadly."

I looked down and noticed my rain coat and wellies had disappeared and was replaced with a white dress, and soft as silk as it was, I missed my old clothes.

"So, what now?" I could barely take in what was happening, and it wasn't until much later that I realized what happened.

"Actually, that's just it. There is nothing else. We kind of saved you using the powers if Azafar, and so now you and your father are like us." Hope smiled and helped me to my feet.

I glanced around at everyone, now standing and smiling with me. Mum held my hand and my father grabbed my other hand.

"We're all together here, now." Mum looked and smiled at me, with a generous and kind-hearted glow that filled the air around me.

We all started walking down through the forest path, wet, sticky, but covered with soft leaves.

"What about Melissa and Caleb?" I looked up to the now clear and beautiful sky.

"That's the best part." Mum smiled at me. "You are both assigned to help them as their dream makers."

I smiled. Everything was finally in place, even though it was all too fast.