Eyes Down And Away

.

There was nothing.

A place of nothing, yet had everything.

It was full, yet so empty at the same time.

This place was the mind. But not just any mind, it was the mind of a man named Arlo.

It was also a dream of some sort.

Dreams. Images that play in sequences when one has fallen asleep. These images aren't just "random" however. Even if they seem exaggerated, dreams tend to have connections to the waking life. They tend to connect with with one's current emotional feelings. One's current inner thoughts, or desires.

Some state that their dreams are images of the future.

Some state that their dreams are warnings.

Some state that their dreams are nightmares.

And some say, that they had met the dead.

***

He could smell something. Arlo could smell something. It was a rather familiar scent, something along the fragrance of cinnamon. Something that made Arlo feel warm.

He seemed younger. He felt a lot younger. The aches that used to weigh on his back seemed lifted, and the soreness he felt from taking care of his children seemed to have evaporated into nothing.

Nothing. The place he was currently located at looked like nothing. But as he took a step forward, an effect took place. Like watercolor paint splashes hitting a canvas, but amplified. This painting that surrounded Arlo suddenly portrayed a school roof. It was familiar, yet fuzzy.

Where was this place?

And why did it seem important?

Arlo stared at the clouds slowly treading along the blue sky. This was crazy. Arlo was crazy. One second he was nowhere, another second he was in a place that seemed like everything.

Arlo sighed as his eyes sunk downwards to the floor. And that's where he saw it.

Blood.

There was a small trail of blood, seeping into the floor Arlo's feet was standing on.

For some abnormal reason, Arlo decided to follow it. The trail slowly got smaller and smaller until it was nothing. And then it ended. It wasn't a long walk, in fact the final destination was still on the school roof.

But the final destination also had a raven haired boy, laying down on the ground, humming a tune like they didn't have a care in the world.

And that's when the words suddenly hit him. That's when he suddenly knew.

That was John.

And this place was where he had died.

Arlo could hear his own voice ask quietly.

"John?"

The boy continued humming, but didn't ignore this new presence suddenly joining him on the roof.

Without even batting an eye towards Arlo, he gestured Arlo to lay down next to him.

Confused, Arlo obeyed. As Arlo laid down, a couple strands of his blond hair freely intertwined with the raven's.

Seconds passed by with the background noise of quiet humming, before Arlo finally cleared his throat. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

The humming stopped. "I am dead. I've been dead for awhile. What are you doing here?"

And for the first time, John turned towards Arlo's face. For the first time, vivid blue met gold.

"I- I don't know how I got here..."

"Hm. Is that so."

The two boys stared at the sky as the sun and its warmness beamed on them.

"Do you ever regret it? Dying that way, I mean."

Arlo counted the clouds as he waited for John to respond. One...two...

"I've regretted it. I've regretted it ever since my brain processed the fact that you tried to save me. It made me... think. For a long while." John then closed his eyes.

"Arlo, do you think that in another universe... or in another timeline.. we could've been friends?"

Arlo smiled.

"Yeah. In fact, I think we could've even been something more."

John laughed, "Then promise me, in another dimension of some sort, will you save me?"

Arlo closed his eyes to bask in the moment.

"I'll save you. I'll save you no matter how many times I'll have to do it."

It was so easy. It seemed so easy to Arlo now. In high school, everything could've just been solved if he had taken those few steps. It was all so simple.

Yet this was how it turned out.

"I'll wait for you to return."

"What?"

"I'll wait for you to come back in the next world. I'll wait for you to save me next time."

"Tch. You better."

Arlo could hear movement, and before he knew it, John's hands were in his.

And he didn't mind it at all.

But then he felt the world leaving him.

He felt John's hands leave him.

He felt cold.

That's what Arlo thought as he slowly opened his eyes up again to be met with a dark gray ceiling,

and his own tears dripping down his face.