Reality

Chapter 2

Andrea Simmons looked left, then right. She could hardly believe she was back in her old home, the same place she was forced to leave eight years ago. After exploring the house, she pondered the reasons for its same appearance ever since. She knew her parents had not been inside this home for ten years, yet it hadn't been sold, let alone put up for sale.

Now she began to wonder why she forgave them so easily. It was simple to forgive her brother, for he was put into a foster family himself, free of all blame. Or was that wrong? Maybe he ran away and went looking for their parents, then discovered the reasons for their disappearance. The fact that Jeremy came back with them did make it easier for her to forgive them both.

In the first place, she never thought of the change in her life was anyone's fault. She had never blamed any of them at all.

Five-years-old was a young age to really remember the past of ten years ago, but Andrea was different. When she turned ten, she started to have dreams more often and they seemed to be all of the future. Nobody knew of her "powers", or she hasn't told anyone yet. She believed she'd soon have a dream about who could help her with them.

On the tenth birthday night, she dreamt the pros and cons, and the negative side was seeing her brother reaching to attack her. The night after, she dreamt the positive side, the one that came true only yesterday: her brother just arriving back at their city, their orphanage, and their home five years later.

Even now, that memory resided in her, along with the room she was currently in-her old bedroom in her parents' old home. The big single bed had just been cleaned and looked new, too. Next to it was the bedside drawer with a phone-clock-alarm connected device on top. To the right of the only window in the room sat a wide wooden dresser, and next to that was the bathroom door.

Everything was as she remembered.

"Hasn't changed much, huh?" Jeremy's voice sounded from out of nowhere.

Andrea jumped and sharply turned toward him. She said, "Well, yeah. Explain now. Why the sudden return? How'd you all get back?"

"Well...," he began, scratching at the back of his head, "I ran from the orphanage before you came. That place was driving me crazy. Anyway, I went searching for mom and dad... And to tell you the truth, they were looking for us too-at least that's what they told me. They just didn't think they'd find us at this city again at all. I'm sorry, sis. At least they're still together, and now we're reunited. The first place I looked for them was here, then at the Holiday Inn they liked to go to, then at school, then their workplaces, and oh man-you cannot believe how many places I looked."

"God... you went all alone? Weren't you hungry or didn't you have any money? You should have at least waited for me! I would have come with you," she cried.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Stop apologizing. Come on. Full story, now."

"Er... Well, I searched five years. I only stayed in the orphan for the other first five years. I can see that you probably went to another orphan before transferring to mine. When I ran away, I about gave up on everything after four years until I met Taney. She never gave up and encouraged me to get back to work. She and I looked together for the last year." His voice grew hoarse.

"Where is she?"

"She... left. She went back to her parent's house," he answered.

"Oh, did you have the chance to give her your gratitude?"

"No, she left without a word. I realized I loved her after that. She doesn't know yet, but I'm visiting her soon and I'll tell her how I feel. Right now, let's talk. Sit down," he said.