The stranger under the willow tree

Everything happens for a reason, kid.

The old man closed his book, starred at the boy. "Is that it?" The boy asked tilting his head at the man. The old man huffed, "excuse me? What do you mean is that it? I've read you a lifetime of stories and situations of peoples lives!" the boy rolled his eyes. "That really just sounds like couple chapter of books." He told him. "Lucas, they aren't just stories from a book. Those are parts of people's lives. My book is the book of life. I get from my walk-in life. I have been around for thousands of years. I looked at the part so I can be around when the stories have happened so I can document them. How dare you say that's it." The man scolded the boy. "H-How do you even know my name? I've never even told you, my name." Lucas said shocked and little uneasy. "I told you boy. I know all, see all, and I hear all. I'm the foreteller, I see the past, the present, and future. What path you take if it will change your fate. You my boy, aren't going on good path. Yes, your home isn't good home, but doesn't mean you have to run away from it. If you keep going on the path you are taking, there will be no way for you to return home." The foreteller told the boy. "What do you mean? There's no returning home?" Lucas asked him with a little frown. The foreteller sighs. "Just return home my boy, trust me on the long run, it'll be worth it." Lucas stared at him for long time before speaking. "Do you not understand I can't return home. No one really cares if I am there or not. So, what does it really matter if my path I am taking going to change." The foreteller shook his head. "you are the only responsible for giving yourself the life you want, the easy path won't lead you to the best views," he paused, " The path isn't a straight line; it's a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truth." Lucas nodded, "but what does that have to do with me going back home to my family. I literally don't feel like my family understands me. I feel alone." Lucas huffed with a sad sigh, giving up on this whole story telling, so ready to keep going forward to wherever this road is taking him. "A wise man before me once said. Family doesn't end in blood; family cares about you. Not what you can do for them. Family is there, for the good, bad, all of it. They got your back, even when it hurts. That's family. Also, if your family doesn't understand something about you then make them understand, they won't if you don't talk and open up." The foreteller said, walking up to Lucas, putting his hand under his chin and making Lucas look up at him. "Look kid, things happen for reasons, but when it seems like the whole weight of the world is bearing down on you, just remember you're not alone and this is not how the story ends." He smiles at him and starts to walk away. "Wait!" The foreteller stops, turns his head around and looks at Lucas. "What do I do now?" Lucas asked him. "Wake up kiddo." The foreteller said. Lucas looked at him confused and puzzled a little. The foreteller kept repeating, 'Wake up kiddo.' Then everything around Lucas began to fade to blackness, he started to hear a familiar voice and he felt his body was softly being shaken. Lucas blinked his eyes open and saw his dad. "Hey kiddo, you slept through your alarm, you're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up." Lucas looked around and saw he was in his room, not under a willow tree. He got up and shook his head, started to get ready for school.
That was one weird dream.