Escape From Reality

The Breaking Point

"You were in love with my mum?" Was the only thing I managed to say out after Jacob's dad told us in a cracking voice the end of the retelling of his tragedy, a few tears making its way down his cheek only now. I silently suspected he had been holding them back the entire time.

Rain fell down by the torrents, the living room window obscured by the pouring water. I could vaguely hear the pitter patter of the raindrops as it hit the window pane. Jacob's hand had found its way to mine at the start of the story only for it to slacken before it lost its way entirely.

Somewhat horrified by the thought of romance between our parents, the both of us were understandably extremely deep in thought as Jacob's dad got up to make himself a cup of tea, throat sore and husky after relieving about something that was so rare and painful for him.

The monsters who I had been seeing, who appeared in my dreams twice, those black monstrous things, those dark tendrils which suddenly appeared so vividly in my mind's eye now, they were the cause of my mother's death. They were the ones who robbed me of my childhood. They were the ones who ruined my life. They had taken away her life in less than a second. All because Jacob's dad wanted to run away with her.

We had come here seeking answers about our dreams, however when the answer and truth about them was revealed, suddenly my mind didn't want to believe it.

I didn't know if I wanted these dreams to stop.

Were these monsters currently any danger to me? I found myself wondering. I mean, they had disappeared after I entered the house and oh the house-I shivered as I remembered the feeling that had washed over me after entering it. The most magical feeling in the world. How could that be such a bad thing? How can this dreaming be so dangerous? The more I thought about it, the more the allure drew to me, promising to just go back to that feeling washing away the worries of any danger.

It sort of frightened me how I was thinking this way, knowing how this same desire was the one who killed my mother.

Jacob's dad plopped back down on the couch, cup of tea in his hands, patches of red colouring his eyes.

"Jacob, I'm so sorry you had to find out the truth like that. And Chloe I imagine it must be awkward knowing I was in love with your mother. But- don't let the same thing happen again. You have to put an end to this dreaming somehow."

"How?" I asked breathlessly, not wanting to know the answer, but at the same time asking all the same.

"I don't know. But I know this. You can't run away from reality. These dreams are not a place to live forever." I turned to the boy beside me, wondering how well he was taking this news, only to realise he had not spoken the entire time.

"Jacob? Are you okay?"

Turning to look at me at the sound of my concern, he nodded briefly, before deciding to look at his dad who was looking at Jacob with something like guilt colouring his gaze.

"Yeah. I just don't know what to make of this." Jacob breathed deeply before he said the next words.

"Dad, I mean you were in love with someone else. I always thought it was because you and mom fell out of love.I had no idea you cheated on her." On the word "cheated" Jacob's voice broke for a split second. He turned his stare away at that moment. Jacob's dad reached out to touch his shoulder only for Jacob to shrug it off, who only continued to look down.

"I know this must be hard for you Jacob. And I really am sorry that you were dragged into this mess."

It continued raining for the rest of the day. We hung around Jacob's dad's house as he continued looking through my mother's journal as me and Jacob quietly talked amongst ourselves.