Where Dreams Lay

[eighteen]

[eighteen] "i'll be the calm in the storm you're looking for. i'll be the shipwreck that takes you down." -Hedley

Ever since the accident started I dreamt every night about this moment. I thought of him telling me that mom was safe and home. That she was found. I dreamt of it at night only to wake up the next morning to realize that it wasn't real.

    It was always fantasy.

    But this isn't a fantasia or dream. This is real and Aiden is next to me, our sides touching, his heavy breaths are what I feel on my back.

    "What?" I ask quietly.

    "Your mother, she was found down town. She's being taken to the hospital right now." The officer replies and I don't know what to feel because I know I should be over the moon, but I still have that aching pain that something isn't right, that it can't be that easy to just find a woman somewhere downtown. I need to know the whole story.

    "Where? Is she okay? Is she hurt?" I start to question.

    "We'll explain everything we know very soon. But don't you want to call your siblings? I'm sure they would want to know." Roger tells me.

    I nod and bounce on my toes, "Will you take me to the hospital to see her?" I ask, but immediately realize what I just asked, "Wait, why is she in the hospital?"

    "Like I said, we will clarify everything. But perhaps you will want to go see her . . . and then the story will follow." The officer repeats.

    "I'm coming too," I turn my head to face Aiden, who just announces this.

    "You are?" I question, grateful but confused.

    "Yeah, I mean . . . you okay with that?" he rubs the back of his neck, looking at the floor, then back at me.

    My eyes remain on him, "Uh, yeah! Of course . . .that's fine, I guess,"

    The officer claps his hands together and announces, "Well lets go then! There are a lot of questions that need to be answered I'm sure."

    He starts to walk towards the door, and I follow with Roger and Aiden who keeps by my side. I'm still wondering why he would care enough to coming with me, but then again, I did just pour it everything I've been feeling about this to him. I guess its safe to say that he's the only other person that knows, and actually seems to care a bit.

    I have to admit, the thought of him being with me now makes my heart flutter.

    What is happening to me?

*    *    *

    The car ride was weird. We drove in complete silence in Aiden's father's car, him and I in the back, and Roger driving. The car was an old Chevrolet that is probably a good six or seven years old, but who's counting. I didn't speak because the thought of seeing mom after knowing what's happened to her so far is rattling my brain. The constant thought of walking into a hospital room, and seeing her is crazy and kept replaying in my head over and over until we finally parked. I was the first to get out of the car, and didn't even realize that Aiden tried to say something to me, but wasn't fast enough to get me to hear.

    Right now I'm running into the building, and before I enter to main lobby, I see that Roger Banks is still locking his car, so I stand to wait.

    "You've gained a lot of energy quickly," Aiden states when he reaches me.

    "Wouldn't you?" I say and we begin to make our way towards the front desk. A woman with back curly hair is behind the counter and looks up from her computer when I tap my fingers against the granite.