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pt. 23 Hide Your Love Away

Today is the day we return home, my insides quivered with excitement and guilt at my excitement. Tyler seemed sad to go but ready to leave, as most people are when it comes to seeing their parents.

We gathered in the living room, hugging and exchanging gifts, promising to return. I made sure to tell Zack and Tatum they could visit whenever they wanted as they dropped us off at the train station.

"We should plan some kind of camping trip," Tatum said as Tyler and Zack hugged tightly.

"That's sounds great! Maybe we can meet halfway or something."

"I'll call you about it okay?" She asked, giving me one last tight hug.

"Definitely," I said with a warm smile. I wished Tatum could just come with us.

Tyler took my hand, "Bye guys, seriously, come whenever you want. Love you."

"See ya, Ty," Zack said in a raspy voice.

We turned our backs to them and walked to the waiting area to meet Mark and Josh. They saved two seats for us beside the window.

Dense forest and brush lined the train tracks. The trees captured my attention for a long time. It seemed like all the answers I needed were right there, in the bark. A long lonesome longing for something or someone I had forgotten entered my mind. I couldn't put my finger on what, though. The forest grew thicker and more enticing, I ran into it. I ran so fast the only thing I could hear was my blood in my veins rushing like a river. I stopped abruptly, legs quivering from exhaustion. The ground beneath my feet was muddy and had little buttercup blossoms peaking through it. There was still no noise. A magnificent black Raven flew over my head, high in the trees. I thought it made a sound, but I didn't hear anything.

Looking around, the dense fauna was vividly green but it some places it started to fade right before my eyes. Each once green leaf turned red then orange then yellow until finally it decayed back to brown and crumbled into nothing. The ground beneath my feet grew hard and the air cold, as if it were freezing. I sat down on an old log and looked up into the sky, then back down to the bare trees where a man was standing.

The man had a long black trench coat on, his face looked menacing and evil. He was too far for me to get a good look but I know he was watching me.

Just as fear crept up my spine and into my mind:

"Aurora. Aurora wake up, we have to go."

Someone was vigorously shaking me but I couldn't remember the voice. Their words just echoed in my head

Wake up.
Aurora.
Wake up.

Opening my eyes, I saw Tyler standing over me, looking worried. How long had I been asleep? Everyone else on the train had left.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, uh, sorry. How long was I asleep?"

"Well the train stopped about a half an hour ago, I've been shaking you and trying to wake you up since then. Jeez I'm glad you're okay, I thought you were in a coma or something."

"Sorry, Ty. I was just having really vivid dreams," I apologized, trying to shake the thoughts out of my head.

"Okay let's just get out of here and get some food."