So, we are at chapter 18, readers!! Please read, comment, and spread the word! On to chapter 18!! :DD
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I'M NOT CONVINCED.
Tom's Grandma washed her face in her bathroom, wiping it with her soft, fluffy towel, then switching off the lights, she climbed into bed, shutting her eyes. She fell asleep almost immediately. And she dreamt, for the first time in a long time.
She was sitting on a bench at the local park, she couldn't recall the name. She came here for a jog every now and then, but never bothered to look at the sign with the park's name on it. A soft wind was blowing through the trees bordering the pathway in front of her, the leaves swaying. She shut her eyes for a second, breathing deeply. The next moment, when she opened her eyes, she almost got a heart attack when she saw Simone, the twins' mother, sitting beside her, doing the same thing she was doing a moment ago, her eyes closed, breathing deeply.
"Simone?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes?" she said nonchalantly.
"What are you doing here?"
"You ask yourself. It's your dream."
Grandma had to agree with her, and she fell silent.
"Actually, I came to warn you."
"Warn me? Of what?"
"Of the twins."
"What about the twins?"
"You have to stop them from seeing each other."
"I have tried. Tom is stubborn." she said sniffily.
"Grounding Tom because he snuck out of the house isn't trying."
"Then what is?"
"Figure it out yourself. Now that my mother isn't around anymore, you're the only one who can do it."
"And what exactly is the point of doing that?"
"You have to. One of them will die if you don't."
Grandma laughed bitterly.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"And how exactly did you find out about this?"
"I had a dream."
"Has no one told you that dreams never come true?"
Simone sighed exasperatedly.
"Trust me on this."
"What makes you think that I believe you?"
"You have to."
"No I don't. You're dead, Simone. You expect me to believe a dead person coming to me in a dream saying Tom is going to die if he sees his twin?"
"Not necessarily Tom. It could be any one of them."
"You're missing the point."
"Yes, I do expect you to believe me."
"Have you any proof?"
Simone reached up, breaking off a branch from a tree behind them, then scratched Grandma's arm with it.
"What nonsense is this?" Grandma hissed, cradling her bleeding arm.
"That is your proof." she said, tossing the branch away.
"How can it-" Grandma started, but stopped. It was just a dream, no need to get all worked up about it, she thought.
"Now, make sure they are separated."
"Why?"
"I told you! One of them will-"
"Die, yes, I got it the first time." she said airily. "How exactly will they die?"
"They will be on a rooftop, during a storm, and one of them will push the other off the building."
"Exactly what building are you talking about here?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see too clearly in the dream, because of the rain. But I'm sure it was in the center of the city."
"Hmmph. I still don't believe you."
"Of course you don't. But you will. One day. I'll be going now." she said mysteriously before getting up and walking lithely through the wall of trees in front of them.
Grandma rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the world around her shook violently. She grabbed the arm of the bench to stop herself from falling off it. A loud cracking sound filled the air, and the ground split around her, and she fell into the darkness.
Grandma woke up, breathing hard. Once she realized that it was only a dream, she shook her head at her overactive imagination. She covered her face with her arm, then realized that it was sticky. She pulled it away, wanting to get a better look at it. Then she gasped. For there, on her arm, was blood trickling down onto her bedspread. She couldn't help the shriek that escaped her lips. She quickly threw off the covers, rushing to the bathroom. She heard heavy footsteps thundering down the landing, and a moment later, her door burst open and a wide-eyed and out of breath Tom stood at the doorway.
"Grandma? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, Tom. Go back to sleep."
"No, you're not." Tom said, noticing her bleeding arm. "Come on, let's get this cleaned up." he said, taking a few steps in her direction.
"Tom, I said go back to bed."
"But Grandma, I just want to-"
"Go."
Tom stared at Grandma for a moment, hurt filling his eyes. But he knew that there wasn't any point in arguing.
"Sorry." he mumbled, before stepping out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Grandma shut her eyes, calming her breathing. There was no point at all in getting Tom involved in this, seeing as she still didn't believe the warning was real. The blood on her arm could be from anything. Maybe she accidentally scratched herself in her sleep. Whatever it was, it was a long way before she believed in the dream.
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Tom stalked back to his room, fighting back tears. I just wanted to help, what's wrong with that? he thought angrily, as he crept back into the bed and pulled all the covers around him tightly. He missed Bill's smell, which was so calming when he slept at Bill's the other night and he wished Bill was there with him. He rolled his eyes, feeling that he should've expected Grandma's reaction. He shut his eyes, forcing himself to go back to sleep.
