The Death Dance ✓

Chapter Fourteen - "Oh, the irony."

Chapter Fourteen – “Oh, the irony.”

 

Aaron was walking down a quiet, low lit corridor.

Was this a dream? It felt like a dream and at the same time, it felt real. It was like reality was shrouded in a cloud of surrealism, blurring the lines that separated it from fantasy. His legs seemed to have a mind of their own, leading him down the corridor, his hand trailing along the white painted walls. His steps soon led him to a vaguely familiar room. His breath hitched when he recognized the room as the one in the hospital when he’d last seen his body.

For a second he was filled with hope that this was real life and the hospital bed was empty but the deeper he walked into the room, the more he realized that that wasn’t the case at all.

His body was still in the bed, tubes attached to his arm, breathing steadily.

His heart began to race frantically and his chest felt so light it hurt, like he was struggling to breathe even though he was breathing quite fine. One hand rose up to grasp at his chest, as if to stop it from hurting.

His breath hitched when someone suddenly walked right through him and he blinked realizing that it was his mum and she was holding…Stacey? Curiously, he walked deeper into the room, watching as she took a seat beside his sleeping body on the bed. God, it was still incredibly weird seeing himself on that hospital, looking asleep.

He glanced at himself, touching his body as if to make sure that this was really happening and nothing changed. He was there and so was his body in the hospital bed and his mum who was…plucking on the strings of his guitar.

His eyes grew wide at that.

“I thought maybe something familiar might make you want to wake up,” she was whispering and Aaron felt something like a vice clenching around his heart.

She plucked at the strings again and it was obvious she didn’t know how to play it but she kept at it anyway, also obviously trying to find a rhythm and failing.

“I should have paid more attention,” she whispered, “I should have seen something was wrong. I mean, I know you’re not one for talking; you were always quiet since you were a kid,” she giggled a little, “but I should have noticed that you were even more quiet than usual. I…I’m not the best mum, I admit. Being a mother doesn’t come with a handbook but I try my best to be a good mum for you. I’m…sorry, Aaron. I know I’m overbearing and I sometimes force my beliefs on you but I’m doing what I believe is best for you. Surely, you know that right? I’m –” her voice broke on a soft sob.

Aaron literally fell apart at that. His own eyes got hot and he rushed forward, kneeling in front of his mother, “oh God, mum please don’t cry…”

Of course, she couldn’t hear or see him.

He watched helplessly as tears slid down from her eyes and over her cheeks while she sighed and plucked on the strings of the guitar, trying to find a tune. She raised a hand up to wipe at her cheeks and her eyes and Aaron only noticed then that her eyes were slightly swollen, showing that this wasn’t the first time she was crying.

“M-Mum,” he whispered, his voice coming out completely broken.

He felt like he was dying inside. He reached out as if to touch her but the scene suddenly faded and he sniffed, tears sliding down his cheeks, chest heaving with silent sobs.

When the vision finally cleared he found himself standing in front of his house. His father’s car was just coming in through the gates and his legs automatically moved after the man when he left the car, opening the door of the front door and heading inside the house.