RED

Chapter 5 Memories

Chapter 5 [Adora's POV]

I woke up breathing hard and in a cold sweat I must have fallen asleep waiting for Daniel to come back. I had my reoccurring nightmare again. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked up from the bed to see Daniel looking at me with a concerned face. I got up and tried to run out of the room but he caught my arm.

He spun me around and said "Adora it's okay. I don't know why you're scared but it's okay. It was only a dream."

I grabbed his shirt and put my head on his shoulder, I was tired of running from my fears. He brought me over to sit on the bed and I burrowed my face into his shirt. In the silence the only sound that could be heard were my muffled sobs.

Awhile later Daniel leaned his face close to mine and said "Adora have you calmed down?"

I wiped my face and sniffled as I raised my head to meet his gaze.

I said "I'm fine now but I can't say the same for your shirt."

He looked down and saw his plaid shirt was wet and crumpled.

He smirked at me and said "Well it was for a good cause. Besides you looked really freaked out when you woke up." He said this gingerly as if he wasn't trying to offend me.

I sighed and said "Yeah it was just a nightmare."

I was trying to sound strong and unfazed but my voice failed me. He looked sad like he was trying to show me that it was okay for me to show my feelings.

He said "Well even though it was just a nightmare I want you to know that it's okay for you to confide in me." He smiled and said "Everyone has nightmares. I used to have the same one every couple of days until 2 years ago. It used to make me scared to sleep. But, since mine stopped I know yours will to."

I laid my head on his shoulder and looked down at his hands. I nervously said "I'll tell you my nightmare if you tell me yours."

He ran his fingers through his shoulder length hair and had a strained look on his face.

I picked my head off his shoulder and said "You know what never mind that's none of my business right?"

He said "That's not true it's your business because I made it yours. I'll tell you my dream."

It looked like trying to remember his dream was causing him physical and mental pain. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

He said "In my dream I'm a toddler no more than 3 years old. I'm at a park with a girl around the same age as me she has red hair. We're playing in the sandbox in front of a group of four people they look happy. Then an all black giant puts them to sleep when this happens red petals appear on my shirt in the sand and on the girl. The giant turns and gives me and the girl candy for putting the people to sleep. They look peaceful but sad at the same time and for some reason it makes me cry and feel lonely. I don't know what the dream means but it always makes me feel empty."

I shifted away from him. That dream sounded just like mine how is that possible?

He looked at me and said "Adora what's wrong?"

I could feel myself beginning to shake. I said "My dream it's the same. How is that possible? How do you know my dream? Daniel why do you know my dream?"

He said "What are you talking about Adora I've been having that dream since I was three?"

I was shaking my head in disbelief and then I got up and began to pace the floor. I said "You're lying! How could you just coincidentally have the same dream as me explain that to me Daniel?"

He looked hurt by my accusations but I wanted to know the truth.

He said "Adora I have lied to you but not about this. I lied about how we first met, I first met you when we were three. You won't remember me, heck I didn't remember you until my aunt told me."

I stopped pacing and stared at him I said "What do you mean, I don't understand?"

He reached under his bed and pulled out a big box that was labeled memories. He looked down and sighed as he opened the box. Inside the box were pictures, drawings, some articles, some miscellaneous items and a video tape.

He said "If you just look at some of this stuff you'll remember. See look at this drawing."

He held up a drawing with a red haired girl and boy holding hands. On top of the girl was the sprawled word Dora and the boy was labeled Danny. I took the picture and examined it, it looked old but well preserved. I turned the picture over and it said 'drew by Danny' in crayon. I stared at him and furrowed my brow. As if reading my mind Daniel handed me a bundle of photos.

He said "Look at these they're from when we first met and they're labeled to. Just try to understand, okay Adora."

I nodded my head and began to browse through the photos. I looked at a photo with two adults, a woman with auburn hair and a man with black glasses and blonde curly hair. In between them was a little girl with curly red hair. I quickly turned over the photo it said Samuel Robinson, Laura Robinson, and Dora Robinson age: three. My body dropped to the bed and I just stared at the photo.

Without looking up from the photo I said "Wow so this is what my parents looked like. I always tried to picture them but whatever i came up with never fit."

Daniel put his arm around my shoulders and said "Yeah, I felt the same way when I saw the picture of my parents."

He placed a picture of a blonde couple and a little boy. Their names were Nick Vandervill, Carly Vandervill, and Danny Vandervill age: three. Daniel picked up a notebook that was located underneath the photos it was old and the pages had a yellow hue.

He said "My aunt made this for me before she died so I would never forget the time when everyone was happy and alive. It's like a storybook of memories. I'll read it to you."

He opened the book gingerly like he was afraid it would turn to ash. I leaned onto Daniel as he relayed the stories written in the notebook. His aunt wrote in detail about each event, stuffing it with information. From one of the stories I learned how me and Daniel's parents met in college. I also learned that my mom and dad's favorite color became sky blue because of my eyes. I learned that Daniel and his parents were so clumsy that they would trip into walls, I couldn't help but smile at that. As time passed we laughed and silently cried at the stories we couldn't recall on our own.