A Chance Worth Taking

Chapter Two Vanished

~ "I guess by now I should know enough about loss to realize that you never really stop missing someone- you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence." ~ Alyson Noel

Chapter Two

Vanished

Brooke's POV

In the dream it was raining. I was flying over my old house. It was night and I could just barely see the stars through the rain. My white tipped wings kept me aloft, like an angel. Suddenly my dad was flying along beside me.

"Be careful Pumpkin. Promise me you'll stay safe." He begged, reaching for my hand. I was confused by the desperation in his voice, but I wanted to make him happy.

I would have promised him the world.

"I promise." After I said those two words, he relaxed. Then he started to fade. I could feel him slipping away, but I couldn't do anything about it. He faded until he was just a shadow, barely holding onto my hand.

"Watch out for them for me." That was the last thing he said. Then he was gone. Vanishing into thin air.

"Daddy?" A broken voice asked. Startled, I realized it was me. Not only was my dad gone, but my wings too. That's when I started to fall. I knew I was dreaming, but that didn't stop me from being any less terrified. Rain obscured my vision until all I could see was the ground rushing up to meet me.

I wake up screaming.

I clamp a hand over my mouth and try to calm down. Inhale...it wasn't not real. Exhale...it was just a dream. Deep breaths and a blank mind. That was the key.

You see I've had this dream before. More times than I can count. As soon as I have control of my breathing I listen carefully. It was silent. No panicked footsteps rushing down the hallway to check on me. That was a relief. My mom had realized there was nothing she could do to stop the dreams. We tried therapy, hypnosis, warm milk before bed, but the dreams just kept coming. I was a big girl I could deal with them.Yeah right, what seventeen year old can deal with loosing a parent?

I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. I'm not surprised to feel the moisture there. Glancing at the clock I saw that it was 4:37 am. I sigh and swing my feet over the side of my bed. I know I should go check on Tommy. Hopefully I hadn't woken him up. The hard wood floors were cold against my bare feet as I walked down the hall.

His door is already open, a bad sign. Trying to be quiet, I tip toe into the room. Only to trip on a pile of Legos.

A loud crash and a couple curse words later I'm back on my feet. Muffled giggles come from the bed. I can't help, but smile.

"I know you did not leave those there just so I would trip on them." I say accusingly. My baby brother sits straight up and gives me a mock innocent smile.

"Who me?" He asks, but there's a mischievous glint in his eyes. I'm notoriously clumsy. Knowing me I probably would have tripped even without the pile of Legos. I roll my eyes and sit down beside him on the bed.

"You're gonna pay for that." I joke. He wrapped his little arms around me and laughs into my side.

"I didn't mean to wake you." I apologize in a whisper while stroking his hair.

"S'ok. I was already up," I'm sure if he's lying or not. He was quiet for a minute.

"Brookey...I'm scared. What if they don't like me?" I smile reassuringly. Tomorrow was our first day of school in our new town: Williston, North Dakota. A day we'd both been dreading. We would be starting two months into the school year. Oh joy.