Prisons

chapter 4

He had lost all strength in his legs and collapsed to the floor. Scrambling for his backpack, he stumbled towards the enterance of the underpass. He could hear the terror getting closer.

Between raspy gasps of breath and teary sobs, he managed to call out, 'Kody... Kody help me". Michael tripped and landed face first into the ground.

In front of him, a shadow loomed. He looked up squinting and saw it was Kody, with a beaming smile. Michael hugged and held onto Kody's leg for dear life.

"Oh please Kody! Kody help me! Help me up we have to go!" Michael screamed, but the throbbing of his heart in his ears muffled everything.

"No Michael. You can't keep on running. You have to face it. Here" Kody said, smiling. He got out of Michael's backpack the tennis racket. "Use this. We can face it together".

Kody helped Michael to his feeth. His legs shook but he managed to stand now that Kody had arrived.

"You can't run little boy!" grumbled to cloud. It seemed to have multiple voices, voices that seemed familiar, as if he'd heard them before.

"Now on three, we're going to hit the monster ok? One..." The monster opened it's mouth, it's grin bearing its revolting teeth. Michael shook like a nervous wreck but stood firm.

"Two..." Michael squeaked. The arms of the monster reached out.

"Three!" Kody yelled. He let a huge battle cry and charged towards the monster. Michael couldn't move. He stood there clutching the tennis racquet; eyes closed, swinging blind and widly.

Suddenly, the roaring stopped.

One eye opened.

Another eye opened.

All lights were back on.

Michael relaxed and looked around. He was lying under the stolen towels. Kody was sitting up look at Michael. There was no cloud to be seen. A blank face except for a tiny smirk appeared at the corner of Kody's mouth.

Had this all been a dream? Could he really just have been imagining all of this?

"Michael you did it!" Kody cheered. He smiled and laughed and picked Michael up from the ground. Michael was so confused. "Was I... dreaming the whole thing?" Michael asked.

"Yep!" Kody said, nodding.

"None of that battle actually happened?"

"No. Well, kind of. Michael. I need to tell you something" Kody sighed  and his smile disappeared. "Michael, I have to go now. I've helped you face your fear, now I must leave. I'm so sorry Michael. I didn't know how to tell you".

"But that cloud. It wasn't real was it?"

Kody sighed. "Well, to you it was. Enough for you to believe it was real. As am I". Kody's voice trailed off.

"Kody, I don't understand" Michael sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

Another sigh. "Michael, I'm here. I've always been here and I always will be here. But you don't need me as much anymore. You're enough now. You need room to grow".

"What happens if the cloud comes back?" asked Michael shakily.

Kody smiled reassuringly. "You know you can beat it now. You don't need my help. But just remember, I'm always here".

Michael had tears pouring out of his eyes. He didn't want Kody to go. But he knew Kody was right. He used his sleeve to wipe his eyes and when he looked up, Kody was gone.

Michael whispered with a sob, "Goodbye friend, and thank you".

Michael packed his things into his backpack and walked towards the entrance of the underpass, wondering if they'd let him into the hospital at this time of night.

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