Dream On

Chapter 10

It takes me a minute see if I heard the words right. Once I realize that I did, the emotion if feel is surprisingly not anger or fury or anything like that. I'm shocked. I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do accept wait for tears that don't come and walk out in a daze. I somehow do make it outside and into the car. Mom drives me home and I don't speak a word. We get home and I don't know what to do. I can't even bear to glance up to the field. I just walk into the woods and find one of my old hiding spots. I decide on a roomy hollow tree and squeeze in until I comfortable. I apparently fall asleep because I wake up with tear stains and a damp shirt when Dad eases me out into the darkness. He helps steady me while I walk groggily out of the woods and into the house. Dad walks me to the living room and sits me on the couch next to Mom. He wraps me in a warm blanket (I didn't even realize I was cold until now) then sits on the other side. Mom starts to speak.

"Rylan's nurse told us what happed. Said once you left Rylan started sobbing and asking to just be alone." I remain silent.

"She heard every word from the bathroom where she was cleaning. Rylan didn't even know she was in there." Dad explains. "Baby, I'm so sorry."
"I know." I manage to get out. "It's just that... the Rylan I know would never say something like that. Especially not to me." No tears, not yet.
"There's no way tell what was happening to him in those few months. While you were doing what you were doing, where was Rylan? Did he have dreams? Nightmares? Who knows what he was going through." As Dad says it I realize he's right. There's no way to know what Rylan was going through.
"How do I tell Eric? He was looking forward to meeting Rylan. He thought they'd be great friends and I guess I thought so too but now..."
"Well, I think Eric deserves to know the truth."