Dreamland Dimensions

Chapter Four: Dark Places

It's a bit like a car crash. The adrenaline and force of the hits, I felt as if I was flying through the air. I felt like I had no control of my limbs, I managed to curl into the fetal potion and looked into myself. Each fresh strike more painful than the last, I'm back to the body riddled with pain. It was excruciating, I felt acutely aware of each punch and kick. As if I could sense each individual cell and blood vessel bruising or bursting. Each nerve ending blasting out electric shocks and responses. My heart pounding in my ears as my vision tunneled, I could see the face of my mother's boyfriend Troy as if I had a telescope.

I could smell the musk of stall cigarettes in the carpet, the metallic taste filled my mouth and I could feel the tick, warm liquid ooze out the corners of my mouth.

"That's enough, Troy!" Yelled Mother, pulling him off me, "He learned!". Troy stumbled back with her, the two of them smelled of booze and an unfamiliar pungent scent. I pushed myself onto my knees, my body ached as I moved and stood up. I clenched my teeth, holding the pain in and limped out of the room without a word. I went to my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I went over to my open window, climbing out slowly and collapsed to the ground. "Fuck!" I cried, the pain shooting throughout my body. Laying on my back, I stared up at the night sky as I closed my eyes and wish I could disappear. I wouldn't cry, I refused to allow someone the power to make me break down and cry. I heard the cracking of twigs, my eyes shot open and I looked around to see who was approached. "Q-Quinton...oh my". Anastasia ran to my side, I stared at her as she leaned over me and panicked. "Why are you out here?" I asked, putting up a tough front. She looked at me, concern in her eyes as she placed her hand on my cheek, "Your hurt". I realized she was barefoot, I could see faint marks on her legs under the street light and frowned. Anastasia knew I saw, she positioned herself to sit on her legs and tucked them under her. The pain was back, I winced and held in my screams. "Let's go" Stated Anastasia, standing up and holding her hand out, "I want to help". I stared at her hand, unaccustomed to such acts as I hesitantly reached up and took her hand.

Once I stood up, I could see the dark purple bruise under her left eye and a handprint around her neck.

Anastasia shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, I diverted my eyes to the ground and squeezed her hand. "Is he your dad?" Asked Anastasia, holding me up. We limped together away from my house, I wasn't sure where we were going but I didn't mind going with her for some reason. "No...just another one of my mom's boyfriends" I answered, shaking my head. The walk went silent between us, I started to think we were both just walking without a destination. "He's not my dad either...my dad died" She admitted, her voice low and brittle, "He's my little brother's dad...my mom got married again". "Do you miss your dad?" I asked, curious. Anastasia's eyes appeared empty, I could see the change of emotion from sadness to fear and then anger, "No...he wasn't a good man". She looked like my mother in a way, the way everything drained from her body and you can almost see the soul sucked out of her body. Anastasia was a broken little girl just like my mother was. But mother was like me, broken and hollow with no one to reach out to her. I looked at Anastasia, seeing the same thing and without a second thought I suddenly embraced her.

I had no idea what she had been through but the way she crumbled in my arms and wept, I knew someone had crushed her.

Two lonely stars, floating in a vast nothingness just happening to bump into each other. Was it fate? This plan was merciless, mangling and pulverizing two fragile souls. Anastasia looked up at me, I realized for the first time that I was slightly taller than her and she smiled, "Let's get you a first aid kit, okay?".

There was a name for a life like the ones we had.

"My birthday passed" Blurted Anastasia, walking into the convenience store. All eyes were on the two beaten and bruised teenagers. I followed behind her, she looked up at me and smiled, "I'm 15 now". We were just a few months apart, Anastasia being the oldest but the smallest. She didn't look 15 years old but then again when I met Anastasia in elementary school, I thought we were the same age and later that year found out she was older. Which explained why I didn't see her around before that day, Anastasia held a first aid kit up and shook it gently, "Got it~". It's been 4 years since we met, ever since that moment in the cafeteria we've been close. I still knew very little about Anastasia, she always tried to smile and laugh. Even if she broke, she made up for it with a smile and a laugh.

I realized it was because I've always been looking at her, she smiled for a boy who couldn't smile on his own.

I stood behind her as she checked out. The clerk looked us up and down, "Should I call someone?". Anastasia looked back at me, I looked down at my ripped and bloody shirt. "No sir, we'll take care of it immediately. Our parents are on the way right now" lied Anastasia, forcing a stern face, "Thank you though". We walked out, she laughed and leaned on me, "You think he fell for it?". I glanced back, looking through the window at the clerk pick up the phone and shook my head, "No". Anastasia giggled, grabbing my hand and pulling me behind her as we ran. The pain went away, it was brief but for a moment the only thing I could feel was the warmth of Anastasia's small hands. Our fingers naturally intertwined, noticing the spaces between my fingers are where her's fit perfectly. We crossed the street going to a nearby park as the sound of sirens approached and we disappeared into the darkness of the trees. We watched as the squad car sped pass, looking at each other and laughed in unison. It was as if time had slowed down, I basked in the angelic sound of Anastasia's laugh and delighted in the smile on her face.

"Do you like stars?" I asked, sort of blurting it. She looked up at me and shrugged, "I never looked at them but...I saw you watching them before".

I grabbed her hand, leading her though the park and to a clearing with a old fallen fence. Anastasia giggled, looking down at the water as the three ducks floated by without a care. I tapped on her shoulder, she looked at me as I pointed up and showed her the stars. I watched her face as her eyes widened with wonder and I smiled. "Wow...Quinton this is amazing" Gasped Anastasia. "It was all I had growing up" I uttered, looking up at the sky, "It was the only constant thing in my life...the only thing no one could take from me". The stars looked like small diamonds spread out on a black velvet sheet, I thought about a time I'd lay back for hours trying to count them but I could never count them all before falling asleep. "You make the moon and stars sound so magical" She addressed, eyes glued on the stars. I shook my head, standing up straight and sighed, "They're not magical...they don't have powers or anything". "Then what is it about them?" Questioned Anastasia, looking at me. "I'm not sure" I retorted, shrugging as I looked up at the sky, "They've just always been there even in the darkness".

I had no one reaching out to me, pulling me out of the shadows and showing me light. But the moon and the stars always reached out to me.

She stared back at the stars, nodding and smiled, "I think I know what you mean". We stood there in silence, my body had become sore and tight but I didn't complain. I felt the unknown comfort from the night sky, I felt Anastasia slip her hand into mines and locked her fingers with mine. This was a feeling I wanted to keep, another place to lock inside myself so no one can take it away.

The places beyond the trees and in the shadows was a sanctuary for us. She was something like the moonlight for me, beaming out and reaching me.