Dream Simulator {Discontinued}

CHAPTER 9 - Dark But Friendly Days

The Officials still stained her memory and their words brought an ache of relief and loss to her heart.

They had lost her again. She had another breakdown that caused another Emergency.

But, she had gotten a fourth chance that would only expose her to another breakdown. There was absolutely no good in that fourth chance.

And now, they would have to go home, pretending everything was okay. The two of them would have to follow the same schedule, and not have any time for mourning. They wouldn't have time to rest and process the horrible information they had been given. The only time they had to face the reality of their situation was on the anti gravity train, but even that hour and a half felt too short.

Arabelle wanted as much air as possible to come into their silent train car, so she left the steel door open. Every time she breathed, she smelled bleach and other cleaning products that they used in the Medical Care Facility. The haunted memory had surfaced while she and Micah walked back to their classrooms, and went their separate ways. The smell brought tears to her eyes.

While they walked further and further away from each other, all Arabelle wanted to do was to run after her brother, bury herself in his arms, and cry. She knew he would cry with her, too.

They would cry from the pain of losing their mother again. They would cry with relief because she got another chance to improve her condition. They would cry from fear because they knew if she broke down again after this, they would never see her again. She would get taken away from them, from the everybody, and from the rest of the world.

A slight breeze blew into the train car as Arabelle pulled her knees closer to her chest, leaning her head against the warm wall. It was a really sunny day, and the window opposite of her beamed the sun's rays to the spot where she rested her heavy head.

Through her closed eyelids, she could see the rays of the blinding sun as it turned the inside of her eyelids a bright red.

Normally, the colour would bother her. But today, she felt so enclosed within darkness that all the colours around her seemed to fade away. It felt as though the eternal darkness had swallowed her up and kept her trapped in its empty pit.

Micah sat tucked away in the corner beside her, not making a single sound. She wouldn't be surprised if he had fallen asleep; they had been awake until four this morning waiting for their mother to come home.

The gentle spring breeze felt so nice in the hot car, and even listening to it almost lulled Arabelle to sleep. She could hear the golden wheat waving in the wind, brushing against each other. The only thing that disturbed the beautiful peacefulness was the chatter and laughter of other students outside.

"Give it back!," one of them shouted in the car next to her. It seemed like their door was open too.

"Then go and get it!". It sounded like a female's voice as there was a moment of silence, then a thump outside. She must of thrown a book bag, since it landed with a heavy thump.

She crushed the wheat, Arabelle though to herself. It'll never dance freely again.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and a sob caught in her dry throat.

It's okay to cry over something as foolish as crushed wheat. It's a living thing that died. It had an unfortunate accident. Just like Mother.

Another tear threatened to find its way out of her closed eyes, but then she heard a sniffle from the corner beside her, and forced herself to keep it in.

Micah.

Was he crying?

He never cried.