You dreamt what?! [Wattys2017]

Chapter 14

“Michael!” I yelled, running towards him. “You look like you’ve been in a war!”

“I have.” He laughed. He showed me everything. I was grinning so much now.

“Michael!” I heard someone yell. Rhys came charging across the playground to see my brother. “You’re back!”

Rhys high fived Michael and then gave him a hug. For the first time I saw Ethan and Flynn and Daniel at our school. Apparently they finish earlier than us.

“GUYS!” I yelled. They turned their heads towards me and started running.

“Hiya!” Flynn shouted.

“Oh no! Twin Marcus’!” Ethan laughed, stopping beside me. Michael looked confused.

“Oh, Michael. This is Flynn and Ethan and Daniel. They are Rhys’ brothers.” Michael nodded at them and we all stood in a group. “Guys, I need to talk to my brother.” They nodded, walking away.

I looked at Michael. “I’m sorry I pushed you.”

He looked at me. “I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

“You’ve no reason to be sorry. We both gave that lady quite a fright.” Michael nodded, laughing. “Er, Michael I have something to tell you.”

“Yeah?” He looked anxious.

“Michael, I’m going to tell you a story. On a thursday afternoon, two boys were walking home from school when one of them was hit by a car. He was knocked into a coma and his brother stayed with a friend’s family to let his parents come visit his brother. One day, a saturday morning, he had a dream where his parents were involved in a fatal crash and ran down to the hospital to see if it was true. It was and the boy didn’t step foot out of the house for the next week.” I looked at him. “Do you see where this is going?”

Michael sat looking at me, tears slowly falling down his face. “I know. They told me and I discharged myself, with someone’s approval. I had to see you.” I nodded and hugged my brother. I felt him tense in pain but he hugged me back.

“Mr Demise? Mr Demise?” I turned around to two policemen standing there. Michael was looking too.

“Yes sirs?” We both said.

“You have to come with us.”

“What? We’ve done nothing wrong to be locked up!” Michael protested. “I just woke up from a coma!”

One police guy laughed. “No, it’s because you guys need to be somewhere. You have no parents now so we need to put you into a home.

I’d heard of these ‘homes’. They were nothing like a real home. You live with so many kids you can’t keep track and there is like 6 to a room. We can’t live like that!

“They have a home!” Rhys protested, running. “My dad is Marcus’ temporary foster carer.”

“Sorry kid, they are coming with us. Say goodbye now.”

I waved at them as the car pulled away from school.