Only a dream

Chapter 24

"We're here, Sammy." Valerie whispers.

We've teleported to the place in the forest, where James's sister was murdered by Valerie.

A tiny skull sits gracefully on the large flat rock in the middle of the clearing, yellow and rotting.

James lies on the ground, staring at nothing.

"Hey! James!" I scream but he doesn't move.

I sprint to him, running as fast as my legs will carry me. Short grass tickles my bare feet and jagged rocks cut into my toes. The hoard of butterflies appears from a bush behind me and they circle around James.

"James!" I scream, "James, get up!"

Valerie laughs from behind me. "He's dead, Sammy."

I stop dead in my tracks. Slowly, I spin around to face her. "What the hell do you mean, he's dead?"

My heart speeds up and threatens to crack. I've already lost Zeke. Oh, Zeke. I would actually die if I lost James too.

"You killed him." Valerie smiles, "You killed our grandpa."

I scowl at her, my heart smashing into billions of pieces, "Liar!" I cry.

She just shrugs.

I spin around and run to James, bowling past hundreds of butterflies.

The sky above me, dark and black, explodes with tiny crystals of blood red rain. The full, crimson moon seems to split in half and the millions of stars that accompany it disappear one by one.

I slip in the blood-rain and fall. My face smashes into the frown and a rock slices the skin above my eye, crating am ugly cut. I wince in pain and bring my hand to my head, running my finger along the wound.

Now I look just like Valerie.

I turn my body over and crawl towards James, who is only a few feet away. His chest rises slowly, breathing. He's not dead.

Blood points down and pelts my body. It bounces off James and create puddles on the ground.

"James!" I call my voice catching. Blood fills my mouth and I spit it out, disgusted.

I drag my body towards him and reach my arm out for his hand. I hold his cold, bloodstained fingers in mine and lay beside him.

"James?" I whisper, turning my head to face him, "Grandfather?"

His fingers tighten around mine and he's head flops to the side.

His eyes are red, like the rain. His skin is as pale as snow. This is now James.

"I'm sorry," he whispers in a raspy, broken voice, "I should have told you..."

"Told me what?" I cry, my voice getting tangled in the storm. I wipe blood from my eyes with my free hand.

"Valerie..." James whispers, "She wanted you...because...she is you..."

"What are you talking about, James?"

"Blue eyes, green eyes...." He whispers hoarsely.

"James?"

"She killed my...my little sister because she thought...it was you..."

"I don't understand..."

"Your father... my son...is her dad too..."

"No! No way! She is not my sister!" I scream, blood dripping into my mouth again. But I don't even care anymore.