Where The Sun Never Sets

Chapter Five

The more we talked about my dream, the more I wanted to visit the house Mama grew up in. Would that be okay with Aunt Delilah? I wondered. I told myself that if I did go, I would rather be alone. There was just one problem: How would I tell Aunt Delilah that I wanted to go on this trip by myself? Would she be angry with me if I said she couldn't come? So much was going through my mind at one time. I needed some time to think. After Aunt Delilah and I finished talking, she asked me to stay for dinner. "No, I can't. I...I just need some time to think. Can I come back tomorrow afternoon?" I asked nervously. "Sure, sweetie. Anytime. And if you have anymore of those dreams, well, you can always come talk to me." she said reassuringly.
After I went to bed that night I did have another dream. It took place at Mama's house, but this time...she was there. I saw her. She and Aunt Delilah were two little girls playing in the front yard. Mama was singing as the two ran up the big hill in front of the house. "This is where the sun stays, always, always. No, it never goes away, it always stays!"  Her childish song gave me chills. It sounded like a nursery rhyme in a horror movie. I stood there on the front porch, unnoticed. I just watched Mama and Aunt Delilah as climbed to the top of the hill and suddenly stopped. They slowly sat down, their gaze never leaving the sun. It was beautiful, just as it was in my last dream. The sky was pink and purple. I was still just as confused, but amazed nonetheless. I had no idea dreams could be so vivid. And it was in that very moment that I realized; I had to visit this place, no matter what. I was happy here. Happier than I had ever been.
When I woke up, I called Aunt Delilah to tell her I would be at her house in an hour. As I sat in silence at the kitchen table, I watched the sunrise through the front door. It made me think of Mama. After I ate breakfast, I got ready and headed to Aunt Delilah's. "Come in, honey," she said as she opened the door. "Did you have anymore dreams about your mother last night?" she asked. "Yes," I replied. "And about you too." I explained what happened in my dream. She told me that she and Mama used to go up to the top of the hill to look at the sky. "The sun never stopped setting." she explained. "I don't know why you would've dreamed that." "Me either." I added. We sat in silence for what felt like hours, then I blurted, "I want to go there." I said it even quicker than I had expected to say it. "What?" Aunt Delilah asked, a look of confusion spreading across her face. "I...I want to go to the house you and Mama grew up in. And I want to go..." I paused, afraid to say it. "I want to go alone." Aunt Delilah was clearly shocked. "You...what?" she asked again, trying to process what I had said. "I know, it's a crazy idea, and I'm so young to travel so far on my own, but..." I put my head down. I could tell Aunt Delilah was probably furious, or disappointed. "Abeline," she began, her voice shaky. "I don't think you should go." I was surprised, but I somehow knew she wouldn't like my decision. "Especially not on your own." she added. "It would only make you depressed, and then you'd come back, sadder than before. Then where would we be? Where would I be? I lost your sister, then your mother-my sister...I can't lose you too. You're not going." She almost started crying. "Why...why would you say that? Do you only care about how you feel?" I looked into her eyes. "Oh, I get it." I said, my face turning red. "You only want to keep yourself happy. You don't want me to go because I might get depressed, or I might want to stay there, and something might happen. You don't really care. You just..." I stopped, angry tears filled my eyes. I got up and quickly ran out the front door. "Abeline! Stop!" Aunt Delilah ran after me. I tore off through the woods, no idea where I was headed or where I would end up. She couldn't keep up and was quickly falling behind. I felt like I could run forever on my emotions alone. I saw a familiar creek just a few yards away and headed straight for it; I knew my house was on the other side. I slowed down when I reached the edge of the creek. The water was only a few feet deep, and I knew I could easily jump across. I backed up to get a running go and heard Aunt Delilah calling me. She was close. I ran and jumped, landing safely on the other side of the creek. I had finally made it to my house when I heard a scream. I almost got sick when I realized what had happened. I sprinted back to the creek and saw Aunt Delilah lying still in the water. I called her name, but there was no reply. My anger quickly turned to panic as I jumped in the water and waded over to her. "Aunt Delilah?" I said, hoping she hadn't gotten a concussion from the fall. Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned in pain. "Are you okay?" I asked. I noticed that her arm was bleeding, and it looked broken. "I think I broke my arm." she said when she saw me eyeing it. I slowly picked up her arm to examine it, and she winced in pain. "It's definitely broken." I told her as I checked to make sure she had no other injuries. Everything else seemed to be okay, other than a few cuts and bruises. "We need to get you to a hospital, and fast."