FOREST OF THE LOST

PART EIGHTEEN

31.

Being honest with himself and prior to heading into this madness, Terrence did not know what to fully expect. He couldn't really have even known of what to perhaps only half expect. He may have had thoughts and beliefs though it could have been possible that nothing at all would come his way, the possibility of nothing is something he did not believe. One way or another something was always going to happen and indeed a lot has happened. One thing or rather one person he did not expect to see within the place he has got himself to would have been his father.

Why not expect this though? Like those of whom Terrence knows of, and so many others that he could not be aware of, who are lost within a world set aside for the lost, wasn't it more than possible that Terrence himself by stepping foot inside this world could and would become missing to those who know him? His parents would simply not just forget about him or leave him lost in a place he was destined to lose himself within.

'Dad?' Terrence speaks being as confused and surprised as he has ever been.

'Son.'

The two embrace tightly as if either one was to let go then the other would be lost for all time. This may or may not be fact, nothing is clear right now.

'Son, you need to come home. Your mother is not doing so well.'

'What do you mean she is not doing so well?' Terrence asks while taking a step or two backwards.

'She has been bed bound these past couple of months. Doctor McEvoy says ... well he says ... you know.'

'He says what?'

It is clear to Terrence that his father is choking up more than a little bit and that in turn tells him that his mother is running out of time. He doesn't get to question things any further as things are really to get strange in this moment. Having already in a way been in a situation where from being in this park ... he was allowed to head home, if it can be said that home was somewhere he went by choice, only to find himself back right where he is, and odd as things are ... another change in location is about to arise.

This shift in time and space is going to take him away from his father, it will disrupt the conversation they are trying to have, and it is preventing Terrence from properly finding out about his mother's well-being. The previous shift he experienced, going back to his bedroom on a stormy night, now seems as if he had been sent on a test run. He feels this to be true ... but a test run for what? He might be about to find that out.

This shift begins in a bout of flashes. He is with his father then he is somewhere else for a fraction of a second then back with his father again, a momentary flash of being somewhere else entirely hits. This happens a couple times only for it to be over before it is to ... settle.

'What is happening to you?' Lawrence asks, observing his son fade in and out of ... reality, if such can be said as to what is happening at this time.

Terrence again is gone momentarily then back again; this occurs twice more in quick succession.

'I don't know,' Terrence answers.

These flashes ... fades ... happen again two times, three times, four times then it comes to an apparent halt leaving his position in some other place to become at least, for the time being, somewhat permanent. This other place, Terrence recognizes it. It is a place he knows, or rather knew well some time ago. When he went home or had been sent home previously and momentarily, he went back a day in time from where he knew he should have been prior to coming through the park entrance.

This time the place he has come to be in is the butcher store he had worked in when he was sixteen years of age. He can sense it; feel it to the point he is sure that he has also come back to that time period. What Terrence is thankful for is that he has remained himself completely. He has not returned physically to his youth; he is not back to being sixteen years old and it would also soon appear that he is not expected to perform any of the tasks that had been expected to perform in this place all those years ago.