Breaking

Crimson Rays

Leo tossed and turned in his bed as his dreams forced him to relieve the day that started it all.

"Mama, can you please buy me that stuffed hamster?", seven-year-old Leo pleaded. His mother's eyes, the same color as his own, twinkled with laughter:

"But baby, I just bought you one. This pink one," she picked up the stuffed animal and tickled the boy's face with it, causing a fit of giggles from the small boy.

"Yes, but that's a pink one, and it's lonely, besides, I'm sick. Please mama?" His mother smiled, Leo rarely asked for anything; he had always been a quiet boy who kept his thoughts to himself. So she couldn't help but relent to those begging puppy eyes that he was giving her.

"Ok Leo, I'll send one of the boys to get it."

"No mama, you have to get it, otherwise it isn't as special, please?"

"Alright, I'll get it, but you have to promise me that you will go to sleep after this so that you can get better." Leo vigorously nodded his head, and buried himself under his blankets:

"See mama, I'm going to sleep!" he chirped, peeking up at her.

"That's my boy." With that, she got up and went out to buy her son his stuffed animal.

Leo shot straight up out of bed:

"Mama!" he yelled out. Sweat drenched his forehead, plastering his dark hair against it. Leo, still half-asleep, began to stumble around his room, she had been there, not too long ago, where was she? He frantically looked in every corner of his room; he turned his light on to aid in his search. That's when he realized, she was gone, no matter how many times that he searched, he wouldn't find her, she was gone.

Tears fell to the ground, and not long after that, so did he. He sobbed into his hands, it felt as though he had lost her again. He wanted to go back to his dreams, at least there he could fool himself into believing that she was still alive. The dark-eyed boy could not ignore the pain in his heart any longer. "Mama!" He screamed out in his tears once again. "Mama! Please come back!" Leo stood there, head thrown back, not caring if he cried anymore, not caring as sobs wracked his body. He stood like that for a long time, who knew for how many minutes or hours.

Dawn let its crimson rays shine through the window, falling upon the curled figure that lay shaking on the floor. As Leo opened his eyes his eyes caught sight of the colored sky outside. Leo forced himself up from the ground, the last memory of his mother had shaken him; it had been so long since he had thought about his mother like that, but he didn't fall back into darkness again. She wouldn't have wanted it, and Leo had come too far. Maybe, now that the shock of his dream had worn off, maybe it was a blessing to remember, that beautiful smile she had, and the way she cared for his happiness.

"Mama? If you're listening, I wish to apologize. It must have been painful for you to see me wish that I was dead, but I'm better now. I have friends, they love me, and I love them. I'm glad that I met them." Leo gave a small smile. "Well, I'd better get ready to go to school Mama."

Leo arrived at school earlier than it was open. He was content with that, however, something had finally clicked with Leo; he couldn't quite explain it. It was like one of those "oh" moments, when somehow, someway, the very issue that you struggle with for ages just suddenly makes sense. Leo was seeing his life in a whole new way now: colors were brighter, winds softer, and life more beautiful. Thus Leo sat on one of the picnic benches, staring up at the sky, and that's when it came to him, lyrics for the competition's song. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a pencil and notebook. He instantly began to furiously compose, letting the words flow out of his mind like a torrent.