I Wish

Falling Asleep

She falls asleep on Riley's shoulder, and I can read her clearly for the first time. She looks so peaceful. The team leaves the fort one by one, but Riley doesn't want to wake Izzy.

"Set her here," I offer.

Riley complies with a sigh.

After a minute or two, Izzy starts crying in her sleep. I wake her up, but she can't stop crying.

"Shh, shh, Izzy. It's me, Mac. Everything's okay. You're alright. Just breathe."

She wraps her arms around my neck, and I cradle her like a child.

She takes a shaky breath, "Mac... he, he shot them. He shot Aunt Kayla and Nick. Mac, he promised that they would be safe. He promised that they wouldn't get hurt. He PROMISED me, Mac. Mac, he lied to me. Why? Why did he do it?"

She starts crying again as she buries her face into my shoulder. I hold her tight and just let her cry.

My hands find their way into her hair as I tell her, "Izzy, look at me. It was just a dream. And I know that you're scared for them, but it was only a dream. It's alright. Everything is fine. Look at me and tell me that you understand that. Please Izzy. I hate seeing you like this. Please let me know that you understand that it was only a dream."

She looks me in the eyes and nods her head, "I know, but it's scary, Mac. It's terrifying to watch the people who raised you, who have loved you your whole life, get shot through the heart. And, and you run to them, but there's nothing that you can do be-because they're already gone. Mac, they were already gone. I couldn't save them."

My heart breaks a little, but I don't say anything. I don't know what to say anymore. I don't move at all, I just let her cry because I know that this is how she works. Once she gets it all out, she'll be alright.

"Sorry, Mac," she laughs as she wipes the tears away.

"Don't be. I know how much you care about your family. You're probably exhausted, though. Let's get you a bed."

She shakes her head at me before crawling out of the fort. She comes back with two bowls of strawberry ice cream complete with whipped cream and sprinkles.

"Thanks," I whisper as she sets the freezing cold bowl in my hands.

We sit side by side in our little fort eating ice cream as though we were children. We are children lost in the dark again.

She slides closer to me, and my heart starts to beat faster. I set my arm around her shoulder, and she flinches but doesn't pull away. I lean closer to her only to find whipped cream on the tip on my nose. Izzy laughs as I whine about how cold my nose is. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and looks down at the ground. That's the last thing I remember.