Miles @ Summer Camp Island

Special #1: River Flows In You

I'm currently laying in bed. It's late and I'm up way past when Since Susie called lights out. For the most part I've been just listening to my music on my mp3 player and staring at the wooden raptors above me. It's been a good while, so I shut it off, put it away, and close my eyes. It takes me almost no time to fall asleep now.

In The Dream:

I'm in a wooden room with light grey carpeting. There are doors, but they're just painted on. The room is empty and there is just 1 light fixture. It's just a hanging lightbulb with covered wires. Seeing this I start to panic since I've had this "dream" many times before. Well, it's much more of a reoccurring nightmare.

"What's wrong son," a twisted, deep voice echoes loudly from out of nowhere. And thus the nightmare begins. As the sentence finishes booming I look down. I'm back to 5 year old me, like every time I'm "here."

In a poof of smoke comes a very tall, 6ft. 7in., man. He's in his late 20s. This man has a very thick beard similar to Von Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. His head is of a similar shape. But he has much more sinister looking face. And his hair is a real dark brown and messy, just barely down past his ears.

He's slender but buff at the same time. He has somewhat visible muscles but isn't all that buff, toned is the word I'm looking for. He's wearing his dark velvet red long sleeved shirt with his black dress vest. He has on a pair of black slacks. And he has on a pair of shiny black loafers with black dress socks.

That's my biological father. He's the "monster under my bed" so to speak. My mother divorced him when I was just 5. He did unspeakable things to say the least. He made me some of what I am today.

"G-go away," I sheepishly tell him in my squeaky soprano voice as I try to look for a way out. But I should know better because there's never a way out. He then cackles loudly, spit flying all over the place.

"Now, where's the fun in that," he silently asks me in a creepy tone. He takes a step towards me and I start to tear up and cry.

"Stay away!" More cackling comes on.

"Make me!" He lunges at me, but I dodge him, barely. My tears stop as I run around the room looking for an exit as he chases me. "Hold still squirt! Daddy just wants to give you a nice big hug! You don't want to disappoint mommy, would you?"

"No! Get away! I want my mommy!" My tears come out at full force.

"Big boys don't cry, River!" After another minute or so he catches me. First he pins my legs. Then my arms. His breath is terrible. I try to struggle and break free, but cannot. He leans in closer to my face before...

Outside The Dream:

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, nooo," I screech loudly as I jolt up. My hands are trembling, I'm basically hyperventilating, and my heartbeat is erratic. My stomach is also in knots and I have a bit of a headache. And I'm drenched in sweat as my body shakes violently.

Plus my vision goes blurry for a few seconds. Outside it looks to be day time. As I look at my clock I see it's nearly time for breakfast. But my body is still mostly paralyzed in fear, so I just stay in bed.

"Big brother, did you have a nightmare again," Miles asks as he enters through the back. He's all ready for the day and I'm still in my pajamas. "I was on my way here and then you got loud."

"Yeah. Same as all the others." My voice is still pretty shaky. "You wouldn't understand. It's big kid stuff in my nightmare." He then nods and exits.

"See you at breakfast." I nod as he goes on his way. But I just sit here letting my body settle down. That takes a few minutes.

His smile gives me the determination I need to keep going in life. Without him in my life I'd be mostly empty. Sure I still have my mother, but she put me through a lot for false love. So my opinion of her isn't the greatest, despite the fact that she's a great mom otherwise. And I don't have much feeling for my stepdad who's gone a lot due to his status in the US Navy. Plus not even my music, gaming, or friends back home could fill that void Miles would leave.

Miles is so bright and cheery, like I used to be before my biological father started his tyranny. I still have the drawings from when I was 5 to prove it. Sometimes I'm very jealous of Miles. He's living a childhood without the fear of a terrible father. And he's so happy-go-lucky, which I got to briefly experience before it was mostly taken away from me emotionally.

Anyways, it takes me no time to get dressed and put on my eyeliner. Then I hurry up to breakfast. Every time I have that nightmare I skip my morning exercise. It's just 20 push-ups and 40 sit-ups. Plus running in place for maybe 10 minutes or so.

The line is just me by the time I get there. I just get my usual milk, banana, and dry cereal. In all honesty I can't eat cereal with milk. Never have been able to. Anytime I try I end up throwing up no matter what the cereal or type/brand of milk.

"What was with that screaming earlier," Oscar asks as I sit down with Miles. "We were on our way here when we heard you screeching." I sigh and lower my head, propping it up on my hands as my elbows are propped on the table.

"Long story short, I sometimes get intense nightmares about my birth father. I refuse to speak about this more with Miles around."

"Maybe you should speak to someone like a psychiatrist about this," Hedgehog suggests as I sigh and eat my dry cereal by hand.

"You don't think I've seen someone about this?!" I snap, lift my head up, and slam my hands on the table. My milk almost spills in the process.

"Sheesh, I was just trying to help."

"Calm down big brother." Miles is right. I need to calm down, so I take a few deep breaths as he hugs me to try and calm me down.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that, just like you shouldn't help with problems you don't know the full story to." We then continue with our breakfast...