Short One Shots

Can The Dead Dream?

"Walter hit me again this morning. Sheryl was busy with her makeup. I'm not sure why he did it this time. I think I looked too happy." I hated these therapy sessions. It's not like the therapist even liked me, he was just pretending for the money.

"Your parents, they don't like you happy?" That was an understatement. 5 weeks of therapy sessions and he's still asking stupid questions. Of course they don't like me happy. They don't like me at all.

"Frankly, I don't view them as my parents anymore. They don't fit the title. It's why I stopped calling them "Father" and "Mother". And no, they don't like me happy. I'm not too sure why, they just never have." This isn't a lie. I've asked them before why they hate me but they never give me a real reason. Instead they just use the reasoning that I'm "pathetic" and "worthless" but they don't ever explain why.

He wrote something down on the stupid notepad I always see him with. He can tell I find this pointless, yet continues anyway. "You seem tired today, Lydia." A question hidden in a statement, hidden in plain sight.

"I suppose I am. It's tiring, being alone. Having nothing but your thoughts to listen to. Sleep is the best time of my day, it is. Dreaming of anything your mind can conjure, like an escape to a different world. Sometimes I wonder if the dead dream." I think about that a lot. What it would be like to be dead. He's probably already aware of this though, what with my last attempt.

"And what exactly do you dream of, Lydia?" An interesting question, I'll admit that.

"I dream of a different world, a world where I'm not alone. I have these friends, a girl named Taylor and a boy named Carter. We're all really close and it's nice, having people who don't hate you. I go to school like a normal person except there's no bullying and I go home to find parents that actually care about me. Complete opposite to reality." Sometimes I wish that this world could be real, but I always wake up to my alarm yelling at me to go to my stupid therapy.

"And what stops you from making that a reality, Lydia?" I stay silent after that. That was a completely stupid question. How could I have parents that care about me when I'm stuck with my biological ones. How could I be free of bullying when I'm stuck at this stupid school that hates me. The only way I could ever have friends, is if I leave this hell town immediately after I turn eighteen, which is still in a year.

~~~~

School was the exact same as always. At least it's Friday, so I can have the weekend to hopefully relax. At the end of the school day I get attacked in the hallway like always. The teachers see but never do anything. Why would they? It's just me.

People gradually leave as they start to get bored, until no one is left. I'm crouched on the floor staring blankly ahead of me. I think I'm going to take a walk. I have a lot of things to try and forget from today. Sheryl told me to go to the party with her but she should just learn I'm never gonna be her golden child. Besides, I'm definitely not going after what happened last time.

One foot in front of the other, I make my way to my safe spot. The place I go to when life is too difficult to handle. Too harsh to process. I sit down on the tree stump that is just barely away from the edge of the cliff. I look down and see the waves, knowing that one mistake could leave me dead at the bottom. I don't care, though. It has a calming atmosphere. Like the whisper of a possible death.

~~~~

Sitting on a park bench, I watch as Taylor and Carter approach me. Taylor with her childlike expression and Carter calm and relaxed. Although Carter always has been a quiet one.

"I'm dreaming? I don't remember falling asleep?" It's not usual for me to sleep at the cliffs edge, but I honestly don't remember closing my eyes. What happened?

"What are you talking about silly? You're not asleep" Now I'm confused. Taylor never lies to me, even if she isn't aware of my reality. Even if she isn't aware that she's not real. Maybe I'm not dreaming? Maybe the horrific hellhole I lived in was actually a nightmare and this is my reality? No. I'm certain this is a dream. The memories of what happened at the cliffs edge come back in a blink. But you know what? I'm actually okay with what happened. It was bound the happen sooner or later, it just happened to be sooner.

Lydia finally had an answer to her question. The dead can dream. They just don't wake up.

But that's okay... she didn't want to anyway. She was much happier 'asleep'.