The Gift: A TAWOG Story

Chapter 32: The Final Visit Part 3 - The Love

It was dark out as Gumball found himself at the top of Gallagher's Peak, the place his parents used to take him ever since he was a kitten. He realized he was still in his hospital gown, remembering he was still in his mother's mind, her dream, but nervous as to what it would throw at him next.

He paced around nervously thinking for a moment, hesitant to even look up or forward again as a jumpscare could pop up any any moment, but moments went by, nothing happened. He began to realize that his mother was telling the truth, that he was no longer in the dark corners of her mind, but in the glowing bright center, the heart of her mind. He then felt ashamed that once again he doubted if his mother was telling the truth. He felt ashamed that he had to remind himself that his mother would never lie to him.

The only sounds he heard were the crickets chirping. Gumball finally gathered the bravery to look up at the night sky. It illuminated beautifully with all the stars as if he could make out the Milky Way galaxy. It was truly the most breathtaking night sky he had ever seen, complete with a huge bright full moon. Below the moon, he saw the Elmore skyline off in the distance, about as bright as the stars. He remained alone, and despite being able to see Elmore off into the distance, he turned around and could no see anything past ten feet in front of him, which was weird to him considering the night sky would have lit the way for him. While he tried to reassure himself that nothing was going to happen, nothing scary or nightmarish, the darkness in front of him nevertheless freaked him out. However, the worst thing he could do was scream and run, he thought, as that has previously gotten him nowhere. At the same time, though, he was not sure what was going to happen next, or even whether it was safe again to call out to his mother. Despite the still lingering unpredictability of this strange realm that showcases Elmore off in the distance on a peaceful starry night, he nevertheless tried.

"Mom?!" Gumball called. "I thought you said we were gonna have fun! Where are you?!" He got no response. "Mom?! Mom?!" He kept calling her as he walked forward, gazing up at the night sky with all the stars. What he did not watch was his step, and he soon mistook a step and tripped and fell over the edge of the cliff. Screaming all the way down, his heart stopped as he though there would be no more tricks or scares and anything nightmarish, yet he continued to fall and scream, realizing the sharp, rugged rocks that lay below him. "I guess this is it," Gumball thought as he closed his eyes and braced for impact.

An impact, a thud, a hard hit to the ground, he never felt. Instead, he felt weightless.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the ground below his feet. It had stopped moving towards him. He then noticed his feet were glowing, and they were not even touching the ground. He realized he was floating!

Gumball gasped in excitement and lifted himself upwards back to the height of the cliff. A feeling he had never felt before hit him as he continued to defy gravity. He decided to keep going up. Further and further up, higher than the cliff, higher than the tallest tree near the cliff, higher than that. Soon, he realized was about as high as the birds flew. This thought gave him an idea. He tilted his body forward so that he was laying on his stomach in thin air in his hospital gown. He then spread out his arms and thrusted himself forward.

Within an instant, he started gliding. Gumball continued to glide further and further away from the peak, over the valley and the Elmore Turnpike. He then looked up to get a better view of the stars, flipping onto his back as he kept gliding. Having so much fun, he began doing backflips and forward flips and twirling like a ballerina as he levitated higher and higher. He kept his eyes closed as he was having the time of his life.

"What are you doing, sweetie?" said a voice Gumball knew deep in his heart and was so thrilled to finally hear. He opened his eyes and saw his mother floating in front of him in her hospital gown.