XXIII
My Dream
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A/n: the man singing is Gar and the woman singing is Raven

~~~

My eyes pop open and I'm on my knees in a super hero-style pose. What's happening? This place is so...empty. It's just a black space. Why am I getting the feeling that I should run?

I hear footsteps coming from behind me. Yep time to run!! My feet start moving and I bolt. I'm not sure who or what it is but I don't care.

Wait, I'm still in my PJ's?

"Raaaveen...don't run away from me..." Says the person behind me.

No way...That can't be Jackson...can it? Why is he chasing me? I turn around to look and...it is... This is...this doesn't...this doesn't make any sense!

He's...in old clothes. Only an old white shirt, ripped up jeans, and his socks. His hair's a mess too. That look on his face...it's terrifying...

I get a chill up my spine and keep going. How long am I supposed to go? When will he let me go? This is insane...

"Raven!" He calls out to me again. "You can't ever run away from me you know. I'll always be a few steps behind you..." I feel him grab at my baggy pajama pants to prove his point and I almost jump out of my skin and trip. Thank God I kept my footing.

I don't...what do I...should I stop? Should I keep running? Should I answer back to him? Nothing is making any sense!! Someone help me please...I can't keep doing this...

I feel my energy drain from my body as I try to continue, his footsteps only becoming closer and more violent as he catches up with me.

Is that a light? I'm...not so sure if that's a good thing actually. I guess I have no choice. I muster up the last remaining bit of energy I have and try to make it to the light. Only to be stopped by what the light is illuminating. It's a giant, seemingly endless pool of cloudy, calm water.

It's dark, and the lights only light up the top of the water because it's so cloudy. Though it doesn't look like there's a bottom to it one way or the other... Evetything about it is just so many levels of unsettling.

Woah!! A giant push of wind almost pushes me straight into the water.

He's right behind me, not even an inch between us. I can feel it. I'm so very close to leaning right up on him. I freeze, from what exactly I'm not sure. My heart jumps to a new level of fast heartbeats and my breaths shorter up. I bite my lip waiting for him to do something, but he does nothing. He's...just standing there... I can feel his heavy breath on the back of my neck...  This is so unnerving.

"Raven." His voice is raspy, like he's been yelling into a mic for hours. Paralyzed with the uncertainty of what I'll see if I do turn around, I don't reply. "Raven!" I wince. He begins to yell and it makes me even more anxious. "RAVEN." He grabs my shoulders and whips me around. Now I've got a good look at his face. And...I...how do I process this...?

His eyes are faded and pale, devoid of all life, it almost looks like he's blind.  He grips my shoulders so tightly, like...like he needs me to balance himself. But the most shocking part is that there's thing giant bullet hole in his head. The fatal shot that killed him...is still there... The dried blood streams go over and around his nose  and down to his lips.

"Wh-what?" I finally answer him. I'm not so sure I want him to reply though.

"Something requires your attention." He says simply.

"What? What do you–" Brings his hands to my face and pulls it towards his, connecting our lips. My face heats up and it feels like my heart is about to explode out of my chest. I am so close to hyperventilating.

What is he doing?! I quickly push him off of me– why am I falling?

Oh.

I forgot about the water.

I catch sight of his eyes as I fall, and now they have their color. He gives me a warm smile and I hit the water.  As soon as he appeared, he disappears behind the veil of grey that is this water.

I sink and sink, slowly letting water into my mouth and into my lungs. But I don't feel like I'm dying. This feels just like I'm breathing air. I breath in, taking in more water, then exhale, instantly calming myself somehow. Only one bubble forms and sails back to the top of the pool, proving that there's no more air.

I think about what I should do, and my emotions start to swirl around in my head like a tornado. Just as haphazardly as they do during the day.  Things  regarding Jackson, Gar, Adam, Domino and Ike, they all fly to and fro in mind, never ceasing.

What do I do now? Just sit here?  Do I swim back up to the top? Or do I just keep sinking?

The decision is made for me. I fall out of the water into an endless sea of soft, white, fluffy clouds. This serene setting calms me , and I simply let myself again fall further and further uncontrollably. Knowing I can't do anything, I close my eyes and just accept the fall.

Until...I stop?

I open my eyes and I'm suspended in the air. I look under me and I still have quite a ways to go before I hit any semblance of ground.  I'm flying? This feels...amazing!

Now being able to control my actions in the sky, I soar around like a bird. Free of all my worries and fears.

I love this! If only I could fly on my own all the time! This would make life so much...easier?

Is that someone yelling? I look around, and I spot someone else exit the water above me. Someone else is falling! And they don't look to be having as easy as a time I was. They're screaming and carrying on the whole way down.

I go and catch them and–

"Gar?!"

As soon as I say his name I get wobbly. I can't quite control this new power anymore, and I let go of him by accident!

Shit no!! No!!

"Gar!"

She wakes up in a panic. Sweat starting to form on her skin. And all she can muster out is, "I dropped him..."

The hell is this? An airplane? Why am I in the cockpit?? I can't fly a jet!

There's so many damn buttons. There's the one that starts the engine, and that one lowers the wheels. That brings up the wheels, isn't this the auto pilot? Altitude, lift guage, the radar– wait? How do I–?

Oh who cares its a freaking jet! Ha! Never gonna get this chance again!

I start up the jet and the engine roars to life. I immediately take off, excited to get into the air.

Man flying is awesome!! Having total control of this giant machine is so cool! When did I learn how to pilot a jet anyways?

I start doing loops and tricks in the air, trying to top myself every time. Maybe I should become a pilot instead of a game designer. Now I want to play a plane simulator game or something, haha! I don't think anything will beat the real thing though.

Woah!! Something just hit the plane! I check the radar and there's a little red dot behind the symbol representing my jet. Another plane? Why don't these damn things have rearview mirrors?

Crap they're firing again!! I barrel roll out of the way, only to fly into another missile.

"Shit!" I shout as the alarm starts beeping. I don't even know where I am. How would I even land?!

Static comes from the radio. After firing back at them I mess with the radio to try and get a clear sound. Aha! Got it!

"Can you protect yourself Gar?" Huh? "I know you can hear me. Answer me." The voice is soft and sweet, friendly in every way, but still creepy and forceful at the same time. No way...

"Mom?" I'm...surprised I recognize her voice...its been so long...

"Can you protect yourself Gar?" A different voice repeats what she just said. This one's a man's voice. The pitch isn't super low, but it's not super high either. Actually...his voice sounds like a deeper version of mine...

"Dad?!" What the hell is happening?!

"Answer us!!" He orders.

"Yes! I can!!" I scream into the radio. Then the creepiest laugh fills the cockpit.

"Then let's see if you can follow up on that." Two different voices say. A boy and a girl. Domino and Ike...

Wait that didn't come from the radio! I whip around and the two bastards are sitting behind me. Both with that smug look on their face. Domino has a stick of dynamite in her hand and a match. She lights the match on the wall and then lights the dynamite. And of course the bitch throws it in the one spot I can't get it. Behind their seats. God. Dammit.

I panic and look around for the eject button but I can't find it. Then I realize that I no longer have any clue as to what any of these buttons do.

The explosion turns the jet I was in into tiny little bits and pieces and makes me fly off into the empty sky. I feel my skin and my clothes burn from the shrapnel and the flame.

Shouldn't I be unconscious? I feel like I should be from a blast like that. Internally I'm freaking out and my mind is going all kinds of different places.

What if I hit the ground?! How far up am I?! Why were those two even there?! Why were mom and dad there?! They're dead!!

But my body...my body is just falling. My mind reels in confusion as I simply watch as the clouds pass me by. Now I don't have any control of what's happening... I'm at the mercy of the wind, of gravity, and of whatever or whoever else I meet up here.

Is that water? It is! At least I get a soft landing!

Hold on, didn't Dr. Ross say something about water molecules and—

OW!!!! That was NOT A SOFT LANDING!!!!

Ugh...now I remember...he said that falling into water from a high height would feel like concrete without the proper protective wear...damn...

I try and swim up to the surface after recovering from slamming my body into concrete and–gahh!! Why's the water so rough?? Is a storm coming or something?

The waves throw me around like a ball, playing catch with eachother. And one giant wave pushes me right back under the waves. I don't think I'll be swimming back up...

I look around. The water is unbelievably cloudy and dirty. I can hardly see my hand right in front of my face. But other than me (as far as I can tell, which isn't much) there doesn't look to be anyone else here. I don't seem to be sinking though. Just kinda hovering a few feet below the surface of the water. I'm not treading water. How am I floating here?

"Can you protect yourself, Gar?" My parents' words harass me. It's the same thing I keep asking myself... But why did they say it? It's not like they'd know... How could they?

"Can you protect yourself, Gar?"

"The dynamite...dammit! Again! I couldn't do it again! How much you wanna bet I won't be able to do it when Adam comes to kill me too?!" I say aloud.

...

Great...now I'm talking to myself. I'm going to ignore the fact that I'm speaking perfectly clearly under water. That's the least of my worries right now. I'm literally this close to actually punching myself. See if I can protect myself from that.

...

Which I'd be able to because I'm doing it to myself. Grrr use common sense for Pete's sake, Gar!!

Oh... What's happening? The water is starting to clear up. I look up and there's and outstretched hand reaching out to me. The water is clearing from the hand.

Are they trying to...help me? Why? I don't deserve any help. Especially not now. Just let me sit here. I shake my head at the hand, indicating how I stand on the situation.

The hand gestures for me to grab it. Persistent hand.

Well...its better than being down here forever I guess.

I take hold of the hand and it's...comforting. Comforting and familiar strangely enough. The person heaves me out of the water and after I shake off the water I look up to see my helper.

It's...Raven... she's wearing a long, beautiful white dress and smiling at me. God I love that smile. I practically love for it. I smile back at her and she uses her other hand to lift me further out of the water.

Wait a second, is she...standing on the water?!?

Gar's eyes slowly open. He jumps at the sudden flash of light and lightning crash from outside. All of a sudden the sky opens up and rain pours down onto the roof. He gets out of the bed and walks slowly to the window. He looks down the street, trying to spy Raven's house. Not that he can. His window's never been in a position to see any more of her house than the back porch and a little bit of the roof. But his phone was what drew him away from the window. It rang of Raven's ringtone. He quickly checked the time before he answered.

It was three in the morning.

"Gar? Are you in the mood to just...talk?"

~~~

Double update again! I had so much fun doing the dreams. Also for the photo on the top, the one on the left is mine. I edited that together myself. The one on the right was made by someone else.

This is the website I used to make this chapter: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4504512

I'm only putting it because 1) some websites say different things and I don't want people getting the wrong idea if they decide to look up 'what does a _____ dream mean?' 2) It doesn't give away all of what the dreams mean so it still leaves you guys room to come up with your own ideas ;).

I hope you guys enjoyed! Bye!

~Rae

Word Count: 2481