Hey :) This is a new account for me so thought I'd get started with this idea. It came from 'The Secret Life of Bees', which if you're familiar with, I'm sure you'll make links in the future. Hope you enjoy it and reviews are greatly appreciated.
"Just tell me what happened in the dream, sweetie," my mother whispered soothingly into my hair whilst patting my back. We lay huddled together on my small single bed, cocooned in batman blankets as was the case following most of my nightmares. I'd startled awake about half an hour ago and instantly called for her. I'm a nine year old boy that still needs his Mum to get past bad dreams, so what?
"They were just coming through the garden…it was like that invasion movie I watched with Dad," I'm shaking and although my mind can differentiate dreams from reality, what takes place in my subconscious stays implanted in my mind beyond the point of waking up.
I always found it strange that after a really good dream, I'd forget certain parts or situations. Yet after every nightmare the events remained imprinted in my brain. These nightmares however were of the recurring kind. It's the same every time.
Our house is in the countryside – apparently my dad never enjoyed the hustle bustle of the city and my mum followed him out of love. Unfortunately for me, the garden we have has no definite ending, just a few precariously placed boulders and then a stretch of woodland. It's that stretch of undergrowth that really gets my mind going.
Ever since I was a child I can remember staring into the trees and my imagination would get the best of me. Be it the scary man we'd see in the grocery store to the goblins in my story books, each had their own respective place in the woods beyond my garden. I knew that they weren't there, I told myself so every night before going to sleep. That however, did not stop them from paying me a visit in my dreams; dreams that would quickly become nightmares.
"I know they're not real, Mum. It's just…" I trail of, frustrated that my mind continued to let me down like this.
"Kurt, I'm going to tell you something your grandfather told me when I was your age. You see, I had nightmares to-"
"You had nightmares as well?" I gasped, I don't know why this shocked me but for a child, your parents are superheroes and any sign of weakness just seems absurd. My revelation however, didn't bode well with Mum causing me to bow my head at her reprimanding eyes.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, "I whisper before chancing a glance at her face, "but did you really have nightmares?" She smiles at me and nods and I don't know why but with that small snippet of information I feel a little better. If Mum can get past them then so can I.
"My nightmares were similar to yours. Creatures of different varieties would just pop up in my dreams. Frightened me to death they did," she says dramatically, "if it weren't for Grandpa and what he told me, I'd never have dealt with them. My, I'd go as far to say you'd probably have to come cuddle me for I'd still be having those nightmares."
I lose myself in the picture she paints before suddenly realising there's probably more to the story, "what did Grandpa tell you?"
"He said, Lizzie," she puts on a deep voice just like Grandpa and I cover my mouth trying to keep the laughter in, "when I was your age, your grandmother would tell me something-"
"Wait, isn't that basically what you just said to me?" I interject confused. Mum opens her mouth a little and then closes it before chuckling.
"I'm telling the truth! Your Grandpa did say that. However, much like yourself, I noticed the similarity in what my grandfather and yours had said."
I pause, trying to understand what my Mum is saying, "that's pretty confusing."
"It is, isn't it, Kurt? But perhaps you can find a link in tonight and all those years ago when I had nightmares."
Always a fan of riddles and puzzles, I think over the conversation again. Suddenly it hits me and I smile widely at my mother.
"We've all had nightmares?" Mum smiles and nods before rising from the bed to tuck me in.
"Yes, sweetie. Everyone has nightmares. You, me, everyone on the planet."
"Dad doesn't have nightmares," I state proudly to which mum says; "oh I'm sure he did at one point."
"Kurt, what I'm trying to say is that we all have nightmares. They're the little problems we have to deal with sometimes at night. But remember this, just like your Grandpa, I got past my nightmares. And soon you will to, you just need to realise that what's in your head will remain there until you have the courage to face these demons head on. That's a pretty tall order though, huh?"
I nod slowly, not wanting in the slightest to face any demon head on, imaginary or not. Mum pauses for a moment, picking one of my bears from the floor to hand to me, "how about we build a wall?"
"A wall?"
"Yes, a wall. It's the woods that scare you and why shouldn't they? They're open to the garden and quite frankly, I like the idea of a wall down there. Maybe it'll ward of any animals from my vegetable patches," Mum muses, suddenly excited about this idea.
"But wouldn't we need to go near the woods to do that," I ask, suddenly not all that keen on the idea at all.
"Why yes, yes we will. And in doing so, we'll overcome that fear of yours."
I puff my chest out slightly; proud that Mum believes I'm strong enough to do this. She smiles at me and kisses my forehead, "I love you, sweetie."
"I love you more," I chatter back, already beginning to fall asleep.
"Impossible."
One year later
"Whoa, easy there, Kurt. Where's the fire?" Dad plants one of his hands of my head and in the strangest way, rotates my body. I stop suddenly and roll my eyes, hitching my hand onto my hip; mum would be proud that I've close to perfected her 'don't be silly' look.
"Daaaad, you know today mum and I are putting the last stone onto the wall. She got someone to carve our names into it! Isn't that exciting?" I'm close to bouncing of the walls. It's been one whole year since Mum suggested project wall and today we'll finally be finishing it.
At the beginning the nightmares still plagued my dreams but as the months went on they became less frequent and now I'm proud to say I don't have them at all. The woods are still a little scary but mum helped me replace the old memories of a dark, mysterious forest with our new and much happier memories.
Mum went to lift a big rock and I gasped in mock fury, "my lady! Please let me."
She giggled at me and motioned with her arm for me to take the rock instead. I lifted the beast – which was a lot heavier than it looked – and hobbled over to our uncompleted wall and then, rather unceremoniously dropped the rock onto the pile.
"Why, whatever would I do without my strong Prince?" I agreed with her wholeheartedly and continued to boast my strength before my eye caught movement coming from the woods.
I froze at the possibility of what it could be and was close to running into the house in search of Dad until I hear a familiar melody.
Arising from my stupor, I watched as mum made a line between the garden and the woods that would guide us where to put the rocks. She continued to sing and it wasn't long before I was joining in.
I had forgotten all about the movement in the woods.
Ever since that day, Mum would make time to sing with me and would teach me more about music. It wasn't long before project wall was only one of our projects. At first, Dad seemed a little sad that my chosen activities were not more sport orientated so occasionally I would sit in the living room with him to watch one of his football games and would throw in a half-hearted 'woo hoo' now and then. He did however, enjoy helping out with project wall and would sometimes bring home big rocks or he would get us snacks from the kitchen when we were working.
"Uh huh, and I suppose you've been doing all the heavy lifting?" He raises an eyebrow causing me to huff and slouch at what he's suggesting.
"I'm strong now, Dad! Ten years old, mum just helps with the really big rocks," dad nods appraisingly and goes to ruffle my hair before rethinking the action – and rightly so – to pat my shoulder, "that's my boy."
"How about after you finish that wall, you and I can throw the ball around? Actually, hold that thought, I think I can hear the phone ringing," I whisper my thanks to the phone gods, this outfit does not agree with dirt at all.
Mum should really be home by now.
I go to sit on the stairs, eagerly awaiting Mum's arrival until suddenly I hear a clatter in the kitchen and my Dad's voice, rising in volume until I can hear him loud and clear.
"I'll be there in a minute!" My dad barges out of the kitchen and I jump to my feet at his urgency. Then I notice the dread on his face and I just know something is wrong.
"It's Mum, she's been in an accident and we've got to get to the hospital now!" I don't hesitate to run after him out the door and for once, don't comment on the ridiculous speed he pushes the car to. My arms are rigid and my feet are bouncing. I glance at Dad and quickly look away again, not wanting to ever see that expression on his face again.
We arrive at the hospital in record time, I follow Dad to the building entitled 'accident and emergency' and it's not long before he's banging on the front desk. The woman nods towards the door wearily where a doctor emerges looking even more exhausted.
It's not good news. Even I can tell that before he has anything to say.
I walk over to a chair in the corner and sit down, staring blankly at the scene in front of me and only manage to catch snippets of the conversation between Dad and the doctor."…car crash…drunk driver…didn't make it." It isn't until the end of the conversation that I start to pay more attention.
"Mr Hummel, there was one thing our team retrieved from the crash. There was a package in the backseat of the car your wife was in, we have it here if…" I walk over to my Dad and stand as silent support by his side before putting my bravest face on.
"Can we have it please?" My voice trembles and I'm sure there are tear tracks down my cheeks but I know in my heart that I need to be strong for Dad.
The doctor regards me with a look I'm not familiar with, he almost looks sad, "of course, let me just get it for you."
He walks away leaving Dad and I alone. We're both too stunned to grasp our emotions but it doesn't take long for him to grasp on to me like a lifeline. I don't say anything and neither does he. The waterfall of tears I've been holding in finally escape and I let out a mighty sob, my body is rattling with the ferocity of each gasp and I can hear similar noises coming from Dad. I refuse to believe that he's in a similar state to me. Not him. Mum and Dad are my superheroes, the strongest people on the planet. This isn't supposed to happen. I blink furiously, wanting more than anything for this to be like the nightmares I used to have. But this isn't a nightmare. This is real life and this mere thought leaves me in hysterics.
My mother is dead.
The doctor enters the room with the package and I know instantly that it's the final rock for the wall.
"We have to finish it, Dad. We've got to finish the wall," I can feel him nod tiredly before he releases me to take the box from the doctor who is standing awkwardly at the door.
+BREAK+
Rain lashes at the windscreen on the journey home but neither of us pays the weather any mind. As we approach the house, I grab the box, ready to head straight to the wall. I jump out of the car, not caring that the resulting splash will have surely ruined my new trousers. Dad follows me down the path and when we reach the wall I begin to find it hard telling my tears and the rain apart. Memories ambush my mind as I trudge to the place I'd spent the most time with my mother in the last year.
Dad offers to help me lift the heavy rock out of the package but I refuse silently, instead emitting another tremble from the force of my sobs. I appraise the rock before setting it down:
Prince Kurt and Princess Lizzie
Nightmare Busters
I hold in the next bout of tears. Come on, Kurt. You've got to do this, for Mum.
I feel Dad's hand grasp my shoulder; much like he had done earlier that day and it gives me the strength to lift the rock onto its designated section of the wall.
"There, Mum. We finally finished it."