Prologue
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around, he was surrounded by a beautiful mountain side and a river between him and another part of the beautiful landscape.
"Hello son," a rough voice called to him. He turned around and gasped at the sight before him, his parents, smiles on their faces, and a look of content in their eyes. They hadn't changed, not since the last time he'd seen them as ghosts.
"Mom? Dad?" Ray whispered in a strained voice.
"Hello sweetheart," Katie said as she moved towards her young son and hugged him tightly.
"My baby, Ray all grown up now. We've been watching you, obviously. We're sorry things happened the way they did, but we loved you Ray." Katie whispered.
"I missed you, Aunt Lois, she did her best, when she could, but she could never tell me the truth of your death, I didn't know until a few months ago you had been murdered. I was in foster homes, I think they knew, they saw me as trouble and dangerous."
"We know son, you've come so far, thank goodness for your friends. We're so very proud of you."
"I'm ready to come home though, to join you," Ray stated.
"No, your aren't Ray, I know you've been through so much pain. You're scared, hurting, but you need to be there, on earth with your friends."
"Ray, please...breath damn you!" came the voice, Peter's voice.
"I just got you back, I will not lose you again!" He cried as he closed his lips around Ray's and breathed in yet another breath into Ray's lungs.
"I can't do it mom," whimpered Ray.
"No Ray, you must face this. We love you, but we want you to fight this, so do your friends."
"Why?"
"Because you are going somewhere Ray. You've got a wonderful future ahead of you, and maybe it won't be coming tomorrow, but it will be coming soon. You're friends will always be there to help you."
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around, he was surrounded by a beautiful mountain side and a river between him and another part of the beautiful landscape.
"Hello son," a rough voice called to him. He turned around and gasped at the sight before him, his parents, smiles on their faces, and a look of content in their eyes. They hadn't changed, not since the last time he'd seen them as ghosts.
"Mom? Dad?" Ray whispered in a strained voice.
"Hello sweetheart," Katie said as she moved towards her young son and hugged him tightly.
"My baby, Ray all grown up now. We've been watching you, obviously. We're sorry things happened the way they did, but we loved you Ray." Katie whispered.
"I missed you, Aunt Lois, she did her best, when she could, but she could never tell me the truth of your death, I didn't know until a few months ago you had been murdered. I was in foster homes, I think they knew, they saw me as trouble and dangerous."
"We know son, you've come so far, thank goodness for your friends. We're so very proud of you."
"I'm ready to come home though, to join you," Ray stated.
"No, your aren't Ray, I know you've been through so much pain. You're scared, hurting, but you need to be there, on earth with your friends."
"Ray, please...breath damn you!" came the voice, Peter's voice.
"I just got you back, I will not lose you again!" He cried as he closed his lips around Ray's and breathed in yet another breath into Ray's lungs.
"I can't do it mom," whimpered Ray.
"No Ray, you must face this. We love you, but we want you to fight this, so do your friends."
"Why?"
"Because you are going somewhere Ray. You've got a wonderful future ahead of you, and maybe it won't be coming tomorrow, but it will be coming soon. You're friends will always be there to help you."