A/N: So this was supposed to be the chapter where Seth comes back in
a dream and joy and happiness abound. But that isn't what happened. Seth's
dead, and I'm warning you now, he won't be back in any way, shape, or form.
Chapter 15:
When Ryan's phone rang early Wednesday morning it could only be one of two people.
"Hey. What's going on?" He answered the phone as if it was an average call and not a phone call at 3am on the one-week anniversary of his brother's death.
The gasping sobs of pain enabled Ryan to identify his caller. He was pretty sure that Summer would never call him until she was perfectly confused.
"Anna, sweetie, it's okay. You can talk to me," Ryan comforted his friend. She was too distraught to wonder how he had identified her.
"No Ryan, it's really not," her voice was breathless and full of pain.
"What happened?" Ryan hoped his tone was soothing.
"I...had a dream. About Seth," Anna hesitated.
"That's..." Ryan wasn't sure why Anna would be upset by a Seth dream, "...nice?"
"No it really wasn't at all," Anna stated. "More nightmare than dream, actually."
"Sorry," Ryan offered awkwardly. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I was in the middle of the ocean, just standing on the water. It was a pretty day and then all of the sudden the sky turned black and the sea got rough. There was a flash of lightning and then Seth was standing there in front of me. I was so excited. I went to hug him, but he threw a lightning bolt at me. He was furious, and by then it was raining. I was soaked, but Seth was completely dry. He kept throwing lightning at me, but it all missed. I tried to get closer to him, but he started to cry and then I couldn't move. Somehow I caught a bolt of lightning and I could feel how angry he was at me. He wanted me dead. He thought it should have been me. I let go of the lightning and it zoomed back towards Seth. The lightning bolt went straight into his chest. I killed Seth. He hates me and I killed him!" Anna was agitated again.
"Anna," Ryan's voice was stern. "Seth loved you. You're his best friend and he loved you."
"His face," Anna sniffled, "you should have seen the hatred on his face."
"It was a dream," Ryan said gently. "I know you feel guilty for being alive when Seth's not, I do too, but Seth's dying was no one's fault."
"I know. My head knows," Anna corrected herself. "My heart's pretty confused right now."
"Mine too," Ryan thought but didn't say. Aloud he replied, "We'll get through this Anna. It'll be okay."
"You think?" Anna was dubious.
"Eventually, things will be okay," Ryan stated again. "What about you Anna? Are you okay?"
"Not really," Anna sighed. "It's late though. I'll let you get to bed."
"No," Ryan protested. "If you still need to talk, let's talk."
"You don't have to-"
"I want to Anna," Ryan interrupted. "You're my friend and I really want to help you be okay."
"Are you sure?" Anna was hesitant.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Ryan told her. "Just accept my help and say 'thank you'."
"Okay," Anna took a deep breath, "Thank you, Ryan."
Chapter 15:
When Ryan's phone rang early Wednesday morning it could only be one of two people.
"Hey. What's going on?" He answered the phone as if it was an average call and not a phone call at 3am on the one-week anniversary of his brother's death.
The gasping sobs of pain enabled Ryan to identify his caller. He was pretty sure that Summer would never call him until she was perfectly confused.
"Anna, sweetie, it's okay. You can talk to me," Ryan comforted his friend. She was too distraught to wonder how he had identified her.
"No Ryan, it's really not," her voice was breathless and full of pain.
"What happened?" Ryan hoped his tone was soothing.
"I...had a dream. About Seth," Anna hesitated.
"That's..." Ryan wasn't sure why Anna would be upset by a Seth dream, "...nice?"
"No it really wasn't at all," Anna stated. "More nightmare than dream, actually."
"Sorry," Ryan offered awkwardly. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I was in the middle of the ocean, just standing on the water. It was a pretty day and then all of the sudden the sky turned black and the sea got rough. There was a flash of lightning and then Seth was standing there in front of me. I was so excited. I went to hug him, but he threw a lightning bolt at me. He was furious, and by then it was raining. I was soaked, but Seth was completely dry. He kept throwing lightning at me, but it all missed. I tried to get closer to him, but he started to cry and then I couldn't move. Somehow I caught a bolt of lightning and I could feel how angry he was at me. He wanted me dead. He thought it should have been me. I let go of the lightning and it zoomed back towards Seth. The lightning bolt went straight into his chest. I killed Seth. He hates me and I killed him!" Anna was agitated again.
"Anna," Ryan's voice was stern. "Seth loved you. You're his best friend and he loved you."
"His face," Anna sniffled, "you should have seen the hatred on his face."
"It was a dream," Ryan said gently. "I know you feel guilty for being alive when Seth's not, I do too, but Seth's dying was no one's fault."
"I know. My head knows," Anna corrected herself. "My heart's pretty confused right now."
"Mine too," Ryan thought but didn't say. Aloud he replied, "We'll get through this Anna. It'll be okay."
"You think?" Anna was dubious.
"Eventually, things will be okay," Ryan stated again. "What about you Anna? Are you okay?"
"Not really," Anna sighed. "It's late though. I'll let you get to bed."
"No," Ryan protested. "If you still need to talk, let's talk."
"You don't have to-"
"I want to Anna," Ryan interrupted. "You're my friend and I really want to help you be okay."
"Are you sure?" Anna was hesitant.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Ryan told her. "Just accept my help and say 'thank you'."
"Okay," Anna took a deep breath, "Thank you, Ryan."