"Right you get three things" Gene clarified. "One was a talk with your Molly. What were the other two?"

"Be patient!" Alex scolded "I'll get there in due time. Do you want to know the full story, or not?"

"Yeah, go on then" Gene sighed, lighting a cigarette and placing it casually in his mouth. Alex raised a disapproving eyebrow.

"Do you have to, really?" She asked

"Oh for Christ's sake, Bolly!" Gene complained "Get on with it!"


Nelson came to collect me after I decided my first request, not that it took much thinking. We walked aimlessly in the dark, until he came to a stop.

"Right" He said finally, "You have until she wakes up"

"Wakes up?" I asked

"You can't talk directly to her" He explained "Unless you really want to freak her out"

"No, I don't particularly want to do that" I agreed

"After a while you might feel as if you're fading away" He warned "but she'll just be either waking up or letting go"

"What do you mean 'letting go?" I frowned

"You can't hold onto a dream forever, Alex" He said "She'll slowly drift off into another dream, and you can't be in it"

"Will she remember it in the morning?" I wondered "Sometimes I forget dreams as soon as I wake up"

"No. She'll remember. She'll always remember. And so will you" He reassured me, though I still felt uneasy about upsetting or scaring Molly. "Go on"

Nelson pushed me in front of him, and although we were stood in what felt like nothingness, I felt the ground stop, and began to fall down, deeper and deeper, as Nelson gradually got smaller. Nothing around me changed, but the wind was still in my face. A light appeared in the distance, and grew brighter as I got closer. Suddenly, I was surrounded by a bright, white light, exactly the same as the place I was before, but it felt more inviting and I was sure I was stood in the middle of a fog cloud.


"Mum?" I span around quickly, and saw Molly stood their sleepily in her pyjamas, rubbing her eyes

"Molly!" I grinned; I when to hug her, but my feet seemed to be stuck to the ground. "I can't move"

"Me either" She complained "...what are you doing in my dream?"

"It was a final request of mine." I sniffed. "To be able to talk to you one last time. We never said goodbye"

"No we didn't" She nodded, thinking back

"I never went to your birthday party, Molly" I apologised "That was the one thing that kept me going. The thought of going to your party"

"If I had a choice" Molly told me "I would rather never have another party again, if I could have you back"

"I know" I smiled, trying desperately to hold back the tears "Maybe you could help me, Molly. I have another two requests. This conversation was the first. What else should I do?"

"I take it that being brought back to life isn't an option?" She asked, half jokingly, half sadly "I'm not sure. But I think you know already. That man. Whoever he is. Go back to him."

"I don't know if I'm allowed, Molly" I told her

"Well, go see him in his dreams then" She smiled "You don't look happy in heaven, mum. You should be"

"You're right, Mols" I agreed "I could see my parents. I'm sure they'd love to know about you"

"Whatever makes you happy" She said simply, as if she was the adult and I was the child, "Tell me, honestly. Do you think I'll ever see you again? Like this?"

"I'm sorry" I apologised, realising I might as well tell her the truth "I might be in your dreams, like a projection of your imagination, but it won't actually be me, like it is now"

"Oh" She sighed

"But" I began, "Whatever happens, Molly, whatever you do. I will be so proud of you. I want you to know that. I never thought my parent we proud of me, and it was only recently that I found out they were. Then I wondered if you knew it, like I never did when I was your age. I love you, Molly. I always will. Not being around you will never ever change that, I promise. All I ask is that you try your best, and that's all I have ever asked. Do what you want to do, don't follow other people and let them make your decisions for you. You, Molly, are amazing. You can do anything you want. Don't let your friends, or teachers or Even or especially your dad tell you otherwise. Live for you, not them"

"I'm gonna miss you, Mum!" Molly sobbed, desperately trying to reach me

"I know!" I sobbed, feeling the cold tears trickle down my face "I'll miss you, too."

I suddenly felt as if I were going to faint, and realised that Molly was getting herself in such a state, that she was beginning to wake up "Molly, you're waking up"

"No!" She screamed "I want to stay here forever!"

"You can't" I told her "You need to go live your life"

I felt that familiar feeling of going dizzy, and being pulled where I didn't want to go. I kissed the palm of my hand and blew it towards Molly, who jumped up and pretended to catch it, just like she had always done.

"MOLLY!" Shouted a loud voice, clearly recognisable as Evan's boomed over me "YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DREAM! WAKE UP!"

I was still being pulled backwards, and Molly's tearstained face was becoming smaller and smaller. I saw the blackness above me again heard Molly's voice screaming for the last time

"I want to stay, Evan! Leave me alone! Mum, please! Come back! I love you!"


"Jesus, Bols" Gene said sympathetically, as Alex broke down in front of him. It broke his heart when he saw her do so, and motioned for her to come over to him for a hug, by holding his arms outstretched. She did so reluctantly, and seemed to relax as she entered his embrace. He pulled her onto his knee and stroked her hair softly as she carried on her story.


Nelson came into view again, who was looking impatiently at his watch.

"That was the longest dream I've ever seen before someone's woken up" He said

"People do this all the time?" I asked

"Yeah" He nodded, "You're not the first one to revolt, Alex. Some people can't cope without their family, and visit them regularly"

"So" I began "Couldn't I..."

"The boss wants to see you again" Nelson interrupted. I scowled at him, and he walked off back towards the boss' office.