Never Really Gone

Chapter 2

I feel like I'm going to throw up, my breathing fast and heavy as I stare at the black stripes on my arm.

"MUM!" I scream, tears blurring my vision as I run down the hallway and into her room.

She's awake, and I run into her arms, choking on my tears. She doesn't see the stripes on my arm, but holds me close.

"Hey... what's wrong sunshine?" She asks soothingly "It's ok, you're safe!"

"I- I'm not!" I cry, pulling away to show her my arm. She stops dead, staring at the marks, tears quickly filling her eyes.

"Oh no... no... Grian they aren't... that can't be..."

She drifts off, and er face drains of all colour as she looks up. Fearing what may be behind me, I turn.

A tall figure stands behind me, wearing a long black robe with purple symbols that reaches to the floor, the hood pulled down low to hide their face. I see a white mask beneath the hood, covering their eyes. There's a symbol on that too... it looks like a square bit with dots replacing two of the corners.

"He must come with us" The Watcher tells Mum. They seem cold and emotionless, but I can feel sadness deep within them, sadness they want to hide.

And as The Watcher looks down on the boy and his mother, something in her heart softens for the child, the scared child who reminded her so much of herself, how scared and vulnerable she felt when she was taken.

"You... you may say goodbye" she sais, trying to disguise the pain she feels, how she wishes this wasn't her job, to tear innocent children away from their parents the way she was.

I turn back toward Mum, tears streaming down my cheeks. But she only smiles, hugging me close to her.

"I promise Grian, I'll never leave here, you'll always know where I am. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, but know I'll always love you, and I'll never forget you."

I never want to let her go, I want to stand here, holding her forever. But I have to leave.

"I love you Sunshine" she whispers, running a hand through my hair.

"I love you too"

Then she lets me go, and I follow the Watcher toward a black portal.

I turn, seeing her for what could be the last time, tears flowing freely down my cheeks.

Then she's gone.