Surviving the Tornado

Tanner.

The next morning I wake in my bed. The night before had been a nightmare.

A wonderful but horrible nightmare.

I hear a scream echo across the forest, and I jolt up immediately.

Tanner.

A hurricane of thoughts swarm around inside my head like an angry group of bees as I run out of the cottage. I don't know where I'm running to. I just need to find Tanner.

As I'm running, the sound of sobbing gets closer. It's Alex.

She looks up at me, her eyes full of pain. "Tanner." she whimpers, "Look at Tanner."

I scan the surroundings. Sure enough, I spot a pale, unmoving boy with intense blue eyes that seem to be gazing off into space.

Tanner.

"What has happened to him?" Alex shrieks, "What has happened to my Tanner?"

I stand motionless, not saying a word.

"He drowned himself, Skyler! He won't get up! Help him, Sky! Don't just stand there! Help him!" Alex shakes him and screams, "WAKE UP! Don't leave me!"

Tanner.

This is all my fault. If I hadn't fought with him. If I hadn't said those words. If I just shut up and loved him. Loved him more than anybody else ever did. I was so stupid. So blind to see beyond my own point of view. Tanner was truly alone. Not me. Tanner. I was too dumb to see his pain, agony, despair. My vision was clouded by my own wants and needs. I wanted my parents, Mia, Charlie, a good life, and so much more. All he wanted was love.

Charlie and Mia run into the clearing, with dazed looks on their faces.

"What?" Charlie manages after a moment of silence.

Tanner.

"TANNER! CAN'T YOU SEE? HE'S DEAD!" Alex wails, "HELP HIM!"

Charlie rushes over to her, while Mia comes over to me.

"What happened? Why aren't you helping?" she asks softly

I don't respond. I just stare off into space, just the way Tanner is.

Tanner.

"SKY! Snap out of it!" Mia says more forcefully.

All of a sudden, my vision blurs and I crumple into nothing.

Tanner.

+++++++++++++++

My arms and legs feel like jello, and I have a pounding headache. I feel like I've been run over by a truck.

I slowly open my eyes to find myself in the clearing where I healed Charlie all those years ago. I remember how much I hated him. I was just jealous though. I was jealous that Mia looked up to him and not me. But I don't really care anymore. Mia is her own person, and I can't change that.

What am I doing here?

"Thank goodness you're awake!" cries Charlie from the shadows.

"Why?" I slowly sit up.

"There's a storm heading this way. Haven't you noticed the sky?"

I look up and see dark clouds covering the once-blue sky. "Actually no I haven't, because I just woke up. I guess you were too busy styling your hair to notice me."

"Hey, don't you dare insult my hair." Charlie pouts like a 2 year-old.

"How bad is the storm?"