No. 62 Claremond Street

8.2 // Beneath The Surface

The shrill whistle of a kettle wakes Tony wake up. 

He finds himself in a bed. I wasn't in...my bed? He gets up, spreading his hands over the soft blue sheets. It's his bed. He looks around, gasping when he recognizes his room. Posters of superheroes cover the walls. A lot more Electros than he remembers.

"Tony," a voice calls. He freezes, it can't be. He turns to see a lady stand by his door, her brown hair tied into a sloppy bun, her petite figure covered by the baggy overalls, her ebony eyes bloodshot by two full night shifts at Heathrow Clinic.

Tears flood Tony's eyes, his mother has never made an appearance in his dreams.

"Tony, are you alright?" Her voice is a hundred times better than Nicole's.

"Yeah, Mom," he says, his voice shaky.

"What happened?" she asks, stepping in. "Nightmare?"

Tony blinks back his tears. He nods. Yes, it is Dr. Pearl Banks, my mom approaching me, breathing, alive...

"Can I get a hug?" he asks, shifting forward.

"Of course," Pearl answers, sitting on the bed. 

Tony sobs as his mom wraps her arms around him. This is real. Her jasmine and roses scent. Her comforting warmth.

"It's alright," she says, stroking his head.

Then all that was a dream. Tony moves back after the hug, the widest grin appearing on his face when he sees his mother.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks, wiping off the remnant tears from his cheeks.

Tony opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. If it's not true, then he shouldn't say it. Not even think about it.  

"No, Mom. But it was really long, like I was actually living it."

Pearl frowns, placing her hands down on her lap. Her son notices her fingernails glowing a soft blue. She hasn't taken her cancer medications yet.

"Mom," he says. "Isn't it time for your meds?" 

Pearl looks down, covering her fingernails under the sheets. "Doctor Cass told me not to take it anymore, since there's a better one coming up soon." She looks away, glancing at the small bookcase near the bed.

"Want me to read the-"

"Pearl," a gruffy voice calls from the other end of their home.

Tony straightens. It's his dad voice. He didn't expect Jasper Banks to be here, he rarely stays at home.

"Coming," Pearl says. "I'll be right back." She smiles, leaving the door open as she walks out of the room.

Tony sighs, rubbing his forehead. "It was all a dream." 

He checks his hands, no scratches. He lifts his shirt to check his abdomen, nope, nothing at all. He squeaks in joy, clasping his hands together and looking at the neon star-studded ceiling. 

"Thank God," he says, burying his head in his hands. "Thank God it didn't happen."

"I'm afraid it's not the case," a voice tells.

Tony glances around, agape when he sees the owner of the voice. General Suzanne Banks. Not in any mirror. The real, life-size, breathing figure. She's much taller in person, her head just a few feet from the fan attached to the ceiling.

He slams his eyes shut, this must be a hallucination. She can't be here....ghosts aren't real. He takes a  minute to open his eyes. Yup, she's here. "How- What-"