Running On Empty

Chapter 26~Jaylin~

Take his body and lay him in bed. His servants are more than worried now that they have realized that he's gone.

My father walks over and unties the ropes from the corps. He falls in his arms lifelessly, his head slumped over to the right. The past me looks like a child that is merely taken a nap. A maid I had never seen before bows her head.

"Yes, Headmaster. I doubt Madeline and Garrett will ever know the truth." She puts her arms out and my father places me gently in her arms.

He was always a small person after all. Soon he won't remember any of this until later on when he needs to. After all, from this day, he'll be incapable of trusting others that have not met him yet. I do not trust anyone else with my son. People only do things for their own selfish gain after all. Just like my wife and daughter did. I will not let my son go through the pain I've been through. That is what it means to be a father.

This had to be a dream! Had that day actually happen?

If I was remembering events that I was not supposed to remember, what did that mean?

I had a mother out there, somewhere, along with a younger sister that were still alive.

I...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sota is sleeping soundly beside me. I listen to the sound of his snoring and wonder if I ever sound like that when I am asleep. He is drooling on his pillow and his blankets were now halfway across the room like he had just kicked them off his body.

I look to the side of my room and notice Madeline and Garrett sleeping soundly next to each other. They are both sitting up, Madeline has her head on Garrett's shoulder. The moonlight shines through the windows of my room. How did this house suddenly feel so full?

I get up from my bed and walk over to the closet and get out extra blankets for the two of them.

You're always taking care of me. How silly, you two forgot to cover yourselves. I threw the blankets over both of them and get down my knees with the help of my crutches. Then for the first time ever, I leaned in and gave both of them a kiss on their foreheads. Even at night, they both were so warm. Madeline looked very peaceful. Her arms laid in her lap while her ponytail was starting to come apart and she was still in her maid attire. Garrett snored loudly beside her, his shoulders moving up and down in a rhythmic motion. He was also still fully dressed in his work clothes.

After a while of looking at their sleeping face, I decided that I should see what I had missed.

Maybe everything that had happen was all a dream.

Walking softly to the side of the house, I held a cup of tea in my hands. I decided to sit down and look at the moon that was shining so beautifully in the sky tonight. I never imagined that the night would have sounded as tranquil as it did. I let the sound of crickets fill my ears. All I needed to do was get that nightmare of my head and all my nervousness would be over.

Do you think you could run away from me, Jaylin?

My eyes snapped open. Where was he?! I got up, tossing my cup of tea to the ground. My eyes searched everywhere for a shadow. Why was he in my mind of a sudden? What had happened before...it wasn't a dream.

"Father, I'm here. Come out."

From out behind a tree, a tall, shadow steps out. How long had he been here? It was only two in the morning! Shouldn't he be sleeping?!

"Hey there, Jaylin." His voice was now audible. I had forgotten how deep my father's voice truly was. He looked like had hadn't eaten in a while. His hands were shaking more than ever before. He looks more ghostly than ever, the moonlight reflecting a sickly white off his skin.

"What do you want?" I held my crutch tightly, gripping the handle so hard, I could have snapped the metal in one go.

"You finally figured out the truth of what happened to you that day. The chip in your head was useful after all." He pulls out a remote control.

"You see, I've been tracking your thoughts and your movements from the moment that you told me that I was no longer in charge of you." He smiles, the ends of his lips curling up like the Grinch.

"You've been doing what to me?!" At this point, I would have given anything to wake up form this dream if this was one.

"As I told you before, you're useless to me. Stop doing things that will only want to make me despise you even more. You are the son of that women after all." He tosses me a bag of green tea. "I hear that this is your favorite type of tea, Jaylin. Enjoy it."

He turns and smiles at me once more.

"Sorry that I couldn't be a better dad to you, Jaylin."

Then just as quickly as he appeared, he walked away, leaving me in the darkness once more. Honestly this was just a dream, wasn't it?

Sweet dreams, Jaylin.