Another Day I've Conquered

Chapter 16 Part 2

My parents were fighting. 

                I didn’t know why –although I could take a good guess. My mother had all but been an erupting volcano since the moment I had stepped foot in the door. Except, for the first time ever, my father had come to my rescue. Apparently, they had already been arguing earlier about Garret. He told them about the Police Academy. Between that and his suspension, Mom was livid. So she took it out on me. I gently cupped my cheek where the red mark of my mother’s hand had come in contact with my skin. She had never hit me before. All I had done was defend Saxon. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. With a sigh, a single tear slid down my cheek, as I curled into a ball, and tried my best to fall asleep.

***

                I was sitting on a rock, the spray of a small waterfall misting around me, catching on the tips of my lashes. My bare feet were gently swaying back and forth in the cool water, soothing my worries and fears. I didn’t have to be upset in the land of dreams.

                “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Chamile sighed softly, sitting cross legged next to me. Her hair was in a loose side braid, and she wore the same dark attire as before.

                “Yea. It is.” I agreed, gripping the damp rock beneath my fingertips. I had never had vivid dreams before, so the realistic dream frightened me. But that was ok. It was calm here.

                “Where are we this time?” I wondered, turning to Chamile. She pursed her lips, furrowing an angular brow in thought.

                “Closer to the center I’d presume.” She shrugged, sliding off her leather jacket.

                “The center of?”

                “Of-”

                Chamile was cut off by a large shout, as Meeko came out of the woods, his brown eyes twinkling wickedly. He skidded across the rocks, crashing into Chamile, who went flying into the water –combat boots and all. The splash echoed around the rocks, as I stared, open-mouthed at the whole thing. Meeko grinned widely at me, bordering on a smirk.

                “Hiya Ginger.”

                “Uhm, hey?” I turned back to the water, as Cam came sputtering out of the water, her wet hair clinging to her face.

                “You sonofabitch.” She hissed at Meeko, who tsked at her use of language.

                “That’s not very nice.” He shook his head at her, turning to me. “What Chamile was going to say before the idiot fell, is that we’re near the Soul center.”

                “I don’t understand.”

                “The soul center is where all the dead souls go.”

                “I haven’t seen anyone else.”

                “No one comes here.”

                “Why?” I questioned, feeling a frown tug at my lips. I thought it was beautiful here.

                “This place is where dead children souls spend their days.” Meeko smiled sadly, shaking his head. “It’s too pure for most people. Too bright. Too… sad.”

                “Dead children?” I questioned. Meeko nodded solemnly, and I was once again struck with how eerily he looked like Marc in nearly every way. But Meeko didn’t have time to respond, because Chamile grabbed ahold of his foot and dragged him into the pool. He let out a cry of surprise, and Cam’s angelic laugh wafted through the air, as she smirked.