The Native

The wind blew viciously around me. I watched as the leaves swirled around the sky, gently falling, only to be blown farther away when the breeze picked up speed again. The grass shifted in all directions, and the tree branches shook in their places.

From a distance I watched a family run around in their front yard, laughing together. They looked so happy and content. I smiled softly to myself. The sun was out, the wind was blowing, and the scenery was radiant. I closed my eyes to bask it all in. The sun beamed on my face, as the wind howled. My hair flew up all around me. I felt so safe here. So happy here. It’s was so peaceful and quiet. I wish I could stay here forever.

But I knew I couldn’t.

For this was only a dream. Not real life. Definitely not real life. Real life was hard. Real life was cruel. Real life was sad. It was nothing like this place. Oh, why couldn’t life be like this? No troubles. No worries.

I sighed. I often dreamt of this place. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because my life is so hard, but since I’m not able to cope when I’m awake, my mind makes up for it in a dream. What makes it tough is that I know when I am in a dream state. No one that I know in real life experiences this, it’s very strange. It’s also very sad because i know that its not reality and cannot last forever.

I have to be so tough when I’m awake, but here I can just live and be happy. No suffering. No fighting. Just peace.

The wind picked up speed suddenly. The trees looked like they might be ripped from earth. I opened my eyes, I felt like I might be lifted from the ground. I didn’t feel so safe anymore. I looked up to see that the family was no longer laughing. Now they were panicking, hurrying to pack everything up and get inside. The plants uprooted and blew in every which way. One in particular came right in my direction, and I caught it by its petals before it’s thorns cut me in the face. I only had a second to take in its beauty before it withered right before my very eyes. I gasped letting it go. The petals get lost in the wind.

The wind roared loudly, and the trees begin to uproot and fall to the ground. I screamed, ducking for cover. I looked around for help, but there was no one around.

“HELP! Somebody help me, please!” I yelled anyways.

Something was wrong. It wasn’t just the weather. It felt like something was coming, and it didn’t feel like anything good.

Sadly, my intuition turns into a reality when I awaken from a blood curling scream.

I sit up immediately gasping for air, my eyes try to adjust to the darkness in the room. I was awake now, in my house, in my bedroom. Vacation was over, or I should say the nightmare was over, because that dream was horrific. I was sweating everywhere, if someone walked in they would have thought I wet the bed.

And then someone did. My friend, Yume, ran into my bedroom with a lamp in her hand. Brightness flooded into the small space. I blinked my eyes a couple times, trying to calm my eyes. Still confused from just having woken up, I gaped and furrowed my brows, taking in her presence. She was in her night clothes, but they had been stained red. I then looked at her face, which was bright red and tear stained.

Realization sunk into me, and I sobered up immediately.

“Sparrow-”

“What happened?” I cut her off. “Who’s hurt. Are they dead? Are you ok?” I spilled out a sea of questions, fumbling out of bed.

“Sparrow. You need to come right now.” She sobbed, stepping out of my room, to lead me to where she wanted to take me.

“What happened? You need to tell me what happened? Is my father ok? Is Simian ok? What is it? Who is it? I don’t understand.” I sputtered out, still trying to make sense of what was going on. I followed her out my room. We quickly ran out of the house. Outside the weather was drab. It had been raining, so it was very damp out. I could tell it was around 6 am, based on sun that was just peaking out.

“It’s Kai.” She said trembling. “They hurt him. Those evil people hurt him. Why?” She broke down.

My heart almost stopped. I felt my stomach turn in anguish. I couldn’t even get the words out.

“No.” Is all i could muster out.

“Yes.” She said before slowing down and falling to the floor. She held her belly, and covered her mouth.

“Yume!” I yelled, I grabbed her arm. “Are you ok?” I looked at her in panic. “We have to go. You have to take me to Kai.”

“...Nearly killed him. I can’t live like this. I can’t do this anymore.” She cried out. “My brother, why?”

“Yume, please! Get up we have to go.” I want to say “he would be alright.” But I don’t know the circumstances, nor can I predict the future. I felt as though I might throw up as well.

“I can’t.”

“You can. Get up now!” The real me kicks in, as the tiredness has now warn off. “Get up now Yume. You have to take me to Kai.”

She sniffles. I grab her arm and pull her up. “Let’s go.” She looks at me through teary eyes.

I press my lips together and put my hands over her shoulders. “Let’s go.” I say a little more softly.

She barely makes out an “ok,” and then nods her head.

I run across the field as quickly as possible, with Yume following closely behind me. When we had gotten near to her house I asked her “Was it a thrive or a stable who did it?”

She lets out a shaky breath. “Thrives. Plural. You know they work in packs.” she said bitterly.

We reach her house and before I get to open the door, Yume stops me.

“If he is dead, I can’t go on. I don’t want to walk into my home to dead brother.” She slid down to the floor bawling.

“Yume, please. It’s ok. It will be ok..” I say trying to hold back my own tears. I stoop down to her level, enveloping her in a hug.

“You don’t know that! He is my only brother. I can’t lose him.” Her whole body shook.

“If he isn’t alive, I will be here for you. I can’t take the pain away, but we have been through this before. I know it is way different this time, but you can do this. Be strong, you know you can’t fall apart with everything that’s going on right now. He would have wanted you to be strong. Don’t say things like “you cant go on.” You have to live, you must live. Be brave and have hope. He might be alive.”

“And what if he isn’t?” She said softly, her sad eyes stare back at me.

I closed my eyes briefly before opening them again. I think quickly before saying “then we’ll get revenge.”

The door then suddenly burst open and I look up in complete shock at who was standing above me.