AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I won’t, I promise. You don’t need to be scared.” I brush his hair, sensing wetness there, and lower my gaze to find out why. My fingers come out coated with red blood.
“What happened?” Quickly, I pick him up and carry him downstairs, shaking as I hold my boy. I shout out for Arianna to follow me, as I look for a first aid kit to patch him up.
Eventually, I calm down both kids, telling them no one is dying today. While cleaning the wound in his head, I probe, “How did you get this?”
“We were jumping on the bed, then falling down on the soft covers, pretending that we were flying. But it hurt me here.”
As Nate talks, I notice a glittering shard on the yellow hoodie, like a breadcrumb left for me to follow.
I pick it up, realizing that it is indeed glass, and I run upstairs to find the source of the broken shard. Panicking, I pat the bed with my hand, lifting covers, and my hand is sliced by something sharp. Underneath the pillow cover, there it is, the broken snow globe.
I look at the little wonderland that’s now empty of the glittering liquid, as only the snowman and a few broken reindeers are left, with red drops painted on them.
As I turn to go back downstairs with the dangerous pillow, to discard of the sharp shards, I step on a toy car. My eyes catch the little blue vehicle, as my now cut hand releases a small red drop to fall on it. Entranced, I don’t comprehend what I am affronted with. I stand still, watching the explosive chaos around my legs. Shaking my head to get rid of the foreboding feeling settling in my chest, I turn to go back.
Suddenly, the scenery changes, and I am standing in the street as cold invades my heart. The glass shards glistening on the road submerged by the blood looks like ruby ice crystal. I am captivated.
Then I hear him crying for his mother. A boy’s scared to die. Dumbfounded, I begin to run towards him, trying to get to the car, but somebody stops me from reaching him, and I turn to look. Like ivy wound around my leg, is a little boy’s arms.
A small hand envelops mine, and I look down to see Ethan smiling at me with a sense of peace reflected on his face.
“It is ok, Mummy. He won’t cry for long. I am waiting for him, you know? You should go home and rest.”
Astounded by his calm and heartwarming smile, I realize he is right. I start walking with him, hand in hand, away from the blood-red nightmare. We walk and walk until we come to the tree, and both lie down on the ground, covering each other in leaves. We close our eyes to rest, and I pull my youngest son into my chest. I kiss his head and tell him the story of the angels above and the stars shining in the dark.
His small body enveloped in mine falls to the eternal dream.
Much later, my other son, Nate finds us. Kissing my head gently, he stirs me awake. I open my eyes to see him kneeling next to me. The soft smile and loving deep blue eyes are no longer in pain.
“It is time for us to go, Mummy. I’ll watch over Dad, I promise. He will be coming home soon.”
“Stay with me. Show me where you are hurt, Nate!”
But my six-year-old son shakes his head and collects his little brother in his small arms.
“I am here, buddy, we can go now. There will be no more pain.”
Burning tears run down my chest. I desperately try to hold onto them, kissing their heads and begging them to stay. Wailing, I grab onto them, pulling my sons back into my embrace. I feel icy cold numbing my fingers. Small bodies hug me for the last time, kissing me on the cheek.
I refuse to let them go.
Someone embraces me from behind.
Familiar hands seize my wrists, releasing the boys from my clutches.
“I will take care of them, Sandra. Let them follow the light. Don’t be afraid.”
I turn around to see who it is.
The memory emerges.
In my old house, I walk to the bed with a teddy bear in my hand, shaking her awake.
“Grandma, I don’t want to sleep anymore. Play with me, please!”
She rises from her bed without complaint, even if she is old and tired.
She picks me up, placing me under the covers. “Wait here until I start the fire, Sandra. It is freezing. I don’t want your little feet to get cold.” Kissing my cheeks softly, she lets me bask in her still-warm nest. U
