Little Sweet Dreamer - Wattys Edition

Chapter 42 - End

Before I left, Grey's dad pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, "You deserve so much more than that scumbag did to you. You'll get justice one day. You have to."

I believed in that lie once. Not anymore. That man got away, will probably take this secret to his grave, and I'll be without my dad until the day I die.

But to appease him, I signed, "I hope that I do."

I broke down when I stepped into Grey's car. It was as if Grey expected that all along. He held my hand for most of the ride home until we stopped outside my house.

Grey held me in his arms as we leaned against his car. He kissed me many times as I started crying and steadied me. I didn't know what I'd do without him.

"I'm sorry he asked," Grey said when I'd slightly calmed down. "I should've told him to drop it."

I pulled away and signed, "It's honestly okay. I didn't have to tell your dad, but I did. A part of me wanted him to know. I like you and your father a lot, and that's something I hold inside that'll never go away."

He kissed my lips and my tear-stained cheeks. "I'm just embarrassed that he made you cry."

"He didn't. The man who killed my dad did."

Grey nodded solemnly. I leaned my head back into his chest. Even after I composed myself, I let him hold me until it became too cold to stay out anymore.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as I pulled away after kissing him.

"Yeah," I signed.

"You don't want me to stay for a bit?" he asked. "I wanna say hi to your mom anyway."

"She's out on a date with Jared, and you know her rules."

"Yeah, no me without her there," he said and then joked, "I'm a little bitter about that." I playfully went to hit him, but he quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me into another kiss.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered against my lips. I nibbled his in response.

***

I knew I was in the wrong dream.

I felt overwhelming discomfort as I walked down a winding path in the woods. The trees swayed eerily as leaves crunched underfoot, and the sun looked like it was just rising in the sky. I thought the path would never end until I heard the sobs.

They weren't coherent, nor did they come from a tangible source. They just echoed throughout the forest as I continued walking. Whenever I thought I was getting close to the person crying, they'd sound further away. I tried to keep my cool as I continued onwards. If I freaked out, the person's subconscious would overtake mine and make it harder to control their dream. It's happened in the past when I didn't understand how dream traveling worked; if I wanted to get out of a dream, I had to be calm and collected.

The sun was the only thing that guided me as I walked forward. It was still low in the sky, but it was enough to shine through the trees so I could see where I was going. The path I was on twisted slowly in several directions as I walked. I followed it closely, knowing it would lead me to the dreamer. Then I could wake them up and finally escape his horrid nightmare. The anguish in their sobs resonated deeply in my chest.

I made the plan in my mind. I'd find the dreamer, maybe try to comfort them, and then manage to wake them up. Then I could finally meet up with Grey. Thinking of him made my heart lighten. I could do this. I'd see him soon. I wanted to do more fun things with him, like in the last dream and maybe give him a kiss or two or seven.

So, with new conviction, I marched forward more confidently.

Once I finally came across freshly overturned dirt at the end of the path, the sobs stopped. I was curious as to what objects were hidden underneath the earth. Maybe it was the thing making this person cry.

I bent down and began digging. The dirt was wet as I combed through it. It wasn't until I finally touched the ski mask and sunglasses that I knew whose dream I was in.

My hands shook as I held the mask and glasses in my hands. Footsteps crunched behind me, and I froze. I knew he was nearby. Panicked breaths filled my chest as I came to understand what I had to do. I wanted to believe Grey's dad, that I'd finally get justice. That meant I'd have to look at the man straight in his eyes. He had no mask. No sunglasses. I would see him. I'd finally know who he was.

And somehow, I would prove to the world who he was and that he killed my dad. Somehow.

"If I could take it back," the man started, his voice slightly away from me, "I would."

Anger flared through my body. "But you can't. My dad is dead because of you. And this is what you did, huh? Hid the evidence in the woods."

"I didn't know what else to do."

"How about turning yourself in?" I said.

"It wasn't that simple," he whispered. I couldn't believe him. Wasn't that simple? No, it was. If you couldn't handle the consequences, you shouldn't have done the action. He was a pathetic man who I wouldn't let get away with my dad's death any longer.

I stood. I prepared to turn around, grasping the mask and glasses in my hands.

"You don't want to do that," he said. "You don't want to see me."

"I won't regret seeing who you are, finally. But, you! You'll regret finally facing the girl whose father you murdered."

"Hazel, I already know what you look like... please, don't..."

I stiffened. I slowly began to turn around as I asked, "How do you know my name?" I saw his silhouette in the trees, the bright sunlight obscuring his face. "Who are you?" My voice was rising. "I asked, how do you know my name?! Tell me how!" The woods went still, and he didn't move.

He let out a heavy sigh, and his head fell in his hands. I couldn't move as I waited for him to do anything. My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that it hurt. I wanted to scream at him to get it over with, but I couldn't bear to say anything else. Finally, he removed his head from his hands and straightened his back.

He took two slow steps into the sunlight, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

"No," I sobbed, stumbling away from him.

He dropped the accented voice and said, "I know because you're dating my son."

THE END

~To be continued~