Unforgiven Dreams ✔️

Chapter 4

Dedicating this chapter to PrahladaNatarajan . Thanks for all your support, dude. You've been an awesome friend. :)
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Twelve Years Ago

"I'm home!", I heard my dad's voice echoing across the hallway. I was about 4 years old and I tumbled down the stairs and ran to him. "Daddy,daddy, yay!!", I chimed, motioning him to pick me up. He gave me a warm smile and he pulled me up, swinging me in the process. "I got you something, my little star.", he whispered into my ears. I clapped, "Really?"

He slowly took out a tiny sapling with two tiny leaves tenderly bending over, the base swollen, in a packet of soil. "Here, do you like it?"

I grinned and pecked his cheek," I love it!!! Thank you so muchhhh!!!"

"Come on, let's go put this fella where he belongs", he carried me out.
I stood at the side with eager eyes as he dug a hole in our garden and placed the sapling inside carefully. I shoved some soil over it and flattened it. "Done.", I beamed.

He ran his hand through my auburn hair, "In maybe ten years, this little fella will be a huge tree and will give you lots and lots of coconuts." I screamed with joy and suddenly stopped, "Yeah daddy, for me, for you and mommy too!" His face became dark immediately, and he sighed, "Yeah, for you and mommy."

"What do you mean? You won't be there?", I looked at him, having no idea what he meant. "I--", he started, but fell down. He fell with a crash and jerked for two seconds and stopped moving. Everything was still.

"Daddyyyyy?", I whispered. I crawled to him, and moved his hands, feet everything. He didn't get up. "Daddy, sleep on the bed, not here", the little me said. I ran to my mother,"Mommy, daddy is sleeping on the ground. He isn't listening to me, he isn't waking up." I didn't know why but my mom's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Oh my god!"

She hurried out, constantly murmuring infinite No's. When she saw dad she fell too, and I thought she was gonna sleep but no, she just sat on the ground beside him and to my surprise, cried. She wailed and screamed and tears kept rolling down her cheek like the Niagara Falls. By now I was really scared and I stood behind the balcony door.

Hearing the commotion, our neighbours came over to check. I noticed how all of them gasped and some went to comfort my mom. After a few minutes, an ambulance arrived and I watched in confusion as they carried my dad away. "Noo! Come back!", I squealed, suddenly realising that he was going away. No, I needed him. I needed my dad.

One lady held me back, and I tried to break free but when my eyes met my mom's, they pleaded with me to calm down, which I eventually complied to.

I fell back reluctantly, still crying. I didn't exactly know what death was, but I knew it meant losing that person forever. And I didn't want to lose my father.

I wanted to see him again. I wanted to feel him again. I wanted him to play with me. I wanted to hear his smile again when I used to squeal to push the swing harder. I wanted to see his face light up again whenever I planted a kiss on his cheek. I wanted to feel his embrace enveloping me whenever he hugged me, again. I just wanted him.

Only after a few years my mom told me that my father died due to lung cancer, which he chose to hide from me because he didn't want me to worry and he wanted to see my smile always. He had Stage Three lung cancer and there was nothing to be done. He was told that he had exactly one month but this didn't change the way my dad was. He went to office normally, although in pain, but he still did so that he can support us financially.

At first I was angry that he hid it from me, but I couldn't. Besides, my mind would've been too young to understand. He was gone. I needed to come to terms with it. His death made a void in my heart which could never be filled.

Present

The silence between my mom was quite long I guess as she caressed my hair and pulled me closer,"I know what you're thinking about. Come here" and she kissed me all over my face. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for me and my mother, I need to be strong for us. I smiled, indicating I was okay.

She made me some soup that night and I closed my eyes, expecting to lose myself in a deep sleep, but no I cried. I didn't hold them back. I let the warm, salty tears drench my pillow.

Every year this night it happened. I would just cry and cry till I dozed off.

That night I had a strange dream. I was in a room like a box, with no windows or doors but illuminated by a faint light. I heard a whisper and my heart paced faster. I backed myself to the wall and closed my eyes, hoping whatever it was would go away. And then I heard another whisper.

Come, it said. It's time for you to let go. I woke up. Let go? Let go of what?

It was a Saturday and I wanted to go back to sleep but something didn't let me to. Maybe it was the fear of facing that dream again, I don't know. I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I sighed. I looked at the clock and it displayed 2:47 A.M. I sighed again.

"You know, everytime you sigh, your soul comes out of your body and goes back in. Sometimes not in a whole piece. You should smile more often.", someone said, a voice so creepy and cold, from a corner of the room. I jerked up. What? Did someone say something?

"Who's there?", I asked, with courage that I clearly didn't have. My grip tightened around the sheets as I heard a reply, "You don't recognise me? I'm offended."I think I heard a slight smirk.

"Who--who are you?", I whimpered, trying not to scream. It could be a prank.

I gasped as a figure came into sight.
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Author's Note :

Cliifffhaannggeerrrr!!! xD
Don't kill me already XP

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Affi ❤️