David had decided to spend the night, because he didn’t consider Cheyenne being able to go around on her own. He cooked for her (which she embarrassingly admitted she wouldn’t have done if it hadn’t been for him), and shared dinner with her before helping her catch some sleep.
While David stayed downstairs and watched TV until around eleven o’clock, Cheyenne had decided to go to bed early. But she still couldn’t sleep; the same thoughts went through her mind over and over again.
David was right. He always was. She shouldn’t worry as much as she did. But she just simply couldn’t help it.
Falling asleep hours later didn’t make things any better, either.
Cheyenne found herself in the middle of a dark forest. She didn’t know where she was; all she knew was that there was danger nearby. She made a small attempt at moving forward to investigate, but as soon as she heard careful footsteps slightly crunching the dry leaves and sticks that were covering the forest ground, she froze.
“Who’s there!?” she yelled. “Don’t come any closer! I- I’m armed!”
The voice that replied sounded rather confused and familiar. “Mum?”
Cheyenne turned around and was caught by surprise when she saw her son standing there, not too far away from her. He instantly approached her, hugging her tight.
“James, what is going on?” Cheyenne said confusedly, as she accepted her son’s embrace.
“I don’t know, Mum,” James said. “I’m just glad to see you again. That’s all.”
“Please come home, James,” Cheyenne said. “Come home. Take your sister and your friends and come home. I’m begging you.”
James let go of his mother; his expression was a mix of strictness and sadness. “You know I can’t, Mum,” he said, sadness and longing lingering in his voice. “No matter how badly I want to.”
“Please, James,” Cheyenne pleaded; her voice sounded heartbreaking; James’s heart ripped in half inside his chest just by listening to it. “Please come home.” But James shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Mum,” he said. “I truly am... But this world needs our help.”
“I know, you and your sister explained it all before,” Cheyenne said slowly. “If you can’t come home... James, I beg you to promise to me you’ll be careful.”
James smiled warmly at his mother. “Oh, Mum, but of course!” he said, seemingly delighted that his mother still worried for her sixteen-year-old son’s safety. It was probably the thought that counted. “Why, of course I’ll be careful, Mum. And there’s always Samira and my friends who always look after me.”
Upon seeing her son’s warm smile, Cheyenne finally seemed to have found the strength to lift up the corners of her lips into a faint smile.
The faint sound of a shouting voice was heard. James looked over his shoulder, recognizing the voice. It’d been calling for him.
“Mum - I’ve got to go,” he said; the realization that he was going to have to leave his mother behind once again seemed to tear him up, as the boy was clearly swallowing his tears as he spoke.
“I promise you I’ll be coming back soon, okay?” He was speaking quickly, as if something was after them; the yelling voice got gradually louder, but was echoed and still too unclear to hear who or what it was. “Mum. I promise I’ll be back.”
Cheyenne didn’t say anything; she just nodded at her son to let him know it was okay for him to go. This was only a dream, after all.
She wasn’t going to see him in real life for a very long time. Her baby boy. Stuck in some kind of magical world, with its fate on his shoulders... luckily, he had his friends to help him – they were all in it together.
Maybe that’s what made it easier for Cheyenne to say goodbye to her son again.
Cheyenne woke up, still fuzzy from sleep. It was strange how clear she could remember her dream. She’d been talking to James; it was almost as if he’d come looking for her.
She couldn’t remember to have ever had a lucid dream before, so this was a first. But, whether it’d been reality or not, it was nice to see him again.