Chapter 5: Nightmares

 

I left the cleaning to the adults and went for a walk around the yard in the moonlight. I came to a tree that had a branch perfect for sitting on. It was dark and the moon was high, when I heard foot steps coming towards me I tensed in the tree until I saw it was Caden.

“Hey bro what you sitting in this tree for?”

“Just thinking how our lives have changed.”

“Yeah it kind of sucks I mean we don’t have an abusive dad anymore and got nice parents but.”

“You wish mom was here.” I said briskly, I had come out here to forget not remember.

“Yeah.” I looked down at her and saw she was fighting tears, I felt like an a*s hole.

“Sometimes I just wish I'd wake up and find this all to be a bad dream. I dreamed up and to see her face there as I wake up but I realize it will never happen now.” With that the tears silently poured down my cheeks.

“I know what you mean its hard to know your brother is your guardian.”

“I'm not that bad am I?”

“No it just means that you had to grow up to fast.”

“Yeah well you did to.”

“I know but I still act in my teens you’ve grown to act like your in your twenties.” What was I supposed to say? I fought beatings for years to keep those I love safe and look where it got me.

“Life changes people.”

“Life changed you.”

“Sometimes I wish I was there to save mom and get rid of him. But I couldn’t think of what would of happened to Ginny if I didn’t step in.”

“You love her don’t you.” Was I that obvious?

“I guess I do.”

“You guess?”

“I don’t know I really don’t want love right now I just want to live and relax get my life back.”

“Your going to push her away aren’t you.” I looked back up at the stars.

“I don’t want to I just I want to be me again. I want to be able to go out in the street and have people know me not someone I'm trying to be. I want to back at Bacon right now and be playing East Lyme.”

“We will never have that again.”

“I know.” I said defeated.

“So why want something that we cant have.” Damn she was to wise for her age.

“Because its so much easier than starting over.”

“You’ll get on the new baseball team I heard there in desperate need of a catcher, and this new school has a swim team so we can swim again.”

“That sounds good.” I said distractedly, sports didn't really matter right now.

“There’s good in this life you know.” She tried to press on.

“I know. We will have the forever threat of him on our tails until he’s dead.”

“So let the police do it don’t kill him on your own.” She knew me way to well.

“I wont if he never comes near me again.”

“Ethan promise me you wont go after him I have a feeling you know where he is.”

“He’s at Tim's.”

“Why didn’t you tell the police?”

“Because they think I'm dead now and If I told them I'm alive then he'd come after me. That’s why I didn’t text Tim back. I led the police in the right direction I cant give a dead give away you know how dad can sniff us out.”

“I know sometimes I wonder how mom ever got into that relationship with him.” Same way I stood protecting you, sprite.

“Probably was abused into it.”

“Yeah I just wish mom was here.”

“I know me to but we just don’t have that.”

“Are you ever going to go back to the way you were?” I looked back down at her, thoroughly annoyed I just wanted to be alone.

“What do you mean?”

“Go to people instead of keeping it in.” I'll never want to talk, she knew the bare minimum of what goes through my mind.

“Maybe I'm not sure. I was scarred sis, I was whipped and almost dead because of those two.”

“So being on your death bed wouldn’t that mean you want to live life more.”

“I guess but I'm not sure.” She was walking off when she turned and said

“Listen to the melody like you used to. Your songs are good play them again.” And she walked off back into the new house. I sat there thinking for about another hour until I walked back in and went up to my room and just fell asleep in bed. My dreams weren’t pleasant that night but I felt a presence and I was calming.

Ginny pov:

I heard a scream and ran over to Ethan’s room to see him thrashing on the bed and to see him talking in his sleep. I go over to him and run my hands through his hair till he calms. His curly hair is plastered to his head but at least he looked at peace. I waited till I knew he was asleep again, then I walked off to bed.

Ethan pov:

Morning hue came through the curtains awakening me. I roll out of bed and go over and take a shower. I change and go down stairs more tired than I was the day before.

Ginny’s mom pov:

“Rough night Ethan?” He looked like a zombie, just passing through the emotions.

“Huh uh yeah I guess so.” He said offhandedly like he just heard I said something.

“Are you ok you look pale and tired.”

“Just nightmares.” He stated it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“So you were the one I heard last night?”

“Probably. My mom used to be the one who’d calm me from the nightmares but for some reason it was like I felt her last night because my nightmare didn’t last all night.”

“Who knows.” She turned to the counter knowing it wasn’t the kids mom but her own daughter that calmed Ethan last night. Her heart went out to the boy but the boy just pushed everything away. She was snapped out of her daydreaming by the rumble of a car.

“Ethan your cars here.”

“Ill go see it in a bit I'm going to sleep some more.” I watched him walk over to the couch and wondered how many mornings he had slept on a couch.

Then Caden comes down.

“Hey Mrs. Hughes”

“Hey Caden.”

“My brother always slept on the couch in the morning I never was able to get on it. It’s the only time he really sleeps.”

“That’s why you came down so quietly.”

“Yeah I figured he'd be at the same habits.”

“What happens on normal school days?”

“He would wake up at 5:30 and go sleep on the couch till six when mom would wake him to get ready it’s the only way he'd get up. Personally I just get up but he’s had trouble sleeping his life so I don’t begrudge him.”

“Things have changed.”

“Don’t worry he can look out for him self he just needs to learn he’s still 15 not 25.” I saw that younger girl look out the window.

“Does he know about the car?”

“Yeah but he just went over to the couch to sleep.”

“He must have had a nightmare last night. hell be in rough shape.”

“Whys that?”

“The only one who’d calm him down enough without waking would be mom.”

“But Ginny got him to stop last night.”

“Huh well maybe it has to deal with there feelings for each other.”

“And they are?” I knew they liked each other but I never knew the extent.

“Well Ginny admitted she loved Ethan to me yesterday but Ethan doesn’t want to admit it even though he feels the same. He just wants to get his life on track before he goes for love. Only if that fool realized he would heal better if he gave into that love.”

“Why are you two so wise?”

“Our mom raised us that way. She made sure our talents came out. Ethan’s good at everything while I'm just good at guitar and singing. Music is something Ethan and I share his fingers can tickle the keys like Beethoven and his voice can be like an angel. But he hasn’t had music for a while. His equipment got destroyed by dad. He caught him one morning playing a tune he didn’t approve of and was recording it so he poured his morning coffee on it and Ethan was devastated. He fought dad only to get whipped. He wont lie down and play dead but he was recording the CD for mom needless to say it never got done. That was supposed to be her Christmas present this year but it wont matter moms gone, his music’s gone and he’s alone.”

“So is that what I could get him for Christmas some new recording stuff.”

“I don’t know it be kind of touchy but I think it would help him if he was able to record the CD he was making for mom.” Just then Ginny came down the stairs and looked like hell.

“Had a rough night?”

“Yeah I'm just glad he’s sleeping now it took over an hour to get him to calm.”

“You’ll get better with time mom always got him to calm in under 30 with in the month she had to do it.”

“What do you mean Caden?”

“Ethan started having night mares ever since dad deiced to whip him.”

“What in hell is wrong with that man?” My daughter yelled.

“Gin calm down don’t wake Ethan.” She could see the anger drain from her daughter. And then Ethan’s stirred on the couch. Ginny went over and sat on the edge and stroked his forehead again. Ethan’s armed reached out and around Ginny’s waist and Ginny just laid down with Ethan and they both were back out for the count with in minutes.

“Wow I haven’t heard him sleep so quietly in so long.”

“I haven’t seen my daughter look so peaceful.”

“Well the two seem to be made for each other.”

“I just wish it didn’t happen so fast.”

“Look at it this way Ginny’s happy and you know Ethan would never hurt her but always take care of her. My brother has matured many years over the past month and he will only continue to grow.” With that she went about making breakfast and I went to the chair and sat and read the paper. Then I heard the door close. And my husband come in. I walk over to him.

“Honey your going to have to be quiet Ethan and Ginny are asleep on the couch.”

“Together I thought they were waiting?” He looked torn between ripping out Ethan's guts and letting it pass.

“I guess nightmares brought them together just let them be nothing can happen Ethan needs to heal and Ginny’s the only one whom can heal him.”

“So I take it he doesn’t want to see the mustang right now?” His demeanor changed to a giddy child.

“No I think he wants sleep and what did you do to the mustang?”

“Well they found some one to fix it to top notch for him it has stereo and everything and if you noticed its not green the heard how much he likes blue so now it’s a navy blue.”

“Oh that’s nice I guess. They will wake soon we have Christmas shopping do you think that they will be able to hold the fort while we go out?”

“Yeah I guess so lets go.” With that the parents left to go get Christmas spirit ready for the newcomers.

Ethan pov:

I stifled the yawn that was trying to escape my mouth when I awoke. I tried to get up only to find brown hair in my face and to have some one against me.

“Ginny wake up.”

“Huh? What am I doing with you here?”

“That’s what id like to know?”

“I guess I fell asleep where you were again.” I thumbed her cheek looking into her eyes but I caught what I was doing and said something, before I made notion to get up.

“Its ok I slept peacefully.” We got up and went about our day. But I just couldn't get her out of my mind.