Carefully Guarded
009
I woke up screaming. Another nightmare. It was intense too. I had been chased by a ghost, a polar bear, a grizzly bear and an evil doctor who wanted to make me a chow dog. Naturally when I woke I found Parker with a glass of recently emptied water standing over me.. I glanced down at my self, realizing that I was drenched in water. I let out a sound that was a mix of relief that came with a shudder.
“Thanks. It was a terrible dream.” I glanced up at Parker’s lined face to see the worry etched there.
“No problem kiddo.” He said, no hint of the worry his face conveyed in his voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It was terrible enough the first time,” I whined. He let a grin flash across his face before returning to his earlier state of worry.
“You know what they say? That if you don’t tell anyone your nightmare it will actually happen.” I grimaced, but kept my words to myself, choosing to think first.
“I think that it would be better if I just thought about what I was trying to tell myself first,” I said as I just sat there, thoughtful. I honestly saw it as myself being chased by forces that well, I’m not sure how to put it, or maybe because they were chosen by chosen by some flip thing of nature or maybe because they were all primal on some sort of level. Or maybe it was a fluke. A strange twist on some fairy tale I’d seen some where as a kid running around carnival barkers and- THAT’S IT!
I should go back and join the circus again. I’m not sure what I’ll do , but it’s a start. I’ve traveled the world already and being a carnie would be much more fun then doing it alone.
“Hey Parker,” I spoke tentatively. He looked up with the worry lines intact.
“Yeah kid?”
“I think I’m going to join the carnival.” He smiled slightly.
“I figured you might want a taste of home.”
“I’ll come visit as often as I can! I mean you’re like a second father, so if you ever feel like a break then you can visit us too but I think it’ll be good for me.” Parker smiled.
“Maybe, but whatever you do, I’ll support you.” I smiled broadly and threw my arms around him.
“You really are the coolest adult I’ve ever met. But who knows. Maybe I’ll be back to help out around here some day,” I suggested.
‘I might need it,” Parker said a little shrewdly. I beamed and proceeded to race around to find any items I might have left. A sock here, a t-shirt there.
Finally, three hours later, I had done my best to stock Parker up with cleaning supplies and snagged all of my belongings. Not to mention I had to drag Parker to the train station to buy me a train ticket. Of course he didn’t really want me to go, but he let me with a nervous hand that kept jumping to his hair, a nervous tick he picked up after quitting smoking.
“Keep safe kid,” I said gruffly. I smiled at him and promised I would do my best, but no guarantees.” I wrung a smile a grin out of him with that. We exchanged one last awkward hug before I boarded the train, waving my hand frantically till he was out of sight.
“Thanks. It was a terrible dream.” I glanced up at Parker’s lined face to see the worry etched there.
“No problem kiddo.” He said, no hint of the worry his face conveyed in his voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It was terrible enough the first time,” I whined. He let a grin flash across his face before returning to his earlier state of worry.
“You know what they say? That if you don’t tell anyone your nightmare it will actually happen.” I grimaced, but kept my words to myself, choosing to think first.
“I think that it would be better if I just thought about what I was trying to tell myself first,” I said as I just sat there, thoughtful. I honestly saw it as myself being chased by forces that well, I’m not sure how to put it, or maybe because they were chosen by chosen by some flip thing of nature or maybe because they were all primal on some sort of level. Or maybe it was a fluke. A strange twist on some fairy tale I’d seen some where as a kid running around carnival barkers and- THAT’S IT!
I should go back and join the circus again. I’m not sure what I’ll do , but it’s a start. I’ve traveled the world already and being a carnie would be much more fun then doing it alone.
“Hey Parker,” I spoke tentatively. He looked up with the worry lines intact.
“Yeah kid?”
“I think I’m going to join the carnival.” He smiled slightly.
“I figured you might want a taste of home.”
“I’ll come visit as often as I can! I mean you’re like a second father, so if you ever feel like a break then you can visit us too but I think it’ll be good for me.” Parker smiled.
“Maybe, but whatever you do, I’ll support you.” I smiled broadly and threw my arms around him.
“You really are the coolest adult I’ve ever met. But who knows. Maybe I’ll be back to help out around here some day,” I suggested.
‘I might need it,” Parker said a little shrewdly. I beamed and proceeded to race around to find any items I might have left. A sock here, a t-shirt there.
Finally, three hours later, I had done my best to stock Parker up with cleaning supplies and snagged all of my belongings. Not to mention I had to drag Parker to the train station to buy me a train ticket. Of course he didn’t really want me to go, but he let me with a nervous hand that kept jumping to his hair, a nervous tick he picked up after quitting smoking.
“Keep safe kid,” I said gruffly. I smiled at him and promised I would do my best, but no guarantees.” I wrung a smile a grin out of him with that. We exchanged one last awkward hug before I boarded the train, waving my hand frantically till he was out of sight.
♠ ♠ ♠
Wow, I feel aweful for such a short, not-so-great update. I really do, but I'm working through the most severe case of writers block I have ever had, and the homework load was light so... Thoughts?Thank you so much for actully reading so far. You have no idea how much I love guys for that =)