September Skies

"Bad news?" Bob's head jerked up in all of a sudden.

"Yes." Mikey said in a very serious tone. A tone that wasn't very mikey, it was like a headmaster's . "Looks like we're sleeping with candles tonight. . ."

Just as he said it, each electronic in the room dimmed and drained its power, sooner the room was coated with the dark, just like a flame flickering in a dark room until it perished to smoke.

"Wait for it. . ." He warned again.

In all of a sudden, the room was pitch black. I couldn't see anything. But i could feel the tear-stained pillow on my skull and the wooden pencil clutched with fright on my beating chest.

"Bob, Mikey?" I asked, my voice echoing in the darkness. I wasn't afraid. I couldn't fear anything but the fact that a certain life was in danger.

"We're here." They sang from one point of the room and the other. Their voices were moving. I could feel Mikey's breathing moving swiftly towards me.

"Boo." He whispered right beside me, in a threatening ghost whisper that seemed to bite back fire.

I chuckled.

"Not tonight. You know you can never scare me, mikes." I teased, sticking out my tongue in the darkness.

". . .I bet i can." he mumbled.

"Whatever." I snorted.

"I think i stepped on something. . ." Bob said out of the blue. His voice sounded like it echoed all the way back the end of the room. I heard a few snapping noises and deafening rustles of paper, until Bob reached me and Mikey.

"No, Bob. . .I think you stepped on more than one thing." Mikey teased.

"When Frank breaks the generator for the hundreth time. . .the lightbulbs tend to lose their power, thus making it very dark!" Bob snapped, emphasizing the last 5 words.

I rolled my eyes in the darkness.

"Can we at least try to find the door of the room to get out?" Mikey snapped back.

They kept wasting their saliva on words they thought could help our situation.

I rolled my eyes again. If there was one thing you shouldn't do in the middle of a black-out. . .it would be to argue. I dragged the two with my two hands, to the door. . .since i had much better eyesight than any of them.

I led them in a series of twists and turns. Considering that my room was kinda big. . .

"If i trip, it's all your fault." Bob murmured with a croaking voice.

They were heavy, i was 10. I didn't have much strength left in my body compared to them. . .fully grown men. I was struggling so hard, because i took Bob's warning seriously. They couldn't see anything, i was their little key.

"Can't you help yourselves???" I whimpered, pulling Mikey away from the wall he was about to smack head first to.

"NO." They chorused.

"We can't see, okay?" Bob added bitterly.

"BOOM!" the door smacked right open before my very eyes. If i moved even an inch closer, i could have been squished along with the two. The sound was so sudden, so loud that i jumped 3 inches off the ground. My heartbeat sped faster and faster. I thought my chest would rip apart.

"TANTANNANNANTANNAN!!!!!!!!" Frank boomed with seven flashlights wrapped around his waist.

Each beam of light scattered in opposite directions. It was such a beautiful effect, it seemed as if Frank was glowing. Which was perfect. . .in our condition.

"Ohgoshfrank. . .you gave me a heart attack." I said, panting.

"Well, you just have to thank me---" Frank started.

"For nearly killing us?" Mikey spat, cutting frank.

"Uh, no." Frank lowered his voice, making a face. "For bringing you flashlights."

He examined the room from floor to roof, pointing one flashlight at all directions. He made a small hiss under his breath and sighed.

"Looks like a hurricane hit this place. . .thats the only possibility. Broken wood." He added again with a serious tone. I nudged Frank playfully.

"I know it looks bad. . ." I started, looking at Bob with a cocked eyebrow.

Bob shrugged and pretended to fix the mess he made. And although his hands could catch pieces of trash, they'd just slip away the second after.

"I know, I know. . .lets just go outside for the bonfire 'kay?" Frank dragged on, pulling us three out of the room.

Bonfire. . .

I felt gloomy. Everyone's eyelids were shut, everyone. . .except me. I sighed as each sparkle of flame licked the wood. It was irrational, or mainly completely irrelevant to have a bonfire at this very moment. I was so drowsy. It was nearly morning and the wind was colder than ever.

Mom and the others said that the bonfire would help us sleep better than a pitchblack house full of tremors and shadows.

I used this oportunity to think. The moon, plainly visible. And isn't it weird how big it sized since the past night.

I was lying down on the soft cushion we received for Christmas. . .which was on the itchy grass.

I knew, in heart and in part. . .that he was looking at the same moon, from the hospital bed and through the smearing windows. He was still alive. . .still breathing and hoping to see me smile, and hug him and say. . "Hey, you're the best dad in the world."

A tear glided down my cheek. More welled down slowly. I couldn't take the time to say goodbye to him. . .I...i..don't want to say goodbye.

I want to be with him. I want him to watch me grow, to grow into the woman he wants me to be. . .to make him proud.

As my nose grew red and the splashes of my eyelids streamed. . .the tears, I started to close my eyes and rest. But even with my eyes closed, the sorrow just can't seem to escape. And that very night, as the fire burned it's dark orange flames. . .i dreamt something. . .I dreamt something beyond the world of dreams. . .