Awakening

‘Toby! Toby!! Are you insane man you’re gonna kill yourself!’
Aaron stood on the other side of the high sided fence as Toby scaled the building behind it and now walked along the roof tiles towards the skylight of the school. Toby looked back at his friend and rolled his eyes. This was the only fun he had, when Aaron helped him sneak away from the foster freaks and he had a couple of hours with his friends. Now he just wanted the thrill, the danger, to feel alive; balancing on that wet rooftop made his heart race, made him feel alive. He made it to the skylight and held onto the window frame as he opened his backpack and grabbed the spray can it held. He started, with great caution, to edge further along the roof, writing an obscene message as he went. Finished with his phrase he looked back. Yeah, that would do. He made the journey back, almost slipping on a loose roof tile but managing to right himself, and grabbed hold of the skylight again. Exchanging the spray can for a rock he looked back at Aaron.
‘What you think mate? Show them what I really think of being suspended??’ Toby raised a cocky eyebrow at his friend as he held the brick aloft.
Aaron looked at his friend, he’s always known he was a loose cannon but never realised he would do something as stupid as this.
‘Mate, just leave now, you’re going to be in enough trouble as it is. I thought you liked Mary and Gordon?? Do you really want to risk losing them?’
Aaron was right, Mary and Gordon (Toby’s current foster parents) had been the best so far, forgiving but not always patient with Toby’s consistent acting up. He didn’t really want to lose them, but he wanted to make a statement.
As Toby battled between his head and his heart a faint siren sounded in the background. There was another voice in his head now, one he hadn’t heard in a long time and one he was going to block out this time as well. He shook his head but decided that the graffiti was enough and started towards the drainpipe he had climbed up before to get back down to where Aaron was waiting for him. Then siren was getting much louder so Toby started to hurry, not again, no way.
‘Toby! Hurry up!’ Aaron was getting fidgety, and with good reason he supposed. After all , from up here Toby could see the flashing lights coming through the shadowy streets and they were getting too close for comfort.
‘Aaron! Make a run for it! I’ll be there in a minute, wait at the corner.’
With the permission of his friend, Aaron bolted for the cover of the shadows in the trees as Toby made his way backwards, his hands behind him on the tiles, down towards the drain pipe. Suddenly he felt one of the slippery tiles give under him slightly but he managed to regain his footing on the one next to it. He stopped to catch his breath. That had been too close for comfort, but now the sirens were blasting in his ears and headlights were playing on the playground tarmac and hopscotch markings. Distracted by fear he didn’t concentrate on his feet and that loose tile was underfoot again, but it was too late. The tile snapped and slid down onto the garden room of the nursery, taking Toby crashing down onto his back and sliding down the roof. His feet went over the edge, he was about to fall. He was going to die. He caught sight of the gutter and made a lunge for it, his fingers made contact but slipped on the wet leaves caught in it. Free falling through the air he closed his eyes and it all seemed to be playing in slow motion, the leaves from the gutter falling beside him as he fell for what felt like an eternity. Toby caught a look at one of the leaves, brown and orange like they always were in the fall, it seemed to be so innocent as it twisted, turned, danced around in the breeze. Suddenly it was caught in a gust of wind and was taken away from the impending fall. Toby wished something could pick him up like that, not just now but in his whole life. With that thought his body went through the glass roof of the garden room and he found that blackness was peaceful.

White lines on the ceiling.
One after the other.
The image was blurry but he hurt, a lot. Please God….please don’t let this be the end. Help me, oh God help me.
My son, I am always with you.
Unsure what just happened or if it was a dream he gave in to the unbearable pressure to close his eyes. He was so tired, He just wanted to sleep.