by Paul Ruoitis
He made his way over to his bedroom door. He had hoped he would never have to witness this event again. It was the same hope he'd had every time he'd closed his eyes the past few weeks. But he knew he would have to go where the dream took him if he was to find Isabel and free her from his mind. If only he knew how he was expected to do that.
Placing his hand on the knob, he couldn't bring himself to turn it. The metal felt warm to the touch and was growing hotter. Do it for Isabel, he thought, and flung the door open without further hesitation.
This time, however, he did not see a frightened Tess and a battered Alex. This time, his room was as empty as
the living room. Although if he listened closely he could hear the voices off in the distance, straining not to yell. He knew they were different than before, but did not know why.
Stepping into the room, he searched for any clues to Isabel's whereabouts, but found nothing. He knelt on the floor in the position he had memorized as the spot where Alex had died.
«This is new," her voice said from behind him.
Snapping to his feet, Kyle found the object of his mission into his mind, standing in the doorway. «Isabel!»
«Good to see you've grown up," she said, obviously believing him to be just another dream image-which he was, in a way. «Does that mean you're ready to discuss why I'm here?»
«Isabel, it's me, Kyle," he said. «I've come to get you out.»
«You're the one keeping me here.» She still thought she was playing into the dream story line. «Let me go.»
«No, Isabel.» Kyle tried to clear up the confusion. «It's me. Kyle. Max sent me back into my dream to find you and bring you out.»
«Kyle. Thank God!» She reached out and grabbed him in a joyful embrace. «How do we get out of here?»
«That's the funny thing," he said. «I'm not so sure.»
«Let me get this straight," she said. «You came in here to rescue me, but there was no plan to get you back out?»
«It seemed like a good idea at the time…«He knew just how dumb that sounded.
«Kyle!»
«We're trying," he defended the plan. «I realize you visit
people in their dreams all the time, but this is kind of uncharted territory for me.»
«How long have I been in your mind?»
«It's almost two in the afternoon," he said, giving her a moment to let that information sink in.
«Eleven hours," she whispered in shock.
Kyle sat down on his bed and noticed it was much more comfortable in his dreams than in reality. «Have you been having a good time?»
«Kyle, your mind is one scary place," she said with a laugh, joining him on the bed. «But I think I've figured out why you're plagued with these dreams.»
«What? How?»
«I've been stuck here with the Kyle Valenti version of Mini-Me," Isabel explained. «He showed me some interesting things.»
«Like what?» Kyle asked.
«Here, let me show you," she replied, getting back up. «I think that may be the only way out of here.» Taking Kyle by the hand, she led him through his house to the front door. When she glanced back at him, Kyle gave her a halfhearted smile to let her know he was ready for whatever they were about to do.
As Isabel opened the front door, she expected to be taken to the police station, since that seemed to be the order of things, but instead she found herself in the middle of the desert once again. «I thought I had things figured out," she mumbled to herself.
«I know this place," Kyle said.
«I was hoping you would," she replied. «Since it is your dream.»
Kyle walked around, surveying the area, trying to remember why it was so familiar. It was more than just a dream image. There was a familiarity of years past, as if it were a memory from his childhood.
He dropped to his knees at exactly the same spot where Isabel and little Kyle had been digging the hole in which she found Alex. The earth was now undisturbed, since their earlier work had been wiped away.
«Go ahead," she prompted, hoping they would find a different «treasure» this time.
Kyle started digging with a manic pace, but it only took a few scoops of dirt before he hit something. Pushing away the soil, he pulled out a wooden box, holding it with two hands. It looked like a miniature version of a treasure chest from old pirate movies.
Isabel leaned in, hoping to see what was inside, but Kyle just sat staring at it, unable to lift the lid. She noticed it wasn't locked. It was only Kyle's own reluctance that kept him from opening the box.
«It was my sixth birthday," he said with his eyes locked on the box. «My dad was already at work when I woke up, but my mom was waiting in the kitchen for me. She said she had found a treasure map and we were going in search of buried treasure.»
Isabel sat on the ground beside her friend to get comfortable for his story, hoping it would contain the answers they were waiting for.
«I was so excited," he continued, smiling. «I nearly made myself sick eating breakfast so quickly. After I got dressed, Mom got us into the car and we drove out here. It felt like it took forever.»
He looked over to the side of the road and saw his mom's old car sitting there. A flash of recognition came over him because he had forgotten what it looked like. It had been so long since he had seen it pulling away.
«As soon as she stopped the car, I was out the door like a shot.» He stared intently at the wooden box, as if it held all the answers. «Mom had to call me back to look at the map. I was ready to dig anywhere.»
Kyle stood up, carrying the closed box with him. Isabel stood as well and followed her friend as he moved to a newly appeared mile marker planted by the side of the road.
«The map started here.» He tapped his foot on the ground beside the marker. «Then, it led us in this direction twenty-five paces.» Whispering, Kyle counted off as he walked to the collection of boulders that Isabel had used for shelter earlier. «From here, we went thirty paces north," he said, and walked the steps, with Isabel in tow, «until we wound up here.» They were standing over the hole. «It took me forever to dig, even though it was hardly deep at all. And I found this.»
Kyle opened the box.
As soon as light hit the contents, two screaming voices exploded around them, but this time it was not Tess and Alex. This time, they heard the angry shouts of Jim Valenti and a woman Isabel assumed to be Kyle's mom, Michelle.
Ignoring the voices since their words were unclear, Isabel peered into the box along with Kyle. Inside, she saw a baseball like the one little Kyle had been tossing earlier. But this one was different. This one had blue writing all over it.
«A signed baseball?» Isabel asked, incredulous.
«Signed by the nineteen eight-eight World Series champion Dodgers," Kyle clarified with reverence. «The richest treasure any boy could ask for. And I went and lost it, so long ago.»
«That's why we're here?» Isabel shouted angrily. «A stupid baseball?» She certainly hoped there was more to the story, and expected there was a considerable amount of information yet to be shared.
«No," he replied, confirming her suspicions. «We're here because of that.»
Looking up, they saw a police vehicle in the place where his mom's car had been. The red and blue lights weren't flashing, but there was an urgency about the vehicle nonetheless. Something about its very existence implied that they needed to hurry.
But Kyle was in no mood to hurry as he continued his tale, quietly counting off the paces in his mind as he headed for the car. The baseball was firmly in his hand, the box gone and forgotten. «Mom was supposed to pick me up after school.»
«On your birthday?» Isabel asked for clarification.
«No," he said in a monotone. «This was later.»
«Go on," she pressed as they reached the car.
«She always picked me up after school," he continued, staring at the ball. «Other kids took the bus, but my mom was there for me every day. Except one.»
&
nbsp; They got into the backseat of the car, but went nowhere. No one was in the driver's seat, although Isabel suspected that little detail didn't matter. If Kyle wanted the car to move, it would move.
«I waited a long time.» Kyle looked out the window to the spot where he had found his treasure. «All the buses left, and all the other parents had come and gone. I was totally alone when Deputy Blackwood pulled up. 1 knew something was wrong.»
Kyle reopened the door of the police car, and when he and Isabel got out, they were no longer in the desert. The car had deposited them right in front of the police station. The younger version of Deputy Blackwood Isabel had dealt with earlier walked in front of them, leading them into the station.
Phones were ringing. Voices overlapped one another. A young deputy holding a phone called Deputy Blackwood over to the front desk.
«Wait right here," the deputy said without looking back to them.
But Kyle ignored the deputy's words and continued walking the familiar route to his father's office, silently counting the steps as he walked.
Isabel followed, knowing they were on the verge of a breakthrough.
Once they reached the closed door to the office, Kyle stopped. They could hear the sheriff on the other side. He was crying.
«Aren't you going to open it?» Isabel asked hopefully.
«No," he said, staring at his empty hands.
«Where did the ball go?» she asked.
«I threw it out," he replied.
«When?» she prodded.
«As soon as I got home.» He was stone-faced. «My dad told me that my mom had left while I was at school. That
she wasn't coming back. At first I blamed him because he was the one telling me. By the time I got home, I was angry with her. I was so mad that I threw out the baseball she had given me on my birthday. It was the last truly happy time I had spent alone with her, and I didn't want to remember it.»
«So you locked it away in your mind.» Isabel felt they had almost solved his problem, and had braced herself to be flung from Kyle's mind.
«No.» Kyle dashed her hopes. «I tried to forget it… to forget her. But the more 1 tried, the more I remembered. I know my dad got the ball out of the trash and put it away in a closet somewhere, but I've never found it. I've never looked.»
The sheriff's sobs grew louder, echoing into the hallway.
Confused, Isabel pressed on. «Open the door, Kyle.»
«No.»
«Why not?»
He finally looked up into Isabel's eyes. «Big boys don't cry.»
«But your father was crying," Isabel carefully pressed on.
«Big boys don't cry," he insisted, stern-faced.
«Kyle, open the door.» She reached for his shoulder to provide emotional support.
Without breaking eye contact, Kyle held out his hand and turned the knob, opening the door.
They were both surprised to find that his bedroom was waiting for them on the other side.
The crying had stopped. His father was gone.
Stepping into the room, they found Alex's dead body lying on the floor, and paused for a moment in regret.
«What is it, Kyle?» she finally asked, sensing they were finally near the truth. «What is it you're not telling me?»
«Alex died on my birthday," Kyle said, grasping for answers. «The day before, actually.»
In all the confusion surrounding Alex's death, Isabel could understand that she and her friends didn't remember to celebrate the occasion, but she could not figure out the link. «But what does this have to do with your nightmares? What do Alex and your mom have in common?»
Kyle stood, staring down at the body.
Isabel's mind raced. They kept getting closer to the solution to the puzzle, but she would have to force it out of him. «We're trapped in here because of you, Kyle. What is it you won't remember? What is it you refuse to accept?»
He dropped to the floor beside the body, with tears welling in his eyes. His own body heaved with convulsions.
Isabel was frightened to see her friend in such a state. He was in total breakdown. This was worse than anything she could have experienced in the real world, since it wasn't truly her friend Kyle doubled over in front of her. She was witnessing the mental manifestation of Kyle's breakdown. It was pure emotion being released without restraint. Nothing in life could ever come close to the pain she felt emanating from his body. His face twisted in agony.
Looking up at Isabel, he finally let out sobs for the years of repressing a single, seemingly minor, memory. «I carried her duffel bag to the car," he cried.
«What?» she asked, confused.
Suddenly, the sobs stopped and Kyle grew very still.
«We were leaving for school," he explained with a few rogue tears rolling down his face, «and I saw her bag. She told me she was going away for a while, but she never let on that it was for good. The bag was almost as big as me, but I picked it up and carried it for her. She said I was her strong, big boy.»
Isabel was moved to tears by the recollection.
«I helped Tess take away Alex's body," Kyle finally let out the truth, «and I helped my mom abandon her family.»
Dropping beside him, Isabel held on to her friend. «You had nothing to do with it, Kyle. You didn't cause Alex's death. You didn't make your mom leave. Both things would have happened whether or not you were there.»
«But I could have stopped them," he argued, sobbing. «I could have stopped Tess. I could have stopped my mom.»
«No, Kyle," Isabel soothed him. «You didn't have the power to stop either of them. You were just an innocent bystander caught up in it all.»
«But-"
«No!» she said firmly. «You were the victim.»
«I couldn't have stopped them?» His voice was childlike. It was the first time his mind was beginning to embrace the concept.
«No," Isabel pressed. «You were just a little boy. Even if you had realized what was going on, you couldn't have done anything about it. Just like if you had realized Tess was killing Alex, you couldn't have stopped her. You didn't have the power in either situation. There was nothing you could do.»
«Nothing?» his voice continued in a child's tone.
«Nothing.»
Alex's body began to fade. They both watched it intently, both contented and just a little sad to see him go away.
«I'm so tired," Kyle said with tears flowing freely once again.
Isabel pulled him up onto the bed. «Get some rest.»
Kyle lay on his bed, curling himself into a ball.
Isabel took the covers from the foot of the bed and gently draped them over her friend. She stroked his hair as he began to look relaxed for the first time in a while. «It's going to be all right, Kyle. Everything's going to be all right.»
20
In the Evanses' living room, Max watched as Jason started a rousing game of Jenga with Michael. The pair were crawling around on the floor picking up the pieces they had spilled out of the box and were carrying on like they were the ones who were old friends.
«I've never seen Michael warm up to a child so quickly," Max said as Maria came over to him.
«I've never seen him warm up to anyone so quickly," Maria agreed. «So, what's the kid's story?»
«Too long to go into," he replied.
«Gotcha," she said. «I think I'll join in the game.»
Max continued to watch as she plopped herself on the floor beside Jason. For the first time that afternoon he was actually glad that he had brought the boy along. Considering the mood he and Liz had been greeted with yesterday, Max suspected this was probably the first bit of fun Jason had experienced in a while. He was also glad to have brought Jason for slightly selfish reasons as well, because the boy was providing a minor distraction for him to keep
his mind off all the many frighteningly different things that could possibly be going wrong in the other room.
He continued to be amazed by how quickly Michael and Jason had b
onded, although he suspected he shouldn't have been too surprised. Michael had spent years being roughed up by his foster father, Hank, all the while Max and Isabel were ignorant of the abuse. Somehow, Max suspected that the common bond between Michael and Jason was subtle enough that the pair would be naturally drawn to each other without realizing why. Max made a mental note to ask Michael about it some other time, then scratched it right off his mind when he remembered that Michael was never really big on those touchy-feely conversations.
Feeling silly standing in the doorway watching his friends playing, Max went over to join them on the floor. His mind wouldn't be even partially on the game, but at least it was a way to pass the time. The four of them settled into one of the quietest games of Jenga any of them had ever played. Three of the players kept an ear out to hear if they were needed in the other room while the fourth sensed the tension and remained mostly quiet out of respect.
Once Jason had finished placing the rows of rectangular blocks on top of one another, they took turns removing a block from the middle of the stack and placing it back on top. They went around the circle twice before Michael knocked it over, though Max suspected that the fall was on purpose since Jason was next and the tower was already leaning. That is not the Michael Guerin I know, Max thought. But then again, I've never really seen him interacting
with kids. Maybe there's a fun uncle in there for my son after all.
Game play continued as the tower was rebuilt and they started again. The game still didn't take anyone's mind off Isabel and Kyle, but it did allow them to get more into it as the minutes passed. In fact, they were so engrossed in the game at one point that they didn't notice they were no longer alone.
Isabel and Liz had entered the room, stopping to watch them for a moment.
«Good to know I was missed," Isabel said quietly as she saw the game players on the floor. Glad Max didn't have to interrupt his baby-sitter, she thought as she noticed the young boy with them.
Liz let out a cough to discreetly announce their presence, but it was unfortunately timed with another fall of the Jenga tower and all four players bursting out in near riotous laughter.
