by Dan Dillard
*****
Danny cried for Robin often. Deep pain-filled sobs woke him on one occasion.
“It’s okay, man,” I said after I walked across our tiny room and plopped down next to him on his bed. He sat up.
“No…it…isn’t,” he replied in between labored breaths. “Robin…”
I interrupted. “Robin is in heaven. She’s an angel now…at least that’s what mom says.”
“No…she’s not. She’s in that…house with that…girl. She’s…still there, Todd, levi—levit…” He shook his head, as if trying to shake the word loose. “ She’s floating in that room with her eyes all weird. She’s…trapped.”
His breathing steadied some and he wiped a string of snot from his upper lip.
“That was a dream, buddy. Just a nightmare.”
He hugged me.
“Didn’t seem like a nightmare.”
He wiped his nose again with the back of his hand and sat back against the headboard, pulling his blue comforter up around him. I’d had similar dreams, but none that night.
“Wanna stay up for a while?” I asked.
He nodded. It was fine with me. I didn’t want to sleep either.
