Chapter 8- A recurring dream

"Had a quality time?And here I thought you would never love anyone again", as Eric approached towards the table Stan was seated .Not at all concerned to look at him,Eric spoke indifferetly,"Stop it Stan, bussiness".

"It would be nice of you won't link business with personal matters,My brother....",mockery was evident in his words.Eric raised an eyebrow at him saying,"You actually dared to say that to me?".

With his casual expressionless and stoic face ,he told,"I thought there was some work of Carter for you to complete  .Why are you here fooling around?".

Stan knows what was about to come if he didn't leave the place right away,without a second thought he made a quick escape to parking lot. "I was just about to go" Stan said with a frowned face while turning back to go.

Unlike Eric, Carter wasn't so easy going .He loved his siblings dearly.But despite his love towards them,he was always being a strict brother to them when comes to matters related to work.

Carter generally, is pretty encouraging but, not when someone offends him. He is clearly aware of people around him and that explains his closeness with only limited people. 

The only person he would gladly listen to was Paul Collin. Paul was like a guide to them since childhood and carter believed in him no matter what. Carter knew he is the only person he could place his trust and rely on. Carter thought only Paul and his family were the precious people he had in this whole world. Or he only thought like that?

....

It was barely 6:30 at evening.The sun was about to dip below the horizon and the fleeting colours of duck began to fade away .The wind began to blow harder and harder.

He wore a simple T-shirt and a pluffy warm sweater to protect himself in this cold evening.Even from far,he could say that the silhoutte belongs to Murphy.

For sometime he observed her. She wore a white frock,which reached below her knees and her shoulder length thick,wavy hair was moving rhythmically with the brish of cold breeze.She is loking into the sun which was about to set off.She sat on a thick branch of apple tree.

He walked towards her slowly "What are you looking at?".

Murphy was deep in her own thoughts when an exceeding familiar voice extricated her from her daze.She almost fell to ground due to his sudden presence but, stabled herself quickly by grabbing the truck of tree" You almost scared me to death".

She spun her head and chided the boy gazing at her.He went to the tree and lazily leaned onto it.Initially he planned to climb the tree and sit beside her on branch,but was afraid that the branch would break if he climbs on I.

He then retreated her by giving her his hand,"You wouldn't have been afraid,if you weren't thinking some inappropriate stuff",he said in a teasing tone with a look on his face.Murphy widened her eyes in amusement.

"What do you actually mean by inappropriate stuff, idiot ",she wanted to tell it and hit him,but she didn't voice out her thoughts"I shouldn't be bothered by talking to this pretentious guy".

"What is that bothering you so much Murph?",he asked her after a pregnant pause and spun his head towards her.

Murph refused to meet his eyes.Just when he thought he wouldn't be getting an answer to his question,to his surprise,she responded.

"This apple tree.....my mother was the one nurture this tree.If it weren't because of that accident back then,she would have been with me tasting these sweet apples".

After her mother died,Murph took care of the tree.She didn't mind if the apples were to rot but she wouldn't let anyone touch or eat them and save them for herself and Emilia.

He listened to her each and every word very carefully and saw her face without blinking his eyes.Sadness enveloped her face,which made him to frown .Giving it a thought,this was Murph's first time speaking about her birth mother to him.

As much as he remembered,he didn't know much about her birth mother and her how she die. But, after her mother's deatg she was raised by her aunt , who was Emilia's mother .The aunt and niece pair shared a good bond just like a mother with her child and Murph loves her alot.

He only got back to his senses,after a broken twig from the tree fell on his head.

"The apples of this tree are very sweet spreading the sweetness and warmth of my mother.Whenever I remember about my mom,I spend my time here mostly.This tree makes me feel she never left my side",with this tears streamed down her face making her face red.

He caught her small hand with his big hand and pulled her carefully ,as if any harsh movement would send her scrurrying away from him which he didn't want.He hugged her,keeping her that way for a long time and feeling her warmth spreading throughout his body.

Murph didn't know how long they stood like that with his arms around her waist,covering her whole petite body.She cleared her throat ,"Excuse me",she struggled to break free from his grip.

He chuckled at her struggle and saw her face still has a red shade.

"You look cute even when you cry.Let me tease you for some more time".He then tightened his grip around her.

After hearing his words she balled up her fists and suddenly started to pound them on his back.But all her hard work was in vain.Whe he noticed she stopped getting away from his grip,he loosened a bit and spoke,"Murph, I'm always with you.Don't ever leave me".

After telling this he tightened his grip once again on her.

"Don't ever leave me",he repeated it.As the words trailed off,Murph's figure began to vanish just like ash in air.Panic striked him .His heart became very heavy when he saw her to vanish in front of his eyes.His vision started to blur.He rubbed his eyes and tried to see the girl in front of him.But,all he could see was a very familiar white ceiling. He turned to his surroundings...Now he could see the clean room.He saw towards his legs and found himself wrapped in a fluffy bedsheet.He looked to his right....There he saw sun rising from the horizon.

Carter slowly got up from his bed trying to remember every detail of his recurring dream of 15 years.His room was as big as house, having many book racks in it.He walked upto a book rack placed his hand on his favourite book and suddenly the whole rack moved to reveal a medium sized room behind it.The room was having some more books with a coffee table,a couch and a vast balcony which gives a good view of the countryside.This room has seen the Carter that no one has even seen . Except Paul,Eric and Stan no one knew about it but they would never  enter into this room without Carter inside it.

Carter went near a table and sat on the chair.He then opened the drawer,took out a moonsun braceket.The bracelet is crafted in rose gold and rhodium colour ways and features sparkling constellations inspired by the galaxy.

A sun and moon together would resemble balance and equillibrium.

He held the sparkling bracelet in his hands tightly and reminisced about the days he spent with her in his heart .Slowly sleep evaded him,landing him in his dreamland once again.