The Dream

"G-gone?" I gasped.

The words profoundly shattered my world, dragging my spirit into the depths of despair.

"T-that's not true! Y-you're lying right!"

He was silent. His lack of words cut deeper than if he had yelled.

"Please, Ace, tell me it's all a mistake. Tell me she's alive. Tell me you're not telling the truth."

Ace inched close, he had the look in his face as though he wanted to take me into his arms. But pity was the last thing I wanted from the man who had hurt me. As he reached out, I recoiled, repulsed by his touch.

Perhaps he caught sight of the fear in my eyes, prompting him to back away. His hands fell to his sides in a gesture of surrender.

"She's gone." He confirmed agonizingly. "The hospital tried to reach you, but they couldn't get through, and they contacted me instead."

This is all a dream! Yes, this is all a dream! I repeated it like a desperate mantra.

First came laughter, then tears... I laughed once more then quickly dissolved into a wave of uncontrollable sobs.

As I teetered on the edge of sanity, I craved the freedom of madness — the simple escape from the relentless torment.

"Calm down! Phoenix!"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How can I do that! You don't know how I feel Ace! It's not your mother that's gone!" I spat bitterly with daggers in my eyes.

"Don't put too much strain on yourself. You have a weak heart."

He was surprisingly worried. What a two-faced man, pretending to be a caring husband.

"Damn you! I don't want your sympathy!" I gripped his collar with my hands, crumpling the fabric underneath my fingers."I know you're lying to hurt. My mother is alive. Where did you take her? Tell me!"

His silence failed to calm me; instead, it stoked a fire of anger that bubbled within. "Mom was perfectly fine when I left her. She won't succumb to death without a fight, not while I'm not at her side!"

"She was whispering your name until her final breath, Phoenix. She expressed how sorry she was that she couldn't stay by your side," he revealed.

My whole world collapsed at my feet.

Overwhelming plain clutched my heart. My windpipe narrowed until I couldn't breathe.

This cannot be happening! This cannot be happening! I screamed but no words came out.

Ace's deep blue eyes filled with pity as he gazed at me. I struggled to contain myself, resisting the urge to wipe that expression off his face. I detested every ounce of pity emanating from him.

He tried to reach out to help me up when I collapsed on the floor, but I gave him a murderous glare that made him retreat. I could stand up on my own, with no help from him.

Standing up, I walked over to the sofa where Mom had sat the day before. I gazed at the cake now lying on the floor, perplexed by how it had ended up there.

"Was there an earthquake?" I tried to speak, but the words didn't come out. My chest tightened, my vision blurred, and my surroundings began to sway.

I stood up, the swaying worsened and my vision was beginning to darken.

"Phoenix! Phoenix! Are you alright?" Ace's panicked voice entered my ears.

I turned in surprise, and my forehead accidentally collided against his chin, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my forehead. But that pain paled in comparison to the thousand needles ceaselessly pricking my heart.

It felt as though I was standing on a boat, sailing on the sea, and the waves were causing the wooden floor beneath me to shake.

"Phoenix!" Ace bellowed, drawing my thoughts towards him. His tone is sharper than before.

"Go away, Ace! I don't want you here! I want nothing to do with you!"

However, Ace refused to leave me alone. His firm grip on my waist steadied me, and his muscular chest provided support for my body.

I freed myself out of his hold, but there was no strength left in me to push him away.

He took one look at my face and muttered, "Holy shit! You're as pale as paper! How are you feeling?"

I remained quiet, too weak to even say a word.

"Goddammit,answer me!" He continued. It was then followed by a series of unintelligent curses.

My body was beginning to weaken and I shuddered from the icy coldness that engulfed my body.

Wonderful memories with my mom slowly flashed in my mind as if I'm watching a large TV screen. My pale lips slowly trembled into a wry smile as I finally succumbed to the urge to close my eyes.

I realized this was it... I'm dying... With a weak heart, an excess of emotions could cause harm. Dying isn't so bad... At least I'll get to see Mom again.

I was swallowed by darkness, and everything that followed became a blur.

"Happy birthday Mom." A sob broke from my lips when I saw her sitting on the opposite chair in front of me, smiling brightly at me.

There was a beautiful radiance emitting from her blissful countenance, something I hadn't seen for a long time.

"I will miss you, honey." She continued, and that made my tears fall abundantly.

"Why do you need to leave Mom? Can't you stay here with me?"

Her palm reached out to my cheeks and dried my tears. Her hands were warm. "When you pick a flower in the garden, which one do you pick?"

"The most beautiful one." I mumbled.

"That's why I'm leaving honey. Beautiful souls are taken early so they don't need to suffer in this world."

"I'm going with you Mom." I held her hands tightly, not wanting to let her go.

"In time, you will be with me."

She kissed my temples and a comforting warmth spread through my chest.

"Mom loves you," she whispered one last time before drifting into the blinding light, promising to always be my guardian angel.