Branden Ryan
Creative Writing
Creative Non-Fiction
READER________________________________

I was having one of THOSE dreams. Ya know, the ones where they happened in the waking world and your Id-Ego likes to reply it for you in slumber. Funny torture, ya, i was having one of THOSE dreams. Anyway, in the dream i was walking in the woods with my best friend Preston, we climbed, we ran, we were being kids of the thirtenth year. Its hard to remember a dream, they like to stick around in our head for about a minutes after waking, then dissappear into our heads forever. What i do remember however, is being woken by screaming and yelling. The voices of my mother and father battled to reach my ears as they echoed up the hallway.
Argueing again. I wish that the sandman was a bookie. I wish he had come to me in the night and had me bet on how i would wake up. Oh, if I was betting man. When i look back on it, I don't know what they were argueing about, but i didn't, nor do i now, care, it didn't matter.
Somehow, through the shreaks and yelling, the dream took me back in. Its hard to describe the feeling, but here goes. Imagine your whole body being asleep, ya know pins and needles. Now take away the tingling feeling. Thats how the dream took me back into its arms.
Its funny how dreams skip, slow, and speed time. The moment i reentered my dream I watched as Preston leaped from the cliff, grabbed onto a tree branch, and swing himself to another cliff. I wish now, that i was as free-going and careless as we were back then. I knew what was going to happen next, i lived it before, but Id-Ego decided to show me again. I lept and grabbed the same branch that Preston did. I felt the rough age of the branch as it snapped and splintered in my hand. The small wooden specs found a new home between my fingers. In a moment, or an eternity, whichever the dream wanted,  the rushing wind came to my ears. My eyes grew confused as millions of colors blurred together, repainting themselves all dreamlike.
I think that 100% of Earths population has had dreams about flying. This was what it felt to soar above the clouds, falling down this neverending cliff. Then, i was robbed of my flight. The dead leaves made for a soft cushion and for an instant the smell of death took over. Loud voices filled my ears and i began to come out of my dream. Still, Id-Ego wasn't finished quite yet. My hand went to my mouth The blood that painted my teeth crimson tasted like sea-salt. Then the rocks from the cliff met my knee, thats when i woke up for good.
The yelling and screaming was louder now. I layed still in my bed, looking around my room. It was pretty empty. A bed, my shoes, and a huge metal cabinet that acted as a headboard for my bed. I was always playing peacekeeper patrol when i was in my house. Perhaps to protect my sister, seventeen. Perhaps for myself, twenty. Perhaps for my parents, eighty-four. I never thought about it to much, i would yell back at everyone but in the end it would get them to stop. I never thought twice about it, i thought violence could solve violence. I heard a dish break and my mother yell at the top of her lungs.
This is how I imagine my parents meeting. Fact, my parents met in Naval Rehab. I can imagine my mother throwing a fit when my dad walks in. She thinks he is cute so she puts on a show for him. I imagine that the sex came shortly, if not immediatly, afterwards. Everything was downhill from there. Fiction, maybe, I have been told that my mother locked my dad out of his car by being tricked by his friends. But through observation of my parents, i dont know if thats true. Two things are certain, they met in rehab and my mother has been picking fights since day one.
I wish i could remember what was going through my head, i don't. I wish i knew what made me take my next actions, i dont. I remember looking out the door at my sisters window. In the past that window broke out of its hold, with my help, at least three times. Shameful. Then i got to thinking,(remembered) I've had some troubles in life, ive caused a lot of damage with my actions. I've broken bones. And it has gotten me no where. I sat up in my bed as the screaming and yelling grew louder. Something inside of me just let go, undesribable.
I turned and threw all my force into the heavy metal cabinet at the head of my bed. It made it's deathsound, a wobble. Wobble is a funny noise, like if playful hands got a hold of sheet metal. The metal indented slightly where i pushed with my force. Then, time was like a dream, that damned cabinet took an hour to reach the ground. When it finally hit the ground, a loud sound filled the 107 year old home. Sounds of glass crashing, which would be my sisters things, such as her porclien music box. The wobbling sound filled the air again, deathsound. Then there was nothing, for the first time all morning, there was silence. With that final lash of violence, pacifism came over me. I would be peacemaker no more, i would find peace for myself.
Of course! of course, the only thing my parents could ever do in unison is yell at me. It didn't bother me however, i had turned over a new leaf in life, and it only took a matter of seconds. My father and mother both yelled up the stairs, vulgarity and anger in their voice. I began my walk down the steps, i wore a slight smile on my face. I remember turning the corner to see my mother and fathers puzzled faces. I kept walking. Words of warning came from my mother as i stepped in the glass of the dish. Normally, on any other day, i would have thrown a fit and cried in pain, but not today. I stopped for a moment and sat on a chair, and pulled the glass from my feet. I still hadn't said a word to my parents. My father went up the stairs, i expected wraith to echo to me, but none came. I wrapped my foot in an ace bandage, i threw clothes on, and i was out the door.
I remember the long walk up my hill, i was in slight pain and had no idea where i was going. I didn't look back when my mother and father called. I didn't look back when the dog barked. I had no need, i was free. FREE!

I woke up a few hours later to the sound of a camera flash. Tick Tick. I looked into the eyes of my sister.
"For the first time in years you looked peaceful." She said. I used to have problems sleeping, i would flail and turn in the night. I was assumeing she was referring to me sleeping silently, at least if those were her words. I remember my eye-lids being very heavy and not understanding her words fully. I replied with something of a mumble.
"I'm sorry i won't be there to protect you anymore." i said. I felt the unpacked boxes at my feet, i held my stuffed dog in my hands, and through blurry eyes, i saw an unframilier ceiling.
"I need to grow up sometime Branden." I remember her words then, because i was most proud of my sister in that moment.
"Give my love to mother and father." I told her as i fell back into Id-Egos arms.