Dream a little dream...
Nothing is forever. Michael knows this quite well. He can't help it if he wishes it were different. People come and go, you can't hold on to them like some sort of treasure.
Michael doesn't want to let go, though. Callie was family, by his choice and hers. He looks down at the pictures he'd stolen retrieved from the beach house, running a finger lightly over the smiling face. He misses her so much, even though he doesn't talk about her anymore.
That trip to the beach house had been unsettling. He had never been there when Callie was alive, so he didn't have the memories of her there, but it was freaky, even so. It was quiet and empty, everything put away neatly, just waiting for people to return and pick up the lives that had just been dropped.
He'd felt weird about walking around in there, knowing that Callie and Mike and Alex had gone about their day to day lives. Every moment he'd been inside, he'd half expected someone to catch him, demand to know what he was doing there. But no one showed up. It just stayed quiet, empty... dead. He had found what he was looking for, though. Pictures. Something to remember Callie by. He'd even grabbed one of Mike, though he wasn't quite sure why.
Now Michael is sitting by himself, staring at the pictures. He indulges in a futile game, tracing a finger over her face again...
He's there, inside her dreams. Sunshine and flowers and swimming and happy. Alex and Mike, sidled up on either side of her, holding her safe. She's smiling as she sits, small children surrounding her. Michael stands to one side, watching in shock. It's not possible. But she's here.
And as he watches, the scene changes, becoming dark and cold, and Callie is alone and very, very pregnant. She's calling out for Clay, for Alex, for Mike, but there's no answer, just the sensation that something is watching, waiting, stalking. In another moment, Callie isn't pregnant anymore, and there's a terrible laugh, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Michael cringes as Callie screams, and he starts toward her...
Michael starts as the dream fades. His hands are shaking, his fingers losing contact with the picture. He hadn't expect anything to happen when he tried to dreamwalk Callie. Nothing should have happened. Doesn't matter, though. It's enough. He knows, and no one will convince him otherwise, this time.
Callie's alive. Somewhere.
Michael doesn't want to let go, though. Callie was family, by his choice and hers. He looks down at the pictures he'd stolen retrieved from the beach house, running a finger lightly over the smiling face. He misses her so much, even though he doesn't talk about her anymore.
That trip to the beach house had been unsettling. He had never been there when Callie was alive, so he didn't have the memories of her there, but it was freaky, even so. It was quiet and empty, everything put away neatly, just waiting for people to return and pick up the lives that had just been dropped.
He'd felt weird about walking around in there, knowing that Callie and Mike and Alex had gone about their day to day lives. Every moment he'd been inside, he'd half expected someone to catch him, demand to know what he was doing there. But no one showed up. It just stayed quiet, empty... dead. He had found what he was looking for, though. Pictures. Something to remember Callie by. He'd even grabbed one of Mike, though he wasn't quite sure why.
Now Michael is sitting by himself, staring at the pictures. He indulges in a futile game, tracing a finger over her face again...
He's there, inside her dreams. Sunshine and flowers and swimming and happy. Alex and Mike, sidled up on either side of her, holding her safe. She's smiling as she sits, small children surrounding her. Michael stands to one side, watching in shock. It's not possible. But she's here.
And as he watches, the scene changes, becoming dark and cold, and Callie is alone and very, very pregnant. She's calling out for Clay, for Alex, for Mike, but there's no answer, just the sensation that something is watching, waiting, stalking. In another moment, Callie isn't pregnant anymore, and there's a terrible laugh, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Michael cringes as Callie screams, and he starts toward her...
Michael starts as the dream fades. His hands are shaking, his fingers losing contact with the picture. He hadn't expect anything to happen when he tried to dreamwalk Callie. Nothing should have happened. Doesn't matter, though. It's enough. He knows, and no one will convince him otherwise, this time.
Callie's alive. Somewhere.