Chapter 3: Asleep Forever

After having no success with catching the butterfly, looked back to see Mother was not around. “Oops. Guess I wandered a little TOO far.” I chuckled as I went to find her. Her scent was still in the air, so it was easy to track her down. However, as I was walking, I felt something hit my head. I looked up, confused about what was hitting me. Then I was hit again on my face. Then again and again. When I realized what it was, I became excited. “It’s rain!” I shouted as it kept coming down, “I’ve heard about rain! Amazing!” As much as I wanted to enjoy it, I remember I had to find Mother so we could go home. So I continued walking, following her scent. “Mother!” I called out. Moooother!” As I continued though, her scent was becoming fainter…the rain must be getting rid of it. Interesting. So I walked faster so I wouldn’t lose it. Soon, her scent became stronger as I got closer to two buildings. The rain was coming down a lot now. I walked toward the buildings until I stopped in the middle of the two. An “alley” I think it’s called. This is where Mother’s scent was the strongest.

I walked into the alley, getting closer and closer to the scent. The rain coming down more and more. Once I had finally reached the end of the alley, I found Mother….on the ground. She was sleeping? “Mother? What’re doing?” I asked, but no response, “You can’t be sleeping out here. We gotta go home.” Still nothing. I knelt down beside her and began to shake her lightly, as she would with me. “Mother. Come on…wake up.” I shook her harder now. I looked at Mother to see her stomach had these red marks on it. Blood was on those marks. “Oh, you’re hurt? Well, I can see why you’d take a nap now.” Mother would often tell me to take a nap whenever I’m hurt with blood. But…something felt wrong about this. I don’t know what it was, but seeing her just lay there made me feel weird. My throat became tight and my eyes were blurry. I didn’t know what was going on, but my body became to pace back and forth, I put my hands on my head, and my breathing was shakey. I looked back at Mother and my eyes got more blurry, so I rubbed them. But they just became blurry again. I went over to Mother and went to lay down next to her. “I’ll rest with you. That way we can both go home together.” I draped her left arm over me as she would often do when she slept with me. She felt cold.

As the rain continued, me and Mother slept in the alley. Every hour or so I would get up to see if she was awake, but she was still asleep. I moved closer to her and closed my eyes tight. “I will never leave you,” I told mother, “No matter how long you’re asleep for. I will ALWAYS be by your side.” Still no response. For the rest of the night, I slept with Mother, waiting for the moment she would wake up, but it never happened. By morning, my body wanted to wake up, but I refused. I wouldn't walk up until I felt Mother shake me awake. I waited and waited…and waited. She WILL wake up. I KNOW IT…….I felt something shake me. My head shot up and turned to see Mother was still sleeping, so I looked up to see another woman standing above me. She looked concerned and confused.