He was in his room , or what seemed like his room, but it was decorated differently. The walls were painted pink, it was a girl's room.
The door opened and Angela walked in, wearing black, she looked like she had been crying for days.
Behind her came her drunken father. "I told you to stop seeing Brad."
"Stop! I love him!" She screamed at him.
He slapped his daughter. "You floozy. You're just like your mother."
"Don't you talk about mom like that." She rubbed her aching cheek. "It's your fault she's gone....you're crazy."
He slapped her again. "Don't you talk to me like that...or you'll have it worse than Joyce." He walked out, closing the door.
Angela searched frantically under the matress until she retrieved a small white envelope. She sat on the bed and read the contents in a soft whisper.
My sweet Angel, you must hate me for doing this, but I have to. I can't take your father's violent temper. I can't take his beatings. I'm taking the coward's way out, I know. I'm so sorry for leaving you behind, but I know you're a strong girl, you can get through this. I know you can. My sweet little Angel, I'll miss you most of all. I know it will only be a short time until we are together again. I'll be waiting for you on the other side, where there is no pain. And if by chance I'm not there when you arrive, know that I will be waiting for you in another lifetime. Love Always, Your Mother."
No one knew about the letter. As soon as Angela had found it she had hidden it. It was the first time she read it.
.--.--.--.--.--.
Suddenly Nick was no longer in his bedroom, but in the living room. Mary sat on the couch and smiled at him.
"Mom! You're alive!" He exclaimed in happiness. "I knew it was a dream, you're not really dead."
She kepT smiling. "Brad, I'm so glad you're here."
"It's me, Nick." He was upset she didn't recognize him.
"Promise me something, Brad...promise that you'll take care of Angela when I'm gone."
"I'm not Brad, mom. I'm Nick."
.--.--.--.--.--.
"I'm not Brad." He woke saying those words. He was back in his own room. It was sad to realize that Mary was indeed dead, she had just been a dream. After a few minutes of tossing and turning he gave up on trying. He remembere the copies he'd made earlier. Where did I leave them at? He looked every where in his room until he found them under his bed along with the reincarnation book.
Something in his mind seemed to click. "I'm Brad." It was crazy, he knew. On the other hand it explained the dreams he's been having and it explained why he had known the house so well.
Quickly he skipped to the chapter about past life regressions. He read the instrutions and tried to memorize them as best he could.
Eyes closed, heavy breathing, he leaned back onto the wall. Relaxed trying to get into a trance-like state of mind. He soon became Brad.
.--.--.--.--.--.
He and Angela held hands. They had gone to the park that afternoon. John would have a problem with it, if he found out. John didn't like Brad because he was 3 years older than Angela. He didn't trust Brad at all.
Joyce had asked him ....begged him to take Angela out. She looked so desperate he couldn't deny her. Screw John, he could handle him.
It had been such a perfect day, that is until they decided to go for a walk on the beach...They reached the back of the house they saw Joyce standing on the ledge outside her bedroom window. Both Brad and Angela were startled.
"Mom! What are you doing?"
"I tried to do it earlier before you came, so you wouldn't be here to see it!" Joyce yelled from above.
"Mrs. Stephen, don't do anything you might regret." Brad yelled back, then turned to Angela. "Stay here, don't let her jump. I'll go inside, see what I can do."
Angela nodded. "Yeah, all right, go."
Joyce saw when Josh left Angela, she knew what he was trying to do. "You can't save me!"
Brad heard but he went inside anyway. He couldn't let Joyce die. Since his own mother walked out, Joyce had been nothing but kind to him. She was like his own mother. He had to save her.
"Don't do it!" Angela screamed outside.
As he ran up the satirs he felt panic in his heart. Angela screamed again. It was too late, he could do nothing now. Regardless, he ran to Joyce's room. It smelled of flowers, maybe roses... It was cold in there... cold and empty.
He walked to the window and looked below, where Angela was hoovered over her mother's body, crying.
"I'm so sorry Angela." He said in a low whisper... His sight wandered to Joyce. It was a horrible site. Her splattered body borken, blood underneath. He felt the sudden need to find the nearest bathroom.
.--.--.--.--.--.
Nick's eyes opened involintarily. It was already daylight, he noticed.
"I'm Brad." He whispered once again.
Still knowing it was crazy, but there was no doubt in his mind that he was the reincarnation of Brad Cooper.
What he's seen had once been a dream, but now it seemed more like a memory. One that seemed to be a floodgate for other memories to fill his mind.
Charles opened the door. "You're up early." His voice was almost gone.
"I couldn't sleep." Nick noticed how red his dad's eyes were, like he'd been crying all night.
"Neither could I." Charles cleared his throat. "Listen, I'm headed out to... start making the arrangements for the funeral and... stuff. You can tag along if you want."
"Yeah, just let me get dressed."
"Okay." He walked out.
Charles had acted like the little incident th enight beofre hadn't happened. Maybe he was to ashamed to say anything. Maybe he really didn't remember. Maybe Nick had just imagined it all.
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