Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters. Just borrowing them. Don’t sue, please.
Synopsis: Alex reaches out to his loved ones in their dreams the first night after his death.
Warning: Spoilers to Cry Your Name

For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come . . .
--William Shakespeare, Macbeth Scene 1 Act III

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep
-- Robert Frost, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”

He reached out to his parents first, curled up on the couch where they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. The TV, first turned on to drown out the knowledge that couldn’t be forgotten, filled the empty house with meaningless noise. He tried to send warm assurances amongst the icy bleakness of their dreams. I’m all right, mom. I’m all right, pops. But it wasn’t enough. It never was. Their grief was too strong, too deeply rooted. It relinquished its hold on the devastated couple only slightly and for only the briefest of moments. They would never remember it in the morning.

He moved on. Their pain was too much for him.

Maria was asleep in her bedroom, eyelashes fluttering with troubled dreams above tear-stained cheeks. Childhood laughter echoed in her mind, laughter of days long past. The image of Alex strumming on his guitar, trying to impress young Isabel who had already captured his heart, fluttered through her mind. Then, Alex, big goofy grin on his face, arms wide-spread, recounted a fictionous happening he swore was true to Maria and Liz, who watched with eyes sparkling with laughter. The scene shattered like glass, icy webs tearing through it as the pieces tumbled around her, leaving darkness in their wake. Behind that, in the darkness, Alex stood, a gentle blue light illuminating his face from below. He stared at her solemnly. As he began to turn away, a bright red truck swerved in front of him. Maria tried to cry out, but she couldn’t. He was gone.

Maria.

The voice seemed beyond the dream. Incorporating itself into it and yet not truly of it. She stopped and her body froze. Suddenly scared, she shoved the voice away with a cry. Icy cold cobwebs surrounded her and she couldn’t push them away. They touched her arms, her legs, and left trails of goosebumps on her skin. The touch of death. It comes to us all.

I’m too young, she cried. We’re all too young. You don’t die at seventeen! Alex . . .

The coldness wouldn’t leave her.

Maria . . .

The curtain of gray spider webs that hung in front of her parted slightly. A splash of color, the faint smell of fresh-cut grass and spring flowers. The echo of voices, young voices. Three children, two girls and a boy, ran through a park, darting between the trees in a carefree game of tag. The brown-haired boy, tall and skinny, chased the first girl with the long silky hair who laughed musically with delight. Then, having lost his prey, went after the pixie-ish girl with the golden curls who stuck her tongue out at him, and skirted off with an excited shriek.

A sob broke the nostalgic memory, and the curtain of gray cobwebs closed around her again.

Maria, I’m here. I’m all right. You don’t have to worry about me.

She turned. Looked into his eyes. But she did not see him. He tried again.

Maria, I’m all right. Everything’s going to be all right. You’re strong, Maria. You’re stronger than you know.

The gloom lifted as Maria, though she still seemed to see right through him, listened. The wisps of nostalgic memories drifted around her and the dream dissipated into nonsense. With one last whisper of I love you, Alex left.

He went to Liz next, his oldest, dearest friend, next to Maria. His heart still tight with grief at the sight of his parent’s and Maria’s pain, he entered Liz’s dreams.

She was trapped in a mob of faceless, colorless people, searching. Tears streamed down her cheeks, tears of frustration, tears of anger, tears of a grief too deep to bear. She pushed and shoved, but the mob just closed in again. She was trying to make it to the other side. She could almost see over the heads. Almost see to where the guitar was being strummed slowly. A familiar melody. Alex! Alex, I’m here! Wait for me!

“Get out of my way! Get out of my way! A-leex!” she screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of the crowd. Only the thinnest strains of the guitar could be heard over it now. “Alex!”

Liz.

Unlike Maria, Liz wasn’t scared of the voice that came from beyond her dream. She wasn’t scared because she wouldn’t allow herself to hear it.

She moved a few inches as she squirmed her way through the faceless gray crowd, but it was no use. She sank to her knees and sobbed. Where are you?

I’m here, Liz. I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. Liz, you’re going to be all right.

Liz’s sobs grew louder. Alex backed off a little.

Don’t forget me. I love you, Liz. You’re my sister; I’ll always love you.

The mob dissipated, but Liz never looked up. Her head was buried in her knees and her shoulders shook. The melody could not be heard now.

Alex was only making it worse for her, he saw. He left.

It was only after leaving Liz’s dream that Alex realized his strength was fading. Fading fast. He would only have time for one more, and there was no doubt in his mind about who should be the last one. He’d saved Isabel for last because it was her pain that he could bear the least. He would hurt him to see it, he knew.

Isabel was in the desert. She was alone in her dream. A warm wind blew through her hair. She stood up straight and proud, poised and perfect as she walked through the desert, head held high like a princess. Only those who truly knew her could spot the pain in her fiercely independent eyes.

She too was looking for something. The caves appeared suddenly before her. She entered them, her countenance still and solemn. The caves were full. Max and Tess and Michael knelt in front of something on the cave floor. Something that was vaguely humanoid. She approached slowly, cautiously. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to know what it was they were looking at. A white hand was clasped over top the other, resting on the front of a suit. It was a body. But Max blocked the face from sight. Isabel took a step to her left. The face came into view; she cried out and her hand automatically went to her throat.

It was Alex on the cold stone floor, still and pale. Dried blood trailed down the right side of his face. His skin was luminous, translucent with death. A faint glow rose above him. Max, Tess, and Michael were doing something to him. They wanted her to join in. She fainted felt her head shake. Her whole body quaked at the sight, and a sob rose up in her throat. Three pairs of eyes stared at her. The glow became brighter.

Something rumbled in the cave. Dust flew down from the ceiling. The three aliens were knocked away from where they had knelt. Tess was blown into the cave wall, and slowly sank to the ground. Alex stood up.

Isabel screamed. Because it was not truly Alex. Not anymore. It was something else. She ran from the caves.

Someone grabbed her from behind. The momentum that had carried her farther and farther from the caves now served to spin her around to face the person behind her. Grant. Soft eyes full of concern. He was asking her if she was all right, but Isabel couldn’t find the words to reply. I’ll never be all right. Don’t you understand? she wanted to shout. But she didn’t. She just stared at him and let him pull her to him. Empty eyes stared out at the desert, oblivious to the loving embrace.

Isabel.

After a moment, a minute, an hour, she pulled away. It was Alex who had held her. A dream Alex. She gave a half laugh, half sob at the sight. He looked just as he had last she saw him. “Alex,” she said warmly.

He smiled at her sadly. “No.” He shook his head. With no more of an explanation, he faded from sight.

“Alex, don’t go,” Isabel cried out, more loudly than she had meant to. The cry echoed through the desert.

Isabel, the real Alex pierced through her dream finally to reach out to her. Isabel, I love you. I’ll always be there for you. Don’t cry.

But either she hadn’t heard him or that last request was too difficult to grant, for tears started to stream down her cheeks.

He tried one more time. I’m sorry I had to leave you.

She sobbed harder.

Isabel.

The dream dissipated and another vision took its place. An empty dance floor. Candles twinkled on the edge of the room. People elegantly dressed, faces turned away and out of sight, milled about the edges of the dream. Only Isabel was on the dance floor. Strangely, she was wearing pink pajamas, out of place in the formal atmosphere. She stood there staring at nothing, a sad whimsical look on her face. Alex was confused.

Then, a ghostly dance began. Two figures appeared at the center of the dance floor. Alex and Isabel. The real Isabel watched.

Isabel, Alex called out. I don’t have much time, but I just want to tell you that I’ll always love you. I always have. Always. Be happy. Enjoy your life, sweet Isabel. Goodbye.

Only at that last word did Isabel give any indication that she heard. Her composure once again failed her. She broke into tears, and all her efforts couldn’t stop the sobs.

Her pain stabbed his heart. He couldn’t take it. Was it possible to . . . ? Could he . . . ? He could only try. He concentrated. He solidified. He put a hand on Isabel’s shoulder.

She stiffened. Somehow she knew this touch was different from the touch of the dream Alex before. “Alex,” was her stifled cry. “Oh, Alex!” She pulled him into a hug.

As he held her though, he felt himself weaken. No. Oh, no. He slipped away from her.

“Alex!” she screamed as he faded from her arms.

Her weak mental state couldn’t handle loosing him again. Alex lost the ability to connect with her, but he was able to see her for a few minutes longer, as long as his quickly fading strength would grant him. As he watched, she became lost in an illusion.

She sat alone at the Crashdown, her memory of all that had happened before in her dream lost.

“Psst,” a dream Alex whispered in her ear.

Isabel jumped to her feet, and pulled him into a hug. “Oh my god, oh Alex, oh my god. I though you were not dead.”

“Oh, no no no. That was just, uh ... that was just a big misunderstanding everything is fine, all right?” the dream Alex reassured her.

Alex would like to have heard more. But his time was up. How cruel time can be. He wasn’t ready to go. He wasn’t ready to leave them. Leave her. She needed him, and he needed her like he had needed air when he was alive. But she would never be far in his thoughts. He would dream of her, always. For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come . . .

The End

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