I know you hear me when I cry.' 'You're going to be my mom.' 'You've always been my mom.' 'You've been missing for years. Where have you been?' 'How long have I been missing?' 'I don't know exactly how long. You were dead the first time I left. I've had to stay away all the while and I was so happy when I got back here because you were coming home.' 'It's a bit of a let down then. I go missing and you come home to visit me?' 'Yes, but, but... what happened to you? How did you end up in that place? Where did it come from?' 'I was looking for something. I fell through the door. It happened so fast. What about you? Did you know it was me? Why didn't you scream?' 'Because I knew it was you. But I was so scared of what was happening. I couldn't react.' 'No. You tried to save me, I heard you screaming.' 'That's right, I tried to do everything. But nothing worked.' 'Is it because you're not dead? We don't look like them. Why are we here?' 'I don't know. And this? Are you okay?' 'I'm alright. What happened? Was it too dark? Too cold? Was it dangerous? Was it... a place you were supposed to go to?' 'No. I didn't know that it was a place I was supposed to go to.' 'We were meant to go there and we came home before we did. What happened? How did we end up here?' 'I don't know.' 'Maybe I was asleep.' 'Maybe. What is it like there? I've been told all the stories about it.' 'Stories? They all sound like little kids' stories.' 'What about the one about the ghost boy?' 'It's a made up story. You're the real boy. I know it.' 'You're not sure? It's okay if you aren't sure. It happens to lots of people. I've been wondering for ages. It's nice to know it's real now. 'I'm never sure. The dreams make you think it's real, but what if it's all fake? What if I'm just dreaming that we're going there?' 'That doesn't sound right to me. If you think about it, I wonder where all the things we know came from if they don't come from there? Are you sure? Are you sure you want to know if you're dreaming?' 'I can't let you be dead. That's for sure. I'm going to see you right here. If we can't see each other, we'll dream together. We'll be together. You're always my mom. I know that now.' 'Thank you. Thank you for understanding. You always have. But, I don't want you to leave me again. I know you tried to find me before, but this time you mustn't go, because I'll really be gone if you go.' 'I won't. I promise. What is it that's there? Why is it there?' 'I don't know.' 'You don't know?' 'I wish I did, but they say that the people who go there become another thing, like them. They become one of the ghosts themselves, but they stay in the real world.' 'If it's real, then why wouldn't you go?' 'You can't just leave your body behind. Your soul must stay where your body is. I don't want that.' 'You're a lot braver than I am.' 'Are you dead?' 'No. But, if I am, I might want to be.' 'Don't say that. That's a silly thing to say. I love you, but you can't die. Do you understand? You're too young and you have to grow up. We don't get to die. Do you remember we used to play a game where we found all the ghosts that ever lived and if you don't die you end up in heaven?' 'Do you think you'll go to heaven if you die now?' 'I don't know. But I know that I will miss you. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just trying to make sure you don't make the same mistake that I did.' 'Why? What happened? How did you end up there?' 'I was too little to go and I didn't know what was happening.' 'Did your mom know about it?' 'Yes, but she couldn't stop it. I know I shouldn't even have gone, but she let me go, and I couldn't go back.' 'You could have stayed. You could have found me. I didn't do anything wrong. You wanted to be with me and I wanted to be with you.' 'It's different. If you went there, you'd be gone and I'd still be here. It's not the same.' 'But I would still be with you. You'd be there too. You'd see me every night in your dreams and you'd know that I'm okay. We'd be together.' 'I know it feels good now, but it's wrong. I don't want that.' 'Then I'll be here.' 'You promise?' 'I do.' 'Okay. Good. But I still don't know what I'm here for.' 'But, but...' 'No buts. I don't know why I'm here or how we got here, but we're here. That's enough for me. I don't want to do anything that makes me miss you. I want to stay. I want to be with you always. If you can't come here, then I'm staying here.' 'You'll always be here? You promise?' 'I promise.' 'Good. No more ghosts?' 'No more ghosts. Only dreams.' 'Dreams of us. We always had the best dreams.' 'The best dreams. That's what they always say.' 'I love you.' 'I love you too. I love you so much.' 'Do you know what the real world looks like? I can't believe I'm stuck here. I want to know what it looks like out there. I'd look for you. I know it's you. You're the real mom.' 'It's not me. I'm only a dream.' 'I'll find you. I know it.' 'You will. And don't get too close to the edge or you might fall in.' 'Okay.' 'I have to go now. See you soon.' 'Goodbye.' ## Chapter 3 – Homecoming 'I can't see him.' 'He's gone.' 'No. He's not gone. He's just gone away. He won't be here for a long time. He always comes back.' 'I don't think he's coming back.' 'But you didn't see anything. It's like he was never here at all. How can he just disappear like that?' 'I don't know.' 'It's wrong. You're supposed to help me. We're supposed to help each other. You promised you would, remember?' 'We're just kids. Maybe you should just give up and wait for him to come back, like he should have. We have to do what the adults say. They decide.' 'No. You promised. You promised me.' 'I promised, and I will help. It's too dangerous for me to stay with you, but I'll stay close by, and I'll try to see if I can help. Just keep as quiet as you can until I find you.' 'What am I going to do?' 'I don't know. Go home. It's better to just keep to yourself until he returns.' 'What if he doesn't come back?' 'He has to. He has to come back.' 'I need your help. I need you.' 'I'll be here. Try to stay quiet, and don't let anyone see you.' 'You think I can control that?' 'I'm sure of it. If anyone sees you, they won't be as nice. They might make you leave.' 'They're not allowed to hurt me. They have to do as I say. They have to obey me.' 'You'll just have to show them that's what you can do, won't you?' 'I don't know. I can't explain myself to people like you.' 'Why? What do you mean? I thought I could explain what's happening to me? Why can't you? You are my brother. I've always looked after you.' 'How could you be my brother? You're a boy. It's not right for me to have a brother.' 'That's