Chapter Twenty-One

                                    

                                          

"Dreams, have you ever thought about them?" He questioned, whilst leaning on the bench, glancing at their school premises. 
"Yes, they have to be distinguished differently but I suppose, I do know what they could mean," Emmett responded, fumbling his with his fingers in deep thought. 
"Yes, but what does it mean for you?" He quipped, eyes coloured in curiosity. 
"I...I am not sure." Emmett hesitated, a bit uncertainly.
"Perceptively, we dream of achieving things, but they are mostly goal-oriented, and we sure do know that. But what about dreams that leave you wondering, breathless even? Can a wish be considered as a dream or could it be deemed as wistful? What does dreaming mean to you?" He elaborated, slowly entwining their fingers. 
"I guess life wouldn't be so enticing if not for the presence of  dreams. For me, they hold a significance that otherwise, wouldn't be considered as anything but worthless yet to me, I suppose it is both; a blessing and a curse." Emmett explained. 
"Indeed, care to elaborate though, Anderson?" The boy  smiled, poking his nose in the process. 
"It is a blessing because I feel connected to my conscience, even if it is momentary, I can see and visualise things from the point-view of a third person, I can observe my actions, my expressionate features, even if I cannot remember my own face in my conscious state, my subconscious makes me commit to adventurous strife and I feel wild as if I am limitless, limited to nothing." He added, shrugging at his amused expression. 
"And a curse?" He asked softly. 
"It is a curse, is it not? To dwell in your dreamland when the world has so much to offer? I understand the implication of this question, but the reality is something that cannot be simply tackled by everyone hence we dream, we cope up with our reality whilst dreaming of what we need, it is not a foolproof plan and I am aware that it offers a temporary distraction from the more, permanent, life-altering situations, but still, the comfort of our dreams is unrivalled, and however we might conceive them, depends upon our highly driven senses but they, are a bliss most of the times." Emmett shrugged as he played with their fingers. 
"I get it, Anderson. But, what about nightmares, have you ever thought about them as well?" ---- sighed, as he eyes their hands. 
"I have, and nightmares are oddly shaped into our fears for you see, what we think of achieving in our dreams is but a metaphor for what we can really achieve in our reality. Nightmares are important as absurd as that sounds because they bring out our individual fears for us to face, and then, it is for us  to defeat them through our efforts, but in the real world." He answered truthfully. 
"I never thought someone would be this interested in dreams, except for me." He thought before chuckling at his response. 
"The world will astound you, ----- for what it can truly accomplish and make-believe." Emmett smiled at him as the boy broke into a grin, pulling him closer to him. 
"I suppose so, Emmett." He spoke, fondly. 

"Emmett, I apologise for saying that, son but you need to come with me, can you do that for me?" Arthur pleaded, hands resting on Emmett's shoulders as he searched his eyes. 
Disoriented, Emmett stumbled forward at a staggering pace, ears still ringing from his words, resounding within an epiphany that had him terrorised and transfixed to his raging emotions. Palpitating, pulsating heartbeat, trembled tragically in contemplation, his unsettling thoughts were sporadically scattered, feeling quite all over and out of the place, as he had exhaustively pushed himself towards the cliff, still inhibiting the impulsiveness, still out of breath. Flashes full of lightning, flashed before him, mind-bogging his melancholic state, further leading him astray to this abyss of a broadway for some broken dreams. He screamed, throat convulsing and tired of speaking, he was slowly spinning out of control, slowly losing his strength when his legs wobbled and shuddered to gave away underneath; he passed away half-heartedly on the cobblestone of his broken-hearted dreams. 
"Emmett!" Arthur was quick on his feet, as he caught the boy in his arms frantically looking at his face," Emmett, stay with me, I swear to you, son, things will get better. This is not your end, kid, you are meant for something greater than the rest of us. Stay with me, Emmett. Help is on its way, help is on its way, son." 
Arthur, impatiently waited for the ambulance to arrive as he cradled his head. Young, he looked so young and afresh, so pure and blissful, that his heart ached for him. Despite everything that he knew about Emmett, he still seemed to be a mystery that he, unquestionably, needed to resolve. At the blaring sound of the ambulance, Arthur, in a frenzy, rushed to his feet as he called out to the paramedics, signalling them for help, urgently and frustratedly  beckoning them over, for he was afraid of the consequences. 
"Quick, get him to our special ward, I'll follow you there," Arthur called out, as he helped them with Emmett. 
"Calm down, Sir. He is going to be fine." One of the paramedics consoled, as they took him.
"I know that, Robin. I am aware of that, I am." Arthur sighed heavily as he watched Emmett's unconscious form with a heavy heart. 
"Do we need to contact his folks?" One of them asked. 
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am already in touch with them. They are going to meet us at the facility. Just go on, hasten your pace." He urged them, as they carefully wheeled him inside the vehicle. 
"Will do, Sir," Robin told him, offering a determined nod. 
"And Robin, his vitals are deteriorating, you know what to do, he has been through a lot, just be careful okay?" Arthur told him, eyes desperate to save the boy. 
"Will do, Sir. See you soon!" Arthur gave him a nod as his eyes followed after the ambulance in disdain. 
Arthur despondently made his way towards his car. Hauntingly, he was unnerved and dismayed by the whole ordeal. The memories were disheartening, ingrained in mind forever, he was left perturbed by Emmett's apparent anguish and bewildered at his misleading mind-set. Whatever the case might be, he had to save Emmett, he had to save and help him, with that thought in mind, he willed himself to drive. 
"I will save you." He determined. 


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