A Rose as Black as your Heart

(24) The Initiation

Chapter 24

On Friday night, I dreamt about Dad.

It had been a long time since I’d had a dream about Dad. Two months, maybe. Those were the nightmares, of Dad disappearing in front of my eyes, of Dad dropping dead in the street, and I’d wake up with tears streaming down my face, often gasping for air like I’d been held under water. Then my dreams had gradually melted back to normal, weird dreams about people I didn’t know, places I’d never been to, things I’d never done. I’d thought the nightmares were gone for good.

I guess I should’ve known better.

In the dream, all of us were at a theme park in Canada; me, Matt, Mom and Dad. It was ridiculous, because the theme park had shut down two years ago, by which time Mom and Dad had already split up, so there was no way we would’ve been there, even if Dad hadn’t died.

Dad was on a roller coaster, sitting next to me, singing Ring-a-ring o’roses, that nursery rhyme from pre-school, in his loud, booming, ever-cheerful voice. We were whizzing through tunnels at a hundred miles an hour, but there was no sound of the roller coaster, no tell-tale rattling or the tracks.

“Ring-a-ring o’roses, a pocket full of posies...”

And then suddenly we whizzed through a tunnel, and Demons blossomed out of the shadows, eyes black and glistening with hunger, teeth flashing as they bared them fiercely. Harrison was there, with his terrifying cold gaze, and Drake, wild with thirst for our blood.

“Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down...”

I wasn’t scared of the demons, because Dad was with me. Dad would keep me safe.

“Ring-a-ring o’roses...”

It started to snow, fat white drops plopping down from the sky like rain. They fell slowly at first, and then thicker and faster, until the air was filled with flurries of white. Harrison, Drake and the other demons melted into dark shadows.

“A pocket full of posies...”

“Look, Dad! Snow!” I was so blissfully happy to see it. Dad just smiled sadly, continuing his singing.

“Atishoo, atishoo...”

The snow was turning into rain, heavy, clear drops of water. And when they touched dad, he seemed to melt like candle wax, slowly disappearing.

“We all...”

“Dad.” My voice was a frightened whimper. The Demons were returning. “Don’t go.”

“Fall...”

Dad was nearly gone. I tried to cling to him, but he melted through my finger tips like wisps of smoke. The roller coaster was rising higher and higher, climbing up and up...