It was dark. Everything was. But he knew. He knew exactly where he was. There was this smell which felt like home. It was great being able to smell it again when he thought he would never return back. Where? His house, the one he used to live in with his parents until a few days ago. With that, he found the gut to make his way a little further in the house while being extremely careful with his movements. He was afraid. Afraid that if he made any snappy moves, everything would just crumble down as if it had never existed. He was scared he would be snatched out of this vision that seemed too beautiful to be real. Even if everything was darkness, he felt at home. For a tiny moment, everything was perfect. Each objects, each furniture, each windows, even if he couldn’t see them, he could still feel where they stood.

Suddenly, his foot came into contact with something. He stopped right in his track.

That is when the first ray of light appeared.

That is when he saw it. Her. Him. Them. Everything.

That is when he realized that it wasn’t real. That it wasn’t perfect at all. That he knew from the beginning that it was all just a dream. That he actually knew what was going to happen. That the darkness filling the room was only a trick from his mind which, in a spirit of compassion, had veiled the awfully sad truth. The same truth that was now exposed to his teary yet immobile eyes. His mother, his father. His beloved parents lying lifelessly on the floor, in each other’s arms, once again proving that love never dies. That was how they raised him. With unconditional love. That's also the reason why they were now in this state. Why they weren’t anymore. Because of their love. Because of him. Because they wanted him to live.

He finally averted his eyes, looking anywhere else but not here.

Everything was upside down. Each objects, each pieces of furniture, each windows, he could see it all now. But they didn’t stand where he thought they would. His fear became true. He had been snatched out of his comfy home. Even if he was gazing at what once was his house, this didn’t felt like home anymore. He had only one desire, running. Running away from here, even if it meant leaving behind the two persons he loved the most. He was suffocated. His head was spinning. His body was burning. He felt like a part of him was dying and he could do nothing about it. He wanted to wake up. He wanted it. So much. But he was stuck here, in what was once a paradise and had now become a leaving hell. His own leaving hell. He returned his gaze at his parents but they had disappeared. Loneliness. Another thing he hated. Another thing he had yet to face.

He raised his two hands to his ears to protect himself from the awful silence which surrounded him. His legs refused to support him any longer. He collapsed on the floor, his hands not moving an inch from their spot. He remained like that for what seemed to be like hours before feeling a familiar fresh sensation on his forehead.

This sensation, it was the one he felt the first time he woke up at her house. It was the same as the fresh towel she was readjusting with her slim soft fingers back then. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on it.

“Are you okay ?”  a feminine middle-pitched voice asked. It was faint but sweet.

He nodded automatically at that question, by pure reflex. His eyes snapped open. He had already heard it before. This voice.

He then looked up and saw her, faintly sparkling in the dark, contrasting with the dark and heavy atmosphere. Seeing that he was standing still, she offered her hand with a gentle, reassuring smile. She looked like an angel wearing that expression. Without much hesitation, he slipped his hand into hers. Her eyes softened when looking at him, like someone gazing at a lonely rebel child finally succeeding in trusting the other. All of that actually seemed like a déjà-vu. It remembered him when both of you met. Once again, she was here when he felt helpless. When he felt like everybody abandoned him. She guided him towards the front door, towards the light. Before he knew it, both of you were engulfed in the beaming bright light which promised a happier future. And just like that, for the second time of the day, she saved him from the darkness.

***

You weren’t mentally prepared for something like that. To such a reaction. Everything happened so fast that you didn’t even have time to react. You were now wide eyed, facing this boy – who you had to admit, was far from being repulsive – standing only one foot away from your face since you had the very bad idea of refreshing his sweating forehead with the wet towel. At that moment, little did you knew he would slightly jumped in surprised at your touch and then slipped his hand into yours before snapping his eyes open and getting up from the bed. As if you had inflicted him an electric discharge which had permitted his awakening. As if your bodies were somehow connected to form an electric system. As a result, he was now staring at you right in the eyes with a curious yet gentle face, dominating you by his size and holding your hand in his tight grip as if nothing was wrong with it.

“L-L-Let go of me” you managed to mumble awkwardly while lowering your head, looking at his warm hand trapping yours. You then looked up at him again, waiting for him to do so. He just stayed still, not moving an inch but you could feel a pressure on your hand as he tightened his grip almost indiscriminately. You didn’t like