Starting Line || Carter Grayson

(9) Curse

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There was no hiding the bags underneath my eyes as I drug myself out of bed in the morning. My head was throbbing - before I even thought about staring at paperwork today I'd have to get myself a cup of coffee or even take some medicine to help. The last few days have just been a lot... and mentally, I was not prepared for the day.

I couldn't stop thinking about my dream. How was I able to see into my brother's dream? Was I just dreaming it myself or did it really happen? Did he really have the mark too? So many questions and no way to get any answers. Braving the day was going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I needed to get some work done because I didn't want anyone pressing questions with the 'how are yous' and the 'are you okays'? I couldn't take another person asking me one of those questions because obviously I'm not. How could someone be okay dealing with all of this?

My door slammed closed behind me as I braved stepping out of my room. I followed the halls to the galley. I needed a cup of coffee more than anything right now. I was not going to make it through the day without at least two, or even three, cups. I exchanged small smiles with crew members in the hall. Kelsey stopped me for a brief moment just because she wanted to give me a hug, which I accepted. I had hardly gotten to talk to any of the rangers since they moved into the Aquabase. Carter seemed to be an exception, he somehow always made time to talk to me and I was okay with that. I seemed to enjoy talking with him... and staring at his incredibly handsome face.

The voices I heard at the end of the hall near the galley lifted my gaze in their direction. I stopped when I saw my father, and Ryan, standing at the end of the hall. They saw me stop and paused their conversation. I met eyes with Ryan and felt the tears welting almost immediately. My heart rate jumped as I tried to figure out if he was really standing at the end of the hall or if I was dreaming it all.

"Skye?" Ryan stepped closer but didn't move after that.

I stared at him. Hearing his voice was bittersweet. It was much deeper than I remember - then again he did go through puberty in the years I thought he was dead. He still had the same piercing greenish blue eyes that I remembered and his hair color was the exact same color as mine. Ashy blond. He grew - a lot. He towered over me by at least five inches. I remember when I was the taller one and I used to tease him. Even Nova was taller than him at one point. Ryan hated it so much when we were kids.

"When we were five years old, I was throwing rocks." Ryan started to say, "You kept telling me to stop because I was going to hurt someone. You were right. I hurt you. I hit you just below your right eye and you had to get stitches. After your stitches they gave you one of those popsicles that you could share with someone. It was orange, our least favorite flavor, and even though I had hurt you, you still shared that popsicle with me."

I remembered that day very faintly but I knew the very memory he was sharing with me. It was enough to make me believe that he was actually there. I couldn't help but start crying as I took off running down the hall to finally hug my brother.

My arms wrapped around his shoulders as he tightened his around me, hugging me just as tightly as I was hugging him. The feeling of knowing my brother was still alive after all of these years was the most indescribable feeling that I have ever had in my life. I hid my face in his shoulder - continuing to cry and probably leaving snot on his shirt.

"I-I thought you were dead." I cried into his shoulder.

"I thought you were dead too." he whispered back, "I thought you died in the car that night. I saw the fire - it exploded around you when the car hit the ground..."