The Sleepwalker

Chapter 4 Hello Old Friend

Anna and Donnie used to be best friends. From kindergarten till fifth grade they were inseparable.

Since they lived across the street from each other, they were always visiting one another. They would jokingly call each other parents "mom" and "dad".

Once they got a little bit older they would walk to the store and buy candy and Flintstones push pops.

They would talk about how they couldn't wait to grow up and be able to drive places together.

"We can drive to Disney World and see Mikey Mouse!" Anna cheered

"After that we can drive to the Grand Canyon". Donnie stated

"Donnie, what's at the Grand Canyon?"

"I don't know. I think it's big rocks and a hole in the middle."

"Maybe we can throw rocks in the hole!"

"Yeah!"

One time when Anna was eight years old she ran away from home. She found out her mother was pregnant with Shay.

Her mother told her she would need to help around the house more. But Anna was already starting to help take care of Maeve and Patrick.

Unlike parents today, Anna's father was the breadwinner and nothing more.
It was his job to make the money and provide for everyone. But it was the mothers job to raise the children and maintain the house.

Mrs. Boyle quickly became overwhelmed. What started as Anna being a doting big sister became the third parent by the time she was eight.

Although she was still playing with Donnie. She was going outside to play less and less.

After her mother told her about her new duties once the baby is born, she marched up to her bedroom.

She filled her book bag with flashlights, bubble gum, her favorite Amelia Bedelia book, and a set of pajamas.

Anna ran to Donnie's house and told him of her plans.

Donnie being a boy with a sense of adventure followed her lead.

Later that evening both sets of parents frantically tried to find them as they both didn't come home for dinner.

By the time they were found it was past dark. They were found in the woods, inside Donnie's Incredible Hulk tent. Both were giggling and playing with flashlights.

As they got older they continued to get into mischief. One of their favorite activities was sneaking in Donnie's older sister Elizabeth's bedroom while she was out.

While Donnie enjoyed reading Elizabeth's diary, Anna liked looking at her belongings.

Anna always idolized Donnie's sister. She thought that she was the coolest and prettiest girl.

She loved Elizabeth's bedroom. It was spacious and she had white wicker furniture. It was picturesque like a Sears catalog. While Donnie would read her diary out loud, Anna would be opening up her jewelry box and admiring her posters on the walls.

Anna hoped once she became Elizabeth's age she would be just as cool as her.

Once they started middle school they began to make new friends and eventually drifted apart. Donnie became friends with Ronald and Sean. Anna would make friends but never anything that lasted long.

Between her parents pressuring her about getting good grades and helping around the house, she didn't have much time for close friendships anyways.

Anna rings the doorbell. Her mother had her make a tray of brownies for the family since they have been through a lot with their home.

Donnie opened up the door and seemed genuinely surprised to see Anna.

"Hey Donnie. Can we talk?"

After eating some brownies in the kitchen, Donnie showed Anna where the engine landed. Then they went outside and sat on the trampoline. It felt like they picked up where they left off.

"Donnie, I came to see if you were okay. Obviously you are. But it must have been a mind fuck to have that jet engine land directly on your bedroom. You could have been killed."

"We'll I'm alive aren't I?" Donnie smirked

"Where were you when the engine landed?"

"Why do you care?" Donnie asked in a paranoid tone

"It's just that. I don't know how to say this. But I had a dream you were riding your bike the night it happened. But I remember going to bed early too. It doesn't make sense."

"We'll Anna, maybe you should see a shrink about that. You can go to mine." Donnie smirked

"Why do you go to therapy?"

"Things have changed about me since we stopped hanging out. A lot."

Little did Donnie know, Anna had noticed a change in him.

A few times she saw him pacing in his front yard while talking to himself. It scared Anna. After a while she didn't see him do that anymore. Maybe going to therapy made him stop talking to himself?

"The dream seemed so real Donnie. It was like you were meant to leave the house in time. Like it was fate."

"Anna, it might seem like fate to you. But I think I was supposed to get crushed by the jet engine."

"Donnie, that's horrible. What good would come from dying?"

"I don't know. I just feel like there is an order for things and I messed it up."