Outside In - Dream

The ongoing story: Outside In 
Tailored to meet the BFF-158 Prompt "I Have a Dream"

The rain continued to fall through the night, tapping out a steady pulse on the rooftop. The giant oak in the backyard brushed branches against the side of the house in the wind. Long strands of alfalfa made a comfortable, shushing sound. Other than the storm, it was quiet at the end of Pleasant Drive. 

Torie tucked the blankets up around Blake, and kissed his forehead softly. Rothschild jumped up and burrowed into the soft, blue blanket next to him. Even before Torie turned the light off, Blake was asleep. 

"Randy, it's not right that he's still so quiet. I'm worried about him." Torie said to her husband as she leaned into his broad chest to rest her head.

"He'll be alright. After all, he's a Dempsey!" his voice was strong and deep, but he knew she was right. Something had changed in Blake when his mother left, and neither of them knew how to fix it. 

"I think I will take him to town tomorrow" she said.

Randy lifted her face and looked at her sternly, "Do you think that's a good idea?" 

"Maybe getting out of this house will be good for him." 

"And it could make things worse Torie, you know that." He brushed her hair back off of her face, kissed her slowly, deeply, then picked her up and carried her off to bed.

The storm was intensifying. Sheets of rain continued to cover the ground, until it became saturated. Howling sounds echoed through the trees as the wind snaked in and out of the limbs. A surly gust of wind pushed Blake's bedroom window open, letting the outside in. Drops of rain heavy enough to soak the floor in a matter of minutes, darted through the open window, but the floor  remained dry. A lightweight curtain danced in the breeze, rippling and landing against the sill repeatedly. Blue-white light cast shadows of the oak on the wall across from the window. It looked like an woman's figure with leaves for fingers. 

Blake got up and moved toward the wall. "Momma?" he said quietly. 

He heard only the wind and rain answer him. Wind whispers that soothed his spirit, brushed his cheek gently, made him smile. His mother loved to dance, and he liked to watch her. He sat on the floor with his blanket wrapped around him, and watched her dance until the rain stopped, and her shadow faded from the wall. 

He woke to the sound of Torie's voice calling him for breakfast. "Blake, come and eat!"

He looked around his room, but the window was still closed, and the rain was still outside. Blake wasn't sure where his mother had come from, or where it was she went, but he knew last night was not just a dream.

"C'mon Rothy, let's go eat." He paused at the doorway and scanned the room once more before shutting the door.