Read Relinquishing Liberty for Free Online

apart so I guess that explains why we’re so close.”
    I nodded, not wanting to bring up my own brother. I really didn’t want to open up that can of worms just yet.
    “Well, I’m going to take a quick nap before work. All this retail therapy took a lot of me,” I said through a long drawn out yawn.
    “All right. I’ll put these groceries away for you.” He took the bags from me before I could say anything, and I smiled appreciatively at him. “Pleasant dreams!” he yelled as I walked back to my room.
    I took Maddie’s advice from earlier and sprayed the bed down with Lysol before covering in my new sheets and comforter. It smelled like lavender and vanilla, immediately having an aroma-therapeutic effect on me. My eyes felt heavy, and I collapsed on the bed, burying my face in the plush new pillows. It felt so good not having to lie in a musty, stained motel bed with the springs digging into my back. I pulled the comforter up over me, and it didn’t take long for sleep to have its way with me.
     
    The fresh cut grass caused my allergies to act up, and my eyes began to water. I rubbed them clear and looked around before I caught sight of number ten running across the field towards the 30-yard line as he threw a pass to one of his teammates, Garrett. Everyone cheered when the ball fell into his hands. He zigzagged through his opponents, darting away from them as they tried to tackle him to the ground, but it was clear no one could touch him. The moment Garrett’s feet hit the end zone, everyone in the stands flew up. An eruption of applause and thunderous clapping flooded the stadium from the happy fans.
    I ran down to the field and pushed through the crowd until I was able to single out my favorite quarterback’s number ten jersey. His teammates were carrying him and Garrett on their shoulders as they paraded around the field celebrating the game winning throw and touchdown. I tried to get closer, but as soon as he was in reach, I felt myself being pulled back. Again I pushed through, but the force holding me back grew stronger causing an unwelcomed heaviness to settle in my chest. Soon the crowds disappeared and the only ones left on the field were number ten and myself.
    “AJ!” I shouted out to him, but it seemed as though he couldn’t even register my voice. He shook his head and took a few steps back.
    “AJ, wait!” I ran towards him, but he took off in a full out sprint down the field. His figure became fuzzy, and I tried to focus, blinking away the moisture that was quickly blurring my vision, but it was like he was fading away right before my eyes. When he made it to the end zone about 20 feet away from me, he stopped for a moment, and I made one last plea for him to wait for me, to just hold on for one more second until I could reach him.
    He took another step landing him outside of the end zone lines, and I watched as the dark, cloudy abyss that surrounded him swallowed up his body.
    “NO!” I cried out, but it was too late.
    The last thing I saw before he was completely gone was his cerulean blue eyes; they peered back at me cold and alone. There so much pain encompassed in those deep blue pools that I had never seen before, and I felt my heart begin to crack as I fell to the ground.
    “Nooo! AJ, please! Don’t leave me! Don’t go!” I shouted, praying that he could still hear me.
     
    I felt the ground begin to shake around me as I continued to cry out for my brother. When I finally realized I was no longer on the football field, but rather in my bed and clinging onto my blanket for dear life, I noticed the eyes staring back at me weren’t blue but a warm, chocolaty brown. Brett’s hands were on my shoulders gently shaking me from the nightmare that had my entire body shuddering in its wake.
    “Shhh, Liberty, you’re okay. It was just a dream.” He ran his hand softly over my head, brushing my hair back away from my eyes.
    “Wh-what? What are you doing in here?” I choked out,