I think I've finally decided on the title. Not 100% sure, but at least somewhere around 90%. Anyways not to waste your time, here's part four of the story. Enjoy.
The following morning was gloomy and dark, the rain has been pouring for hours and thick fog surrounded the house. Hamond awoke feeling a wicked pain in his chest, like his heart is going to burst. He couldn't or rather didn't want to move and the only thing that was good about that morning is that it was finally Saturday and he didn't even need to move. All he wanted to do is lay in his bed, waiting for the pain to wear off and think his options through. He was clueless about how to get rid off his visions and terrifying dreams, but the more he thought about it the more it got clearer. He came to a realization that there wasn't really anything scary about what has been happening to him, other than his father's appearance of course. But that's merely an image, the only way he was able to remember Bernard, nothing more. In fact, the figure that kept appearing in front of him never tried to do him any harm, it's only his own imagination that led him to believe he was going to get hurt or that something else bad will happen. But there was no reason for it, now was it? The only thing that his father tried to do is to try and turn his son's attention to Faylake. Hamond was now thinking about what to do, trying to go and visit his childhood village now seemed like the best option, or only option to be exact, other than that nothing felt right to do.
"I made you breakfast! Eggs and bacon, just the way you like them."
Susie interrupted his flow of thoughts and entered the room with a large silver plate of food. His concerned face expression quickly turned into a huge smile, he didn't want to tell Susie about his dream or his thoughts, he felt it was best not to get her concerned about it.
"Thank you sweetheart. Come, sit by my side, let’s eat together."
Susie placed the plate on his lap and sat next to him, handing him a small silver fork.
Hamond ate his breakfast and made small talk to his wife for an entire hour, but he really wasn't focused on what they were talking, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Susie left the room to do the dishes and Hamond's mind was still completely concentrated on Faylake and why on Earth would his father's spirit want him to go back there. He concluded that perhaps trying and communicating with Bernard the next time he appears might be a good idea, since trying to ignore his presence and running away didn't seem to help.
"Will you escort me out?"
Susie's voice interrupted his thinking once again.
Hamond completely forgot that Susie is going away for ten days to go and visit her parents down south. Actually he didn’t forget that, he just hadn’t realized that it’s already Saturday. Keeping track of time has proven to be rather difficult these days with everything that’s been going on.
“Of course my dear”, he said after a couple of seconds in silence.
They walked to the front door and Susie kept reminding Hamond of each little thing he needed to do while she was away, from fixing the kitchen light to mowing the lawn. Of course he told her not to worry and that he’ll do everything, but in reality he already forgot most of what she told him, his mind was still back in his dream, thinking about his father, his childhood, Faylake…
The couple finally parted after a long hug and a kiss and went their separate ways. Hamond still hasn’t decided if trying to find Faylake was a sane idea, but he was damn sure that telling his wife about it wasn’t. Now that she will be gone for more than a week, Hamond felt like it’s the best time to do something and put a stop to his nightmares. But to be honest, he was also a little bit afraid of being alone, it’s always more comforting to have someone by your side upon awaking from a terrible dream. Hamond closed the front door after Susie left his line of sight and went straight back to bed, determined to fall asleep and talk to Bernard, try and establish some connection, maybe have a little more informative conversation. He even popped a pill to help him go under as fast as possible. It didn’t take more than twenty minutes and he has already fallen into deep sleep.
The air started getting colder, Hamond’s lungs barely managed to function properly and his eyes were slowly getting adjusted to the darkness around him. He knew right away that his plan is working, that this is going to be one of his dreams, but he wasn’t afraid anymore, he was prepared to face his father, no matter how terrifying or disfigured he may seem. Beneath that cracked shell representing Bernard’s body, he knew there is a kind soul that belongs to his beloved father and he was ready to hear him out. The only problem is, he seemed to be alone. Hamond looked around, scanning everything around him, but his father was nowhere to be found. He also realized that he doesn’t recognize the place he was standing. There was no forest, or houses this time, no path that leads to the village center, nothing. He found himself standing at the edge of some huge field where corn was grown during the summer. Finally he could make out something in the distance, it was a road, but not the small dirt path he found himself on the last time, but rather a normal major road. He didn’t know why, but he started moving towards it as soon as he saw it, like he wasn’t in control of his body. Hamond stopped just inches away and saw a road sign, “E-75”. He started to connect the dots. E-75 is a road that reaches far north, somewhere near the area Faylake should be in. He tried to focus his vision and see as far as possible down the road, again he didn’t know why, but as soon as he spotted a place where a smaller road branched of the main one, he started walking towards it. Getting closer and closer he was starting to notice a figure, standing at the beginning of the smaller road, looking at his direction, waiting. Hamond wasn’t scared, he was ready for this, so many questions he wanted to ask his father were going through his head, but very soon he learned that not everything is going to be as easy as he imagined. After closing most of the distance, just as he was about to say something, his father’s body turned around and started gliding down the road, like he was trying to lead him and Hamond’s body obeyed. Step by step the concrete turned to dirt, the road was getting worse and in the distance, a thick line of trees was starting to appear. After what felt like a solid twenty minutes of walking in silence, the two finally reached the outskirt of the forest in front of them. It was so dense that there was absolutely no way to see past it and get a glimpse of what’s behind, although he could guess that it was Faylake, somewhere far behind all those trees. Hamond was standing close to Bernard now, but he still couldn’t say a word, his body just wasn’t allowing him to. Instead it was Bernard who broke the silence.
“Remember those two trees. Remember and come.”
His finger was pointed at two trees, both growing unnaturally, tilted to the side instead of going upwards. They crossed each other making a huge “X” shape, practically forming a gate. Hamond could see that there was indeed a very small path starting at the bottom of those trees, but he couldn’t see more than a few meters of it. He wanted to get closer, but he couldn’t move. In a blink of an eye Bernard disappeared and Hamond was starting to feel dizzy. Everything around him started to spin like he was on a merry-go-round and he was plunged into darkness. Seconds later he got up in his bed, knowing that he had no other choice than to obey his father’s spirit and try to go to Faylake. He didn’t have a clue what to do upon arriving there, but it just felt right. He got up and started packing for the trip.
Start reading from the beginning at pt.1