Hunter, Not Hunted

Dwight was dreaming. It wasn't often that he dreamed while sleeping. He'd had a lot of sleepless nights, broken only by the terror of nightmares.

Tonight he saw Alan, older than he had been when he'd last seen him, but somewhat blurred around the edges. It was as though he was a very small picture that had become pixelated when enlarged. Maybe it was because Dwight didn't exactly know himself what Alan would have looked like as an older child.

The two of them were sitting on Alan's old wooden bed with the checkered duvet, surrounded by a stark-white background. Dwight found it nice that he'd thought to drop by.

"I saw that you saved everyone. Well, everyone except him."

Dwight cast his eyes downward in regret. "I tried to, I really did. I just needed more time, I wish I'd had more time." He spoke a little more strongly now. "Besides, it was Logan who really did it. At the beginning, he just knew what to do and how to organize everyone!" Dwight stopped talking once he noticed how envious he sounded. "Or at least that's what everyone's been telling me."

Alan dug around in one of his pockets, and pulled out an old Grecian medallion that he used to play with. "It's true, Logan keeps a clear head during most emergencies, but his courageousness truly came out once he realized that he had the most to lose that night." His brother flipped the coin in the air, blinding Dwight every time it's silver surface caught the light. "And besides, no one knows yet whether or not he has lost something incredibly important to him. But enough about Logan. You were both spectacular, but I'm really here to talk about you."

Dwight waited for him to say more, not even daring to take a breath. He knew what he wanted to hear, but he wasn't sure if he deserved it, whether or not he would ever deserve it, no matter how hard he tried.

Alan finally said, "I'm proud of you." The silence that followed made it clear that Dwight was intending on letting him finish. "Tommy, you're the best hunter I've ever seen, and also the best protector. You're my hero, you always were, I never had time to tell you, and you need to understand it!"

Dwight teared up and didn't know quite what to say.

Alan continued. "I don't blame you for my death, and I especially don't blame you for his. Things happen for a reason, Tom, they really do."

Dwight blinked back tears and said, "I know you can't stay for long, but I'm so glad you came."

Alan's medallion slipped through his fingers and hit the floor with a clang. "You're right, I've got to keep this short. Tom, just remember, I don't blame you, he doesn't blame you, and you've got to move on. He said slyly, "They owe you their lives, Tom, and that doesn't come at a low price. Things will start to go your way. Dwight, I promise."

Alan's face blurred even more out of focus until there wasn't much to see at all, just a smudge of quickly fading colours.

"Be good Tom! Be the hunter, not the hunted!"

Dwight woke up not long after with a smile on his face, feeling freer than he had in years.