Echoing Dreams

"Ryo, you dummy, stop crying already. It's just a scratch."

"Ryo, let's play."

Bow-wow!

"Ryo."

"Hey, Ryo."

Ryo stirred from his dream, the remnants of emotions clinging to him like a haze. "It's that dream again," he mumbled to himself.

For quite some time, Ryo had been haunted by visions of a blonde girl and a white puppy. Despite his curiosity, his parents always brushed off his inquiries about them. In his dreams, the blonde girl was young, with bright eyes, an infectious smile, and long, shimmering blonde hair that danced in the sunlight. Her presence brought a sense of peace and joy. On the other hand, the white puppy was small and fluffy, adding to the dream's comforting aura.

"Who is she?" Ryo pondered silently. "She talks to me like she knows me, yet I've never laid eyes on her in reality."

As Ryo woke, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. The setting felt familiar, but he couldn't recall how he ended up there. Venturing out, he overheard voices—it was Uncle Joe's place. Uncle Joe, Ryo's father's older brother, worked as a mechanic at a private institution.

Cassandra, Uncle Joe's daughter and Ryo's cousin was in a heated argument with Uncle Joe and Aunt May. She was the only child of Uncle Joe and Aunt May and was three years older than Ryo. She had striking jade green eyes and long, flowing black hair. Despite her outward beauty, she was not known for her kindness. Her sharp tongue often revealed her true, less pleasant nature.

"Why do I have to put up with that weirdo?" Cassandra exclaimed, her frustration evident.

"He's lost both his parents. Have a little compassion," Aunt May pleaded.

"But can't he live elsewhere? People are going to think I'm weird too!" Cassandra protested.

"He's part of this family now. That's final," Uncle Joe declared firmly.

Cassandra, furious, stormed off to her room, banging the living room door shut as she left. As she passed Ryo, who was standing by the door, she gave him an awkward stare. "Weirdo," she muttered.

Joining Uncle Joe and Aunt May in the living room, Ryo was greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Ryo. Did you sleep well?" Aunt May inquired.

"Yes," Ryo replied, still puzzled about his current whereabouts.

"We were just about to have breakfast. Come join us," Uncle Joe invited.

"Ryo what would you like to eat?" Aunt May spoke.

"Anything will do"

"Don't be shy, just tell me what you want to eat"

Ryo's disinterest extended beyond just food; it encompassed nearly everything around him. "Sunny side-ups eggs will do," he said.

As They began having breakfast. Uncle Joe suddenly sputtered the tea from his mouth.

"You put salt in the tea?" Uncle Joe remarked, frustration evident. "Stupid woman."

Aunt May, taken aback, decided to taste the tea herself to confirm. To her surprise, it indeed had salt instead of sugar. "I'm sorry, I've just been out of it since yesterday" she explained. She had accidentally put salt instead of sugar in the tea.

"Don't drink that, Ryo," Uncle Joe warned. However, Ryo had already finished his tea, unaware of the salt mix-up. He simply drank it without noticing anything amiss. He couldn't notice it or simply was unable to notice it.

"Where is Cassandra?" Uncle Joe inquired of Aunt May.

"She said she had something to attend to, so she has already left," Aunt May replied.

"She said she had something to attend to? And you didn't even inquire about anything else? Like where she was going or when she will return?" complained Uncle Joe.

"She is not a kid anymore; she is a grown-up university student. You have to give her some personal space," Aunt May retorted.

"To me, she will always be the little Cassandra," Uncle Joe declared sentimentally.

"Jeez, when will you grow up?" Aunt May commented dryly.

Uncle Joe was Ryo's father's older brother, and though not wealthy, he worked hard as a mechanic at a private institution.

"Ryo, take a few days off university. You can go when your mind is at ease," Aunt May suggested.

"I have a few days off before the start of the new semester," Ryo replied.

After they were done with the Breakfast Aunt May invited Ryo to come watch T.V with them to take his mind off things.

Uncle Joe turned on the TV, only to be shocked by the devastating news.

"Following yesterday's report of a house fire on the outskirts of Okinawa village—the two bodies found burnt to a crisp are yet to be identified. This was the last active house in the abandoned village. Mr. Asaku, could you please brief us on the events that took place?"

"Ahem... Well, it has been determined from the evidence gathered that a third party was involved, and it was not a case of suicide. One of the victims had his neck crushed, likely by something as heavy as a bus. There was excessive gas leakage in the kitchen, and a spark from a lighter found near one of the burnt corpses is thought to have caused the whole house to burst into flames. Each body was found in a different location in the house, surrounded by valuables, indicating they were committing theft. A stolen van found outside the house has been returned to its owner, presumably the work of the two deceased. The intense flames burned the bodies beyond recognition, and the police are using tomography to identify them. Interestingly, the owners of the house died the very same day. Investigations are ongoing to determine the connection between these cases. That's all from me, Ms. Nina."

"This concludes our report on the Okinawa house fire. It has been summarized that the house got on—"

Uncle Joe switched off the TV in disbelief. "That was Ryo's house! First the car accident, now this fire—what in the devil is going on?" he muttered.

A sharp pain and incessant beeping filled Ryo's head as memories rushed back like a flood.

"Where have you been, young man!? I told you to come straight here from the graveyard," Uncle Joe exclaimed.

"Sorry, I lost track of time at the graveyard. I just wanted to say goodbye and didn't realize it had gotten so late," Ryo replied calmly.

"Just come inside," Uncle Joe sighed.

"From now on, this is your home, dear," Aunt May said, trying to offer some comfort.

"Okay," Ryo responded, his tone devoid of emotion.

As the pain subsided and he returned to reality, Uncle Joe had collapsed from the stress. Aunt May frantically urged him to wake up. Although he regained consciousness, Uncle Joe remained unstable.

 "Ryo, stay here. I'm taking Uncle Joe to the hospital," Aunt May instructed. Ryo assisted in getting Uncle Joe into the car as they headed to the hospital.