AWOL

"Why are your eyes swollen?" my mother inquired as I walked down the stairs. I ran up to her and hugged her tightly, which surprised her. "Mom, I had a sad dream," I said as if I were a child. "Do you want to talk about that?" she inquired gently. We were both wandering slowly into the woods a few minutes later to get some fresh air.

"Why do you appear to be crying?" mother kindly inquired, and I felt sorry once more. "I had a dream about a boy in our village mother asking for help, but I didn't do anything," I replied softly as tears welled up in my eyes.

"I feel like it's all my fault, mother; I didn't protect him, and it appears that the things he wrote about me didn't get the justice they deserved," I couldn't stop crying as I sadly handed mother the notebook. "I feel like I've failed all the qualities he admired in me," I finally burst into tears again, overcome by grief.

Mother opened it and quickly picked the dried flower from the notebook. "That's his favorite flower, mother,