Building Blocks Read Online Free Page A

Sometimesin dreams you couldn’t wake yourself up, no matter how hard you tried. You had to wait for things to get scary enough to wake you up. But he wasn’t scared. If anyone was scared it was this Kevin kid, huddling in the bed with his sheet pulled up to his shoulders.
    â€œThe river, the Ohio River. I’ve never seen the ocean.”
    â€œHow am I supposed to get out?” Brann asked.
    â€œHow’d you get in?”
    â€œI flew in the window,” Brann said. He giggled. In dreams wasn’t that how you traveled, with your arms spread out, floating? “So I’ll just fly out.” That would prove it for sure.
    â€œThat’s not funny,” the boy said. “Did you come up the back stairs to the second floor and then up here? It’s lucky you came to my room. If Grandma had seen you—she’s old and her heart’s not good. Grandpa is deaf, so nothing bothers him. Can you find your way down all right?”
    â€œNo,” Brann said. “Because I didn’t come in, come up.” He was beginning to get scared. He tried to keep fear out of his voice, but the boy heard it.
    â€œYou’ve done something wrong, haven’t you?” Kevin asked. Brann shook his head, then nodded it. Hedidn’t know. “And you don’t want to talk about it.”
    Brann nodded again. How could he say, I fell asleep and when I woke up I wasn’t where I’d been to fall asleep, and I think this is all a dream but it feels too real to be a dream. If it isn’t a dream that means I’ve maybe traveled through time; but that’s impossible.
    Kevin’s eyes took in everything about Brann. “Well,” he finally said, “I could take you out to the garage. You could sleep there. Maybe you could have breakfast with us. If you wanted to. Anyway. But you better think up a good story, because my mother is pretty sharp with strangers. If she thinks something’s fishy, I’ll tell her just what happened. I don’t want to get whipped.”
    â€œOK,” Brann said. Dreams could seem awfully real, he reminded himself.
    They slipped off the bed. Kevin was sleeping in his underpants, just like ordinary kid. Brann pushed his feet down on the floor so hard the contact jarred up his ankles; but he still didn’t wake up.
    Kevin moved silently across the room and Brann followed as silently on bare feet. The boy opened the door and looked out. A light went on. With one hand Kevin pushed Brann back into the room. “Don’tmove,” he hissed, as if their lives depended on it. Brann stood with his back flat against the wall, his heart beating in his ears, listening.
    He heard shuffling footsteps, then an airy voice: “Kevin? Is that you? I thought I heard voices.”
    Kevin stepped out into the hallway. “It’s just me, Grandma.”
    â€œI heard a noise, and then voices. But I thought I might be dreaming and you know how they go on if I wake them up. I listened. I tried to go back to sleep. It was whispering. Did you hear whispering?” The voice sounded urgent.
    â€œI heard it, Grandma, don’t worry. It was me. I got up and ran into the blocks. I knocked the whole building down, then I was talking to myself.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œIt was dark. I was lonely. I’m going downstairs now and get a glass of water so you’ll hear that. I’ll be coming upstairs again, so you’ll hear that too. Don’t worry.”
    The two voices were receding, as if the speakers were walking away.
    â€œI have never walked in my sleep,” the airy voice declared.
    â€œI know, Grandma.”
    â€œNor snored.”
    â€œWell now, I don’t think that’s true.”
    â€œI knew you’d tell the truth. You’re a good boy, Kevin.”
    â€œI’m going to turn out the hall light.”
    â€œThat’s nice.”
    Brann waited a brief moment in darkness, then stepped into the