Chapter Twenty-six

Navarro house

Titusville, Virginia

Thursday night

Tash was still thinking about his dad when he finally fell asleep and fell into a strange dream. It was weird. For the first time in his life Tash knew he was dreaming, but it didn't matter, he saw his father sitting on a bench inside a weird-looking building filled with strange statues and shapes and columns that looked like they had eyes sticking out of them and a ceiling so high he could barely make it out. His dad was staring at long glass windows of all different colors, beautiful, so bright. His brow was furrowed, like he was thinking hard, and he looked sad.

"Dad."

His dad looked up and blinked, but then he sort of shook his head and stared off at one of the windows again.

"Dad."

Tash screamed, "Dad! Watch out! Run!"

Tash jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to Uncle Rebel's bedroom. The door was open. He didn't wait, didn't think, just ran to the big bed, pulled back the covers, and crawled in.

"Tash? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Uncle Rebel's voice sounded sort of scratchy, like he'd been really deep asleep.

"Shush now, Tash. You had a nightmare, a doozy. Come here."

"Stained glass?"

"Yes, but not like the ones in St. Paul's in Philadelphia Mama really liked. There were columns everywhere—and colors, red and yellow and green, and statues that looked like they were from the Planet Zod. Uncle Rebel, I saw Dad, I really saw him. He was sitting all alone on this weird bench and there were a lot of them—"

"Pews, like in a church?"

"I've never seen anything like it either, but it was real, Uncle Rebel, I know it was real. How could I dream something I saw so clearly and it's not really real? And I saw Dad. And he was there."

"Okay. Then it's up to me to find this place that has pews like a church and looks like science fiction."

"So you don't think I'm crazy anymore?"

"I never thought you were crazy, Tash. I'll make you a deal. You can tell me anything and I promise I'll listen."

"Good. That's good. You'll find this place, I know you will. It's real."

Where are you, Archer?