Atlas was ushered into the car by his mother, and as the dream continued, his anxiety soared. Her boyfriend Darren started driving away from their home, and Atlas, paralyzed by fear, tried to speak but found no words came out.
Each mile felt like a stab to his heart as he thought, 'This is the day she left me at the orphanage.'
The car turned onto the motorway, and Darren's voice cut through Atlas's mounting dread, boasting about the holidays they would be taking. The conversation seemed foreign, a jarring discord in his memories. 'I thought we were going on holiday. How naïve I was. If I had asked her why, things wouldn't have been so bad.'
Finally, Atlas croaked out, "Why are you abandoning me, Mom? Don't you love me anymore?" His voice trembled with the weight of his fear and confusion.
