The Light (Morpheus Road) Read Online Free PDF Page A

spoke in acronyms like "L-D-I" or "I am O-O-H" ("out of here").
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    Maybe that came from working the Black Berry too much. Or maybe he was just a goof.
    "They're kind of relying on me at work," I said. It was a lie. They weren't relying on me at all.
    "Work? You sound like some old guy. C'mon! It's summer! L-I-U!"
    That meant "lighten up." Or "live it up." I wasn't sure which.
    As I think back, I wonder what would have happened if I had made a different decision. What if I had gone with him? Would things have played out differently? Or was everything that happened inevitable?
    "I really don't want to go, Dad."
    He was ready to jump in with another reason to tempt me to go, but turned serious instead. "I hate leaving you home alone."
    "I know, but it's cool. Really. You know that."
    Dad frowned. "I do. I'm just worried about you, Marsh."
    "Dad! I'll be fine! Seriously. You know I won't throw parties or trash the house."
    "I know. I almost wish you would."
    "Uhh . . . what?"
    He got up and started clearing the dinner plates. Something was bugging him.
    He finally said, "We never talk about Mom anymore."
    "Whoa. Change of subject."
    "Not really. Mom was always the one who got us going. She came up with the ideas and the adventures. Right? You used to love going on trips. That's what we did. But we haven't gone anywhere since, well, since Mom planned the last one. With her gone, it's like we're not . . . we're not . . . things are just different."
    "Well . . . yeah."
    "But it's not right."
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    "Is that why you want me to go to Vegas? You're trying to come up with an adventure like Mom used to do?"
    "No. Maybe. I don't know. I'm just afraid that ... I don't know how to say this, Marsh ... I see you closing into yourself."
    "Huh?"
    Once Dad found the words, he couldn't stop. "Don't get mad. It's just that I wish you'd get out more. Make more friends. Join a team. I think it's great how you're so into your books and your comics and your drawings. That's all great. But it's so . . . solitary."
    He really caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting any of that. "I've got friends," I said defensively.
    "You've got Coop, and he's entering the Witness Protection Program. Where does that leave you? What are you going to do the rest of the summer?"
    "I've got plenty to do," I shot back.
    "I'm sure you do and that's great--I just want you to get out a little bit and have some fun. That's all I'm saying. It's what Mom would have wanted."
    "Mom never would have said anything like that," I said, my anger building.
    "Probably not. She was much smarter than me. But she knew what she wanted for you and it wasn't to live a life inside your head."
    "Where do you get that stuff? Are you reading psychology books or something?"
    "No. Okay, maybe a few. I'm feeling my way along here. You're a smart guy, Marsh. I'm really proud of you. But you need people in your life. You need to get out. Go to parties. Chase girls. You know ... do normal stuff."
    I jumped out of my chair. "You think I'm not normal?"
    "No! I didn't mean it like that. C'mon, you know what I'm saying."
    27
    "I have no idea what you're saying, but I think you better stop saying it before you say something even dumber than you already have."
    I blasted out of there and headed back to my bedroom. I'd never spoken like that to my dad, but then again, he'd never spoken to me like that either. Where did he get off saying I wasn't normal? Things were different. He didn't need to point that out. I was dealing with it. Okay, maybe I spent a lot of time alone, but that was my personality. I wasn't a big-group kind of guy. I stormed into my bedroom and stood there, not sure of what to do with my anger. Scream? Punch the wall? Throw myself on the bed and kick my legs like a little girl? My eye caught the photo on the wall. Mom's photo. The temple. It brought back a flood of memories that only made me feel worse.
    It could have happened yesterday. That's how vivid the moment was. But it was nearly two