CHAPTER 15
The pounding on the door wove through his dreams like a rampant alarm until he finally snapped out of his deep sleep to a new day.
As he came to consciousness, he realized the dreadful sound was coming from upstairs, not from his dream. He got out of bed slowly and peeked at his nightstand clock – 6am, it said. He opened the curtain and squinted in the low sunlight. It was his Aunt Carmen.
Aunt Carmen? What was she doing here at this hour? What possible news did she carry with her on this of all mornings? But deep in his heart, he knew that it could only mean one thing. A lump grew in his throat; he felt faint and sat back on the bed. He couldn’t face it, absolutely not, not now.
No, no, no, no! It can’t be! he thought. All of what he went through last night, to fi
