Just a note before anyone reads this, that my daughter is a perfectly healthy 12 year old.

My daughter and I were driving to dig up a time capsule, just her and me. When we dug it up, it was enjoyable sharing that time together. It was oddly located in a Yosemite type park... Lots of trees, windy roads, and massive rock structures that formed cliffs. She wanted to "drive" on the way back to our cabin so I let her turn the wheel some. When we approached the cabin she almost ran us into the wall of a cliff overhang so I quickly took over.

As I was "readjusting" she hopped out of the car and climbed onto a rock structure at the edge of the cliff, smiling saying "look mom!". I yelled at her to get down but being afraid of heights, I didn't approach the cliff. A few seconds later, without warning, the rocks below her broke off and she slid down with them. I listened but did not hear a scream or crash. I believed that there was a ledge of some sort just below my view. I tiptoed toward the edge and realized I was wrong. I screamed her name praying for a response, but heard nothing but my echo.

Next I remember I was sitting at my parents' dining table with the two of them and my boyfriend. It was a super sunny day and everything looked cheerful. Then my daughter walked in very joyously because she had been "spending time with her friend". My mother has chimes on her front door so you can hear someone entering, but it didn't make a sound this time. My mother and I looked at each other like we knew she wasn't really there. My father enjoyed her company as if nothing was wrong. My mother hugged her cautiously. I knew it was an illusion but I wanted to enjoy it anyways. I asked her to stand in front of me and laugh and speak and hug me. I wanted to absorb the vision and sound of her so I could keep her memory as real in my mind as possible. Then with a smile, she said she had to go meet her friend again and she walked towards the door. We listened but heard no chimes.

Needless to say, I woke up crying and unable to shake the sorrow. I'm grateful it was just a dream but why would I dream something so horribly sad?