Creatures of the Night: Awakening (Original Draft)

Chapter 23 - Nicolas

Even with my constant worry for Molly and wondering where she was at, I still had to rest. Aster had refused to give up his spot on the ground and told me to sleep in his bed, thinking Molly was going to return home sometime in the night. Her yellow bed covered in her favorite stuffed animals lied untouched as I sat on Aster's bed, pulling my pajamas out of my bag as he entered the room, the door being left open as I saw it stay in my line of vision.

"Nic, calm down," Aster spoke with a worried glance towards me.

I looked to him, confused. "I'm fine, why do you think I'm upset?"

"Your eyes and frown show it." Aster pointed at my face for a moment before dropping his hand back down to his side. He tucked some of his hair behind his ear as he stood in the space between the two beds, rocking on his feet.

I sat there, looking at him with my lips pursed. "So..." I drummed my hands on the bed before laughing a little bit.

Aster joined in before stopping. "You know the bathroom is open, right?" He scratched the back of his head as he neared closer to the dresser at the foot of his bed.

"So you're kicking me out?" I teased him. "That's rude!"

He laughed again, "Well, I'll be the villain then. I need to change as well."

I pushed myself up from the bed, distorting the large star on the comforter as I made my way out of the bedroom. I walked straight down their hallway, walking around the long curtains that blew outwards from the register on the floor. I opened the door to the bathroom and closed it, closing the one that led into the living room to secure my privacy. I changed quickly, not enjoying the cool air of the bathroom, the color of the tiled walls and floor also making me want to leave. I hated green and orange together, especially the dull versions of them like the bathroom.

After changing, I made my way back to the bedroom. A sudden noise stopped me from going on, my head turning to look at the covered windows. A shadow moved behind the one to the right, darting past the one on the left quickly. It wasn't normal to see shadows in from of the Brown house, there were no trees in front to cause them.

I dismissed it as being part of my imagination and walked back down the hallway, the floorboards creaking underneath my bare feet as I did so. A shuffling noise came from the exterior wall once again, pausing me in my tracks. I leaned towards the second window, brushing the vintage orange curtain out of the way to see outside into the hazy red atmosphere out there. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the only thing that made me uneasy was the creepy stillness, even their wind chimes stood frozen still out hanging above the deck.

"Nic." I turned my head at the mention of my name, seeing Aster standing in his bedroom doorway. He motioned with his head for me to come in. I followed him, jumping onto his bed as he sat down on the floor, his back against Molly's bed. "What's been bothering you? You've seemed upset the entire night. It's not just Molly you're worried about, is it?" He asked with eyebrows raised.

"I am worried about Molly-"

"That doesn't answer my question." Aster cut in, immediately apologizing for cutting me off.

I smiled at his kindness and continued. "There's also some fighting going on at my house right now between my parents. My dad thought it would be best if I came over to hang out with you and Molly."

Aster nodded his head and heaved out a sigh. "It's kinda rare for your parents to fight, isn't it?" He asked with one eye closed, the other looking at me.

"Yeah, it isn't normal for them to be like this. I guess it's just the recent changes in the family." I shrugged my shoulders. A shadow came from the window, drawing my attention to it.