Welcome to Nightmare Land |Complete|

Chapter seven

The ride back is long and awkward. I fiddle with the corners of the papers in sitting in my lap, avoiding Dem's eyes. That was the most emotion I've witnessed from him in years and I didn't know how to go about it. He's always the cool, composed, and detached one. He never worried. Now that he has cracked from all of this, I know how severe this situation really is.

I take a trembling breath and gaze out the window. I notice the sun is just beginning to set, introducing another night.

And probably another nightmare, I think grimly.

I pull out my phone and check the time, noticing that it was almost seven and the others should be heading back now. I quickly message Mad informing her and Dylan that we were on our way and message Demi inquiring her whereabouts and if she and Kellan were okay. Them being there alone make me incredibly anxious, even though Kellan is a strong and brave person, I feel that this is something stronger and darker than he could handle. She quickly responds saying that they were alright. Some anxiety is alleviated from my body, but definitely not all. I didn't ask if she found anything, because frankly I didn't want to know. Ignorance is probably the best coping mechanism for me right now.

Suddenly I recall a childhood nightmare I would perpetually have. I would wake up in my bed, and it'll be pitch black. I could hear movement around me, darting throughout my room. I'd have feeling of an unnatural presence, frigid and aggressive. But what made it most terrifying was the fact that I was paralyzed. I had completely no control of my body. I could barely even speak, couldn't even call out to my parents for help. All I could do is just lie there all too aware that there was something threatening lurking in my bedroom.

Completely vulnerable I would shut my eyes and wait for it to be over, and that's when I'd feel it approach me. Slowly, tantalizingly slow, teasing me, basking in my fear. It loved fear, it thrived on fear. My sweat, my tears, my whimpers encouraged it to visit me during my slumber more often. Then, I began not to sleep. I'd go days without sleeping, petrified from my traumatizing experiences.

Then my father became sick. Fatally sick and that became my biggest fear, losing him, replacing my nightmare. Too consumed about my father's health, I completely forgot about my nightly visitor and began sleeping again. And when he died, my only escape from the reality of him leaving me ironically was sleep. Sorrowfulness, anger, fear and confusion washed over me as I thought about my nightmares and my father.

Dem's nudge finally draws me back to reality and I realize we've reached our stop. We get off the bus and begin to walk to Mad's house.

It's silent, and painfully awkward.

"Listen, Abigail. . ." Dem begins abruptly, making me jump a bit. "I'm sorry for before."

"I know, Dem" I say. "It's okay."

"It's just. . ." He begins and plops himself down on the sidewalk and mutters a curse. "What the hell is happening?"

"I know." I repeat stupidly, not knowing what else to say, sitting next to him. "We're going to figure this out."

Oh great, now I'm the rational, optimistic one. I think bitterly.

We sit in silence for more than ten minutes. I keep expecting him to get up and start walking but he stays there.

I give up waiting and stand up and ready get for him to follow suit, but he just looks up at me with worn-out eyes.

"You go ahead, I just need to. . ." He trails off, tugging on his hair.

"I understand." I nod and start walking, I glance back one last time at Dem's image; looking exhausted and battered as he hunched himself over, then I continued walking.

This horrid place is inflicting physical and mental harm onto us, and I know it won't stop until we're completely defeated and it has won.

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It was completely dark as I make it back to Mad's house and figure I should crawl through the basement window like Dylan, to avoid disturbing her mother. As I walk around back I couldn't shake this strong, malicious presence around me. I keep reminding myself that my nerves are on end, making me paranoid and distorting reality. However, when I see a flash of red in my periphery, I'm fully aware that I'm not imagining anything.

I instantly became paralyzed with fear, goosebumps arose on my forearms and a cold sweat began forming on my neck and forehead. My breath becomes shallow and I clutch the papers in my hand. I mentally plead with my body, willing it to move-- to enter the home not five feet away, but something had cast its spell on me, making me a prisoner within my own body. When I see the red flash again, I choke out a pathetic, strangled sound.

Why can't I move? I ponder angered and fearsome.

I see it dart from one corner to another. I'm so distraught I think I may pass out, but I force myself to stay conscious for the sake of my life.

I see the red again, yet this time it's much slower. I watch it move pass me in an eerie silence. The only thing I hear is my heart beating in my ears. My eyes, the only thing I have control of, follow the red figure as it travels from the left to the right of me. It looms at the window to Mad's room; my heart accelerates even more as I watch it watch them. I look in the window too and see they're completely obvious to what is occurring outside.

Please, I plead to them uselessly, turn around.

Then, it slowly begins to turn its head, finally acknowledge my presence. I instantly become more panic-stricken fearing what it might do to me. It keeps turning slowly; I shut my eyes with tears running down my face.

No, no, no. . .

I hear and feel it approach me at a leisurely pace, taunting me with its breathy laughter. Then it stops, and I know its right in front of me, but I refuse to open my eyes. I feel its warm breath on my face and hear two things before I fall unconscious, a metallic clang and an ungodly voice whisper in my ear:

"Sweet dreams"