Sunshine - Dean Portman - The mighty ducks 2

Part one

Quatervois
(noun)
a crossroads; a critical decision or turning point in one's life

Irene tossed and turned in her sleep. "No. No no no!" The young girl mumbled. "Don't. Please I'm sorry!" A car honked outside making her wake up. Her face was cold and sweaty. She looked around half expecting to see her dad but saw no one except the fact her door was open. She could have sworn the door was shut when she went to bed but her mind was cloudy so she didn't really think about it. She rolled out of bed glancing at the messed up blankets that got thrown around in the middle of the night from the nightmares. She went to shut the door but as soon as her fingertips touched the cold knob she was swallowed into the blackness. It felt like she was falling. She woke up again possibly for real this time. At least it felt real. She didn't know anymore at this point.

"Are you okay?" She heard a voice say. It was her foster mom Jenna. Irene nodded.

"I heard you yelling."

"Oh." It was all Irene could say. She didn't want to talk but just to go back to bed.

"Was it a nightmare again?" She asked and Irene nodded.

"It was like a dream within a dream." She told her, closing her eyes.

When she opened them Jenna's concerned face morphed into her father's snarl.

"Miss me?" His ugly face asked. Irene shut her eyes but he was still there. It felt so real. She could even feel his smelly breath. How it picked up when he got angry or ragged when he was passed out.

"Go away!"

Irene tried convincing herself she was still dreaming but it felt so real.

"Wake up! Wake up Irene! Wake up.." she shut up eyes and hugged her knees crying to wake up.

This time she actually did. She was in her bed backed into the same corner in her dream hugging her knees. Her foster mom barged into her room and tried to soothe the very shaken up girl. 

"Irene."

"Irene!" She repeated this time more loud so the crying girl could hear her. Jenna put her hands on Irene's shoulders and shook her lightly. Once she got Irene's attention she wrapped her arms around her in a hug.

"It's not real, okay? He can't hurt you anymore." She told her as Irene mumbled to herself.

"It's not real." Irene O'Callahan repeated over and over.

"Now go back to bed okay? Do you want me to leave the light on?" Her foster mom asked getting up. Irene nodded and tried falling back asleep but it was no use. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before calling the only person who understood what she felt.

"Pick up pick up." She whispered to the phone.

"Ree? It's 3 in the morning." A groggy voice that belonged to no other than Kai.

"I know..." she told him quietly, "it's started again."  Kai Peterson who was used to the girl's nightmare's and late night calls, sighed.

He was the only one who truly got what she went through. Kai was like her brother, her only family besides her dad but he doesn't count. They met when Irene got out into a crummy foster home with Kai who was two years older. In exchange for a best friend Irene taught him to defend himself as he used to always get beat up by the other kids. He was like her  slightly older, much less mature brother.

They would also play hockey together going to the local rink and 'borrow' gear from the old lost and found. Kai was a speedster on the ice, a lot like Irene.