Not Acid Nor Alkaline ~ Sleep Token FF ~

28.Haunting

Vessel and Sleep were standing there. I could see Vessel reaching out his hand for me in the dark.
Again these red eyes were all over the place.

Suddenly I heard a sound of little drops that seemed to fall on the floor.
But before I could have a closer look, I got distracted by a frightening scream right behind me.

I turned around and there was the dead body of my grandma on the floor again. But this time, my dad was the only person standing. My mother was lying on the floor as well. Her whole body covered in blood. She was breathing, one time, two times and before I could even react, with a last sigh leaving her pale lips, she died in front of my eyes.
A little knife was inside her chest and the whole floor  had been covered in blood.

Before I realised what had happened in front of my eyes, a dull sound from behind me let me turn around another time.
Vessel had fallen onto his knees. Blood dripping from his scars on his arm. This time it wasn't a katana, this time he had cut his veins again.

A loud scream echoed through the room. I gasped for air. Goosebumps were all over my body. My skin wet from cold sweat. The door opened and I realised how Abby came into my room.
'Emma! Oh god...you scared me. What happened?', she asked me with trembling voice.

'This was a dream,right?',I whispered. No, not everything was a dream. I began sobbing uncontrollably, my hands covered my face. 'Shhh...', Abbys voice was now beside me, I felt her arms around my body. My hands and my face were wet from my tears. 'I know, this must be hard for you...'

She didn't know anything. Abby believed I simply had no contact with my parents, that they were far away. Instead they were both in prison and now, now my mother got killed by a psychic woman. Should I feel relief? I didn't know. But eventhough I never wanted to see her again, I felt like I'd miss her.

Fuck, but what if more parts of my dream were true?
I got scared and tried to free myself out of Abby's arms and grabbed my phone.
I called him. I needed to know that he was alright.
With shaking hands I unlocked my screen and called him.

A few seconds passed before I heard him answering the phone. 'Emma? Is everything alright?'
'No, it's not.', I mumbled. 'But now it is at least better.' I had tried to hold back tears, but I couldn't and began sobbing. Abby grabbed the phone out of my hand.

Vessel's POV:

'Hey, it's Abby...can you talk?'
I was on my way back to the apartment when Emma had called me. It felt like a big lump in my throat. I stopped at the side of the road. 'Yes, I can talk. I just stopped the car.', I replied to Emma's flatmate.
'Well, I don't know how openly I can talk about it and I guess it is the best if she is telling it you herself. I think it would be the best if you might come over. Over the past weeks her dreams seem to get out of hand.', as far as I was able to assess, Abby sounded really worried about her friend.

'I'm on my way. Can you hand me Emma again, please?', I told her.
A few seconds later I heard my girl again. 'Are you alright?', she sounded so scared it broke my heart.
'Darling, you don't have to worry about me. I am alright. Just let Abby talk with you for a bit so you're not alone. I'm coming over.', I tried to comfort her.

A few minutes later I was on my way to Emma. What did scare her this much? This late wasn't much traffic on the streets. Still it took me a while to finally arrive at her place.
I parked the car, pulled the hood over my had as it was raining and quickly walked to the house, ringing the door bell. Luckily the door opened fast and I took two steps at a time hurrying to the apartment.

'Mhhh...hi.', Abby greeted me with an irritated look. 'Hey. Is she in her room?', I asked right away.
She nodded and a stepped aside.
'Hey, I'm here.', I whispered as I walked into Emma's room. A picture of misery was sitting there on the bed.
She pretty much threw herself into my arms and began sobbing again.

I just stroke over her hair and back. What else could I do in such a situation? Her little hands grabbed for my sweater that was a little damp from the rain outside.

'Did you have a nightmare?', I asked her. 'I wish it would have been all a nightmare.', she mumbled against my shoulder. 'What do you mean, love?', I placed my hand under her chin and slightly lifted her head.
Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, nevertheless she was the most beautiful person for me and it did hurt me seeing her like that.

She gasped for air and tried to calm down until she was able to talk.
'I had this dreams. They started a bit dark, but not in a bad way. They just kept me awake a lot. But since a couple of nights they start to be sort of the same. I am always caught between sides.', she started to explain.
She told me about the dreams, about Sleep and me and the red eyes. About Matt and Abby. And about her parents  and the dead body of her grandma.

'But, but this time, my mother died right in front of my eyes.', Emma said, her lips began trembling.
She lifted up her pillow and took a piece of paper that had been lying under it. She handed it to me.
I read it, it was an offical letter. One time. Two times until I realised.
How should I react to that? Should I feel sorry?

I said nothing instead and just pulled Emma back into my arms.
'I see. This might have been really scary for you seeing everything in your dreams.', I started talking, but got interrupted fast.

'What scared me more was seeing you. I turned around and there was you, on your knees and you were bleeding out of your...', she took my left arm and pulled up my sleeve.
'I thought I lost you as well...', I barely heard her broken voice. 'I am ok, love. And I will never hurt myself ever again.', I whispered to sooth her. But was it the truth? Would I never hurt myself again?

We just kept sitting there, me holding Emma until she calmed down a little. 'How are you feeling about your mother's dead?', I asked the woman in my arms.
'I don't know. I mean, I didn't want to see her ever again. After what they have done, both seemed as if I never actually knew them. But, I somehow feel guilty. I feel guilty for missing her, I mean...she was my mother.', Emma stuttered.

'Don't blame yourself for having those feelings.'
I let go of her and got up.
'Don't let me alone.', Emma wimpered as soon as I didn't hold her anymore.
'Im coming back. I won't leave you.', I said quickly before I just got out of my shoes. I pulled the sweater over my head and got out of my pants.
I came back to her, getting the blanket and covered both of us with it. 'Come, lie down with me. You don't have to sleep, just lie down. I'll take care of you and I'm not leaving you.', I said calmly. She followed my words and I pulled her into my arms.

I tried staying awake for her. I even saw the dawn while listening to her breathing becoming more and more regular and deeper. She might have been fallen asleep at some point, before my eyelids got heavy as well and I fell into a dreamless sleep as well.