when They come for you

Caught#05-in a nightmare

[the third person]

Kiev was too heavily pulled towards sleep, to hear the loud shouts in the next room.

Wonder why?

Marion was in the middle of explaining.

"Of, course it would be for Kiev's own good! It will let him have a normal life, just like all the other children his age!", she continued to insist.

"Don't you dare say my brother's name like that- You don't even give a crap about the wellbeing of my little brother! What, you think we would just gladly sacrifice him as your little guinea pig, in the name of some kinda so-called 'friendship' you've fantasised!", Autry's voice rose with each sentence. He wanted this evil-on-legs out of his home, never to return. If he'd looked a little closer, he would've noticed that Marion looked genuinely hurt. But he didn't.

What he did notice was the open briefcase on their coffee table. It could be likened to a manicure set, in the way that bands of elastic held down all the items inside. But the implements weren't meant to be used for your fingernails. They were designed to make precise and neat cuts in flesh. No scars. Most of the time.

The other case remained closed upon Gregory's lap. Kiev didn't know this, but Gregory was the name of the man in the black fedora. Gregory didn't like the name and preferred "Greg" or even better, just "G".

Stella sat as still as Greg, half-listening to the two people arguing. She was trying to think, but the noise just wouldn't stop.

"But you don't understand! Look at the poor boy, holed-up at home, isolated from the rest of the world! Stella, listen to me, please! You can't let this happen. You have work, and Autry has university. And what does Kiev have? Textbooks and exercise books that don't talk. That is not a life-"

"ENOUGH". Stella had finally lost all patience. Her oldest friend and eldest son were both yelling at each other right in front of her, and neither would just shut-up. It was frustrating. She knew the two would shut-up for good, with the next sentence.

"I was planning to send Kiev to school soon anyway".

There was a silence, like a pause button freezing-over the scene. Marion and Autry looked like frozen sculptures, Marion; arms crossed and standing, Autry; leaning forwards and sitting. What was uncanny, was the way both their gazes were turned in piercing shock towards Stella.

"Look, how else do you think you got into uni', Autry?", Stella's voice was dangerously low. Was this because of her son, or because of her friend? "Home-schooling just isn't going to work."

"But is he old enough? I mean, if someone recognised him . . . like last time . . .", Autry's voice trailed off.

"Never mind last time!" , Stella didn't want to have to explain it all to Marion.

Going to school wasn't a good idea for Kiev. Not when there were so many people who could remember your face there; teachers, staff, parents, other students . . . all liabilities to a ghoul on the run.

[Kiev's dream]

I'm standing at the edge of a deep, dark hole. Everything around me is a swirling mass of black and red fog. Strangely, I can see myself for a moment and I'm wearing a school uniform. The little boy, standing at the edge of the abyss is me from a different time. The nervousness and anxiety shows in his face, as he fiddles with his fingers, bending them and curling them, clenching fists and unclenching fists.

"Come on then, what's your name?" A voice asks.

"K-Kiev. I'm Kiev. I was home-schooled, so . . .", the boy manages to stammer a half-lie into the abyss. I can feel an intense feeling of dread. The boy wants to run, he wants to hide, and to never come back.

But he knows he has to do it. He has to jump right into that scary hole, before it shuts him out and seals up forever. But what if just as he jumps in, the hole seals up, and then he can never get out even if he wanted to?

In the hole is a perfectly clean classroom, completely unaffected by the swirling atmosphere and shifting environment. Another classroom to start anew. A new life as a new person. A new human, not a frightening ghoul. The sense of dread rises again.

I know what is coming next and I don't want to see it, even if it is just a dream.

The hole suddenly moves itself towards me and yanks me into the classroom, pulling me in by the ankle. I'm flailing my arms even though I know it's no use and I'm just screaming and begging 'no' over and over again.

But then I find myself sitting on a huge pile of naked, wooden dolls. Except there is something strange about them and I know that they must be the students in the classroom. There is no teacher and the tables and chairs have all disappeared.

One of the dolls moves and then it's not a doll anymore, but another boy of the same age as different-me. There's recognition in his eyes and he says so innocently "Oh, so it's Kiev! Do you remember me -I moved schools?", he's pointing at himself, with an expectant look.

"N-no, no I don't", different-me is lying and crying.

"No?" the other boy frowns as he takes a step closer to me, and the rest of the dolls have now turned into a moist, black moss. I try to step back away from the other boy, to turn and run.

A black vine with ink -feathers, instead of leaves, suddenly shoots out from the moss ahead of me, whipping itself backwards, hitting me clean in the face. I fall over, the moss staining my knees and the heels of my palms. The other boy continues to advance on me, with sure, heavy strides.

By the time he has walked around to the front of me, I have my head in my knees, my hands over my ears. But this is a dream. I can hear and see every single thing that happens here, no matter what I do to block everything.

The boy stoops down, so that his face is close to mine, now lifted.

"I thought you would've missed me?", his pout is sarcastic. "Now, I wonder what it is that's wrong with you . . ?", there is a vicious grin on his face and I just want to wake up from this nightmare of a monster (or monster of a nightmare - whatever, whichever). He's raising his arms high, out behind him, and I want the boy out of my face and I don't know and don't want to know what will happen next-

"Eugene!".

My armpits are clammy, my eyes hurt and the pillow feels too hot.

I just remembered my first, last and only friend's name.

.........................................................................................

For those who were confused, yes, perspectives did change there. When and if they do, it will always be indicated in the [brackets]. I actually like writing in the third person, because it's easier to make fun of characters in this way :}