Dead Dreams

Twenty-one

I hear the sound of footsteps hitting the floor of the cave frantically. Someone is approaching, fast. I don't have enough time to hide, so I keep my eyes closed and stay where I am, laying on the bottom of the nest. I push down the rising feeling of anxiousness as the steps stop. They are very close now.

Shit.

If only I had woken up sooner.

If that was the case, then I'd be in a position to know who I was dealing with right now. Instead, I'm having to wager my luck that whoever this is, is either human, or friendly.

I've been told my luck is terrible though.

There are a few more steps, the closeness of the sound disorients me. I can't tell where they are anymore.

Then I hear a quiet crunching sound.

It's the sound of the hay in the nest, when you step on it.

I've been found.

I'm a millisecond from bolting when I hear someone call me.

"Ruth?"

I snap open my eyes and see if it's really who it sounds like, the voice pleasing, although hesitant, and worried. As I look at him, I relax. No matter how suspicious those violet eyes were, they always seemed to show care for me.

"Iris."

He gives me a strange look. One that I don't know whether it's sad or happy. Maybe it's both. Crouching down, he gets on his knees in front of me, before carefully grabbing my arm and helping me into a sitting position. He picks a few pieces of hay out of my hair.

"Are you hurt?" He scans me up and down as he says it, searching for any injuries.

I shake my head.

He sighs, his shoulders dropping.

"That's good." His expression becomes firm, a stark contrast to the soft look from just before. "Now tell me what happened."

"What?" I say it just out of surprise. I know what he's talking about.

"The only reason I found you was because I followed a set of footprints in the mud. They were too big to be yours, so please don't try and tell me that you walked in here on your own."

I open my mouth, ready to explain what happened with the smiling nightmare king, but stop short. The crushing atmosphere he had around him comes back, even though it's only a fraction. Even though he's not even here...I'm still so afraid of him. I'm afraid of what he might do to Iris, or me for talking about him.

I'm sure he would know if we were talking about him.

After a minute or two of trying, but failing miserably to say anything, Iris relents.

"That's okay. We can try and talk about it when you feel safer. It's time to go now."

He stands up, offering a hand to me. I take it, allowing him to pull me up. Iris gestures for me to walk in front of him, probably wanting to make sure I don't go the wrong way or fall off another cliff. We walk out through the one way possible as Iris flicks on a lighter, showing us the way. I take one last look at where he sat, making sure he isn't really there.

I see an empty, leveled off ledge. It looks dark and desolate. It's fitting for him.

I turn back around, a question coming to mind for Iris.

"Where is everyone else?"

"I told them to stay behind. Getting down here was difficult, and I was worried that someone else might fall."