I'll Rise Up - Completed #Wattys2017

WORST ONE YET

Saturday 16th January 2016

Gasping for breath, I sit up, my whole body's covered in sweat. I've been waking up like this for past five months now, the first one came the night dad came to our old house. Today's the worst one yet.

I was sitting on an old bench in the old park my parents and I used to go to when I was a child. I was about ten at the time. I was waiting for my mum because she was getting some ice-creams for the both of us from the ice-cream van covered in stickers. I could still see her from where I was sitting. I looked away for a few seconds, at the ducks in the large pond that went around the whole park.

There were two big ducks with green spots on their necks, swimming behind them were baby ducklings, eight of them, all following in a straight line. I found myself giggling at them, gazing back to mum, but she wasn't there.

I stood up, a chill in the air with the sky darkening, I scanned every direction, turning in circles, I couldn't spot her.

"Mum- mum!" I ran up to the van, the man was faced away from me, I took a breath to calm down."Excuse me, sir, have you seen my mum, she was just here a few seconds ago?" I asked, quickly becoming more and more worried. Where is she, I scanned the trees, to see if she's hiding from me.

I focus back on the man, but he didn't turn around. "Hello, please sir- help me!" I pleaded to the tall stranger, with brown hair. He suddenly turned around.

I choked whispering, "daddy?"

He just stared at me, "Do you want an ice cream Dawson?" his voice was calm. Chills racked down my whole spine. It wasn't from the cold.

It's dad but wasn't, his face seemed blurry with a dark presence like a hidden shadow surrounding him. I couldn't open my mouth to reply. I wet my lips, clearing my throat getting angry, "what have you done to mum?" I demanded.

He leaped out from the window screen, which is impossible and grabs my shoulders, squashing me. I was too shocked to move.

I was frozen when he leaned down close to my face, blowing his breath on me making me shut my eyes tightly. He started to chuckle, then stopped himself to say, insanely, "she's broken and it's your fault Dawson." His tone excited, he started to laugh ferocious even louder than before. Evil is the only word to describe it.

"Look," he whispers, turning me around to the direction I came running from. Three feet in front of me was my mum. She was lying on the ground, her body not quite right. I didn't want to believe it, I started struggling, needing to go to her.

"No, get off me, let me go... mum!" I stuttered madly, he didn't listen, my hair was flying everywhere, blowing in every direction, I became aware that it was too quiet. Only hearing myself as I took in mum body.

I then felt dad's head move closer to my ear, making me stop completely before he whispered chillingly, "your next... sweetie."

Hearing a small cry from the other room shook me up from nightmare. I stood shaking my head, leaving my dark room to go into the next one. I switch on the lamp, my shadow illuminates the wall.

I go up to my brother's cot, "Leo?" I soothe his soft light hair. "What's to matter?" I pick up his small warm body, moving over to the other corner of the room, I sit down in the rocking chair, that's covered in soft light blue blankets.

Once I sat back and started rocking the chair I observe mum's side of the room, I see her face scrunched up as she dreams, "mummy, needs sleep," I whisper to Leo, staring back down at him, his big blue eyes staring up at me while he sucks on his white pacifier.