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⌠ 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙍 ⌡ ───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────
Rory jerked up from her bed, a loud scream tearing through her throat. Jeremy burst into her room, baseball bat clutched between his fingers. An alarmed look was on his face; like a deer caught in headlights. Seeing that it was just Rory trembling under her sheets, Jeremy slowly lowered the baseball bat. He placed it on the floor, switching on the lamp on her bedside.
"Rory?" Jeremy questioned quietly. Rory didn't reply, pillow tugged against her chest, "Rory, is everything okay?"
"Nightmare," Rory replied. Her voice was meek, unsure—a sound that Jeremy never really heard from Rory, who was always headstrong.
"Is it... mom and dad?"
Rory froze. For the first time, it wasn't her mom and dad that she dreamt about. It was... Caroline. Caroline, with crimson red eyes and veins in her skin, mouth agape with fangs protruding from her gums. In her dream, Caroline was her sweet self, and then Rory nicked her finger with a knife. It took about two seconds for Caroline to lunge at Rory, tearing into her throat like a starved animal.
Guilt curled in Rory's stomach—why was she dreaming about her friend that way? Caroline would never hurt her. Caroline had been her friend since preschool. She was safe with Caroline; there was just no way... but why did her instincts tell her different? Something in her mind was practically screaming at her, telling her not to trust her childhood friend, but Rory had no idea why.
"Yeah," Rory ended up lying to Jeremy, "I just miss them."
Jeremy gave her a sympathetic glance, "You know it's not your fault—"
"I know, Jer," Rory whispered, "I don't need to hear that right now."
Jeremy fidgeted nervously, "Do you want me to stay?" he asked.
"Will you?" Rory questioned, raising an eyebrow. Truthfully, she knew that Jeremy didn't like sleeping on her floor—it was cold, and it was stiff on his back. But they were too old to share a bed, and, if she was being honest, Rory really didn't want to be alone. She was really hoping he'd say yes, "You don't have to if you don't want to—"
"Just let me get some pillows and my blanket," Jeremy interjected.
Rory smiled as Jeremy exited her bedroom, only a few seconds passing before he appeared with two pillows under his arm and a fluffy blanket dragging across the floors. He dropped the pillow on the ground, resting his body against the floor. It was cold and bit at his skin, but he didn't mind—Rory looked downright terrified. He always wondered what she dreamt about when she woke up screaming.
"Thanks, Jer," Rory whispered softly.
"You're welcome, Rory," Jeremy responded, "Goodnight. Love you."
