"Help me!" The other Emma cried out, attempting to escape Paul's grasp. He kept singing and held her tighter, before dragging her towards the door.
Emma stumbled back as she watched them through the window, each person inching closer to the door before the doorknob slowly turned. They were chanting that song, a slow rhythmic tune finding its way into the air.
"The apotheosis is upon us, Emma." She heard Paul snarl behind the door and as it flung open, she saw the other Emma now had dripping blue slime from her mouth too.
"Join us and die, Emma." The other Emma groaned, making her way over to the real Emma.
"Get the fuck away from me!" She cried out, and suddenly there was a large blue flash and Emma screamed into the light.
Paul rushed in through the bedroom door and came over to Emma quickly. He shook her awake and she jumped in the bed as she noticed who was in front of her.
"No! Stop!" Emma cried out, sitting up quickly and shielded her face.
"Emma, Emma, it's me." Paul whispered. His voice was caught up with worry and he tried to move Emma's hands away from her face. "Hey, it's just me, I won't hurt you, Em."
"P-Paul?" Emma's voice was small and tears sprung to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at him painfully.
"Are you alright?" Paul sat down onto the bed and held an arm out. Emma wriggled into him quickly, taking in his warmth from his side. "You-you screamed and I didn't know what happened."
"N-nightmare." Emma mumbled, and she felt herself begin to cry softly.
"Hey, you're alright." Paul replied softly, lifting her head up with his hand and wiped away a tear from her cheek. "I've got you, Em." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close.
Emma lay her head on his chest and clung to his shirt, attempting to take deep breaths to calm herself. Paul stroked her hair softly and kept telling her she was okay and she was safe.
She looked up at him and was met with his usual kind face and she couldn't help but smile a bit through the tears. "You were singing." She said softly.
"Oh god. I get why you screamed then."
"No, no." Emma said quickly, and sat up a bit on his lap. "It was the same tune you were humming. But the lyrics were so scary, so..." She searched his kind face and frowned. "So unlike you."
"What else happened?" He eased slowly, tracing small patterns on her back.
"I-I was there, but there was two of me. There was like, the real me, trapped behind a door with a window. And then you, and another me, and I had an injured leg and..." Emma took a deep breath. She didn't want to rethink about it but she felt the need to explain the dream. "You were singing that terrifying song, and you wouldn't let go of the other me. She was screaming and I couldn't get through the door and... And then people I knew joined and you all started chanting and then, then you came through the door and you guys had this weird blue... slime coming from your mouth, and I screamed and then there was like, like lightning, or something, and then you, the real you, came in a woke me up."
Paul lifted his hands up gently to cup her cheeks and he wiped away another tear. "I'm so sorry, Em. I'd never hurt you."
Emma smiled sadly at him and looked him in the eyes. She saw he was just as tired as she was. "I know." She whispered. "It was just so... terrifying. I-I don't know... It's stupid..."
"No, oh my god, Emma. No." Paul pulled her in again and hugged her tightly. "Not stupid. I wish you didn't have to imagine that."
Emma muffled something into his shoulder which he didn't catch, but he held her close for what seemed like half an hour until she spoke again. "Paul?"
"Yeah?"
She sat up again and hung her arms around his neck. "I love you, you know that?"
Paul smiled at her. He wrapped his arms around her and nodded. "I love you too."
"Okay, good." She replied and quickly kissed him, leaving him smiling even bigger this time.
"You should sleep." Paul started to move off the bed, slipping Emma off him but she grabbed his wrist so desperately he turned around quickly.
"No, please don't go." Her voice was painful again, and there was no way in hell Paul would pick sleeping on the couch of that. "I can't sleep alone."
"Okay." He said softly. The bed was small, but if they snuggled in close enough, they'd fit with just Paul's legs hanging off the edge slightly. Emma turned around and let him wrap his arm around her waist, the other one under her head as she fell silent again, before quickly mumbling a soft 'Goodnight'.
Paul stayed awake until he was certain she was asleep and comfortable, until he let his own tired eyes fall shut.
Inevitable
Start from the beginning
