When his eyes peeled open for the third time, he found himself in a familiar, yet strange place. It was like the nightmare he was trapped in last night. The light fixture on the wall of the dark hall was still there and the same series of metal doors shined with the luminescence of the faint light.
The more Benji tried to remember where he was, he couldn't. He was forgetting. The first nightmare from the night before became a faded memory.
Jaded, he walked forward, not prepared for what was to come because he did not know anymore. Through the blackness, Benji stepped in front of one of the metal doors. It drew him in, calling to him like they were old friends. A silver keypad was placed on the side of the door―one similar to the keypad in The Dream-Maker's shop.
He knew the code still. The numbers filed through his mind as he recalled them.
'0302'
The pads of his fingers touched the door, and Benji felt it's a cool touch. Startled, he heard the low growl sounding from behind him. Benji hesitated, his fingers still attached to the door. His heart pounded as his brain registered the noise. He swore he heard it before.
Once the sound disappeared, he shrugged, not paying it any mind as he continued to marvel at the large metal door. His fingers caressed the buttons on the keypad as he typed in the first number.
The growl reverberated once more—this time louder—causing Benji to turn. Panic churned inside of him, sending him into flight as he ran down the corridor, away from the sound and away from the door.
When the noise ceased, he felt he was safe. He stopped, turned, and looked to see a monster standing steps behind him. Its skin was a chilling grey and cracked like the lines on the sidewalk.
Then, he remembered...this happened before.
He tried to run once more but was stuck to the cement floor. The more he attempted to move, the more he was unable to. The creature moved closer, latching its clawed hands onto the wall as it limped toward Benji desperately.
He thought it was the end for him once more.
Then, he disappeared.
Memories rushed back and he remembered he was at school. He thought about Mrs. Sander's horrid black eyes and unsettling smile. One like the bakery owner and of course, The Dream-Maker.
He was stuck in darkness. A strained sound of static filled his ears but was soon replaced.
"He has a fever," a woman said, taking him away from his nightmare.
"Will he wake up?" another said, and he recognized the voice to be his mother.
"Mom?" he questioned weakly. His voice ached as he spoke.
"Benji, baby," she exclaimed, drawing her arms around him, and pulled him into her chest. "You are awake! Are you okay?"
The warmth caused him to open his eyes, and he saw his tired mother through the hold of her embrace.
Underneath her sad eyes were tiresome bags dulling her irises grey. She was smiling faintly, something he had not seen in so long. Tears stained her cheeks, and she wiped them away with the back of her free hand.
"I'm fine, Mom," he said, sitting up, escaping out of his mother's grasp and pushed her away.
She nodded, letting him completely free himself, before responding. "I'm sorry, I was worried. They said you fainted in class and—" she paused, shaking her head, not daring to meet his eye. "It doesn't matter, what matters is you are okay now."
His mother held out a hand, and Benji reluctantly took it. This was the first time, in a long time, his mother had paid attention to him or given him any affection since his brother's disappearance, and it felt strange to him. It should have been a comfort, but it was as unsettling as the smiles plaguing his life.
She leaned down, the empty smile hanging by a thread, and planted a tender kiss on the top of his small forehead.
"Let's go home," she whispered softly.
She helped him off the cot and clutched his hand—holding it in her own. They wandered over to the nurse's desk, and she started the process to check him out. Nodding to the nurse after finishing the paperwork, they exited the office, and proceeded into the hall.
"Thank you, Mom," he said, his voice faint. The thoughts of the creature still occupied his mind, but his mother pushed them away with her next comment.
"I didn't want to lose you, too," she said, surprising him.
"What?" he asked confused, unsure if he heard her right or not. He blinked his blue eyes, waiting for a response.
"I had to pick up Noah the day he—" she paused once more, her words no longer belonging to her. "Disappeared."
"What was wrong?" he asked as they exited the orange doors of the school and walked down the short grey steps.
"We don't talk about that," she said lightly, her voice hollow and her mind a million miles away.
"But you said you had to pick up Noah, and something had to have been—" she interrupted his small plea.
"We don't talk about it!" she shouted; her voice shrill as she took the keys out of her blue jacket pocket and wandered over to the grey car parked diagonally in the crisp white lines.
He wanted to understand what happened the day his brother disappeared, but his mother was more than unwilling to tell him. It was the same thing as usual and he wished he could take the words out of the air.
Benji sealed his mouth, scared if he continued to speak, he would upset his mother further. Walking toward the car, he noticed a yellow piece of wrapped candy sitting perfectly on the car's hood. It defied gravity and the circle did not move. His mother opened the driver's door, and slammed it, settling into the car. The candy stayed standing.
He stared off into the distance, looking toward the woods hanging behind the school. Something called to him, it was similar to the nag he felt in his dreams, but this was more of a desire and it wanted him to go into those woods.
He turned back to the car, remembering the candy, and jolted, hoping it was still there. It wasn't. It was gone.
Stunned, he wanted to make sure the creature he saw earlier was nowhere in sight. Looking to the left, then to the right. Though, he did not dare peek back into the woods to see if it was lurking behind him. A whisper sounded, daring him to glimpse.
Moving without his consent, he faced the woods. Luckily, the creature was not present. He was faced with the rustle of the trees swaying with the wind.
Sighing, he opened the back door, and got in, buckling his seat belt as his mother switched on the car— starting it.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her in a small voice, before staring out the window, looking at the tall school perched over them.
She sighed, pressed her hands to the steering wheel, and inspected the rearview mirror, staring at the son she was afraid to lose. "Benji, I'm sorry, too," she said, her voice breaking, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she wiped them away. "I miss him, you know?"
Benji watched as his mother's face tightened, and the light sparked in her eyes—shifting them from grey to blue. For a moment, for a small second, she was an embodiment of the mother he had once known.
When she talked about Noah, it was like she was brought to life once more. She was the woman who would do anything for her children...until she lost one.
His mother sighed and pulled out of the parking lot, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. The car was filled with heavy silence and the smell of musk as they traveled down the road.
The tension filled the air as he watched the buildings fly by them as they drove. His eyes were fixated, watching as they rounded the corner, and the candy shop appeared.
He jolted, surprised to see it again so soon. Benji was sure the shop was not real, and that it was a part of his imagination. Though there it was, right in front of him. The sign was painted brick red, reading 'opened' as it had before.
Seeing it was real made Benji remember the candy. The same one sitting on his car a moment ago, reminding him of the different tastes that were a memory in the back of his mind. He was addicted, needing another taste.
"Mom?" he called from the back, knowing perfectly his mother did not approve of sugar, but he knew he had to get back to the candy shop as fast as possible. Wonders were hidden within and he was keen on finding them even if meant lying to her.
"Yes?"
"Can you drop me off here?" he asked, hoping she would not inquire why.
Of course, she did.
"Why?"
"I wanted to get some fresh air, and play with the other kids," he said, pointing to the two boys who were on the sidewalk, playing catch with a football joyously with a smile plastered on their faces.
"Do you know them?" she asked, lifting a brow as she braked in the middle of the road. The car jolted forward before coming to a stop.
Benji blinked, answering without thinking. "I stand at the bus-stop with them," he lied, knowing those two boys did not even go to his school.
"Okay," she said, hesitating before biting her lower lip. She turned around, and faced him, pointing a finger. "No ruining your dinner, and I expect you to be at the door in an hour. Do you understand me, Benjamin?" she asserted, pointing down the line of houses to their torn down white one.
"Yes, I will be! Thank you!" he cheered excitedly, and smiled, unbuckling his seatbelt with haste.
Benji got out of the car, shut the door, and walked over to the boys. He waited for his mother to leave, waving. She waved back and started down the road once more.
Once she pulled into the driveway, and entered the house, he ran across the road toward the candy shop, hoping she did not see him in the act.
He read the 'open' sign once more, grinning wildly at the thought that this place was real. Opening the door, he was greeted by the familiar toll of the bell, and the unsettling grin from the man called 'The Dream-Maker.'
"Ah, Benji, back so soon?" he asked with violet eyes, greeting him with a stiff wave of his hand. It sent images of Mrs. Sanders through Benji's mind. He shoved them away and replaced them with the candy.
"Yeah, I mean, I am a kid. I like candy," he stated rudely, not correcting himself as his eyes greedily took in the delights in the shop once more.
The man let out a hearty laugh and placed an unwelcomed hand on Benji's back. A chill rushed up Benji's spine, but he shrugged it off, walking with the man further into the store.
"I suppose you changed your mind about the wonderful things downstairs?" he asked curiously, his eyes darkening as he herded Benji toward the counter.
"Nah, I wanted to come and see the cool things in your shop!" Benji exclaimed, forgetting to be modest.
He looked deeply at Benji, registering every word he said. "I like you, Benji. You remind me of myself as a boy," he claimed, releasing his hand from him.
"Yeah, sure, you are cool, too," he stated, not even listening to the man. He was too busy looking around, his eyes falling onto the metal door in the small hall across from him.
He wanted to know what was down there and what was waiting for him.
The shadows played with his eyes, shifting with the light. The door called to him, beckoning for Benji to open it.