Sage lay in her bed, surrounded by the comforting darkness and of the night. But even the soft moonlight filtering through her curtains couldn't dispel the shadows lurking in her mind. She drifted into a restless sleep, unaware of the nightmare that awaited her.
In her dream, she found herself back in the familiar confines of her childhood home, yet everything felt eerily different. The air was thick with tension, and a sense of impending doom hung heavy in the atmosphere. She glanced around, her heart pounding, but there was no sign of her family. Only silence greeted her, broken only by the faint creaks of the house settling.
A chill ran down her spine as she realized she was alone with her twin brother, Gage. Panic surged through her veins as she frantically searched for him, calling out his name into the oppressive darkness. But her voice seemed to dissipate into nothingness, swallowed by the ominous stillness of the night.
Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the silence, echoing through the empty halls like a gunshot. Sage's breath caught in her throat as fear gripped her heart with icy fingers. She raced towards the source of the noise, her mind reeling with dread.
As she rounded the corner, her worst nightmares materialized before her eyes. The front door hung off its hinges, shards of broken glass littering the floor like glittering confetti. Intruders prowled through the shadows, their faces twisted into malicious sneers as they ransacked the once-safe haven of her home.
Sage's pulse thundered in her ears as she watched in horror, rooted to the spot with a paralyzing mixture of terror and disbelief. She searched desperately for Gage, her only thought to protect him from the looming threat that encroached upon their sanctuary.
With a surge of adrenaline, she lunged forward, her instincts kicking into overdrive as she propelled herself towards her brother's side. She found him huddled in a corner, his eyes wide with fear mirroring her own. Without hesitation, she enveloped him in her arms, shielding him from the chaos unfolding around them, blood soaking her t-shirt.
But even as Sage clung to Gage, she knew deep down that they were hopelessly outnumbered. The intruders closed in on them like vultures circling their prey, their malevolent laughter ringing in her ears like a sinister symphony.
In a desperate bid for survival, Sage's mind raced with possibilities, each one more futile than the last. She felt the weight of responsibility bearing down on her shoulders, the burden of protecting her brother threatening to crush her beneath its suffocating grasp.
As the intruders drew closer, Sage's fear reached a fever pitch, her thoughts consumed by a single, primal instinct: survival. With every fiber of her being, she willed herself to be strong, to be brave in the face of unimaginable adversity.
But just as the darkness threatened to engulf them entirely, a sliver of light pierced through the shadows, illuminating the room with a flickering glow. Sage blinked in disbelief as she watched the intruders falter, their sinister grins faltering as uncertainty flickered in their eyes.
And then, like a beacon of hope in the abyss, Sage saw a figure emerge from the darkness, his presence commanding and resolute. It was her father, his eyes ablaze with determination as he stood tall against the tide of darkness that threatened to engulf them.
With a thunderous roar, her father unleashed a primal fury upon their assailants, driving them back with a ferocity born of love and desperation. Sage watched in awe as he fought to protect his family, his bravery inspiring her to stand tall in the face of adversity.
In that moment, Sage realized that she was not alone, that she never had been. With her father by her side and her brother slowly dying in her arms, she knew she would never forget this night.
Maelyn awoke to the sound of muffled sobs coming from Sage's room. Concern prickled at her senses as she pushed open the door, finding her best friend curled up on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Without a word, Maelyn crossed the room and sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Sage in a comforting embrace.
"Sage, what's wrong?" Maelyn whispered softly, her heart aching at the sight of her roommates distress.
Sage's shoulders shook as she struggled to compose herself, her breath hitching with each ragged inhale. "I had a nightmare," she confessed, her voice barely audible above the pounding of her heart.
Maelyn's brow furrowed with worry as she gently brushed the tears from Sage's cheeks. "Tell me about it," she urged, her voice a soothing lullaby in the darkness.
With trembling hands, Sage recounted the horrors of her dream, the memories still fresh in her mind like an open wound. As she spoke, Maelyn's grip tightened around her, offering silent support in the face of her deepest fears.
"I'm scared, Mae," Sage admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like it's going to happen again, like we're not safe here."
Maelyn's heart constricted with empathy as she held Sage close, the weight of Sage's terror weighing heavily on her own shoulders. But even as fear threatened to overwhelm them both, she knew that they couldn't face it alone.
"We're in this together, Sage," Maelyn reassured her, her voice filled with unwavering conviction. "And we'll do whatever it takes to keep each other safe."
Maelyn's heart raced with concern as she watched Sage's distress escalate, her roommates sobs growing louder with each passing moment. Despite her best efforts to comfort her, Sage seemed trapped in the grip of her nightmare, unable to break free from the suffocating tendrils of fear that held her captive.
With a heavy sigh, Maelyn knew that she needed to take action. She reached for her phone, her fingers flying over the screen as she dialed Connor's number. Each ring felt like an eternity, amplifying the urgency of the situation as she waited for him to answer.
"Maelyn? Is everything okay?" Connor's voice crackled through the phone, his concern palpable even from a distance.
Maelyn's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to find her words, the weight of Sage's distress bearing down on her like a suffocating blanket. "Connor," she choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's Sage. She's had a really bad nightmare, and I can't get her to calm down."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, the silence thick with the weight of Connor's concern. "I'll be right there," he said finally, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation. "Just hang on, okay?"
When Maelyn finally ended the call, she turned to Sage with a gentle smile, her eyes brimming with love and understanding. "He's on his way," she said, her voice soft with reassurance. "And he won't rest until he knows you're safe."
In that moment, Sage felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude for her best friend, a profound sense of awe at the depth of their connection.
But even as she tried to soothe Sage's troubled mind, Maelyn couldn't shake the nagging sense of unease that lingered in the air. She knew that Sage needed more than just her presence; she needed the familiar comfort of Connor's embrace, the unwavering strength of his love to anchor her in the storm.
Minutes stretched into hours as they waited anxiously for Connor's arrival, each passing moment filled with the agonizing weight of anticipation. But just as Maelyn feared that he wouldn't make it in time, a knock sounded at the door, the sound a welcome respite from the suffocating silence.
With a sense of relief flooding through her, Maelyn rushed to answer, her heart pounding in her chest as she swung the door open to reveal Connor's familiar face illuminated by the soft glow of the hallway lights. Without a word, he swept past her, his eyes fixed on Sage's trembling form as he crossed the threshold into her room.
Sage's tear-streaked face lit up with a mixture of relief and gratitude as she caught sight of Connor, his presence a beacon of comfort amidst the chaos of her nightmares. Without hesitation, he enveloped her in his arms, holding her close as he murmured words of reassurance against her hair.
Maelyn watched with a sense of awe as Connor's presence seemed to work wonders on Sage, her sobs gradually tapering off into soft sniffles as she clung to him like a lifeline. It was as if his love had the power to banish the shadows that haunted her dreams, replacing them with the warm glow of safety and security.
"I can't shake the feeling that it's going to happen again," Sage confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "That we're not safe, no matter what we do."
Connor reached for her hand, his touch a lifeline in the darkness. "I know it's hard, Sage," he murmured, his voice filled with empathy. "But you're not alone. We'll get through this together."
In the quiet intimacy of the moment, Sage felt a flicker of hope ignite within her, a beacon of light amidst the shadows that threatened to consume her. With Connor by her side, she knew that she could face whatever nightmares the future held, armed with the unwavering strength of their bond.
As they lingered in each other's embrace, the weight of Sage's fears began to lift, replaced by a newfound sense of courage born of love and resilience. In Connor's arms, she found solace from the storm, a sanctuary where nightmares held no power over their shared dreams of a brighter tomorrow.
I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone
Trying to find the one where I went wrong
Authors note
I did third person Pov because I couldn't decide who to choose for the Pov
I hope you guys enjoyed!!
Next update:
1989 || Luke Hughes
Chapter Eleven: New Romantics
Love you guys