Ignis // Leo Valdez

I Don't Like My Dreams

"Baba? Are you in there?" I asked, knocking on the old, warn out, locked door to my babas room softly.

I would never do it usually but it's important and he hasn't been out since yesterday when he came back from work. It's already five in the afternoon, he should've woken up at two. He's always either too exhausted to even be near me or slurs his words so much I can't talk to him. I sometimes wonder why but he always locks his door before I can ask him.

"Baba? I know you're tired but can you please come out? It's my tenth birthday, double digits!" I paused, nervously waiting to hear a response or at least a noise of annoyance. "Please?" I asked the door, my voice wavering in disappointment. Silence. I whimpered and knocked again, hoping to hear a reply. Nothing.

Tears spilled from my eyes and I started knocking repeatedly trying to at least here a sound of an apology. The door, that was older and more broken down than my late Jidda, had finally broken making the lock bust open. The door creaked forward loudly, exposing a crack into the room. I already rehearsing my speech in my head on how the door was already broken before I got there when I hesitantly grabbed the side of the door.

"Baba? Are you ok? Also the door was already broken and I had absolutely nothing to do with it." I lied, stepping closer to peak through the door.

"Baba?" I called, pushing through the door to get inside. I just walked in without having a clue what was going to happen. What I was going to see.

I screamed.

I didn't realize I was screaming until later.

His body was still there, twirling slowly in the air like a carousel.

Flies buzzed around him already.

One landed on one of his cold, unmoving eyes.

I think I threw up.

I can't really remember what happened after that.

I can't really remember anything before that either.

I don't remember a lot of my life.

Everything is blurry.

I just remember needing to go away.

Far away.

And running.

Just running.

...

I jolted awake, sweat pouring from my skin and whipped my head around for Leo, expecting him to be lying right next to me. My mind was then hit with the memories of last night making me groan in frustration. Still here. Still powerless. And now I'm having nightmares. This is just peachy.

I guess I should have thought about nightmares. Since my powers are glitching from water log or whatever I can't push the nightmares back. Ugh, this is going to be a long, traumatic road trip.

While my thoughts were racing on how I was going to survive this world my stomach thought it was a good time to growl and interrupt my meltdown. Stupid stomach wanting non-important stuff like food or water or proper nutrition.

I didn't have any money but I bet the creep had some left over somewhere in this creepy truck.

I checked the cup holders and glove compartment for cash but came up empty handed. A lightbulb went off in my head and inspected the center console for a button or slider. I pressed a loose piece of plastic and heard a satisfying click emit from the arm rest making me smirk. I slid the top open to find a wallet, a phone, multiple protein bars, tissues, old restaurant napkins, many scattered pens, and a pair of expensive sunglasses.