Near-death experience

Dec was afraid...very afraid.

He had no idea where he was,what he was doing there or how he had got there.

He couldn't see a thing as he sat on the cold floor in complete darkness,with terrified tears streaming down his face.

"Mam" he called out,desperately hoping his mother would magically appear from somewhere "Mam,I'm scared"

He squinted his eyes in a futile attempt to make some sense of what was going on,hoping desperately that he would be able to see something in the distance,but all he saw was darkness.

All of a sudden,he heard footsteps,although they were soft and gentle,they were still terrifying.

Dec tried desperately to squeeze himself up against a wall to make himself smaller,maybe invisible to whoever or whatever it was that was approaching,but there was no wall,there was nothing to cower against or hide behind.

As the figure emerged from the shadows,Dec started sobbing even harder,as he squeezed his eyes shut in terror.

"Declan" a soft voice gently whispered.

What was that?who was that?why were they talking to him?how did they know his name?where was he?

Was he in a dream that he couldn't wake up from?

"Wake up Dec,wake up Dec" he ordered himself,but to no avail.

"Declan" the voice repeated "don't be afraid"

'Who is that?' Dec thought to himself once again.

The voice was so familiar and as petrified as Dec was,it was strangely calming.

"Don't hurt me" Dec begged,as he curled himself up into a protective ball on the floor.

"I'm not going to hurt you Decky" the voice promised him.

'Decky?' Dec thought to himself,the only people who ever called him that were his Mam and Dad,obviously it wasn't his mam as it was a mans voice,but his dad had died many years ago.

He was so confused,as well as scared,he just wished he could wake up from this damned nightmare.

The figure quietly emerged from the shadows and approached the trembling Declan,holding a steady hand out towards him.

"Take my hand Dec" he said.

Suddenly the fear left Decs body as he opened his eyes and gazed up at the familiar man bending over him.

"D...Dad?" he stuttered.

"Hello Declan" Fonsey smiled.

He sat down next to his son on the floor as Dec had been too shocked to take his dads hand.

Dec edged away from his fathers...his fathers what?...his ghost?...his apparition?...what was this?

"But you're dead" Dec mumbled.

"Yes,I am" Fonsey nodded.

"Am I dreaming?" Dec asked.

"Not exactly" Fonsey replied.

"What then?" Dec cried "where am I?what's going on?I'm scared"

"I know you are son" Fonsey smiled "that's why I'm here"

"Am I...am I dead?" Dec asked fearfully.

Fonsey didn't reply,but just nodded towards something in the distance.

Dec was even more confused now.Whatever that was that he was straining to see,it hadn't been there a little while ago,there had been nothing but darkness,not a single glimmer of light.