Forever & Always

7: Reoccurring Nightmare

Edited: 30/06/2022

"Dad!" I screeched from the top of my lungs as I dashed down the hall, taking a sharp left turn to face what I thought would be my parent's doorway. Instead, I saw what I prayed to God I would never see again. I saw the beginning of what I knew would be an even worse version of my reoccurring nightmare.

My father was hanging upside down right in front of me. Blood poured from his face and his body twitched uncontrollably. It was starting.

"You are too late" the Devil laughed as I cried. "Your father is coming with me, you have failed."

I began to fall as hands and claws scratched at me. The pain made its way through my veins as I continued to scream, begging him to stop and to let go of my dad.

My body hit the pavement, hard. Pain surrounded me once more, like I was drowning. I gasped for breath beneath my broken ribs, making a futile attempt to raise my body from the ground. My family were in front of me and they were all dying, surrounded by fire. Their blood curling screams broke my heart and I tried to move towards them however I was stuck, and as I opened my mouth to scream no noise came out.

"Dad!" I screamed, shooting up from my bed.

My heart was racing. My cheeks were wet and my body was covered in a thick layer of cold sweat. The sheets were twisted around my limbs, probably because I was thrashing in my sleep. My heart pounded against my chest. I trembled. The room was entirely dark. No light anywhere. The remnants of my nightmare still clung to my mind, haunting me.

The door was pushed open and I shrieked as I saw a dark figure approaching my bed.

"Hey shhh, you're okay" Caleb said as he turned the lights on and moved quickly towards my fragile body.

"It was just a nightmare" he said as he tried his best to soothe me.

I bit my tongue, trying to hold the tears that threatened to leave my eyes. First, one small crystal bead escaped from my right eye. I could feel the warmth, sliding down my cheek, and rolling off my chin. Then another. And another. Until my eyes flooded with them. Sniffling every ten second, they fell, and fell, and I let them.

"It was real, he is gone" I sobbed.

It was only now that I saw Julie and Tori standing beside my door. Julie looked heartbroken whilst Tori looked petrified. The only thing that I cared about right now was that my dad was gone and that he was never coming back.

Caleb's Point of View

My heart broke as I sat on her bed, holding her in my arms. Her body was covered in sweat and the tears were streaming down her cheeks. She looked absolutely petrified and it hurt knowing that I could not do anything to make it better.

"You are okay" I mumbled into her ear.

"I will never be okay," her hands clutched my shirt as she sobbed unceasingly into my chest.

I exchanged a knowing look with mum. "Can you take Tori to bed and I will get her cleaned up" she said.

I did not want to leave her when she was like this, how could I? The way that she looked up at me through her lashes, that were heavy with tears, told me everything that I needed to know.

"Please do not leave" she squeaked out.

"I will be back in just a second, okay?" She slowly unclenched my t-shirt just enough for me to slip out of her hold. It was only now that I realised how scared Tori was.