A Star in the Dark

Chapter 13 May 24, 7:43 am

Stephanie's blood-curdling scream filled the air. She had a nightmare. She wished there was a way to make them go away. In the freakish dream, everyone she ever loved died. The house had caught fire. In the big window on the front of the house, she could see her family, tightly knit together.

In the upper smaller windows stood Brandon, Erika, Bella, and Joseph. They were all banging on the glass and all she did was stand there and watch. She did not call the police. She did not call for help. She just stood and watched. To her horror, she watched the roof cave in and their silhouettes disappear from view. And then she was falling. She saw many things, like in her favourite fairy tale, Alice in Wonderland, but instead of a singing clock and a rabbit in a waste coat, she saw a knife and a body. It was her own twisted version of the fairy tale. When she hit the bottom, she woke up. She must've screamed in her sleep, because everyone in the house was gathered around her bed.

Tonight was the last night Brandon and Erika were staying. They assured Steph they'd still visit. But now Leanne, Brandon, and Erika all stood at the foot of her bed. The comforter was on the floor, one of her sheets was wrapped around her leg, and her forehead was covered and dripping in sweat. Her mum raced to her side and put a soft cloth to her forehead. Brandon openly held and squeezed her hand-he was worried. She squeezed back. Erika kept her hand by Stephanie's ear, gently and in a friendly manner caressing her cheek up to her ear with the back of her hand.

"Are you okay?" Leanne questioned.

"Yeah..." Steph said, putting her hand to her forehead.

She sat up quickly and threw her legs over the bed. Anxious was always a good way to describe Steph, but sometimes she was a little too anxious, and this was one of those times. As soon as she stood up, her vision was blacked out. She stumbled for something to hold onto, finding purchase on the back of a chair. For a couple of seconds she just stood there while everyone watched, and then she stood up to full height, recovering just as fast as she had faltered.

Brandon was the first to move. He ran up behind Steph and grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her into a hug repeatedly asking her if she was okay. Leanne and Erika just stood there, not knowing what to do. All they could do was stand there and wonder what was happening. Steph asked Brandon for some water, and with a quick kiss on the cheek, Brandon ran down stairs.

Erika ran to Stephanie, asking if her and Brandon were dating. Leanne still stood where she was. After Erika walked down stairs to retrieve another cloth, Leanne just stared at her daughter. After listening to the the clock on the night-stand tick away about 13 seconds, Leanne left. No hug. No kiss. She just walked out the door.