Two Sided (TS Book 1) [SEE PROFILE FOR DETAILS]

Chapter 29- Don't Make Me..

I jerked awake to the sound of a scream piercing my eardrums. It was my own. Sobbing, I sat up. I was shaking and breathing heavily as it replayed in my mind. As tears continued to well up in my young eyes, they burned as I held them back. Despite the attempts, the hot water slid down my cheeks, though it felt cold on my burning face. I felt a stare burrowing through me. It wasn't a bad one, but a worried one. I didn't take the time to even look at her face, instead running out of the room and to our parent's room.

The creaking of the wooden floorboards with each step made it feel like a kraken was gripping and squeezing at my sides. The feared, cold sensation felt like it was trying to drag me back into the darkness. It still felt like I was in the nightmare, like I was spinning and the walls were collapsing. Sprinting to the side of their mattress, I grabbed my mom's hand, burying my face into the quilt as I continued to sob into her. She jumped awake, first startled, but then concerned about me. She sat up and wrapped her arms around me, curling her tail around my thighs and pulling me onto the bed. I sat between her legs for only five seconds before hugging her and sobbing into her again. I wrapped my tail around her, and she wrapped hers around me. With how big the fin on her tail was, it was like a shield protecting me. She gently asked,

"What's wrong, Rory?"

I sobbed out,

"Bad vision."

She sighed. It had been a while since I had a nightmare this bad.

"Well, it's all fake. You know?"

"There was a lot of b-blood,"

I paused to breathe and sob at the same time. I sniffed and continued,

"a-and a purple ghosty."

Mom patted my back and reminded me,

"Cozmo, ghosts don't exist. That's what humans believe. We're reincarnated, remember?"

I sniffled again, but answered honestly,

"Yes."

"So, the ghosty wasn't real, was it?"

I nodded, understanding my mother's logic. We stayed silent for a few moments. She was warm, and the only other noise was my dad's snoring. She finally asked,

"Ready to go back to bed now, sweetie?"

I thought and nodded, despite the pinch in my stomach telling me to stay there. I slowly stood back up, looking back at the doorway. Worried eyes stared through mine once again. My mom ordered,

"Sellina, go back to bed. Cozzy's fine."

A faint, "Okay", was heard from my four-year-old sister. I slowly walked towards her, dragging my hand and tail-fin along the edge of the bed, pausing for a brief second after letting go of it. I then sprinted to Sellina, grabbing her wrist and running back to our room like a bear was chasing us. I stopped in the middle of our room, and let go of her. She flashed yet another concerned look towards me. She turned the tendrils on the top of her head on, so they gave off a gentle, yellow light, thanks to my mother's genes. With her young slur present, she asked,

"Rorzo? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Just had a bad vision."

She sat down on the edge of her mattress, and patted the space next to her to invite me to sit with her. I decided to go sit next to Sellina, despite the late hour. She was only four, but asked with her curiosity piqued,

"What was it?"

I sighed, wanting to go back to sleep but not willing to make my sister fussy towards me tomorrow. I explained,