Night Terrors

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I needed a new job.

There was no way I was going back to that place I'd tried to work at previously, and I would've changed houses if I could- the traumatic memories of that night still haunted me- but that was expensive, too expensive for a unemployed person like me. I'd only gotten the house because it had been so cheap- no one in the town wanted to live here, apparently. I was back at home with Mari, who was sitting on the counter I was sitting at, just looking at me. I noticed him staring and turned to look back at him, and we just stared at each other for a moment. "...What?" I asked. "What?"

"Why were you staring at me?" 

He paused, as though thinking for a second about his answer. "...because you're nice to stare at, and you seem worried."

I paused, unsure of how to take that.

"Well, um... I don't know what to do for a job, a-and, I'm afraid of those things I saw last night, and it's getting darker out and-" I stopped, fidgeting with my fingers, and trying not to think about those things. 

He watched me for a moment, with something like the faintest expression of worry on his face. 

"Come with me."

...

We were in the attic again, and he'd brought up a blanket and a pillow for me this time. He put them out for me  on the floor, and settled over in a corner. The evening light filtered through the small window, the sunset orange and pink outside."

You're... Going to sleep over there?" I asked questioningly.

He half-smiled at me. "...yes. sort of. I don't really sleep..."

I squinted at him, confused. 

"I'll tell you one day," he just replied.

 I curled up against the hard floor and pulled the blanket over me. I wanted to go to sleep as soon as I could,  and get the whole night over with.

"Goodnight, Nightmarionne..."

"Goodnight..." He trailed off.

As I fell asleep I thought I heard him say a single word under his breath, but I couldn't make it out.

...

There were things in the dark, all around me. I couldn't see anything but their eyes, glowing yellow and red in the dark, but I could hear scraping noises of metal on the floor all around me. fear pounded into my brain, as I searched for a way to escape, but I could hear them all around me, and the noises were louder and louder, and then I turned around and saw teeth, thousands and thousands of them-

I woke up in a panic, the cold shivers still crawling up my spine. I started into the dark with wide eyes, and I saw two white lights, and a voice said, "shhhh." 

Mari! I froze, at his words, and I heard the horrible scraping and clacking sounds from my dreams in the room below us. He crept up beside me, and I slumped onto him, clutching his shirt tightly and burying my head in his shoulder, shaking all over. He seemed a bit surprised at my act for a second, and then he put his arms on my back and we stayed like that- sometimes the noises would stop, and I would almost relax, telling myself this wasn't real, but then they would start up again, and I would shudder and hold onto Mari tighter. 

He rubbed my back gently. "It's okay..." He whispered, and even though I knew I had no reason to, I shivered at the sound of his voice in the dark. 

"I won't let them get you."

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