It Just Couldn't Get Worse

Chapter One

I hear my father cook in the kitchen while humming a tune, and as I start to lose focus, the writing of the books open before me begins to blurr. I listen quietly to my teacher's explaining and wait until she notices that I am completely out of it.
-I guess that there is no good carrying on with a hungry stomach huh ?
Her voice snaps me out of my little bubble.
I nod and she smiles.
My teacher was a beautiful woman, maybe in her mid-twenties. I admire her.
She stands and fixes her outfit before putting her heels on.
-It's alright Y/N, we're in advance anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget your homework.
My gaze lowers to the scattered books and I remark little circles near some exercises.
She goes around to the kitchen, exchanges some words with my father, refuses for the umpteenth time to dine with us and finally heads for the front door.
I'm not allowed to go out without an adult with me, it has been so since the first kid got kidnapped.
My father is what we could call, a really, protective father. He is to the point of homeschooling me. I can't blame him though. He's just doing what a parent should do and I am not planning to interfere in his plans.
But sometimes, little old me would like to have a real childhood, if we can call it that since I soon turn sixteen. Living through books doesn't bother me but the rare times when I interact with kids my age, I've been brought to reality in a really harsh way.
Especially when my dreams, that I cherished so much, have lately turned into horror movies.
I keep dreaming about the missing kids and Gwen Blake, who seems to be the only one to see me but oddly enough, couldn't talk.
It's weird and disturbing because I've known them, before I got locked in my own house. I can still see Gwen often via sleepovers but she's the only one. Father isn't only protecting me from the Grabber but also from boys.
But they're just dreams, no matter how realistic they seem.
My father calls me down for diner and I quickly stand up. My dad is a chef in a restaurant which makes every single meal worth living for, but also my late night snacks absolutely horrifying for him. Sorry I can't spend more than 5 minutes into something I'll devour in less than 30 seconds. It's just not efficient.
-I made you some tea before bed, I've read in a book that what you eat might influence your dreams.
-Thanks dad.
I sit down slowly, looking at the room as if it was the first time. The saloon is covered with family pictures featuring my parents, both of them, and me, their only bizarre child who hated pictures with all her soul. If I knew that my mom would pass away soon after, I'm sure I would've made an effort and smiled.
Ironically enough, even with my dad as a chef, I was an outrageous picky eater. Which my father considers a fun challenge to cook me all the food I normally wouldn't dare even touch with a fork.
And I hate to admit it but he actually does succeed, I just won't eat it in any other way.
He takes out the local paper and sighs.
-They still haven't found that Finney kid. I hope little Gwen is holding well. You should invite her again for dinner you know.
-Yeah, I will.
It will be weird seeing her again after all those dreams. But she's a good friend and I should check on her. Things are so complicated nowadays.
I finish my meal and get up to wash the dishes.
There is a window near the sink, the rain fills the silence. It would've been calming if it wasn't for the eerie ambiance.
I wrap up the washing the dishes task and wipe my wet hands absent mindedly. A sudden thunder surprises me. I quickly look at the window, someone on a bike was laying in the middle of the street. I hope they didn't get hit by it. The person slowly gets up and goes back from where they came from.
I would've done the same.
I go to my room after going to the bathroom and brushing my teeth.
I wish I could go back to the time where I could still go to school.
With that thought, I drift off to sleep and deafening ringing wakes me up in somewhere that definitely wasn't my bedroom.
Finney was standing near me, in poor state, talking in a black phone. My eyes look around a bit and then it occurs to me. The phone wasn't connected, it shouldn't work. I get up and get close to Finney, it looks like he doesn't see me. It must be one of those dreams again.
-Hello ?
Finney's impatient voice resonates in my head.
-Hi ?
-Who are you ?
-Y/N L/N.
-Y/N ? Did the Grabber get to you too ?
-No no, I just, it's weird Finney, I keep having weird dreams about the missing kids and now I'm here.
-Where exactly?
-Well, with you. I can see you. I'm near the bottles.
I see Finney turn around and look at me.
-I still can't see you.
-Is this a dream Finney ? Tell me you're not really in this horrible place.
Finney stays silent and I can clearly see his eyes watering and his shoulders slightly start shaking.
-Hey hey, don't cry now, I'm sure everything will be alright.
I try to get closer but I realise that I can't touch anything. I still can see that he tries to stop crying.
-I didn't want you to see me this way...
It hit too close to home. Finney was always so relatable to me and at this very moment, I knew what he needed.
-I'll close my eyes and face the other way, okay ? It's okay to cry.
I turn my back to him and wait a while, the silence only interrupted by his occasional hiccups.
-You're not alone Finney.
-I know, the other victims have been calling me to help.
-They're held captive somewhere else ? Why do you have a phone ?
Finney stays quiet.
-They're dead, the phone doesn't work the way it should. Apparently it rang for all of them but only I heard it. The Grabber hears it too but he refuses to believe it.
My body goes stiff. It's so unreal to hear that people I've known and made casual talk to are now dead, at such a young age.
-God... Can I do anything to help ? Even if for me, it's just a dream.
-This isn't a dream Y/N, I don't know how you ended up here but this, is real.
I shake my head, trying to fight off this uncomfortable feeling. This is turning into a nightmare.
The door starts opening and Finney gets ready besides his bed, holding the phone as a weapon.
I don't wanna see what happens next, this is getting out of hands, I want to wake up. I go to a little corner, cover my eyes and keep them shut through the yelling, the smell of blood and the barking.
I open my eye to see Finney chocking a man who I assume to be the Grabber.
It's ringing again and I could sense everyone at the same time, their rage, the adrenaline rushing through their being, the murderous envies of Finn and everything, everything became so heavy, the air stuffy, the pression increasing, my head hurting while my ears were ringing. This wasn't normal, i wasn't supposed to get affected by anything here, I wasn't even here physically. What the fuck was going on ?
The phone's ringing gets louder and louder, i start swinging on my feet, trying to catch myself but my vision gets blurry then dark.
I wanna go back so bad.
Ringing and ringing and ringing.
I wake up suddenly.
-Hey, are you okay ? You dozed off for a second there.
The light was blinding my eyes.
-Huh?
Laughter reaches my ears.
-You should wake up, we're in the middle of a match of volleyball. There really is no one but Y/N to sleep while standing haha!
-A match of what now?-
The ball hits me hard, really hard, in the stomach and I tumble to the ground.
The laughter intensifies and I can see them bend down to check on me, with obviously no effort to hide how much they found my misery hilarious.
-Are you okay ?
The girl asks me between two giggles.
-I think I'll just go to the infirmary.
I finally get a good look around and notice we're at my school, well, old school.
Donna, i think that was her name, we were never really close, who was the girl talking to me, smiles and agrees that I should.
Some girls from the other team run up to me to apologise. I just brush it off because what was more important than getting my digestive system destroyed by a volleyball was that Finney chocked, probably to death, The Grabber. But I can't do much right now, I have to go to the infirmary first before I throw up everything I have in me.
I drag my feet, feeling nauseous. This doesn't feel like a dream, Finney was right, everything was real and I probably rewinded time to what seems to be, 6 months ago, before the first kid went missing. I wouldn't be here otherwise.
I stop near a classroom, sensing the food I had eaten today make its way up my throat, slowly but surely.
-Hey! Are you okay ?
A teacher calls out to me and I look at him.
-God, you're so pale. You should go see the nurse. Finney, accompany her.
The said Finney gets up and helps me walk.
-Do you remember? He asked, with a low voice
-Remember what?
-The Grabber.
My heart sinks, recalling the scene.
-Yes.
Finney sighs, keeping his gaze on me.
-Well, we're not the only ones and I'm pretty sure, The Grabber does too.
My stomach twists and I feel sick even more than I was.
-I...
I wanted to ask him why he thought so but vomit came out of my mouth instead of words.