Desert Lily [SS#1]

Chapter 27

Reader's discretion is advised. TW: death and child death ahead. If you want to skip over, scroll down until you see the paragraph starting with "My sweet child." Or [~~~]

Chapter 27

Lily

I startled awake to a very familiar setting as I frantically tried to get my body to move much to no avail. Breathe, Lily. It's just a nightmare. I told myself as the tall dark silhouette began to cut my arm off as sharp pain surged through my entire body. As I screamed in agony, the dark silhouette stumbled back onto the dim bathroom floor as I clambered out of the bathtub that was filled to the top with ice.

"You're not supposed to be awake!" He shouted as my vision blurred all around me while blood continuously poured from my arm. I was still dressed in my nightgown that was now dripping wet from the ice that had melted into it. There was no telling how long I had been out. My body moved on its own as I grabbed a towel before tying it tight around my arm with great difficulty as the culprit stumbled out of the bathroom. Quickly raising my hand in his direction, roots ripped through the walls and the floors while reaching for him while I stumbled after him. "Stay away from me, you monster!" He yelled while stumbling down the stairs as the roots continuously chased after him until he ran out the kitchen door.

Leaning on the wall, I held my arm while slowly making my way towards my baby brother's room. "Ash? Mom? Ayla? Anybody?" I called out, scared about what might have happened to my family as the knot in my stomach outweighed the pain in my arm before I finally noticed the hallway. Blood smeared the hard wooden floors and painted the walls as my heart dropped. "Ash!!" I called while picking up my steps before stopping at his open doorway. They wouldn't kill a five year old, right? I asked with hope in my heart as I tried to turn on his light but nothing seemed to work. "Ash, buddy. Can you hear me?" I shakingly called out as the smell finally reached my nose.

"Sissy, it hurts." His small voice called out from the direction of his bed as I slowly felt along the walls of his room before I finally found him, laying in his bed. "I'm scared." He cried as I held him in my arms while stroking his hair that smelled of blood.

"It'll be okay, buddy." I mumbled as the tears started rolling down my face knowing that this would be the last time I heard his voice. "I love you so much." I cried as he went limp in my arms before laying him back on his bed. Even though I didn't want to leave him, I wanted to make the knot in my stomach disappear. I wanted to tell myself that this wasn't happening.

I hadn't even realized how fast my legs were moving until I was standing in front of the stairs, looking down at the body at the bottom. The head was completely gone but the night gown gave it away as I couldn't help the sobs that escaped me before I quickly hurried to my mom's room. "No. No." I cried as I saw her laying out in the dimly lit hallway before rushing over. Quickly dropping down on my knees, I held her body in my arm as I rocked back and forth with her. Her eyes were lifeless on her tear streaked face as I gently moved her curly hair away from her face. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." I kept constantly repeating that while rocking her back and forth. I had failed to protect us. I had failed at sensing the danger. I failed because I let my guard down. I thought we were safe now since we hadn't heard anything from him in years.

But, I was wrong. He had taken everyone I loved. How could such a sick bastard do such a thing? Especially to his own family. His children and their mother. I kept rocking back and forth while repeating how sorry I was before a warm hand touched my head.

"My sweet child." Her soft voice spoke as I slowly looked up at my mama who now stood before me with her usual work attire on. She had on her long dark blue overalls with a long white sleeved shirt beneath it while her dark brown curls were pulled back into a ponytail. She had a soft smile on her aging face as she held her hand out to me. Quickly looking around, I was surprised to see that I was no longer within my nightmare. Instead, I was in a field of flowers with the sun setting off in the distance.