Inferno

Part 8: Dreams and Darkness

Sadie and I talk for hours. She asks me about my dad. I ask her about her dad. She asks me about my abusive mom. I ask her about her absent mom. It's then I realize that our families are more alike than I thought. If only I had a sibling to survive the chaos with me, like Eric.

I wake up the next morning to the sound of pots and pans banging around. I don't seem to hear the kids though. I noticed they weren't there the night before.

Sadie is asleep next to me, I don't remember her staying the night but she looks absolutely exhausted. I try not to wake her as I gently climb out of bed and tip-toe to the bathroom.

It looks like a pregnant raccoon decided to make my hair her new home.

As I brush my teeth, the face staring back at me was truly horrifying. Ugh.

I wash my face and comb the unending knots and tangles that make up my hair. At the end, I manage to look the least bit presentable.

When I walk out of the bathroom I see Sadie tossing and turning in a nightmare. Muttering things like, "No!" and "Stop!" and "Leave me alone!". I'm about to wake her up when she whimpers "Leave her alone." I stop dead in my tracks and watch her waiting for more.

"She didn't mean to." She cries. As soon as I hear that I remember Eric defending me against his dad last night. Is she having a nightmare about me?

My conscience gets the best of me, and I'm forced to wake her up. Once she jumps at my touch, I notice beads of sweat on her forehead.

Whoa, that looks serious. What if I didn't wake her up. What would she do? What would she say? Suddenly, I'm reminded that she's my friend. I couldn't do that to her. Thank goodness, Sadie can't read my mind when she starts violently shivering and looks at me imploringly for a blanket. Which I provide.

"Sadie," I look at her worried. "Are you okay? Do you want me to send someo-"

"It's fine," Sadie interrupts. "I'll be fine, it's just a stupid nightmare. I'll get over it."

I stare at her for minutes before asking, "Do you want me to bring you breakfast?"

Sadie looks at me as if I'm insane. "Remember those people were talking about last night, the servants," Sadie snorts. "Uhuh, yeah that's their job. We can both get breakfast in bed, if you like. It's not like they have anything better to do."

It sickens me to know that I had to restrain myself last minute before laughing. What kind of person says that? I collect myself before sprinting down the steps the smell of bacon and coffee welcoming me.

"Good morning," I call to the gloomy servants. I feel bad for almost making fun of them this morning. Even though, they're not as innocent as I thought they were. "Sadie isn't feeling too well, and she'd like her breakfast in bed... please."

Everyone still seems to hate me. What I did to annoy them so much is unknown to me. I think to them I'm just guilty by association.