Burning Fury

XX

We didn't sleep much that night. We slept with the alarms on and my bedroom door locked. We left the lamp on and the TV, hoping that combination would drown out our nightmares. I was alone in my large King size bed and I'd never felt so far from everyone else, despite them only being a few feet away on my floor.

"Is anyone awake?" I whispered.

"Yeah," Ryder and Callum answered.

"Could one of you come sleep with me?"

They both left their beds on the floor in favor of mine. Ryder found my hand under the blanket and grasped it hard, stopping it from shaking.

"Are we going to go?" Callum asked after a moment.

"What choice do we have?" I whispered.

"Well, we could just not go. Turn it into the police and stay here with the doors locked."

"Yeah, Clo, I think that's our best bet to staying alive."

"Okay. We'll talk with the others tomorrow."

Callum and Ryder drifted off one after the other, but I couldn't fall asleep. The killer had been in my house twice that we knew of. I fear he was capable of far more than everyone was giving him credit for. Maybe we could wait until my dad got home. He'd know what to do.

I woke later with a loud gasp. Sweat was causing the blankets to stick to my body uncomfortably and Callum's arm was draped across my stomach. Tears were flowing down my face and I couldn't stop crying. I'd woken everyone. The three on the floor sat up and Callum and Ryder slowly woke beside me.

"Clover, it's okay, it was just a dream," Emily said, standing from her spot on the floor.

"He was...standing in the dark...watching me sleep," I gasped.

I was hyperventilating. The other three sat on my bed in front of me and Emily gently pushed my feet apart while Callum pushed my head down between my knees. Ryder rubbed my back.

"Deep breaths, Clove," Niko was soothingly saying.

"He was here, standing at the foot of my bed, watching me-us."

"Do you want us to go downstairs and make sure the alarms are still set?" Ryder asked.

"Please," I gasped.

The boys went together, leaving Emily and I alone.

"Do you have nightmares a lot?"

"Every single night since finding Gavin."

"Is there anything that helps?"

"No. Where are they? It's been too long."

"Griff?" Emily called.

"All good!" he called back.

They came back a while later with cups of tea for all of us.

"I don't know how you drink this stuff, Clover." Callum said, wrinkling his nose.

"It calms me. I don't know what it is."

After we all finished our tea, we went back to bed. I didn't wake up again and neither did anyone else. My dad and Kai came back a few days later. We ignored the letter, deciding not to tell police or our parents, and nothing bad happened. I still had a sick feeling to my stomach, but it faded over a few weeks. By the time the county fair was in town, all thoughts of the letter had completely left my mind.

The fair was a big deal to our friend group; it was when I met them. Opening day, I dressed in shorts and sandals and a light tank top. I threw my hair in a ponytail and ran downstairs, saying goodbye to my dad and running out to jump in the bed of Ryder's farm truck.

"I feel like a child again," Callum said when we walked into the fair.

The sun wasn't too unbearable, and there was a nice breeze that kept us cool. We ran from ride to ride, screaming and laughing together. Towards nightfall, we ended up on the Ferris Wheel. Much to the dismay of the carny, we all piled into one cart together, three on each side. The rest of them weren't aware that I was afraid of heights so I had to bite my tongue as the boys swayed the cart back and forth.

"You look green, Clover!" Niko laughed.

"Ha ha," I forced out.

"Are you actually afraid of heights?" Griffin asked.

"If the ride isn't moving fast enough. I hate when we get stuck on the top."

I really wish I hadn't said anything, because the Ferris Wheel slowed and stopped with our cart on top. Ryder found my hand and squeezed.

"We've been through worse, I think you can handle a little Ferris Wheel," Callum laughed.

"Shut up, Callum," I warned.

"Aw, it's okay, baby Clover," Niko joked.

After the Ferris Wheel, we went and got food and went back to my place for a fire. We were all at ease and it was like it was just another summer.