Daniel

The Cabin

I showered first and after, I pulled my sleeping bag down from the top of the closet and layed it on the floor. I yawned widely and snuggled into it. i made sure my gloves were on tight enough and wriggled out of my pants and shirt. Then I plugged my phone into the wall charger and shoved my headphones into the jack and then into my ears. The noise helped keep the nightmares away and if the spirits started their constant tugging I would turn on some music and hopefully it would help.

After a moment I closed my eyes.

Pain, the feeling of being 'drained', tendrils of darkness, being jerked around like a candle flame and...

"Daniel! C'mon Daniel, wake up!"

I gasped, jerking out of my dreams violentely. My limbs settled down from their spasming but my chest continued to heave. I put my hands over my face, blinking rapidly, unable to see through the black film that covered my eyes.

It dissipated and I looked at Nicholas. He just nodded his thanks and backed away into his bed. I searched for my headphones, they must have fallen out of my ears, (they were the crappy ones) and sure enough I found them shoved under my pillow. I pushed them back into my ears and lay there, unable to go back to sleep.

A few minutes I was concentrating on the flow of energies I felt and trying to induce a vision of Monica. No luck and gave up out of frustration after a half hour. Then I went in search of ice-cream. Nicholas' mom always kept some for me. I'd found ice-cream had a wonderful taste and its coldness had a numbing effect on my brain that calmed me.

I rooted around in the freezer until I located a gallon. I carried it to the table and sat with my legs folded. Alot of guys couldn't sit like that but I was abnormally flexible. It would probably lead to early arthritis. Didn't I just have a wonderful life.

I scowled and jammed the spoon into my mouth. I was alone and felt vulnerable, the voices began to get louder. I turned the music up louder, beginning to shake. My teeth chattered, a good sign I was not alone. I jumped up and shoved the creamy treat back into the freezer. The voices got even louder until I began even to see figures, outlines in the darkness. I wanted to cry, or scream or run. But I would not scare Nicholas' mom like before.

I wrapped my arms around myself and burrowed into a corner. My teeth continued to chatter as I was assaulted all the way until the sun came up where the spirits seemed to dematerialize. Nicholases mom found me like that and couldn't get me to move. She went to wake Nicholas and I heard her tell him if he couldn't illicit a response from me she was taking me to the hospital.

I clenched my eyes, trying to remember the reason I wanted to get up, the reason I continued to suffer every single day of my goddamn life.

The shudders came back but I gritted my teeth, I had to rescue Monica. I could resolve into self pity and depression later. For now, I had work to do.

Nicholas followed me as I ran to my truck, scrabbling for the keys and doorhandle. Nicholas came to my side, helping me get it open. "Didn't even give me a chance to eat some breakfast," Nicholas complained.

"I'm going back," I responded, ignoring his jests.

Nicholas blanched, "Daniel! Why?"

"I have to do something Nicholas!" I practically screamed, tearing at my hair, "It's getting worse and I'm afraid..." My voice trailed off as I realized what I had been getting ready to say.

"Go on," Nicholas commanded in his no nonsense, I will force it out of you tone of voice.

I sighed, looking down at my feet, "I'm afraid that I won't survive long enough to rescue her."

Nicholas looked at me with such pure sadness my soul ached with the stress I knew I put him through every day. "Don't talk like that," his voice was laced with tears.

I turned away, crossing my arms again. I got into the truck and went to start it before realizing I was still half naked. "Crap," I looked down at myself and then at Nicholas who held up my newly washed clothes, smiling weakly.

I thanked him and dressed before climbing back in. "Can we go into town first and get some food first? I'm starving." Nicholas asked, getting into the opposite side.

I said, "You're not starving yet but alright, if you have money, I need what I have for gas." He nodded and held up a twenty.

I turned left and it took fifteen minutes to get into town. We listened to Korn as we drove. Both Nicholas and I had the same taste in music. Hard rock, Heavy metal, classic rock. I liked Death metal but not so much him. It was an aquired taste, not very many people had it. No one that I knew at least.

I pulled into a parking place at McDonalds and Nicholas ran in after asking me what I wanted and me replying that I wasn't hungry. He had been skeptical, saying that I needed to eat but the thought of putting food into my mouth made my stomach churn so he relented and only bought himself some.

But he did end up coming back with a milkshake for me, knowing I could always eat those. One time, I had been extremely sick and he had gotten me some ice-cream. I had eaten it and halfway through it I vomited, then I finished it and regurgitated again. That was how much I loved ice-cream. i was a maniac.

He handed it to me as he got in and I sighed. He knew I couldn't resist. I took it and put the straw between my lips, taking a quick drink before I put it in the drink holder and left the parking lot for Monicas.

Halfway there I got a 'feeling' and slammed against the breaks. Nicholas' head almoast bounced off the dash but I was unbuckled out and running in seconds. I saw glimpses of things as I stumble ran. I got into the woods and kept running, I heard Nicholas shout my name but it was far away in the front of my mind. I was stuck in the back.

I saw an old cabin, rotting floorboards, an archaic table, a knife and...

I froze, gagging at what I saw. I leaned against a tree, pressing my hands over my eyes and shaking violently, throwing my head back and forth. No, it couldn't be.

I took off again, the only way to make them stop was to listen to them. I followed them deep into the woods, Nicholas had somehow caught up with me but I barely aknowledged him.

We emerged into a small overgrown clearing and I continued to see, half in the real world and half in the vision. I saw the cBin in the middle of the clearing and ran drunkenly toward it. I entered and fell to my knees, retching.

"He raped her!" I howled to no one and everyone. I wrapped my arms around my ribs and gagged again, trying to hold back the milkshake.

Nicholas hand was shaking when he put it on my back. I looked up at him to see him looking with fear in the corner. I followed his gaze slowly until I saw what he was looking at. A small smear of blood. Fresh.

I lurched up and at the door, leaning over the rail and losing all the contents of my stomach. When I finished I hesitantly reentered to see Nicholas leaning against the wall, shaking, with his eyes averted.

"They've left," I said tonelessly, "They're not coming back, they've moved."

Nicholas nodded, breathing heavily with his eyes closed. I struggled not to sob as the visions left me. Leaving me hollow and with the remnants of her pain and what I had witnessed. How could someone ever do that to her. It was so...so wrong. I should have been faster. I should have tried harder. I glared at the ground, clenching my fists and taking a solemn mental oath to save Monica no matter what I had to do.