My Nightmare Just Became Real

Chapter 2 - Am I dreaming?

Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who have commented on my story. You are the reason I've wrote this next chapter. I hope you enjoy it :)

I wish I could say I had a good day at school. But I didn't. So I can't. Charlie had to practically drag me home and he insisted on walking up to my house with me because I was so tired I could barely stand up. "Just go in and go to bed," said Charlie, pushing me gently through the door. I nodded mutely at him, not wanting to say that I was trying my best to stay awake because I didn't want to dream again. If I went to bed early I'd wake up after a few hours and then sit up, too afraid to go back to sleep. So I went to bed late, and woke up in the morning when I had to get up. I must have fallen asleep at my desk at about seven o'clock. So I dreamt...

I was knelt down beside the boy on the ground, not daring to touch him but wanting to see his face that was turned away. He looked so badly hurt, in a pool of his own blood. I tentatively put out a hand, thinking to check his pulse when his body convulsed and his hand curled around my arm. I shrieked and tried to pull away but he had an iron grip that I had no hope of prising open. His skin was icy and cold, as if he'd been dead for a long time. The boy turned his face to me and I saw...I saw...a hole. A huge gaping hole where his face was meant to be. I tried to scream, tried so hard. My mind was panicking when I couldn't move my lips. It was struggling, trying to tell my body to move...but it couldn't. His face...his face was-

I felt myself slide off my chair and hit my head, hard against the wall. I curled into a ball and shook, not daring to open my eyes in case the boy's 'face' was still there. That dream was too real. So real I could almost feel those icy fingers still curled around my wrist. Once I'd calmed down I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock. I couldn't believe it. I'd slept the whole night and half of the morning yet my dream had been the worst one yet. I stood up and stretched, relishing the feeling of not being tired. It had been so long. I got dressed and went downstairs, seeing my mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea. "Morning, Lily."

"Morning." I said, taking a piece of toast off the table.

"Charlie came round earlier and I said you were asleep."

"What time?"

"Half seven."

"I'll go over now." I said, lacing up my shoes.

"How long will you be?"

"Don't know." I shrugged, "don't know what he wanted."

"Well take your phone and-"

"Mum. I'm going to be three houses down the street."

"Alright then. See you later."

"Bye!" I called as I rushed out of the door. I walked down the street, trying to forget about my dream. I f Charlie didn't bring it up then...I shook my head. I had to tell someone. I couldn't just keep it to myself. Even though I wanted to forget about what happened, if I was going to tell anyone it would be Charlie. I knocked on the door and waited. I heard excited shouting and smiled. It'd be Maddie, Charlie's six year old sister. The door was opened and I saw a very rumpled looking Charlie standing there. "You look like you've just got out of bed." I said stepping around him.

"Well what about you Miss lazy bones? What time do you call this?" he said, shutting the door.

"Lily!" Shouted Maddie.

"Hi, Maddie." I said, ruffling her blonde hair. I followed Charlie into the living room and sat down, making myself at home. "It's great, isn't it? I actually slept."

"Well, that's an improvement then, isn't it?"

"Sort of..." I said, my dream coming back to me.

"What do you mean?"

"I hope you didn't come over looking like that, what's my mum going to think?"

"Course I did, I walked over to your house with bare feet in my pyjamas so the whole street could see them." Charlie rolled his eyes "it was early when I came and, finding you were asleep, I thought I'd go back to bed."

"Well-"

"Anyway, stop trying to change the subject, I asked you a question you know." I hesitated when Maddie came into the room, Charlie saw my glance and said "I'm looking after her until lunch time. My parents are out."

"Oh, I..."

"But she's at her friend's later and I'm staying on my own when my parents go out."

"I'll talk to you later then."

"That bad?" Said Charlie quietly, frowning.

"No it's...nothing."

"Nothing?" Charlie snorted "if your house was burning down you'd probably say it was nothing, Lily. I really doubt it's anything close the nothing." He got up, straightening out his white T-shirt "I'm going to get dressed. Play with Maddie, won't you?" I talked to Maddie until Charlie came down and then she said "can we play hide and seek?"

"Well..." Charlie started.

"You can be on." Said Maddie, running off to hide.

"Are you going to start counting then?" I said.

"You need to go and hide first." Then, when I started walking to the door Charlie stopped me "wait." I looked at him "are you alright?"

"I'll talk to you later. I'd rather not think about it now."

"But..." He sighed "ok. Just...don't try and make it sound different than it is. I want to help you know."

"I know." I smiled and hugged him "thanks."

"For what?"

"For being you."

Charlie smiled and said "I can do that any day."

Author's Note: I know, another short chapter but I thought it right to end it here. Anyway, I want to ask your opinion on chapter lengths. Do you prefer longer chapters and less updates or shorter chapters and more frequent updates? Thanks again for reading and don't forget to comment :)