Days Are Numbered

5: Nightmares

In the middle of thick and thin, roots with thorns chased after Noah, who was stuck in the forest of nightmares. But he never gave up; he pressed on, running as his clothes got ripped and torn by the thorns. Deep cuts and scratches found their way on his skin. He knew better, so he ran, refusing to give in to his tired lungs and legs. It was coming behind him like a wild Boa behind the bushes.

All of a sudden, he heard a loud, helpless scream, "NOAH!" Refusing to pause, he kept running.

"NOAH, BABY, WHERE ARE YOU?" it continued, and he paused for a second recognizing the voice immediately.

"Mum! Mum!" he yelled while heading towards the voice with hasty steps. "I'M HERE!" He cried out as he pressed on. He burst out from amongst the leaves to a turn, and there she was, radiant in her navy blue gown and her small cocktail hat, taken back by her beauty he slowed down.

"Noah," she gasped. He staggered towards her but kept a distance.

"Mum," he quaked in tears.

"Come here, baby, you're safe," she whispered. He looked straight into her honey-brown eyes and for the first time in years, he saw the burning love she had for him. He was crawling towards her, determined to embrace her in a tight hug when roots sprang from the ground, wrapping around his ankle. He began panicking, squirming, and crying out to reach for her. She couldn't step any further and continued to extend her hand. The roots pulled him in the opposite direction roughly; the farther he watched his mother get, the more heartbroken he became.

After she had long disappeared, the roots left him in the center of the forest and equally disappeared. Noah turned around just to be met by an icy gray stare piercing his soul. With a loud scream, he was brought back to consciousness, shivering and coughing while burning up.

"If Avgustin would take him away, I'd be the happiest MTF in this world," Rafael stated while slamming his closet shut with a blank expression.

"Rich folks can't survive here," Dhakirah added, "Let's hope he does not die on us."

Browne groaned. "I did survive."

"Yeah, yeah, after a lot of false steps," Dhakirah rolled his eyes.

Browne frowned, "We all got our hair chopped off by Mr. Yaroslav at a point in our stay; he got that too. Nothing to freak out about." He pouted.

"Except me. I didn't have hair to start with," Dhakirah joked, and they all laughed.

"Yeah," Rafael agreed. "At last, he isn't ordering us around with that fever," Rafael smirked.

"I guess, what a troublemaker," Dhakirah admitted.

"Yeah," the boys agreed.

Noah overheard their conversation and couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his chest. He was in a world of pain from the numerous injuries inflicted by Mr. Yaroslav. He couldn't make brisk movements or speak; he was rooted to his bed with a severe fever. The worst illness he ever got was chickenpox. Now he was going through another illness, and this time his mother was not by his side to take care of him, and this made him depressed.

Noah has always been scared of bugs and pain; those were his worst nightmares. Even in that moment when he was going through his fears, he had no idea where he was. His heart was troubled by the presence of the people around him; the worst feeling was helplessness, a feeling he was not used to.

Augustin walked in with a bowl and a spoon. The boys immediately tensed up and behaved straight.

"Feed him this," he spoke in a monotonous tone as Dhakirah received the bowl.

"Yes, sir," he answered.

Avgustin was about to leave when Browne cleared his throat.

"Will he die?" he asked clearly, like a child requesting dinner.

"The chances are high," Avgustin honestly said before exiting the room.

Dhakirah approached the ill bed of Noah and tried to feed him while the others watched in anticipation. Noah took a sip that threw him into a fit of coughing. Dhakirah exchanged a worried look with his companions.

He tried again to feed Noah, who refused to take anything in; the soup tasted terribly, made of only herbs and water, and it was awfully hot. A dog would bark at it by merely sniffing.

"I guess he'll die," Dhakirah announced loudly as he climbed down from the ladder.

Browne snorted, "That soup is horrible. I'd rather die than taste that." Dhakirah chuckled at his words.

Noah heard them exit the room, and he forced his eyes open. His lids were so warm that it made his eyes watery. He was forced to shut them down again because of the pain.

The bed seemed to swallow him up, and he was back, back on the doorstep of his house, the biggest mansion in town, with personal courtyards for various games. There was a labyrinth in the middle of the garden, made for his 8th birthday. Various cars lined up in the huge parking lot, radiant and desirable. And there! He saw a group of teens leaving the house. Quickly he walked through the gate but was stopped by the guards. Who placed a hand on his chest.

"Do you have an invitation card?" one of the huge men asked. He recognized him, but not his name. He knew the big guy who stood by the gate, he saw him every morning but didn't see a reason worth it to know his name.

"N-no, I live here," he muttered as he watched a boy similar to him entering his car.

"Who is he?" he pointed.

"Mr. Merridew Jr. He better not see you here," the guard said.

"I'm Merridew Jr. Noah, I live here! I was kidnapped, and now I'm back. Where is my mum?" he raised his voice at the man.

Suddenly the man grabbed him by the hair and pulled him closer, his eyes becoming icy gray and piercing. "It is too late. You lost everything," he whispered with an evil grin.

"MUM!!!" Noah screamed, hoping for redemption. Only to receive a blow that shut his body down...

I'm sorry mum.

A/N

Leave your comments and do not hesitate to add to the plot. It would be helpful.