My Nightmare Just Became Real

Chapter 4 - Something Else

Author's Note: Hope you enjoy this chapter my dear readers who have stuck with me :)

In the evening, after dinner, I went back over to Charlie's house. It's usually a good feeling when I'm walking down the street to go and see him. Usually. This wasn't one of those times. There was a sick feeling of dread in my stomach, but dreading what? Dreading my nightmare. I didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to recognise the fact that, yes, I was having an all too real nightmare that was scaring me during the day as well as night. Once I'd told Charlie about it, it would be too late to try and lie to myself about what was happening.

"You first." Said Charlie sitting across the couch from me.

"I don't think so." I said.

"You were the one who wanted to talk."

"True...but, I still think you should go first." Charlie didn't say anything. "I wasn't going to get angry at you, you know." I said gently.

"I know but...I couldn't make him go. He wouldn't leave. So...I decided to ignore him. Block it out completely." There had been a ghost in Charlie's cellar for some time. A horrible thing with a mauled up face and dagger sticking out of his chest. A victim of torture. The years of being dead and bound to that cellar had turned him sour and he was hostile towards anyone who could see him. In this case, Charlie. "Charlie, he tried to make you join him. Tried to kill you. You can't just-"

"I know. I tried to set him free, I offered to let him go but...he wants revenge on his murderer. He won't go until he has it. I can't give him that and I can't very well force him to go either."

"We'll work something out. Ghosts aren't meant to be here, there's always a way to make them go." Charlie nodded solemnly and then looked at me "your turn." He said, quietly. It all came out in one breath, my words jumbling together, not really making any sense. I just wanted to get it over with, I had to get it out. "Hang on," said Charlie, putting his hands on my shoulders "slow down. I can't hear a word you're saying." I took a shaky breath, wondering where to start. Tears prickled behind my eyes but I bit them back, determined not to let them fall. "Every time, there's a boy in a forest..." I told him everything. From the very first dream I had...when it was nothing. All the way up until the other night when the boy touched me. When I saw his...his face or rather, what should have been his face.

I know it's stupid but, by the end of all this, I was almost crying. I felt that, if I were to utter another word, I'd burst into tears. It was a nightmare, just a dream. I kept telling myself that over and over again but...the scary thing was that sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between reality and my dream. It was so real that it was unreal. Charlie looked off into the distance, thinking deeply. "I wonder what we can do about it..." He said to the air in front of him "and I wonder, why? Why are you getting these dreams?" He shrugged, turning to look at me "it could just be, you know, a sleeping problem. But, being the person I am, I have to think about the other things too. The things that are a little less believable."

"I hope it's not...the something else." I said, my voice high and thin. I swallowed and blinked, staring into the light. I really didn't want to look at Charlie at that moment in time, I knew seeing him looking at me, all worried and upset, would only make me lose it completely. But, because Charlie was Charlie, he made me lose it anyway. "It'll be alright, Lily." He said, wrapping his arms around me "even if it is something else, you've got me to help." You know when you're upset and trying not to cry? When you're trying your best to keep your tears at bay and then someone comes and shows that they care? When someone shows they care and you just can't take it any longer? I couldn't take it any longer. Charlie had always been there for me, always understood, and as he pulled me into a tight embrace I couldn't keep my tears in any longer. At first they just ran down my face but after a few moments, I was sobbing.

We sat there in the silence but a friendly comfortable silence. Sometimes, I don't want to know what people have to say. I don't want comforting words. Sometimes, all I want is someone to listen. Someone to be there.

I'm not sure when I fell asleep but it was getting dark when I woke up. Groggily, I sat up, dislodging Charlie's arm from around my shoulders. Something felt wrong. I looked around the dim room, searching for something different. "Did it work?" Said Charlie from behind me.

"What?" I said, confused.

"Well, are you scared? No. Did you sleep? Yes. But, what was missing from your sleep...hm?"

"Oh, my! I didn't dream!" I couldn't believe it. I didn't dream. Charlie stood up, a smug expression on his face. "I'm glad my effort wasn't wasted."

"What did you do?" In response, Charlie tapped the side of his nose. "Charlie," I said, pulling at his arm.

"I just...you know. It doesn't matter what I did."

"Yes it does."

"Well, let's just put it this way. I don't think you have a sleeping problem. I think it's something else." My face fell so Charlie quickly continued "but I think I can fix it. I'm pretty sure of it."

"What is it?"

"Funny thing is," he said frowning "I have no idea."

"You don't have to bother you know. I can...can go and see an doctor."

"You think? You think I can just sit back and let you, I don't know, go to a doctor? I have to bother. I have to bother because you're my best friend. I have to bother because I might be the only one who can fix this."

Author's Note: Well, hope you enjoyed this. It was a bit of a sentimental chapter but I should get something happening in the next chapter. I'll see how it goes.

I was just wondering something. I was thinking about writing another story, so I have two on the go here. I might do alternate updates for a while but my aim would be to get two chapters done at a time eventually. I just want to get into the habit of writing more and I was wondering, would you read my other story? I know, I know, you don't know what it's about but, would you consider it?

Thank you again everyone for reading :)