Sink your teeth

Chapter four

This dream was different. Andrew wakes up in the grove near his house, the babbling brook nearby giving him a false sense of security. Or, that's what it seemed it was supposed to do.

Andrew stares up at the soft green leaves that contrasts nicely against the gentle blue sky. Goosebumps grow all over Andrew's skin, making him feel cold, despite the warmth of the wind.

A twig snaps in the distance and Andrew jolts up in a sweat. What a short dream... he thinks to himself.

Sharp nails brush against his cheek and he gasps as a cold hand quickly covers his mouth. The creature leans Andrew's head back to meet its gaze. It grins and, through the eyes, realizes who it is immediately. Brigh...? Brighton grins, revealing his razor sharp teeth, and plunges his fangs into Andrew's neck.

Andrew screams out and sits up with a jolt, sweat lining his brow. He trembles and turns on the lamp next to his bed.

Wind rushes through the window and Andrew slams it shut, trying to get himself together, his heart racing, mimicking the loud sound of the fast train in the far distance.

Andrew swallows his fears and pulls on his slippers, desperately needing a drink, his mouth dry as chalk. "It was just a dream, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine." He sighs and walks to the kitchen, hugging a plush robe around himself.

Andrew's breath trembles with each step he takes, his body realizing the freezing temperatures in his place. He checks the temperature and finds it at 30 degrees. Below freezing. Groaning, Andrew attempts to fix it, but finds it broken. "The hell...?" He murmurs, then sighs, "I'll have Josh look at it in the morning." He makes a mental note and continues to the kitchen, his teeth beginning to chatter.

As he walks in the kitchen, he freezes. "The hell?" It was pitch black. He reaches for the light switch, only to find the light not working. He lets his eyes adjust to the darkness, then leans down to grab a flashlight that he always keeps attached to the counter. He flicks it on and walks over to Bubbles tank.

Andrew sees the light for the tank unplugged. He sighs and plugs it back in, only to see no turtle.

He hears a soft scrape on the counter.

"Bubbles?" He calls out, "Bubbles, where are-"

Andrew pauses before moving forward. "This is how people in horror movies die, don't be an idiot, Andrew. There could be a burglar in here..."

He sighs, turns off the flashlight, and walks back to his room. Every hall and open door he passes, he swears he sees a shadow in. He shakes off his fears, "Don't be a wimp." He mutters to himself as he grabs sweatpants and a sweatshirt, sliding them on to stay warm, "You'll be fine." He sighs and slips into his bed, cuddling against the pillow.

"Idiot. You're fine." He mumbles. He glances over at his clock. 1:45. He stares at it for a while. It doesn't change. His brows tighten and he reaches his hand out to touch it, only to find it burning hot, "Fucking-" he grunts and cradles his hand, wincing. He sits up, now pissed. He steps down on the floor before inhaling sharply and pulling his foot back, "what the hell...?"
The floor was scorching hot. He swore, he could hear his skin sizzling.

The air grows hot and he growls, pulling off his sweatshirt. "Seriously?!" He shouts out to no one in particular. He slams his fists against his bed and tries to stand on the floor again, but it's still sizzling hot.

He hisses and throws a slipper at the ground in frustration. Big mistake. The floor had gotten too hot, it melted the slipper on contact.

His brows tighten and he scoffs in confusion. He reaches for his phone and calls Michael.

"Hey, Man! Wassup?" Michael's voice responds from the other end,

"Hey... man... uh, so... Whatcha doin?" Andrew felt relieved that he had picked up so quickly.

"Playin' video games, y'know, the usual. What're you doing?"

"Having a minor panic attack..."

Michael pauses. Andrew could hear him die in the game. "Hey, what's wrong? Something happening? Trauma response? What's wrong?"

"Uh... my... this is going to sound really weird, but my house was literally below freezing a while ago, now it's scorching hot. It melted my alarm clock, man!"

"Woah, what? That's crazy! You need me to come over?"

"I wouldn't recommend it, I don't want anyone getting hurt." Andrew sighs and glances down at his boiling foot and burnt hand,

"Alright, I will stay on the phone with you at least, 'Kay?"

"'Kay..." Andrew sighs and looks down at his foot, he opens the top drawer on his nightstand and pulls out a bandage, wrapping it around his foot and hand, "It was crazy man, I woke up, needing a drink, and it was freezing in my house, I checked the temperature and it was at 30, and broken."

"Weird... you gotta get Joshua to check that out in the morning, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm planning on it. But then, when I got to the kitchen the light wasn't working and Bubbles had disappeared from his cage!"

"Is he okay? Did you find him?"

"Not yet... but I'm sure he's okay, he just wandered out of his cage, we both know he does this. But that's not even the weirdest part... I walked back to my room and slipped on some warmer clothes and laid back down on my bed, then I noticed my alarm clock and tried to stand up, only to find the floor scorching hot!"

"Wow, what? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I got a bandage, I'm okay, but it got so hot I had to take off the clothes I just put on! It was like my house was being bipolar, I don't know..."

"Weird... yeah, have Josh check that out in the morning... you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, also, I'm really glad you're up, I was literally having a mental breakdown." Andrew sighs and smiles, before realizing the room had returned to normal, "hey, it's back to neutral temperatures! Thank the gods..."

"Woo hoo!" Michael cheers, "and I'm glad I was up too. You always need taking care of so, even if I wasn't awake, I wouldn't be mad at you waking me up,"

Andrew smiles more and nods, "Yeah, I know... Thanks, Mike... ima go and try to sleep, Kay? You should do the same!" He chuckles,

"Yeah, yeah, just... ima finish my game and go to sleep, I'll text you just before I fall asleep just so you know I actually slept!"

"Great idea! Byeeeeee!"

"Byeeee!"

Andrew chuckles and hangs up the phone with a sigh, feeling much more at peace. He glances at the time on his phone, 3:24. "Huh," he murmurs, then glances at his alarm clock, 3:24. His brows tighten, but he sighs and plugs his phone back in, snuggling back into his pillow and sighing, closing his eyes.

I must've imagined it...

~1189 words