Sleeping With Sleep

X

I watched the mess with confusion and terror as the black pulsed and sunk into the carpet, disappearing. I slowly took in my surroundings and tears flowed down my cheeks. II was in his Wendigo form, shaking with evident rage. III was on his hands and knees, wheezing. IV had his right hand wrapped tightly around my ankle, his left hand holding a collection of thorn darts. They all looked irate.

"F-Fuck wh-... What ha-happened...?" II's shoulders relaxed and he chuffed. IV hesitantly released my ankle and rested his hand on my shoulder. I realized I hadn't seen Vessel yet, and I looked around, panicked.

I sit up onto my knees and look around frantically. I froze, terrified, when I saw him in a still, bloody pile in the corner. I couldn't hold back a strangled scream and crawled clumsily over to him, sobbing.

"VESSEL! NO- NO, WHAT DID YOU- HOW- VESSEL!" I carefully pulled his head into my lap and held him tightly. I looked his body over and he had a few decently deep scratches on his chest, a small nick in his cheek, and three very deep claw marks dug out of his right calf. Seeing this, my chest deflated and another weak scream left my throat.

"No... No what- HOW DID THAT FUCKING HAPPEN? FUCKING EXPLAIN!" IV went back on guard for a second, but didn't act as I hyperventilated, sobbing into Vessel's hair. II shifted back into his regular body and held a finger out to IV. He slowly stepped over to me. He knelt down and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm.

"Hey, hey, uh... Relax, it'll be alright... I think I know what happened, but to be honest, we're all freaked the fuck out..." He checked Vessel's pulse on his neck and nodded. He laid a hand on his chest, nodding again.

"He'll be alright... Though I don't think he's able to heal himself right now... We need to get help, y/n..." I just hugged Vessel tighter and nodded, feeling dizzy. II stood and walked over to the vanity that had been knocked over. Setting it upright, he reached into the drawer and pulled out a phone and an inhaler. He passed both to III, who unlocked the phone and passed it back, taking a hit of the inhaler. II tapped at the screen and held it up to his ear, walking to the far corner.

IV put his claws away and kneaded his hands together, walking over to me. He sat with his legs folded and put his hands in his lap. He bumped his shoulder against mine, catching my attention. He cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling, handing me the over-sized shirt I was wearing before all this happened. I blushed, embarrassed and slipped it on. I turned my attention back to Vessel, readjusting his head in my lap. IV looked back to me and bumped into my arm again.

"Hey... He's gonna be ok... It's just been years since-... You know..." I couldn't respond, the edges of my vision were blurred and my head hurt. I couldn't breathe. IV rested his hand on my head and turned it to look at him. He made eye contact and nodded, pointing to his chest.

"Breathe with me, yeah? In, take a minute... now breathe out... Good. Again, ok?" We repeated this a few times until I could see clearly again and my head was out of the clouds. IV nodded and stood, looking at his own bloody hands. Shrugging, he walked off to the bathroom and washed his hands. III then crawled over to Vessel and I and sat, resting his head on mine.

"You good?..." I shrugged and watched Vessel's shallow breaths move his chest.

"He's not..." III just huffed and nodded, picking at his nails.

"You're not wrong... He's fucked up. But it's not your fault..." I turned to him, knitting my eyebrows together.

"Wh-... Why would it be my fault...? I don't... What happened?" III shifted his vision to me, his eyes wide.

"Oh... Uh... Fuck, you really blacked out..." I sat up straight, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

"III... What. Happened." III rubbed his face and cleared his throat.