My Nightmare Just Became Real

Chapter 18 - Not a Dream But a Nightmare

Author’s Note: Here we are with the next chapter and, well, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it :)

Charlie still didn’t like being down in the cellar, even though nothing was going to happen to him anymore. It held so many bad memories.  “Do you need my help?” I said.

“No, it’s ok. It’s easier to let people come back out rather than go in.” Said Charlie, standing in the middle of the room “you might want to close your eyes though.” I remembered the blinding light from last time and I obediently closed my eyes and turned the other way.

After a few minutes Charlie nudged me, indicating it was alright to look.  Our ghost was there in the middle of the room and he spoke. Actually spoke. It was rather eerie, hearing a ghost speak as if they were alive. His voice didn’t sound human but his words were still recognisable.  “Back there, in the place of the Lost, there is something wrong. That place isn’t meant to exist at all but it does. A soul stealer has created the place where he keeps souls and their bodies separate from each other. I don’t know why he is doing it. Why he wants the souls. But he must be stopped. There is far too much pain there, too much wrong.”

I was trying to take in what the ghost was saying, I really was, but it made no sense. Or maybe...it did. I just couldn’t understand it yet. “I cannot stay any longer,” continued the ghost “I must go to the other side now I have had my revenge. I hope you are successful in liberating the Lost. Thank you...for everything.” Then he was gone and a strange peacefulness settled upon the room.

“That’s that then.” I said, sighing. Charlie just carried on staring at the space where the ghost had been. “Charlie?” I said, putting out a hand.

“He’s gone.” Said Charlie “Gone at last...after all this time.” He turned and grinned at me “he’s gone.”

“I suppose he has,” I smiled.  “What do you think...about the soul stealer?”

Charlie shook his head “I don’t know. I don’t know enough about all of this, about people who steal souls. I hate to say this, but I think that our best bet of getting anywhere is Lewis.”

I nodded slowly “I was thinking the same thing. It’s not like I like meeting him, not after what he tried to do but...I think he’s our only way to the root of the problem.”

“Just...just be careful.” Said Charlie “I know he seems to have two sides to him, but you can’t be sure when he’s going to be good or bad. So...always be on guard.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I mean, nothing has happened to me yet has it?”

Charlie gave a small smile, but his eyes weren’t in it “I know but it doesn’t stop me worrying.”

“Don’t worry. You shouldn’t worry about me. It’ll be fine. I know it will.”

“Well, if you say so.” Said Charlie, walking up the cellar steps.

I was walking down a long corridor. The carpets beneath my feet were soft and muffled my footsteps. I couldn’t see the end of the corridor, there was just a dark space where a door or wall should have been. I looked behind me and I saw the same, just darkness. I passed no other doors on my journey, just walls of endless patterned wall paper. I didn’t want to go into the darkness but...I had to. There was nowhere else for me to go. But I couldn’t help but get the feeling that...something was wrong. Something bad was going to happen in that darkness at the end of the corridor. I didn’t want to go but some unseen force compelled me to keep walking. To keep moving. The corridor became darker eventually, the lights dimming. I was closer to wherever I was going. Closer and closer I went until...there was nothing. I’m pretty sure I was still on the corridor but it was dark. Pitch black so I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. Then I felt something. Something cold on the back of my neck. It brushed my skin and then grabbed my arm. Then...then there were more of them. Things, grabbing me in the dark. Icy fingers curling around my body. I struggled but the things wouldn’t let go. They wanted me. Wanted me to join them...

I sat up quickly, so quickly that my head began to spin and I had to lie back down. I flinched as my cold pillow touched the bare skin on the back of my neck. Just a dream, I thought, just a dream. But it seemed like I didn’t have ordinary dreams anymore and they were rarely ‘just dreams’. I was worried about this new one. My new nightmare. I didn’t like where it was going. I hadn’t had a nightmare in a while but it was back and, I had a feeling, I hadn’t seen the last of this one. For the rest of the night I jumped at every sound and, every time I rolled over, I kept thinking the things in the dark were going to get me. Coming to take me. You might think that childish, silly. But, considering what had been happening to me as of late, it was all very probable that there was something in my room. Waiting. Just waiting to get me. My dreams seemed to have a habit of showing what was to come, I just hoped that, maybe this one time, it was my imagination playing tricks on me.

Author’s Note: I wasn’t going to have any more dreams in this but I needed something to fill the gap and thought, why not? I enjoy writing them anyway and I was quite disappointed when I couldn’t. So, what did you think of this new nightmare? Personally, I’d be terrified and sleep with the light on :) Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.