Author’s Note: Wow, it has been a long time. Anyway, I’m back now so I hope it has been worth the wait. There isn’t an awful lot left of this story (I don’t think). But I can never be sure because I haven’t written it yet. Stories have their ways of surprising me but I hope you enjoy whatever comes up next :) Thanks for staying with me!
I woke up. My head pounding, my limbs screaming, my vision swimming. It felt like there was an invisible chain attached to me, but I couldn’t see one. Every time I tried to move a jolt of pain rippled down my back as if something was tugging at my skin. I just lay on the floor and looked around me. I was in a cell. Metal bars in front of me and a cold floor beneath me. Marvellous I thought, just...great. I hate you Lewis. I didn’t really care if Lewis was half good and half bad at that moment in time. All I cared about was the fact that he was the reason I was here. “You’re awake.” Said a voice faintly. The sound came from my right, so I turned my head slightly to see a ghostly shape in the corner of the room. I blinked and said “Charlie?”
“Why did you come, Lily? Why did you-“
“What did they do to you?” I said, trying to get up, only to be pulled back by my invisible chain. I cried out as the pain travelled down my spine.
“Don’t move. It hurts, I know. It’s a chain but attached to your soul.”
“My soul...” Tears welled in my eyes “my soul is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Just don’t say that. Don’t think it and never, ever say it. Do you hear me?”
“But Charlie-“
“Don’t. Just don’t.”
“Charlie, why do I have my body and yours is back at home?”
“I’m not properly lost yet. Just my soul. They haven’t claimed my body.” Then he said hurriedly “don’t worry. You’re just a guest. They’ve not done anything to you.”
“Yet.” I sniffed, a tear falling on the ground.
“You shouldn’t have come, you know.”
“And what? Stay there and watch you lying there without your soul? Watch you lie there in a coma for the rest of your life? I didn’t really have a choice, Charlie. They didn’t give me one.” I looked at Charlie, all curled up in the corner, his white soul shining brightly in the darkness. Was he even there? Was this real or...was I dreaming? I wished it was a dream. I wished I would wake up and find all of this to be a dream. But, as you’ve probably guessed, I didn’t and it wasn’t.
I fell asleep at some point and found myself being roughly jerked awake. It was dark, funny, because Charlie’s soul had been giving off light. “Charlie?” I said, not paying any attention to the hands shaking me.
“I’m here.” He said, somewhere over to the right.
“Shut up, both of you.” Hissed a voice from behind me.
“Oh, come to apologise, Lewis?” I spat. There was a pause. “Didn’t think so.”
“I’m sorry you feel like that about me.” Said Lewis, releasing his hold on me. “I’m sorry for being such an idiot. I’m sorry for doing all this. I’m sorry...but he isn’t. He uses me. I’m not responsible for my own actions. I can’t help it. You have to understand.” I sat up with much difficulty and looked at Lewis standing there. I’d heard too many apologies and, I sort of understood he couldn’t help it. But there’s only so many times you can listen to someone’s pleas. “Listen, he’s collecting souls, he wants to take them. He doesn’t understand that-“
“What? What doesn’t he understand? Lewis-“ I said, desperately.
“Shut up. I’ll be along soon to collect you.” He snarled. There he went again. I sighed as the door slammed shut.
“Charlie?” I said.
“I’m here.”
“Why can’t I see you?”
“They’ve brought my body too.”
“But-“
“No, I’m not lost. My body and soul aren’t separate...yet.”
“They won’t be, I promise. I...I made a deal. They can’t...” I paused “well, I guess they’ve already broken it.”
“They had no intention of keeping it.”
“Charlie...put out your hand.”
“Why?”
“Just...please?”
I heard Charlie shift his position slightly and I moved over as far as my chain would let me. I took his hand and squeezed it. “What was that for?” He said, squeezing my hand back.
“Nothing. I...I just wanted to be sure of you.” I could almost feel Charlie smiling. At least, I thought I could. “Charlie, are you smiling?”
“How did you know?”
I shrugged, even though he couldn’t see me, I’m pretty sure he felt it. “I just did.” I grinned for the first time since arriving at this dismal place.
“That’s good.” Said Charlie quietly.
“I want to go home.”
“Me too, Lily. Me too.”
“We’re going home. I know it.” Keep your hopes up and everything will be ok. Well...hope is the only thing I had to hold onto right then. There was hope. There was always hope. At least, I thought there was.
Author’s Note: Well, it is sort of short after all this waiting but...oh well :) I hope you enjoyed it and, well, you’ll probably be getting some answers sooner or later. I don’t know, but you’ll get them by the end, I promise. Anyway, thanks for reading and enjoying and commenting and...for being. Thanks for everything :)
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My Nightmare Just Became Real
Fantasy15 year old Lily has a normal life, a best friend and doesn't do too badly at school. She's never had any trouble sleeping before until...the nightmare. A recurring nightmare that refuses to leave her alone and taints her sleep. She's not sure what...
