A Faltering self (Distorted Reality book 2)

Chapter 54- In the Dark

(Kalston's POV)

Things are dark. Dark to the point that I can't tell if my eyes are open or shut. I don't like the dark!

Where am I?!

A panic grows in my chest as I almost scream before feeling someone move on my right side, and I slowly begin to remember that I'm at Iris's home, and that we fell asleep in her tent.

But what happened to the nightlight?

...

The lightbulb must have gone out.

I realize that, that must be what happened, and I take deep breaths to keep myself from being too scared to move. I know that if Iris wakes up in the dark, she'll be terrified, so I need to get Abba to replace the light before she does. But it seems to be a little too late for that. I feel her next to me jolt and start to get panicked, too. So, I whisper to her to remind her that she's not alone.

"It's okay, I. I'm right here. The nightlight must have blown, but you're okay."

She rolls over and buries her face into my shirt and speaks through a muffled voice.

"Peter, I'm scared."

I pet her hair and try my best to stay calm. I know that right now is a time that I need to be brave, so she doesn't have to be.

You need to be brave for her.

"I know, but it's okay. I'll fix it. I'm going to go get Abba so he can change the light."

"No! Please, don't leave me."

She holds on tight to my shirt, as she struggles not to cry.

"Okay, we'll go together. But I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

I know that playing a game is the best way to keep Iris from being too scared.

"We're going to play a game. Follow the leader, but you'll have to close your eyes tight and listen to me exactly. I'll be the leader, but if you..."

How do I make this not so scary?

"You'll get the sickness and have to eat all my peas for the next week to get better."

"No! Okay, I'll keep my eyes shut."

The sickness is a consequence we pretend to have when we don't know what the loser should do. You get purple spots on your tongue and can only walk backwards unless you eat something green for a week to make you better.

"Okay, let's stand and keep hold of my hand."

When we get out of the tent, I expect to see some kind of light, but the only one is from the moon, and I use it to help me get to the door. It's still mostly dark, but I can see the outline of things enough to not trip on my way to the door.

"Stop, we're at the door. Wait while I open it."

Once the door is open, I'm faced with even more darkness, only lit by the moon again from the windows in the hallway.

I don't understand?

I thought that at least the hallway lamp would be on, but it's not.

But it's always left on?

I still keep going.

Abba will fix it.

He always fixes everything, so I keep walking down the hall, taking small steps and keeping hold of Iris's hand.

"Peter, that hurts."

I loosen my grip, not realizing that I was holding her too tight.

"I'm sorry, I. We're going down the hall now, so keep your steps slow."

We make it to my parents' room, and I notice a voice on the other side of the door. It's Ema.

"You can't leave! If you go this time, you'll never come back. Please, just stay."

The door opens, and Abba is the one standing there, but he walks right through me as someone else, a man and not Ema, comes running after him, doing the same, and I'm completely confused.

What is happening?

I turn back to run after Abba to figure out what is going on, and when I do, I notice that I'm no longer holding onto Iris's hand, and that she's gone.

Iris?!

I look around, frantic to find her, no longer even worried about Abba.

I need to find her! Yahweh, help me find her!

I start running back to the room in the hopes that she's back there, but when I get to the door, it's locked. I try my best to open it, but can't, so I start to pound on it to see if Iris is in there.

"Iris, let me in. It's me, please just open the door?!"

No one comes, so I try opening it again, and fall into the room this time. I push myself up and look around, but I don't see her anywhere. I'm about to leave to look somewhere else before I hear someone crying in the wardrobe.

Iris!

I don't know why she would be in there, but there is no doubt that that is her crying. I rush to the wardrobe and open the door to see her in tears and curled up in the back left corner. She looks at me, frightened, before someone shoves me in and locks the door.

What?!

I turn back to get us out before Iris begins to warn me.

"Shhhh, he's coming. We need to be quiet or he'll find us."

Who will find us? Is she talking about the monster?

I inch myself towards her, but once I do, I'm face to face with him!

"I told you that you can't protect her."

I'm frozen again in fear until I'm snapped out of it, and it takes me a moment to register what happened.

... It, was, a dream?

It was just a dream.

I'm back in the tent, only now it's lit up faintly by Iris's nightlight, and I see her sleeping soundly next to me again.

I take a deep breath and lay there. I don't want to go back into that dream, so I don't even try to go back to sleep. But the dream still stays stuck in my head.