Trust No One

The Bad Things (Continued)

Rhemy Halloway

"Good night, Lilli." I whispered as my sister fell asleep. It had been a long day for both of us, and even though I really wanted to sleep first I knew it was best if I let her sleep.

***

It was still dark. The night seemed like it was just getting darker and darker. I was almost sure that the sun was never going to rise and that we would be trapped in a horrible dark land for the rest of our lives, however long they might be with the Bad Things out and free to roam.

"It will be your fault." A hushed voice said. It sounded like it was right next to me but far away at the same time, like a distant memory that is still very clear.

"No." I whispered. "This isn't real."

"You will lose her, and you will be to blame." The voice said again.

I shook my head. This isn't real, don't be fooled. They are trying to mess with my head. "Get out of my head." I whispered.

"You will be the one. You will see it and you will be the cause."

"Shut up!" I shouted.

"Who are you talking to?" Lilli asked rolling over and looking up at me sleepily.

I felt my face heat up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

She sat up and stretched. "Rhemy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"It sounded like shouting to me." Lilli smiled.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I laughed weakly scratching the back of my neck.

Lilli smiled kindly giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder. "It's alright, you're just a little paranoid that's all. It will all be better once we get back."

I smiled. "I know, why don't you go on back to sleep."

"Isn't it my turn to keep watch?"

"I can do it." I replied gently. "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

"Have the nightmares come back?" She asked, her eyes shaded slightly in worry.

The nightmares. I used to have awful nightmares every single night. It was always roughly the same thing, me at home alone on the day my parents died.

I was in the living room watching the television, the house was pretty quiet, like it normally is when Lilli went to school. The TV was the only sound in the house and even that, after a while, faded into nothing. There wasn't a single sound to be heard. My eyes would start to feel heavy and I would almost be asleep in the dream when a loud crash would ring out, filling the entire house with noise, and startling me onto my feet.

Then the door to the stairs would open. Our house was and old gray two story building, the bedrooms were upstairs and the kitchen, dining room and living room were downstairs. I would walk over to the stairs and look up them. I would hear my mother. She was crying out to me.

"Rhemy! Rhemy hurry, call the police!" She would always say. Then the sound came again. Loud and powerful, the sound of every window in the house breaking as the monsters killed my parents. I would then run to the phone and call the police. They would do an investigation, but they wouldn't find anything. Then I would wake up to find Lilli sitting next to me telling me it's okay.

"Yeah," I replied to my little sister. "They did..." I looked down at my feet for a second, then noticed that Lilli seemed worried. She was sitting right next to me now, her hand resting on my shoulder.