Gingersnap

Part 10

Edward awoke with a start when he heard what sounded like a tiny sob coming from somewhere in the room. He blinked sleepily and glanced up at the digital alarm clock on his bedside table. Glowing red numbers told him it was shortly after one o'clock in the morning, and he let out a sigh.

Edward slowly lifted his head and glanced around his darkened bedroom. Moonlight streaming in through the window behind him illuminated the carpet below and the stacks of notepads and journals sitting on the small desk on the other side of the room, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Deciding he had only imagined the sound after all, Edward was about to bury his face in his pillow and fall back asleep when he heard another, muffled sob. It was followed by a series of soft sniffles, coming from directly behind the boy.

"Ginger?" Now fully awake, Edward sat up and spun around. The extra pillow lying next to him where the ocelot usually slept was now empty, and he felt a sinking sensation in his chest. He grabbed his blanket and lifted it up and frantically searched between each fold and ripple in the bedsheets, but his friend was nowhere in sight.

Fighting to suppress his growing anxiety, Edward glanced back up at Ginger's pillow and gave a sigh of relief. Upon further inspection of the pillow, he spotted a dappled, furry little tail trailing out from underneath. The tail quivered as another little sob was heard.

"Gingersnap?" Edward grabbed a corner of the pillow and carefully pulled it aside.

Ginger was curled up on the bed with her head in her paws. Her ears drooped and her tiny body trembled as she tried to choke back another sniffle.

Edward reached out and carefully lifted Ginger's chin up with the tip of his finger to reveal her tearstained face. Her eyes were puffy and red, while her typically soft and fluffy cheeks were matted where tears had streaked through her fur.

"Ginger!" Edward gasped softly. "Oh no, are you okay? What's the matter?"

Ginger avoided meeting her friend's gaze and hesitated for a moment as if she had to the strength to reply. "I-I had a really bad dream..." She murmured.

Edward furrowed his brow in sorrow. He guessed the girl had just woken up from a horrible nightmare, and that her quiet sniffling was only the calm before the storm. He had never seen Ginger look so frightened and sad. "Do you wanna tell me what happened in your dream? It might help it seem less scary." He offered.

Ginger gave a tiny nod and took a deep, shuddering breath before she began. "At first, I was being chased through a dark forest by huge, white wolves with glowing eyes and long black fangs. They were right on my tail, about to catch me and rip me to shreds, when the pack suddenly ran into each other and became a raging flash flood that knocked over everything in its path. The water swept me away through the trees toward a steep cliff." Ginger's voice wavered as her eyes brimmed with fresh tears. "As I fell over the edge, I s-saw Auntie Eleanor's body swirling through the w-water next to me..."

Edward frowned, quickly cupping his left hand around Ginger's trembling body to comfort her. He was just opening his mouth to tell her it was only a dream when the ocelot unintentionally interrupted him.

"I miss her s-s-so much..." Ginger squeezed her eyes shut as tears streamed down her face, glistening silver in the moonlight. "S...sometimes I wish it had been me instead of her!" She spluttered.

Edward's eyes widened in shock as he gasped aloud. "Ginger! Don't say that!"

Ginger put her head in her paws again and began to sob uncontrollably, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.