Consumed » Kai Parker

Sixteen

The next night, I shoot up from Stefan's bed, harshly gasping with a throat sore from my cries. Kai is sitting on the edge of my bed, looking me over with a curious expression.

"Not again," I mumble, digging the edges of my palms into my forehead and bowing my head down, elbows indenting my bare thighs.

"Same nightmare?" He asks.

My eyes are squeezed shut, the images of the horrible dream replaying in flashes in my mind.

"Yeah, except this time, it was Stefan and Damon that I found laying dea-" My voice cracks and I don't finish the sentence, wanting desperately for the vivid images of their lifeless bodies to go away.

"It's not real, Charlie," Kai says after a beat of silence.

I sigh, lifting my head from my palms to look at him. "I know it's not real, but that doesn't make it hurt any less, seeing the people I care about dead."

His eyes slowly scan over my face and he nods once, tilting his head towards the door. "Wanna watch a movie with me downstairs?"

I raise my eyebrows, surprised by the offer. "A movie?"

"Yeah," His face lights up. "I was thinking something from the horror genre, because oh man, the nineties did not disappoint in that department. You interested?"

I grimace, shaking my head. "I don't know if a horror movie is what's gonna make me feel better right now. I think I'll just..." I begin to lean back down onto the mattress. "Try and go back to sleep."

Kai rolls his eyes, reaching out to hold my forearm, preventing me from sinking down any further. "Yeah, I'm not sure being alone is gonna make you feel better either."

"I mean," He leans in, bringing his face closer to mine, while never releasing my arm. His eyes dart left and right dramatically. "You never know who might emerge from the shadows. Maybe it'll be my father again this time, wishing to fulfill his desires of showering with a beautiful young girl."

I scoff, swatting him away from me as he bursts into laughter, the appealing sound booming through the room. I scowl at him, struggling to maintain the expression the longer I stare at his face and the way his features appear so much more childlike and innocent when he's laughing.

"I'm glad you find this funny," I retort, pulling my legs out from under the covers and lower my feet down onto the floor. I storm towards the door and hear his footsteps swiftly following after me into the dark hall.

"Hey, come on, Charlie," He chuckles, easily catching up to walk alongside me. "I'm only trying to lighten you up a bit."

"It's not working," I mutter, beginning my descent down the stairs. "I didn't have a hallucination of your father being a pervert, Kai. Try murderer. He was standing in my shower, looking furious and ready to gut me."

He sighs as we enter the quiet main room, moon light flooding through the windows and casting eerie shadows along the expanse of the room. The setting doesn't help to soothe the shaky state my nightmare has left me in.

I sink down onto the couch, pulling my legs up so I'm sitting cross-legged and stare emptily down at my legs. Kai plops down next to me, leaning back and stretching his arms across the top of the couch.