Adopted by Dan and Phil (editing in process)

7

CLARA's POV:
I woke up and looked over at the clock beside Dan's bed: 12:07am.
I sat up, suddenly aware of the darkness that seemed to become a lot heavier.
I peered at Dan's bed and was relieved to see him peacefully sleeping.

I start to notice the dryness in my throat and get out of bed to get some water.

But when I stood up, the room shifted and I was standing in the orphanage. It wasn't a room I recognized though. It was empty except for torn curtains that had become thin and see-through from being locked up for so many years. A small crib was against the wall opposite me.
When I turned around, Dan was still in his bed, but it wasn't Dan.
It was a boy about the same age as Dan, but he was dressed in a suit that was faded and dusty. His face was so pale, I could almost see through it. But the scariest part of this boy in Dan's bed, was his eyes- or where his eyes should be. Instead were two holes as black as his hair that seemed to be plastered to his ashen forehead.
He grinned at me.
The worst part was that I knew him. It wasn't the first time he came to me. I had seen him so many times he almost didn't scare me, but each visit was different, each time was scarier than the last.
I turned around like I did every time and started to slowly walk to the other wall of the room. I knew there was a door. There's always a door. And every night I try to reach it. But I never do.

As my feet slowly walked across the dusty wooden floor, it creaked and moaned. I'm going to die. I thought.

The noises of the floor suffering under my feet slowly turned into the wails of people. At first I didn't know what they were saying, they were too faint, but as the became louder I realized, like a horrible stab to my chest, that it was Emmi. She was crying out in a horrible way. A sound that no human should ever make. As I searched for the door that would get me out, Phil's voice joined in and then Dan's.

I began to cry, huge tears streamed down my face. I put my hands to my ears to block out the noise, but that made it worse.

Suddenly the boy in Dan's bed spoke. His voice like Dan's except deeper and raspier. He was whispering something I couldn't make out. And then he laughed.

The walls began to close around me and the voices of the only people I cared about became louder. I closed my eyes, but the faces of the boy in Dan's bed, Mrs. Greene and Isabelle filled my head. They were shallow and ashen with no eyes just like him... I began to scream and then the boys arms reached for me and grabbed me.... I struggled, but the voices started to fade and the walls went back to normal. Isabelle and Mrs. Greene disappeared as did the boy in Dan's bed.
I stopped screaming and opened my eyes. Still sobbing. I could still hear the screams of Emmi, Dan and Phil, but it was better.

My eyes adjusted to the light that flooded the room. I was no longer in the room with the crib. I was in Dan's room, in my own bed. I could feel Dan next to me, and Phil was there too.
Safe....