Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 35 - File #5.6: The Blown Identity

Avery

I repeatedly put on my blanket, only to kick it away later. I rolled right and left, and right again, but still couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep.

And then I heard someone crying.

I got up as I realized it was Alex. No matter how mature he wanted to act, he was still a little boy who had nightmares, even after receiving Class of the Year award. I went to his room, but his bed was empty. Where did that kid go? Sleepwalking?

"Alex?" I called him, and the cry was getting louder. It came from the dining room, but Alex wasn't there either.

"Daddy...!" He cried.

"Alex!" I started to get panic. I didn't even think to wake my mom first, I kept searching for my brother around the house. I finally found him in the dark living room, sobbing and calling for dad.

Wait, was Alex that tall?

"Now, do you remember?" Another voice came from behind me—a quite well-known one. A figure coming out of the darkness behind me, gradually exposing a flaming red hair.

A high-pitched scream erupted from my mouth, louder and louder, as if I wasn't allowed to make a voice before. I screamed until I hurt my throat, until my tears wetted my cheeks, until my mom appeared.

"Avery, honey," she called me.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I got up and hugged her. I was crying without saying a word. Alex came into my room, yawning and trying to look at me with his eyes that were still half open. My scream had to wake him up.

He was alright. He wasn't crying. I just had another nightmare.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here," said Mom while stroking my head. She tried his best to calm me down after telling Alex, who thoughtfully brought me a glass of water, to go back to bed. Mom released the hug and wiped my tears with her hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I was still trying to control my breathing. My whole body was trembling, and it wasn't just because of the dream. "I'd rather not," I whispered.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Sorry for waking you up."

She looked at me for a while. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "If you don't mind, I want to try to go back to sleep."

"Sure," she said as she planted a kiss on my forehead, and then left my room.

I just lied again. No matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, it wasn't darkness I saw. It was the red-haired guy, piercing his gaze through my skull.

Noel.

I wished I could turn back time. I wished I just went home after Alex's dress rehearsal instead of getting the disc from Officer Parry. I wished Alex didn't ask me to look for that dog. I wished I didn't enter the building.

I wished I just ran away the minute I saw Noel there, so the meeting that led to my nightmare wouldn't happen.

"Don't be surprised. That's something not many people have," he said, pointing out my silence about my photographic memory—the one thing I would like to keep from anyone, except three people.

Turned out it was four.

"So, you really don't remember," he summed up my reaction. "I find it hard to believe, since we're here in this town for the same reason."