Foreverland

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII

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"Iris sit back," Cam said, trying to push her softly back down.

She pushed his arms away, trying to get up. "He went after the reapers?!"

Max put his hand on her shoulder. "We don't know that for sure."

"Well did you look for him?" She asked them.

Liam nodded. "Yes, while you were sleeping. That's where I was."

She frowned. "But you didn't find him."

He shook his head. They hadn't been able to find him when they looked for him. They, who knew him best, could not find him. And he was in danger. He didn't stand a chance against the reapers, Iris knew that after she'd seen him come close to dying from just a single poke of one of their swords. 

"Iris, there's most likely nothing to worry about," Cam said. "We thought that the reapers got you, and here you are. Peter will figure that out."

Max and Liam nodded. "You should get some sleep," Max told her.

"I've slept enough," Iris said, but she could feel her eyelids getting heavy. She didn't want to sleep at a time like this, but her body was exhausted. 

Cam pursed his lips. "Yeah, right."

Iris sighed. "Look, just give me a straight answer, and I'll go to sleep. Is Peter going to come back?"

He hesitated. "Yes." Cam didn't sound completely sure.

Iris groaned. The same dreadful feeling she had after she woke up from her nightmare the night before came back. She'd really thought they were all okay when she saw them in the den. Now she knew this was not the case.

"Iris you don't have to to worry. Peter can definitely handle himself," Max consoled her. "He's been doing this way longer than any of us." She could hear doubt in his voice despite his trying to hide it.

Cam shot him a look, and he just shrugged. Iris was too tired to question it. "We'll let you sleep," he said and they left.

Iris lay back against the bed. She thought about the images she saw when she was unconscious, about how real they seemed. As she drifted off to sleep, she kept imagining them over and over again. She wanted to know what they meant. She was also prepared to have more confusing scenes play out in her head when she closed her eyes. 

She had the same dream where Peter was stabbed, but this time, she didn't scream. She didn't even wake up, the dream kept going.

"Iris," a voice said behind her as she stood on the cliff with her eyes squeezed shut.

She kept her eyes closed, breathing heavily.

"Iris," it repeated. "Come with me," it coaxed.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking down at the water hitting against the side of the cliff. The memory of the reaper falling into the water after she woke up flashed, but it was nighttime now and she was wearing her dirty white sneakers and overalls. Iris shivered as she felt the presence come closer behind her.

"Turn around, child," it crooned at her softly.

She slowly turned her body, her fists still clenched at her sides. The same reaper that she had seen hurting Peter was standing in front of her, but it looked different this time. It wasn't as gruesome.

The man standing in front of her had dark blond, wavy hair, and there was no gaping hole on his face. His body was still shrouded strangely in darkness, and the smile he had on his face was almost intoxicating to her. She gazed at him until her eyes flashed down. His twisted fingers were rapped around the collar of Peter's shirt, dragging him facedown behind him. There was so much blood, Iris could smell it.