Brothers by Blood

Nightmares

A sleepover in the living room was nothing new for the junior inhabitants of the monastery. A night of games and movies.

Since they were growing up, the kids decided to watch the scariest movie they could find. Full of psycho dolls that came to life and killed everyone in the city.

When it was over everyone agreed it would be safer to sleep in their rooms.

It took forever but when Zane finally fell asleep he had the most haunting dream.

Zane found himself sitting up in his bed. Everything was oddly dark and quiet.

He felt around and found the flashlight he kept by his bed.

Zane quickly turned it on and looked around. He didn't see his brothers anywhere.

Zane nervously stepped out of bed, his feet hitting the cold floor. He walked around, searching each of his siblings beds.

When he didn't find them Zane opened the door of his room and stepped out into the hallway, which was also pitch black.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Zane called fearfully as he shone his flashlight down the hall.

There was no response.

Zane gulped and walked around some more. He made his way down to the kitchen, without any sign of his family. He shivered and walked down into the living room. He yelped as the flashlight shone on the walls.

'Come Play With Me' was scrawled in blood red paint all over the walls.

Zane trembled and stumbled backwards.

Suddenly he heard small footsteps coming towards him.

"Please! Go away!" He cried.

To his horror, a small humanoid doll with blank looking eyes, and a wicked grin walked over to him.

"Come on Zane, don't you want to play with me?" The doll asked as it tilted it's head.

Zane screamed and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He hit the light switch, only to find it broken.

Suddenly, there were more footsteps and lots of the soft knocks on the door.

"Zane? Zane?"

"Don't you want to come play with us?"

"We just want to play Zane?"

"Please come play with us!"

"No. No no no no." Zane moaned as he trembled away from the door

Then an eerie chant of 'Play with us' started outside the door.

Zane stayed there, shaking like a leave. Several minutes later it became quiet. With a shaky hand, Zane unlocked the door and opened it just a crack.

Zane screamed as the doll popped up, evil grin and all.

"I told you we would play!" It shouted it a cackle.

Zane suddenly bolted upright in his bed, panting and shaking. He was dripping in sweat and clutching his stuffed wolf for protection.

'It was just a nightmare.' Zane thought to himself as he shook.

He took a few deep breaths before realizing he was in a tiny puddle.

He snuck into his parents room and shook his father's shoulder. "Zane? What it is?" Wu asked as he turned on the lamp.

"I *sniff* I got a nightmare *sniff* *sob* and had *sniff* *sob* an accident*sniff* *sob* and now *sniff* I'm gonna get teased! *sob*" he cried.

"Oh, Zane, no ones going to tease you." Carolin told her son gently as she sat up. "Would it make you feel better if you slept in our bed tonight?"

Zane nodded. "Ok. Daddy's going to help you get cleaned up while I take care of your bed." Carolin told him.

"Daddy what if the nightmare comes back?" Zane asked as Wu helped him get re-dressed.

"It probably won't. But just to be safe you can sleep in our room until you feel better. We'll just tell your brothers that we're working on a project." He told his son. The little boy nodded and climbed into bed.

By the next morning Zane was feeling better. Except now he felt a bit paranoid. Every time one of the other kids looked at him he wondered if they knew.

While they were doing their lessons Kai said that one his problems was a nightmare.

The word echoed on Zane's head.

Nightmare. Nightmare. Nightmare!

Later in the playroom Cole knocked over Nya's block tower and said it was an accident.

It joined the first word.

Nightmare. Accident. Nightmare! Accident!

Finally when they were playing outside before dinner Jay fell a scrapped his knee. When he started crying Kai told told him to stop being a baby.

The last word pounded inside Zane's mind with the others.

Nightmare. Accident. Baby. Nightmare! Accident! Baby!

By the end of the week Zane was back in his own bed. So his brothers and sister decided it was time for a talk.

"You've been gone all week." Jay said from across the room as they got ready for bed. "Mom and dad were helping me with a project." Zane fibbed.

"Would this project have anything to do with that scary movie we saw?" Cole asked. "Maybe." The oldest boy whispered. His siblings stared at him.

"Ok fine. I was having nightmares." Zane admitted. "Why didn't you tell us?" Nya asked. "I thought you'd tease me." He answered softly.

"Well if we did you'd have to tease us right back." Kai told him. "We've all been having bad dreams. We just didn't keep them a secret." Cole said putting a hand on his older brother's shoulder.

"Your sister and brothers are right." Wu said from the doorway. "Scary things stop being scary if you face them."

"Although we should be more careful about the movies we let's you see from now on." Carolin added. "Now off to bed." The parents tucked them all in a turned off the lights.

"Guys?" Zane whispered. His brothers looked over at him. "Thanks." He smiled.