Wake Up (Minizerk)

Different

    Unsure of what to do, Josh let himself shift back to human form, still staring straight at the boy.
    "J-Josh?" He whispered.
    There were about a million things Josh could've said just about then, like why he was crying, but of course his mouth had a different idea.
    "How do you know my name?"
    Simon chuckled lowly, a laugh filled with sadness and anything except happiness, what a laugh should be filled with. It sent shivers down Josh's spine.
    "I know everyone in the school, and yet no one knows me. No one notices my pain. No one notices the bruises. I'm just a ghost. The ghost of someone long forgotten."
    Josh frowned and Simon shrugged.
    "You're here for something, aren't you? Something big. I mean, how else did you slip through my locked door? I'm not dreaming."
    Josh awkwardly shuffled his feet. "Well... You see... I-I um... am here to give you a... a nightmare..."
    Simon sat down. "No need. There's nothing you can do to make it worse."
    "I-I really don't want to do this. At least, not anymore. But I have to. Lord Tenebris patrols nightmares, so if I don't do my job right, I'll be punished." Josh stepped forward, reaching out towards Simon who flinched and moved away.
    "Then do it. I'll get through the pain. I always do."
    Josh winced and balled up his fists. "As soon as I find a way to defy Lord Tenebris, I will. I promise." He wasn't quite sure what he was doing promising something like that, but something about this boy made him want to protect him. To block him from the evil.
    "Ok?" Simon slowly replied, clearly confused as to why Josh would do this.
    "Just promise me you won't let these nightmares get to you."
    "I promise." Simon immediately responded, not hesitating at all.
    Josh smiled slightly and walked forward. "I'm going to need for you to go to sleep."
    "I'll try." Simon laid down and closed his eyes.
    Josh noticed his eyes flickering under his eyelids and slowly started stroking Simon's head, pushing his blond hair out of his face.
    The boy tensed under the other's touch before relaxing.
    Soon enough, Simon's breaths evened out and he fell asleep.
    Shifting from a human to a Nightmare, Josh formed a cup shape with his hands before slowly opening it as if letting water flow out of his hands.
    Simon immediately tensed in his sleep, letting Josh know that it had worked.
    As he slipped out of the house, Josh thought about the boy. He made a promise that he would help him through school, even though he preferred to stay out of the way of the two Cals.