Split

Wake Up

The next day I was woken up by Hedwig jumping on the bed. I squinted up at him, wondering what time it was, and he flopped down heavily next to me, "Hey, Casey! Wake up!"

"Hi," I croaked, wishing he hadn't woken me up this early on a Saturday, "what are you so excited about?"

"Barry said that I could have the light today!"

"Really?" I sat up and rubbed my eyes, wondering why Hedwig was allowed the light after last night's events.

"Yeah, they said they had important things to talk about so I needed to keep out of their way, etcetera."

"I see, do you know what they're talking about, Hedwig?"

"Uh... no..." he looked uneasy so I guessed that he was lying.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure..."

"Hedwig..."

"I don't know anything about it, okay? They didn't tell me, okay?"

"I know that you know something."

He folded his arms and pouted as he stared at me, "I don't know."

"Well, I'll just have to tell Barry that you're lying to me-"

"No!" He suddenly looked frightened, "no, you can't tell Barry!"

"Then what are you hiding from me?"

He looked very uncomfortable with the question and was practically squirming, "I... I can't tell you..."

"You have to tell me," I said firmly, growing worried.

"I... I..." He began to well up and his lip trembled, "I..." He burst into tears and I shuffled next to him to put my arm around him.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I rubbed his arm, "It's okay, you can talk to me."

"I... I did it... it was me..."

"What was you?" I asked but he only cried harder.

"I... I let the beast... have the l-light..." He began to wail, knowing the extent of what what he'd done.

"What? Hedwig, why would you do that? You know what happened before!"

He nodded quickly, tears falling from his damp cheeks and onto the sheets, "he told me that he'd hurt us... I'm scared of him."

"He can't hurt you, do you understand that? You all share a body, he can't hurt you," I held his shoulders and made him face me, but he didn't look up, "Hedwig? You can't let him through again, do you understand?"

"I'm scared," He repeated, "I'm scared..."

"I know, but he could hurt people... and you know how upset the others are going to be when they find out it was you who-"

"No!" He shouted, his brimming blue pools pleading me not to tell them, "no, they can't know! Please, Casey, please don't tell!"

"Then you need to promise me that this won't happen again."
His face crumpled and he began to sob again. I knew that he wouldn't stop the beast from having the light, he was too afraid now.
"Do you remember when you all took the light from the beast when he was going to kill me?"
He didn't reply.
"Do you remember that you said that you controlled who got the light? He still doesn't have any control over you, you know. You control him."

"He said that he'll hurt us."

"He said that before and he hasn't hurt you yet, has he?"

"No."

"That's because he can't hurt you."
He wasn't listening anymore and I realised that no matter what I said, I wasn't going to get through to him. I hugged him, his miserable expression getting the better of me, "I won't let him hurt you. Any of you."

"Okay."

I decided it was best to give him a break and try again later, "so what do you want to do today?"
He shrugged half heartedly and didn't even look up, "come on, what do you want to do?"

When he didn't respond a second time I tickled his waist and he jolted to the side before glaring at me, "Stop it!" He snapped, but I tried again, "I'm not in the mood! Stop it!"

"Are you all grumpy now?" I asked with a smirk.

His nose wrinkled, "no."

I tickled him again and he fell onto his side to get away, "I think you are!"

"Stop it!" He was yelling but I could see the smile trying to emerge, "Stop it, Casey!"

"Not until you cheer up!"

"Stop it! I'm not cheering up!"

"Well I guess I'll be doing this for a long time then!" I followed him with my hands as he rolled around the bed in an attempt to flee. After a few more seconds he was laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach to try and get me to stop.
"See it wasn't so difficult, was it? What do you want to do today?"

"I want to play hide and seek," He replied almost immediately and I smiled.

"Good choice."