escape | ethan dolan

awake in the night • 1

hey guys! before we start the story i just want to let you all know that i have put together a playlist that i would recommend listening to when you read. i'll list the songs below :) enjoy and make sure to comment and give feedback!

♡ "stars" by alessia cara
♡ "floating" by alina baraz ft khalid
♡ "find you again" by camila cabello
♡ "free spirit" by khalid
♡ "dreams" by bazzi
♡ "paradise" by bazzi
♡ "anywhere" by rita ora
♡ "wasted" by summer walker
♡ "needy" by ariana grande
♡ "what a feeling" by one direction
♡ "rich and sad" by post malone
♡ "this way" by khalid and H.E.R
♡ "quit" cashmere cat ft ariana grande
♡ "slow hands" niall horan
♡ "i.f.l.y" bazzi
♡ "everything has changed" taylor swift ft ed sheeran

i will be adding more to this playlist!! im currently on chapter 22 so the story isn't close to being over, these are just the songs I have picked thus far. (6/27/19)

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I wake up to the sound of my own rapid breathing. Another nightmare. These constant terrors have woken me up night after night, leaving me shaking and my head spinning. Sweat trickles down my cheek as I sit up quickly in my cot, trying to grasp my surroundings. I grab the glass of water on my bedside table and take a long gulp. My eyes shut as the cool liquid runs down and into my feverishly hot body. I jump when I hear the bed next to me creak, leading me to spill droplets of water onto myself.

"Harlowe?" I hear a squeaky voice call out my name in a soft whisper. I wipe the residue of the water off my mouth and set the glass back on the table.

"Yes?" I squint, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness lying in front of me. I manage to spot out the outline of a rusting bed frame and the little girl that sits upon it. "Chloe?"

"The scary man came back again. He was chasing me and I was screaming, but no one came to help me." She was shivering, clutching onto her blanket like her life depended on it. Strips of her long brown locks rest in front of her small shape, making her almost look demonic like. Chills run up and down my spine but I quickly shake them away.

"It's okay," I sweep my dirty blonde hair out of my face and give her a sympathetic grin. Quickly, I scoot over to her bed and hop on, hoping no one wakes up. These children may be unhappy orphans, but it doesn't mean they don't have the capability of ratting me out for staying up half the night.

"Did you have a bad dream too?" Chloe asks. Large bags swoop under her jade colored eyes, telling me she isn't getting much sleep.

"Yes, I did." I admit. Usually I don't like sharing my weakness for nightmares. They bait me in my sleep and ignite my mind with thoughts I never imagined I could think. My sweat bursting through my pores, running down my heated flesh, desperately trying to put out the flames.

"Was there someone chasing you?" Her voice is so high it resembles a mouse's squeak. Moonlight surfaces through the small window above her bed, shining like a spotlight on her figure. It makes her looks so tiny, so vulnerable. I wish I could do more to help more than silently whisper meer comfort just to get her through the night.

"Well, not exactly," I begin, trying to sort my thoughts.

"Then what was it?" Chloe readjusts her grip on the sheets and turns more to face me.

I let out an exasperated sigh, but keep smiling for the sake of Chloe. She's already shaken up enough. I have to keep myself together for her.

"It was nothing really. Just silly things," I motion my hand to brush it off. She stares at me blankly, so I giggle to try and lighten the mood. Favorably, she smiles, so I relax. "Why don't you tell me what yours was about? Just so that you can get it off your chest," I return the smile and lean back on my arms, waiting for her to start.

"It was the bad man again," Instantly, I knew who she was talking about; the man that killed her mother.

This past year, her mother was murdered. Chloe had just turned six. She lost her father when she was four, and her mother remarried two years later. After a few months into the marriage, her stepfather shot Chloe's mom, and then himself. Luckily, Chloe managed to escape. A young man found her in an alleyway and brought her to the police, and now she's here- in the State of New Jersey Orphanage- the home to parent-less children ranging from one to eighteen.

"He was walking towards me and holding something in his hand. My mommy was asleep on the ground." Her bottom lip puffed out. I can feel the pain in her soft voice, and it makes me tear up.

I remember seeing her story on the local news a few months back. All the children and supervisors were surrounded in the living area, where the toddlers take their naps and the workers relax. I had been helping out in the kitchen, along with a few other girls my age. The small television placed in the corner was playing the news, and for a second I looked away from my cleaning to see a small girl huddled close to a residential police officer. I got yelled at that day for looking away from my work. And later, I got a beating, which was displayed in front of everyone.

"Chloe," My voice softens as I pull her in for a tight hug. I feel the tears from her eyes soak through my torn t-shirt. "It's going to be okay. He's gone now. The bad man is gone," I pull away from the hug and place both my hands on her scrawny shoulders. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"You promise?" She asks looking up to my face. I nod in response.

"I promise," To show I mean it, I pull the old child's trick and hold out my pinky. Chloe giggles as she interlocks her pinky with mine. We hold our hands there for a few moments before we pull them apart. Satisfied, she snuggles into the covers with a beam on her face. I fasten them tightly around her neck, mentally telling myself it will keep her safe from the demons that might haunt her in her sleep.

I sit beside her bed for the next few minutes until I hear her snoring, then tip-toe back over to my own.

The firm mattress has never been so welcoming to my limp body. My eyes shut as I'm walking, and for a moment I think I actually fall asleep standing up. Once I get fully settled into my bed, I pull the sheets over my head, and let the darkness swallow me.

~~~

Ahhh😆! Okay, so that was the first ever chapter of my first ever fanfic! I really hope you guys enjoyed it. If you didn't, well, sorry! There are many other stories you'd probably like so please leave no hate! I want this to be a completely positive experience for everyone. Please vote, leave a comment, and follow! I hope you continue reading! :) Stay gorgeous babes 🌸🏹