Until morning comes

[33] Hiraeth

"It's like we're on the edge right now,
I wish that I could say I'm proud,
I'm sorry that I let you down,
Let you down,
All these voices in my head get loud,
I wish that I could shut them out,
I'm sorry that I let you down,
L-l-let you down."

_______

Ashlie prayed for daylight.

She prayed for her life back, for her home, for her friends,

She prayed for her dogs and cats,

She prayed for her dad,

She prayed for her brother.

She even prayed for the small recording device that tommy had trusted her with. The recording device she had lost. She had broken a promise, but it didn't effect her in the slightest bit.

The room around her was plagued by a static hue, the sickening sweet sent of blood reeked everywhere she entered. She had gotten so used to the smell now.

She was anxious. Unwilling to continue forward but doing so anyway for the sake of her sanity.

Ashlie was sure, if she ever got to look in the mirror again.

She wouldn't see herself.

Instead she would see a broken girl, with barely a heart left to spare.

_______

The desolate hospital, with screaming static that didn't seem to go away. It made his throat itch, the need to scream; strong at the forefront of his mind.

The walls of the hospital were covered in blood, dried and peeling off the paint and wallpaper. Vines stretched everywhere. Poison ivy littered in little patches on the floor. Broken carts and hospital beds scattered around the hallways, and in rooms and corridors. Large boxes stacked, probably full of medical supplies.

It made him sick to think that this was once a well functioning hospital. It made him sick to think about what could of happened to it. What could have caused such a terrible accident to turn this place into a murderers hunting ground.

The Macmillan estate was full of horrid mystery's and dead ends.

A knot formed at the bottom of his stomach. Disgust, curiosity, pain, sadness all mixed together into a large ball, holding him down.

He could feel bile rise in his throat as he looked at the blood drenched medical utensils. Dried organs sat heavy on medical tables, but there was no sight of their former owner.

No sign of life left but the plants that had seen far too much.

_______

"Dad! Ashlie I'm home!" A young nick stumbled into their home, dropping his book bag abruptly on the floor.

"Nick!" A young Ashlie ran into the front room. Her pigtails held together by lilliputian ribbons bounced with her as she skipped. The color contrasted with the youthful girls red hair.

"Hey Ashlie!" The bright child smiled broadly at his sibling. The care and affection he held for her evident in his dark brown eyes. "Where's dad?"

"He's out back, planting!" The little girl giggled, her innocence would baffle many.

The siblings raced to the back of the house, pushing open the tall screen door and running off the porch. The sun hadn't yet settled over the horizon, but the sky was still full of mesmerizing color.

"Dad! Dad!" The two chanted, running towards the garden. It was full of distinctive flowers. The different colors and shapes showed an array of diversity.

Ashlie raced off ahead of nick.

"Hey! Wait up!" The boy speed up, trying to catch up with his sister. Although he had lost her very quickly.

"Ashlie?- dad!" The boy noticed his father standing a little ways ahead of him. "Dad!"

Little nick stopped running as he reached his father, whose back was towards him.

"Dad?"

As if there was a fault in the macrocosm, his dads head fell forward. Cut clean off his body with precision.

The world around him was slowly fading until all that was left was a black empty abyss.

"Nick." He whipped around to find his little sister standing there. Blood pouring from her eyes and mouth. Her dress coated in the red liquid.

"Wake up."

"What?" Confused as he was, nick didn't feel scared. He couldn't feel it. It was as if there was a mental block, preventing him from feeling anything towards his murdered dad and bleeding sister.

"Wake up!"

Nick gasps as he sits straight up, heart pounding against his aching chest. He felt hands wrap around his body but couldn't tell whose they belonged too. His vision wavered too much and he felt nauseous.

"Breathe, c'mon nick please, breathe." Listening to the voice, nick breathed rather shakily at first. Though as time progressed he managed to calm his racing heart and his vision cleared.

"You're ok." The voice continued, although nick thought they were telling themselves that more then they were telling him.

Nick raised his head slightly. Though he wasn't meant with the image of his sisters bleeding face. Instead he was meant with the tired eyes of the girl he cared so deeply about. He couldn't help the sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" Ashley's hushed voice sounded in his ear. Pulling nick away slightly.

Nick thought for a moment. He knew he wasn't alright. He knew that it was just a dream, probably inflicted by the killer.

He knew it was fiction.

But he couldn't shake the feeling he got at seeing his happy world be broken so quickly.

Despite this, he nodded. Looking into the eyes of his sister.

And he knew he made a poor job hiding the damage.