The Dreamworld

Chapter 15.0- Nightmares Bring the Truth

Ashlyn did not expect to be awoken by a blow horn. She jumped with a start, looking around her room to find nobody was there until her eyes fell on the blasted television.

"What the hell, Clay?" She snapped. She froze at how distressed he looked.

"Finally, you woke up! I didn't know who else to go to. I would come, but I can't get away from the castle. The queen has me on night watch for punishment after my little elevator stunt the other day."

"Clay, calm down, you're rambling." Ashlyn glanced down at her alarm clock to check the time. "At one in the morning?"

"It's Granger, he's having a nightmare and won't wake up!"

"Um, Clay, how do you expect me to get into Granger's apartment? I doubt banging on the door will make him answer it."

"Don't worry, I hacked into the locks."

"What?!" Ashlyn frowned, recalling Granger had mentioned disabling all of the bugs in his home. "How do you know Granger is having a nightmare?"

"Well, when we had that little discussion about his bad habits starting up, he agreed to let me come and raid his house. The thing was, I found nothing. While there, I slipped a camera into his room to watch him sleep."

"Wow, you really are a perv."

"No, Ashlyn, listen!" Clay's sudden rise in tone and the increase in the speed of his speech made Ashlyn fully awaken from her half-asleep daze. "Granger has strong imaginative power. You know how you were able to manipulate the sun a couple of weeks ago? Well, Granger can manipulate harm to living objects without a weapon. Only thing is, he isn't aware of it because it only happens in his nightmares."

Ashlyn nodded as she stood up from her bed trying to find a pair of shorts. She expected some pervy comment from Clay about her choice of sleeping in nothing but a t-shirt and her underwear, but he didn't make a peep. He was too worried about Granger. Ashlyn slipped on a pair of running shorts and rushed out the door without even saying another word to Clay.

She ran diagonally across the hall, pressing her hand against Granger's door. Clay really was sly to disable the security system from his computer. As soon as she entered the apartment, she could hear Granger's screams. She almost tripped over his boots laying on the floor as she rushed towards his room.

"Granger!" Ashlyn cried.

"NO! STOP, DON'T HIT HER AGAIN!"

"Granger, nobody is being hit." Ashlyn gulped as she inched into his bedroom.

His nightmare began to change, his screams turning to sobs while he thrashed in his bed. She watched in horror as he lifted his hand up holding an invisible knife before swiping across his skin. Blood began to drip. He was about to do it again except Ashlyn wouldn't allow it.

"Granger!" She grabbed his arm trying to make him stop.

He just shook her off in his unconscious state. He was going to try to cut again. Ashlyn jumped into action, straddling him to provide some leverage to pin his weight on the bed so he couldn't move.

"No, stop, I'm sorry!" Granger was barely coherent as he struggled against her.

"Granger, stop. Please don't hurt yourself!" Ashlyn choked back a sob, struggling to keep Granger pinned down.

"I know its all my fault! Don't worry I'll be with them soon!" Granger continued thrashing about in his night terror. "Dad will be free without me around to testify."

Ashlyn gulped as more hints of Granger's past slipped through. He still wasn't awakening no matter how much Ashlyn tried to stop him. His arm wouldn't stop bleeding and Ashlyn and the sheets were covered in the red liquid. She didn't know what to do and she felt her heart racing afraid that if Granger kept it up, he'd end up hurting her too before she could save him.