Nightmares ➳ Connor McDonough/ Before You Exit Fanfic { edited }

One

Gwen's POV

I shot out of bed and let out a blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the apartment.

In no time at all, my two siblings appeared in my doorway, rubbing their eyes in exhaustion.

I suffer from constant nightmares, all of them are about the exact same thing. My parents.

I was fifteen and I witnessed them get brutally murdered. I didn't have any other dream, just nightmares that reminded me about that horrible memory.

"Another nightmare?" thirteen year old Avery asked me and I nodded.

My fifteen year old sister, Tanya, just sat at the edge of my bed and put a reassuring hand on my knee. As if to say everything will get better, but it never does.

"You guys can go back to  sleep. I promise I won't wake you up anymore" I said and they started heading back into the room they shared.

I glanced at the digital clock on my night stand. It was 2:40 am. I finally managed to fall asleep an hour ago and once again I was awoken by the painful memories glued to my mind.

I figured, due to my insomnia, I wasn't going to be falling asleep any time soon, so I opened one of the drawers beside my bed and dug my hand through all the clutter until I found something thick and heavy. I then pulled it out and set it down on my lap.

It was my mom's photo album. She loved taking pictures of pretty much everything. Especially us.

I opened it and started flipping through the pages, remembering which picture corresponded to which memory.

Whenever I wake up at night, due to a nightmare, I look through that album and just remind myself about all the happy memories, hoping and wishing that they wouldn't fade any time soon.

Sometimes I feel like the only things keeping me sane were my siblings and this photo album.

After looking through the huge book, cover to cover, I lay back down and just started thinking.

Thinking about how my life would've been if I hadn't witnessed their death. Maybe, I wouldn't have to suffer from all the nightmares. Maybe, I would actually be able to sleep at night without any interruptions. That would be nice.

Lastly, I thought about how great everything would be if my parents hadn't died in the first place. We could go on our monthly road trips, and I'd be able to hear Tanya's voice, and everything wouldn't be as messed up as it is now.

A scream snapped me out of my thoughts, but this one was a male, and he seemed to live a few doors down.

Out of curiosity, I slipped on some shoes that I left at the foot of my door and grabbed a sweater before heading out the door in search of the boy.

As soon as I stepped out I saw a guy with dirty blonde hair, leaning against the wall, taking in shaky breaths. Not too far away from him were two other boys standing in the doorway, just watching him. One had his arms crossed over his chest and the other was tapping his foot on the floor, creating a sound that echoed through the halls. It almost looked like they were used to the behavior of the other boy and just wanted to get it over with.

"Who are you?" the blonde boy snapped when he finally noticed me just standing there. I looked at the two other boys who were looking at me expectantly.

"Uh... My name is Gwen Harper," I replied.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and I wasn't entirely sure if he had heard me or not.

"Well, Gwen, I would really appreciate it if you could go back into your apartment and  never talk to me again," he said, his voice full of venom.

I wanted to point out that he was the one that talked to me, while I just politely replied, but I didn't want to pick a fight with him at two in the damn morning, so I just bit the insides of my cheeks and walked away.

Before I vanished into my apartment, I looked back and noticed his piercing blue eyes. Once he made eye contact with me, his eyes turned a dark blue, and I noticed him clench his jaw. But I also saw something else in his face, something very familiar. I just couldn't quite identify it.

I held eye contact for a few more seconds before walking into my apartment and locking the door behind me.

I was about halfway to my room when it finally hit me.

He suffered from nightmares too.

It was just a guess, but it was possible.

He had dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed pale, almost as white as milk, and his hair was a mess.

He looked exactly like me when I woke up from a nightmare. Lost, confused, and terrified. Completely unsure of what to do next. 

I went on my tippy toes and looked through the peephole of the door, and he was still there. He seemed more calm now and he kept his eyes on my door, as if he knew I was watching him.

He brought his arm up and wiped the sweat from his brow before entering his apartment with the two boys following close behind.

I tried to process what had just happened, but the five minutes that had passed seemed like a total blur.

The only thing that was able to make its way to my head, was that he was a complete asshole. But I wouldn't blame him, whatever was in his nightmare must've been pretty intense for him to act out like that.

Another shriek filled the room and I knew exactly who it was.

Moments later, Avery popped her head out of her room.

Quivering lips, pale skin, and eyes full of fear.

"I had a nightmare."