Shine a light| Fletchers fanfiction

~16~

Edens POV
I woke up again with a sudden start, rolling to my side and looking at my alarm clock I noticed it only displayed 3:40am, just as it had the past 3 weeks following the Christmasaurus launch party. There hasn't been a single night where I haven't woken up from a nightmare where I'm spinning and spinning, like a wheel, before the sudden halts and screams fill my ears, practicaly forcing me to wake up, often in cold sweats, struggling for breath and occasionally tears streaming down my face.
I turn over in the hopes of getting back to sleep somehow, however soon after dropping back off I'm awoken again with horror from the screeches of wheels as the nightmare just restarts- just as it has for the last 3 weeks. Hastily I just sit up and switch my lamp on. My eyes feel tired, heavy so I just simply stared at the ceiling until I heard Gi getting up to feed a screaming Buddy and a very lively and awake Buzz. I slowly but surely get out of bed and begin to get dressed despite my clock only showing it to be 6am, I suppose an early start is better than anything, even if it is a Saturday. I decide to put on just a pair of simple black leggings, and then accompanied it with a mustard yellow jumper before brushing my teeth and hopping down the stairs.
Because my brothers wake up so early, there is practically always someone downstairs from 6:30 no matter what day it is. Buzz was sat eating his breakfast quietly whilst Mickey Mouse played on his iPad and Gi fed Buddy.
'Morning Gi,' I chime as I slowly walk into the makeshift kitchen and dining room. The kitchen is currently being re-done so everything has been squished into Gi's tiny old office. It makes for a much cosier eating situation.
'Morning.' She yawned back. 'Sorry, did we wake you? I was trying to keep them quiet but Buzz got excited over the left over crumpets.'
'No, it's ok I just sort of woke up and thought I may as well get up.' I smiled as I felt my eyes get heavier and sorer. I just wish these nightmares would stop. I slowly ate my breakfast of buttery crumpets and savoured there flavour as I imagine I'm in the north pole with the rest of the elves, just like in the Christmasaurus.
-
The entirety of Saturday was spent just chilling, both Tom and Gi have had busy schedules for the past few weeks so it was incredibly nice to just have a day in together as a family. We had a quick song song with Buzz on the drums and me attempting the guitar whilst Buddy 'sang' and then watched Christmas films together all huddled on the sofa. I don't usually watch Christmas films until December, so to some degree it was a little weird that it's only the start of November and we're watching the polar express, however Tom seemed extremely enthusiastic about the idea and I wasn't going to spoil his fun in anyway, so I just enjoyed the new way of an earlier starting Christmas whilst eating ice cream.
-
The stars shoot through the sky as I look out at the dark black and blues mixing in the night sky. It's 11:15 and I was meant to be asleep hours ago, but I can't face having the nightmare and having to relive everything again- once was enough, having to relive it is just plain torture, and so I'm staying up tonight. I'll try as hard as possible not to fall asleep because at least no sleep is better than disturbed, terrorising sleep.

Tom's POV:
Gi and I split up as we usually do on a night to check the kids are ok before going to sleep. Tonight it's her turn to ensure Buzz and Buddy, AKA the terrible two, are asleep whilst I check on Eden. I slowly turn her door nob and push open the door, only to notice that she's not asleep in bed, and is sat on her window ledge looking out at the sky instead.
'What are you doing up?' I ask, trying to shoo our oldest back into bed so I can go to sleep myself; I'm completely knackered.
'The sky is so pretty at night.' Is the response I get as Eden doesn't move her head from the glass, almost as if her entire body is frozen to that spot.
'It really is, but you were meant to be asleep hours ago E, can we get back into bed please?' I walk slightly more into her room, expecting for her to move, only to see her stay exactly where she is.
'Please don't make me go to sleep Tom.' She doesn't take her eyes off one particular star next to the moon as a stray tear rolls down her cheek, I slowly make my way to the window sill and sit on the floor in front of it.
'And why's that?'
Eden falls silent and just watches as the stars in the night sky twinkle outside. Her eyes don't fall from one particular star.
'You know I used to love the sky too, I love space. I even went to NASA space camp one summer when I was a kid.' I sigh slightly as Eden laughs lightly.

'When I was about 5 and I couldn't sleep, my dad would take me to my bedroom window and tell me that for as long as that star is still shining in the sky he and mum loved me.' Eden points to one of the brightest shining stars in the sky as another tear is released from her eye.

'And it's still shining bright.' I smile at Eden as she finally pulls her head away from the window and looks at me. She smiles lightly.
'I can't go to sleep Tom.' She moves her head back to look at the star.
'But why sweetie?'
'Because as soon as I close my eyes I'm there again. For weeks it's been like the crash all over again. I can feel the vibrations of the car as it goes down the road, i can hear the music, and then I feel the crash all over again. I can smell the petrol and the burning. I can feel the bruises and cuts again as I'm dragged out and all I can hear are the screams. The screams and the screeching.' Tears begin to pour uncontrollably out of her eyes and I can feel my own beginning to brim at the idea of true complete horror this girl has had to live through and witness. 'I don't want to have to relive it again Tom. Please don't let me relive it again, I can't!'
I rush up and pull my little girl into a strong hug and I can feel the tenseness in her body as I hug her tightly, trying to comfort her even though I'm not 100% sure I'm enough. I don't think anyone can be enough when dealing with a situation this severe, the only 2 people who could ever help this situation are gone, and unfortunately they are never going to come back.
'Shhhh, shhhh it's ok. We won't let you. It's ok.' I choke as I pull her closer and rub her back as she continues to sob. My head is so conflicted; it's late Saturday night. There is no where right now that can give any serious advice on this, yet we're all needing sleep. We can't force a child this traumatised and upset to sleep and enter a world beyond her control, however we also can't just let this continue. I release my daughter and hold her at arms length from me.
'We'll sort this ok. I promise you we'll help you. We just can't do anything right now that can stop anything. So what I'm going to do is, I'm going to go and tell Gi ok?'
Eden nods.
'And then one of us is going to come and camp on your floor here, and we are going to try and get some sleep. We'll be here, and if it happens again, you wake us up and we'll try and work through this together, ok?'
I earn another teary nod.
'We're going to sort this ok. I promise'