Nerdy || matt espinosa

Chapter 29- Nightmares

"Claire," Matt's elegant soft voice whispered in my ear as his bottom lip brushed against it gently. "Claire wake up," he said but his voice differed at the end as if it was becoming distant but coming closer, screaming but whispering all at once. "Claire," he cooed, dragging out my name as it became high and low all at once, continuing its fading and coming closer, screaming out but whispering. "Clarissa!" He snapped, edge in his voice but he wasn't being mean or rude, it was soft but edgy, teasing but promising.

I slowly opened my eyes, Matt's face inches away from mine, I smiled. "Claire," he said as he seemed to stand without actually pushing himself or using any effort at all, he was standing but floating all at the once. "Claire," he laughed, each time he said my name he dragged it out and as he did it would differ in volume and pitch. I was beginning to question my mental stability as I stood, slowly following him as he walked without moving his legs or feet.

"Matt?" I called, only to find my voice too differed in volume and pitch. I said his name simply but still once it reached my ears it had been dragged out. I looked around to find my house, everything tinted blue. Everything was wavy, as if it was all made of liquid, changing the tint colour every second as the colours came in waves. "What is going on?!" I asked in a panic but my voice was calm, just as his had been.

"Hurry!" He demanded with what sounded like a giggle at the end. I followed him, my legs like jelly as he raced up the stairs without actually stepping up them, he seemed to be just.. levitating. I was unsure as I followed him up and up as he swept through the narrow hallway, only stopping once he reached my parent's bedroom door.

"What are you doing?" I asked though it was dragged and seemed to be in slow motion though everything else was normal speed, my breathing, my movements, my heart beat. Yet our voices somehow seemed to be all funky and.. weird. He simply looked at me before pushing open their door without using the handle, just placing two hands on it and giving it one simple light shove. My mother lay sound asleep aside my father. It was as if I could see through them, watching their hearts beat and their lungs fill and pour out water. Then something strange happened, well stranger than everything else. Two black hands snaked around my fathers heart, squeezing it tightly as the hands seemed to sink into it before POP. He let out an agonizing scream as his face twisted in pain, his back arching off the bed as he grabbed his chest. My mother awoke quietly and looked at him, beginning to laugh as Matthew joined in.

"Dad!" I cried but still my voice was deep and high, edgy but soft, loud and quiet, the only thing I was certain of was it was in slow motion. His eyes screwed shut as he let out another cry before finally his arched back fell lifelessly onto the bed. The hands that were wrapped around his heart shot upright, a person forming underneath them, beside my fathers bed. It wasn't really a person more like a black mysterious mist in the form of a person. It reached an outstretched hand towards me as it slowly floated in my direction. I screamed and it was again in slow motion as I quickly began to back up, only stopping when I hit the wall behind me and by the time I had the figure was inches away from me.

"Clarissa," it whispered it's voice high pitched, mangled, and scratchy and not at all in slow motion. It seemed to be the only normal thing going on around here and that too wasn't even normal. "Run," it demanded, it's voice suddenly very deep and scary. Panic shot through me as I obeyed without a question, taking off down the hall which seemed to stretch on forever, I was unable to see the end of it. I could hear it's laugh a few feet behind me as it's voice called out, still deep and manly, "you can't run forever so why don't you give up already?" I screamed as I pushed harder, forcing my legs to move faster as my feet hit the ground each time with a hard thump. Still I could hear it's laugh from seconds behind me. It wasn't long until two cold, bare, bony hands snaked around my waist, pulling me from the ground as I cried out for it to stop.

"Clarissa," it whispered in my face, it's voice returning to being high pitched and scratchy as it swirled me around, strange though,  I couldn't feel it's breath. "You're next," it roared, his voice deep once again as my eyes widened in fear.

I jolt upright with a panicked scream, a thin layer of sweat covering my body. "What the hell?!" I shout as I attempt to control my quick, shallow, panicked breaths.

"Claire? Clarissa?!" Matt sits up beside me, laying a hand on my back as I turn to face him, his chocolate brown eyes filled with worry and panic. "Hey, baby, it's okay," he said as the realization hit him.

I had a nightmare.

I bit my bottom lip as it began to tremble, my eyes filling up with tears as I layed my head on his chest, snuggling into him as he wrapped his arms tightly around me, placing his head atop mine. I couldn't help it, I was terrified, so I started to cry. He rubbed his hands up and down my back to comfort me as he whispered reassuring words in my ear.

"It's okay baby, I'm here and I'll never let anything hurt you," he says as he gently kisses the top of my head. "I'll protect you from any and everything that tries to harm you I swear. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe baby girl."

I sigh as I nod, wiping my tears as I snuggle more into his chest.

"I love you," I mumble and hear him chuckle as he replies. He lid down with my head still on his chest, his arms still wrapped around me and that's how we fell back to sleep, only awoken by a ringing phone.

A phone call neither of us will ever forget.