Bury a Friend | Hemlock Grove |

Chapter 19 | Pork Soda |

Chapter title from the song Pork Soda by Glass Animals. I never post what the titles are from but i thought this one was a lil weird and needed explaining lol

Emma sits in the dark room, only moonlight showing through the small windows. Her head leans back against the padding. The only noise in the room is the sound of her breathing followed by Romans. His breath seems to mimic every one of hers, mocking the hitch of panic she can't seem to clear. For the first time, Emma is fully aware that she is dreaming.

With full autonomy, she takes a moment to look around beyond the bounds she had recently been constricted to. The room is as she remembered it, dark and eery. Upon further investigation, she finds that it's not actually empty. There's a thin cardboard box, the kind you ship things in, in the corner. It's still taped up.

Emma wants to stand to open it, but she's too scared to disturb the silence. She looks at Roman is still sitting across from her, he looks sadder than she remembers, knees drawn to his chest. Emma opens her mouth to see if she can speak but only a small croak comes out. Roman stands and the world shakes like it's encased in gelatin.

"Where are you?" He asks, coming closer. She's stunned, she can't remember him speaking in her other dreams.

"I don't know," her voice says without her mind approving it.

"No, if you open your eyes, where would you be?"

"In my room." He's right in front of her now, looking massive.

"Open your eyes."

"I can't," she looks up and shakes her head. He kneels down.

"Open your eyes."

"I can't!"

"Shut up!" He's shouting in her face now and she turns away. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He keeps shouting and shouting until his voice is no longer his own. She looks back and him, the voice yells but Roman's mouth doesn't move.

She blinks and is in her bedroom again. Emma struggles but can't move, paralyzed under the weight of the blankets. Go back to sleep. Go back to sleep. She closes her eyes but immediately reopens them. She sees it. There's something in the corner of her room. It moves too quickly for her to see. There's a low growl. It's a dream. Go back to sleep.

It's daylight, blinding and hot. It's summer again. Laying in the grass, she can't see herself, but somehow she knows she's young- a child again. She looks down at her outfit, she remembers it. I'm 9 she thinks. I'm 9. A pair of small hands clap in front of her face.

"Earth to Emma!" She recognizes Roman's pre-pubescent voice and can't help but laugh, it's so much higher than she remembers. She puts her hand in front of her eyes to block the sun. Roman bends over to look at her. His hair is blonder and one tooth is only half grown in. "Come on, we've only got a few hours before it gets dark out."

"My mom doesn't want us going that far." She doesn't know how she knows this, but she does.

"Good thing you're mom's not here," he mocks her. "Come on, don't be a baby. Are you always going to do what your mom says?"

"Yes," she says proudly. The words move on their own.

"Well, my mom doesn't care and your mom left you with us. So..."

"Fine," she sits up. Roman holds out a hand and helps her up. She'd forgotten how short he used to be, at least two inches shorter than her. "Let's go," she says, grabbing her backpack. Her legs move on their own towards the garage where their bikes are. Neither wear a helmet as they take off down the long driveway.