Go to Sleep My Love

Chapter 5

Jeff's POV

"I guess I'd better get to sleep..." Nyxie sighed as she looked around warily.

"Yeah, it's pretty late." I said flipping off her bedroom lights.

"Wait!" She called out. I turned around and flipped the switch back on. "Don't turn off the lights." She said quietly. It was plain on her face that Nyxie was petrified, and I was sure that I was responsible for her fear. Truthfully, I did feel kind of badly about that, but even more so I found her uneasiness amusing. There was something laughable about the jitters humans got after their first homicide. The jitters that I never experienced.

"With the lights on it's less dangerous, huh?" I chuckled. "Well sorry to break it to you sweetie, but you're the one you really fear. The lights aren't going to help ease that guilt." I told her bluntly.

        She closed her eyes and clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. She stayed like this for a moment as she tried to stifle her sobs. Soon it became too much to hold back and she lost her grip. Tears began streaming down her face and she curled herself into a tight ball. Then, she began rolling around on her bed with her hands covering her ears to block out her weeping and possibly her thoughts. She really wasn't taking this well. 

        I stood there and stared at her, because I didn't know how to react. Finally, I made the choice and sat down on her bed. I hesitated before cautiously draping my arm over her shoulder. She slightly uncurled from her ball and stared up at me. Would she feel afraid or comforted? It was too early to tell; I had to wait for her to speak.

"How do I make it go away." She asked softly.

"The truth is, I don't know. I've never really felt sorry after killing anyone." I confessed.

"How is that possible?" She wondered as she shook her head in amazement.

"My theory is that my heart was burnt and shriveled up when I caught on fire." I joked.

"I wish I could feel that way about what I've done, but then again I don't because that would make me a monster. I'm sorry, but I just don't think there's any other way to describe someone who could do what you do." She said sadly. "You're a monster, which is why it concerns me that I like you so much." She whispered. I played with the string of my hoodie nervously. What do I say to that?

"It's obvious that you're pretty shaken up. Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?" I offered. She bit her lip.

"You're not gonna hurt me are you?" She asked timidly.

"No, I promise. We made a deal remember? I've gotta say, I'm proud of what you did tonight; it showed real bravery. I didn't think you had it in you, but apparently you do. You keep your side of the compromise and I'll keep mine." I promised her. She grinned bashfully in thanks. Her cheeks turned a rosy pink when she blushed.

"Okay..." She sighed.

        I turned off her lights and this time she didn't object. I climbed into bed next to her and pulled the covers up over my head. Sure, it made it hard to breathe, but it was kind of difficult to sleep otherwise since my eyelids were missing.

"Jeff, what are you doing?" Nyxie asked. I peeked my head out from underneath the stifling covers.

"No eyelids, I have to create my own darkness." I explained.

"I have just the thing." She smiled. She hopped out of bed and rummaged through one of her dressers. "Here it is." She said handing me an eye mask.

"Thanks! This is really cool. I can't believe I haven't thought to buy one of these before." I laughed as I pulled the mask over my eyes. It worked perfectly; it was completly dark and I wouldn't have to sweat.

"No problem." She replied in between a yawn.

        Nyxie had fallen asleep rather quickly, but I was still lying awake. She rolled over so that she was no longer on her specified side of the bed. In fact, her whole body was on my side and she was attempting to curl up against my chest. I knew that this was unintentional and that she was unaware of what she was doing in her sleep.

"Jeff..." She murmured.

"What?" I answered. 

"Stop it Jeff! Don't do that!" She was yelling, but it was still very quiet. She must've been dreaming.

"Don't do what?" I asked even though I was sure she wouldn't respond.

"Leave my parents alone!" She shrieked louder this time. She pressed herself against me as if looking for protection from her nightmare. The nightmare that I was starring in. "Why, Jeff? Why'd you have to kill them? I like you so much..." She whimpered. Suddenly me lying here next to her felt awkward. It felt like listening to this was an invasion of her privacy or something.

        My night soon became pure torture. I laid there gripping the edge of the bed and covering my ears as I tried to tune out Nyxie's night terror. She was yelling my name every few minutes and she kept grabbing on to me and kicking around. At various points in time she also pinched me a little. Then, I abruptly felt her body loosen from around me. I started to hear heavy breathing, so I pulled off my mask. Nyxie was sitting up on the bed with her head in her knees.

"You alright there?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you? I just had a nightmare is all..." She said shyly.

"You didn't wake me; I've been up all night. What was your nightmare about?" I asked even though I thought I already knew.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She choked out. I could tell she was really freaked about the whole thing.

"Come here." I told her.

"W-what?" She stammered.

"Come over here." I repeated as I pat the spot in front of me. She leisurely inched toward me looking rather apprehensive. I put my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Her small body stiffened on contact.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to make you feel better. I want you to know that I'll protect you. No matter what happens in your nightmare, I'll keep you safe in real life." I told her.

"Why?" She wondered. Her voice was faint and timid; it reminded me of a mouse.

"Because we're partners in crime, and we stick together. Anyway, it doesn't really matter why, it's just the fact that I will." I said.

Nyxie's POV

        Something told me to trust him. I didn't have faith in much, so why was I able to have faith in him? Have you ever felt an unexplainable connection to someone? Even if you have no logical reason to like them, for some reason you're drawn to them. It's like gravity is telling you, 'No, I don't give a fuck if you hate him; I'm going to push you together anyways!' Something about Jeff that I wasn't completely aware of kept pulling me towards him. I relaxed inside of his arms.

"Can I say something?" He asked.

"Sure." I answered.

"What you did tonight was incredible. It's not really my style, but it was still unbelieveable. You calmed that women and that baby down in an instant. You must have nurturing or motherly way about you that just puts people at ease. Your voice is so melodic and soothing, and that song you sung! It's like a superpower; I'd bet you could make people trust you enough to do anything you want." He told me. 

"Wow, really? Thanks I guess, but really I don't think so." I told him.

"Why not?" He asked.

"There's nothing special about me; I'm so boring and ordinary. I'm never able to help with anything. I just sit back and watch everyone else fight the battles, because I'm too weak to be of use." I answered softly. Jeff put his hand underneath my chin and lifted up my head.

"That's very far from the truth. The very first day I met you I could tell that there was something extraordinary about you, Nyxie. If it weren't for the potential I'd seen in you I wouldn't have kept you alive." He told me.

"The potential to be a killer?" I snorted.

"No, the potential to be someone who could change a life, any life, and every life that she wished." He said softly.