Dragon Seekers

Chapter 3

Jamie didn't know how long he had slept for. All he knew was that after his mother's emotional break down, he helped her into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Jasmine was passed out, emotionally drained, like always. While she slept like a baby, Jamie silently cleaned the floor of all the rubbish Carl had abandoned. If she woke up in the middle of the night for whatever reason, Jasmine wouldn't have to worry about stepping on anything sharp in the pitch black darkness. After that, he, too, retried to bed. He didn't want to have to be awake when Carl arrived home, which was normally after midnight. Like Jasmine, as soon as the twelve year old hit laid down under the safe, warm covers, he was out like a light. He felt like all his troubles had melted away from his then numb body. He felt like nothing could wake him up.

That was until he heard a tremendous boom. It echoed from outside, fading away slowly. It was replaced by another boom, accompanied by a bright flash. Jamie yelped as he sat up. It felt like electricity ran throughout his entire body. His heart felt like it was about to explode. He looked outside, seeing the pitch black world outside. It lit up in a few seconds, only for the light to be cut off. As another flash and boom resonated, the boy dove under the covers completely. He grabbed hold of his pillow, and held it tightly to his chest. He smothered it as much as he could.

He loathed thunderstorms ever since he was a child. He had dropped a glass by accident and Carl went off the rails at him about it. He dragged the then eight year old out to the old garden shed and locked him inside it. Jasmine was out to the shops at that time, so she had no knowledge of this. That was also when a storm had occurred. Jamie didn't know how long he had been trapped in there for, but he did know that his fear of storms came to fruition. By time Jasmine came home and freed him, the damage had been done.

Jamie clutched tighter to the pillow, pretending that it was his shield from the evil storm. He closed his eyes, trying to pretend that he was on his island again. His paradise. His own safe world with Jasmine. Seeing the beautiful sapphire blue waves and feeling the soft sand between his toes, helped his phobia die away. It was only a little as the fantasy shattered every time the thunder clapped furiously, but he pulled himself back into it as the noise died. At one point, he thought that he heard lightning assault a tree in the woods near his street. It was terrifying to hear.

After what felt like an eternity, the storm died away. Jamie breathes a deep sigh of relief. His heart rate slowed down and his breathing became steady once again. He didn't loosen his grip on the pillow, in case the storm came back. Despite the fear and paranoia, the petrified boy drifted back into a haunted sleep.