On The Edge

Chapter 13

Niall's POV

I wake up to the sound of a blood curdling scream and I sit up from my laying position. My room is dark, as it should be since it's 2 in the morning. What the heck could be happening? I slide out of bed tiredly, barely aware of anything in the semi-dark world I have been awaken into.

I open my bedroom door, only to be greeted by another scream the knocks the breath out of me and I hug the wall. The scream, I realize had come from the door next to mine on the left. I sneak up to it and rest my hand on the knob, bracing myself for another scream. All I hear are choked sobs; oh no, it's Parker.

The other bedroom doors open and Louis runs out of his room across from mine with a shoe clutched in his hand. Liam jumps out of his room behind me (across from Parker's), and Harry and Zayn burst out of their rooms at the beginning of the hall.

"What's going on?" Harry yawns.

It's just then that I notice we're all wearing boxers. Liam and Zayn are wearing t-shirts and Harry, Louis, and I are wearing just our boxers; Parker is going to be even more scared, but oh well.

"I think she's having a nightmare." I state.

"We have to go in there and check on her." Liam demands.

Right after he says this, the door knob flies out of my hand as the door swings back to reveal a frantic and haunted-looking Parker. Her hair is disheveled and her batman tank from yesterday is wrinkled and falling off one of her shoulders. Her cheeks are tear stained and her eyes are flicking in every single direction, barely acknowledging us.

"Parker, are you--"

Suddenly, she darts to the right, heading towards the stairs and flying down them. Without having to say a word, the lads and I chase after her, trying not trip on the stairs and run into the railing. I see her hair disappear behind the entrance the living room and it clicks in my brain: she's running away again.

I race past the guys and take a sharp right for the front door. Parker's hand is about to touch the door knob when I jump in front of her, blocking the exit.

"Parker, it was just a dream." I nervously explain, blocking the door as she tightens her fist; somehow, I know this is from the nightmare she had, or is living at the moment.

"No, he's going to kill me." Parker cries. "It was my fault and now he's going to kill me."

"He's not going to kill you, he's not here." I promise her, seeing the tenseness rising in her body. I see the lads out of my peripheral vision, coming up behind her and getting ready to do anything they need to.

"You have to let me out!" Parker demands, her tears starting to roll down her face.
She reaches for the knob but I step in front of it, causing her to cry harder.

"You're not going to get hurt, just calm down." I try to reason with her. "It's just you and I."
Parker turns and her eyes fill with terror.

"No, he's going to kill me!" She exclaims, pointing at Zayn.
But she falters and points at Harry next to him. "No, he's going to kill me!" Yet, again she points to the person next to Harry, which happens to be Liam, and she cries harder when she points at Louis next.
"He's everywhere, he's too quick, he's going to kill me!"
Parker backs up into my chest and right as she flinches away, I pull her into my chest and hold her there.

"No! Let me go!" she screams, flailing in my human cage.
Somehow, I manage to bring her down with me as I lower myself to my knees and I hold her tight.

"Parker, sweetie, it's was a dream." I coo, not loosening on my embrace. She continues to wriggle in my arms but I continue to speak to her.
"He's gone, Parker. Just Zayn, Harry, Liam, Louis, and I. You're safe." I practically beg for her to quiet down.