Sweet Dreams

Chapter Fourteen: My dear, sweet little sister

I couldn't go back to sleep, I was too busy trying to get my pulse to slow down. I started to feel a bit painfully ill in my throat, head, and stomach, and it was all just from stress. My hands grew clammy and cold as I allowed myself to simply panic for no known reason. There was so much tightness in my chest I felt that I could hardly breathe. Hot tears started to roll down my face.

I don't know why I cried, I don't know why I panicked. I think that just having Lola so insanely try to cut me to shreds triggered some anxiety, and the harsh reminder that Caramel Castle was miles away didn't help. I tried to take some deep breaths, but I could only sob harder. There were all sorts of confusing and unexplainable emotions that didn't even make sense to me then when they were occurring. I tried not to let them happen. I called myself stupid and weak and strange for getting so emotional over absolutely nothing, but I just couldn't get myself to stop crying. It was weeks of tension bursting out all at once in one day, when I was alone and sitting in an overly-comfortable bed, as silver moonlight shone down on me from the colorless window.

I did my best to recollect my thoughts, and then eventually decided that it would be a good idea not to sleep and to instead make sure nothing was going on in the hotel. I figured I would make myself useful if I were to be up at this hour and make sure nobody was trying to attack us or anything. After all, I could never be sure.

I exited my room and glanced down the hallway. Nothing was to be seen. I then took a look at the four other bedrooms, and thought I would check them all, just to make sure nothing happened to my friends while I was asleep. Again, I could never really be sure. I started out with Luna's room, knocking gently on the door to see if she was awake or doing anything. When I was greeted with no response, I opened the door just a creak to make sure she was okay, and sure enough, she was resting fine.

I let out a sigh of relief, closed her door, and checked the others. The twins were alright too, thank goodness. But my heart stopped when I checked Cassidy's door, and saw nothing there. A cold sweat forced itself over me and I started to tremble uncontrollably, my eyes darting through the hallway to see where she could possibly be. Did she leave? Was she kidnapped? What happened?!

It was then that I noticed that Cherry's light was on, and I could hear a slight murmuring coming from her door. Yes, Cherry's door, the only one I hadn't yet checked. Anxiously, I pressed my ear to the door and leaned heavily against it to see what was up. I was reassured by the voices of Cassidy and Cherry, quietly talking amongst each other and giggling, and allowed myself to calm down a bit. Thank god Cassidy was okay, I wasn't sure what I would do if she wasn't. I took yet another sigh.

"Cheryl, did you hear that?" Cassidy said, and I immediately started to panic again.

"Hear what?" Cherry asked.

"It sounds to me like there is somebody at the door, Cheryl." Responded Cassidy, and I heard her walk towards me. Before I had the chance to walk away, the door was swung open rapidly and I tripped onto the ground since I had been using it to support my weight. "Aha!" Cassidy exclaimed. "Prophecy Boy, what are you up to?" Cassidy put her hands on her hips.

"N-Nothing!" I stammered, picking myself up from the ground. "I-I-I mean, not nothing. I mean, I-I was checking on everyone!"

"Checking on everyone?" Cassidy repeated, tilting her head with curiosity. Cherry sat on her bed and smiled at me, as if to greet me like this was normal.

"Yeah! I mean, we're all in danger, you know? And I dunno... I woke up from a horrifying dream, but it might have been real I guess. And it spooked me a bit. I just wanted to make sure you were all okay because I love you guys." I said, and then immediately felt stupid and shuffled my feet awkwardly. "Well I mean, you know." I said quickly.