Hello Darkness

Chapter Twenty - Six

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Whispers in the dark.

Alma.

Nightmares.

Voices.

Nightmares.

Something grazes my hand, drawing a gentle soothing pattern. A whisper—Breccan. I can't see him, but his broken voice ventures to me from somewhere in the blackness. "I'll never forgive myself for what I said to you. I just keep replaying the last time I saw you over and over. And I—you needed me, and I blew you off... just like everyone else." The sensation keeps rubbing my hand—warm. "I don't know how, but I will find a way to make it up to you. To show you how truly sorry I am. That is—if you'll still speak to me."

Buzzing.

Footsteps. 

Panic.

"Lilly. Where's Lilly?" My insides scream, but it comes out as a mumble.

"Charley," Alma's voice is soft and gentle. "Charley, you're alright. You're in the hospital."

"Lilly." I breathe again, my eyelids fluttering against the fluorescents. "Where is she?" My voice is raspy from my raw throat.

"She's safe. She's with her grandparents." Alma leans forward in her chair next to the bed.

"He... he didn't take her?" The words scratch my throat, and I fall into a coughing fit.

"No... no one took her. Did you see him? The man that did that to her parents?"

"He's the same. It's the dark man." I cough.

She hesitates. "Okay... you need to rest. You're safe now." Alma brushes the hair away from my face—her fingers tugging on the knots. "We'll talk about it when you wake up. Sleep now."

I'm not sure how much time goes by like that. Fits of terror, followed by more sleep. I can't get him out of my head—my nightmares. He hunts me—tracks me. Gets closer each time.

Finally, after what must be an eternity—but in actuality it's been two days—I manage to stay awake for more than a few minutes. My head pounds, but I finally have a grip on the world again.

"Tell me what happened." Alma has been avoiding it like the plague, and I can't take it any longer.

Alma pauses, setting down the T.V. remote. "Well, what do you remember?"

"Talum sent me to the house with Lilly. Then everything else is a blur. I don't know what's real..." I rub my temples.

"Talum called the police as soon as you left. Breccan heard the call over the radio and called me. When I found you—you were gone. I don't know where, but I couldn't get you back." Tears melt her chocolate eyes to mush. "I was so scared. You've never been that far gone before. You were screaming about the dark man and vampires. And beasts with wings..." She looks down and rubs her thumb across her knuckle. "Talum tried to pull Lilly away from you because you were clutching her so hard we were afraid you might hurt her, and you screamed like he was a monster."

There's so much sadness—disappointment—in the crack of her voice. I did this to her, over and over again.

"Then the paramedics had to strap you down because you were thrashing." Her throat bobs. "They had to sedate you, so you didn't hurt yourself or anyone else." Her eyes close as a single tear drips down her cheek. "It was the scariest moment of my life. I didn't know if I would get you back from that." She bites her nails, trying to wrangle in her tears.

I sit in silence. There isn't much to count on the barren blue walls of this room, so I settle back and watch the drops of my I.V. tubes weighing down my arms. "Has Talum been here?"