(Few nights later)
The bed felt so warm and comfortable, he really wanted to sleep. What the hell? he thought. It's just a dream, nothing to be afraid of. He closed his eyes and soon after began to hear shuffling in his room. Then the whispering started.
"I don't know Brad."
"Angela, you have to ...look at you, he's wasting you away."
Nick quickly opened his eyes. Despite being awake, he still heard the voices behind him.
"Brad, I know but..."
"But nothing... You wont be in this alone, I'm here with you."
Okay, it could still be a dream right? To be sure, he pinched his arm. "Ow!" He was awake. "I'm fucking crazy!" He yelled when he saw no one in his room.
He leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. A strong pungent odor filled the room. His room had always had a strange smell, but it was never as bad as the rotten smell that was filling the room.
Everything started spinning, his vision got blurry. He was feeling queasy. Abrubtly he stood, trying to make it to the bathroom, but that was not to happen. Right when he reached the foot of the bed, all that had been in his stomach was thrown up. When he finished he went back to bed, making plans to clean up later, when he felt better. For the first night in a long time, he had an undisturbed sleep.
*************************
(Next day)
Mary hung up the phone after talking with Charles. He always called, just to say "I love you."
She checked her watch, noon, it was strange that Nick hadn't gotten out of bed. He wasn't the type to sleep in late. Something was wrong with him, she was positive of that. She'd have a talk with Charlie of the possibility of drugs, oh Nick had denied it, but that was expected.
She went upstairs to wake him. When she walked in he was covered from head to toe and shaking. "Nick!" She ran to him and touched his forehead. "You're burning up!"
"Mom, I'm cold"
"I'm taking you to the hospital." She was about to run out when he called to her.
"No, I want to stay...sleep." He drifted back to sleep.
With a kiss on the cheek she tucked him in, like when he was little. "Ok, sleep."
He fell. That was the worst part of the dream. The part he hated. When the feeling of death was near and the nothingness would soon envelope him. Yeah, that was the worst part.
He stared at her before telling her to run. Into those violet eyes that reassured him they'd be together again. He didn't want to stop staring at her, but he didn't have much choice. The darkness overtook him again.
****************************
"Nick." Charles tapped him on the shoulder.
He rose from his sleep a little angry. "What?"
"Mary told me your were sick. Are you hungry or anything?"
"No, I'm just tired....What time is it?"
'Eight." Nick nodded. "So...she also told me you two had a conversation about drugs. If you're experimenting with drugs, you can trust me, I wont get mad."
Not the drug thing again. "Where did you guys get the idea that I'm on drugs, cause I'm not, prescription or otherwise. I've just developed insomnia." He looked at his dad. "I'm having strange dreams, ok...that's why I don't sleep..." He sounded almost ashamed. "... and the lack of sleep makes me act weird."
"Dreams again, huh?"
"Again? I've had bad dreams before?" He couldn't remember ever recalling dreams.
He nodded. "When you were about 7 or 8. Dreams almost everynight. Scared you so much you wet the bed."
"What were they about?"
Charles wrinkled his forehead in thought, trying to remember. "I think you said once, they were about little girls sleeping."
"Oh."
Charles stood. "Dinner should be ready soon, are you gonna eat."
"I'm not hungry."
'You have to eat Nick...don't want you getting worse."
"Okay, I'll be down when it's ready."
Charles left the room.
"Little girls sleeping?" He asked out loud. He didn't remember those dreams. They seemed irrelivant anyway, those dreams had nothing to do with his current dreams. But if he got over those, maybe he'd get over the death ones too? At least he hoped so.
~ To Be Continued...