Element Of Dark
Chapter Fifteen

"Rok?" I took a deep breath until the feeling passed.

                "I'm fine. Guess I laughed too hard." Howie gave me a look and I mimicked him so that even he had to laugh. The bathroom door clicked and Dream emerged.

                "How's Nick?" Kevin's voice was worried. He knew of the consequences of The Darkness.

                "He's fine," Dream spoke, her voice sweet and delicate. "But I'm afraid he's took frail to stand and seeing as I can't pick him up.I was wondering..," she glanced at us hopefully. Kevin and I looked at each other and nodded in unison. We stood, and entered the bathroom to find Nick, propped against the toilet. His eyes had glassy tint and his breathing shallow.

                I grabbed under his arms and Kevin took his legs. This took little effort as his body was extremely light from the sudden loss of weight. He looked up at me pitifully.

"I'm sick Bri." He groaned softly.

                "I know. But don't worry. Dream's here. She'll take good care of you, ok?" The burning sensation rose in my stomach again and burped loudly. Embarrassed, my cheeks flushed and I mumbled a quick apology. Kevin and I carried him to one of the beds and laid him down gently. He was asleep within seconds. AJ and Howie decided to head down to the hotel's bar and Kevin wanted to call his wife. Leighanne and Dream conversed quietly in one of the corners and I sat beside Nick, thinking to myself. The room had suddenly become uncomfortably warm and I shifted. No effect. I could feel a sour liquid rising in my throat. I swallowed hard. My vision started to blur and I knew what was coming. I fell to my knees and tried to crawl towards the bathroom as fast as possible. Dream spotted me out of the corner of her eye and was at my side immediately. The churning feeling returned and the sour taste filled my mouth. I emptied it all onto the carpet. Nick flinched slightly and blood spat from his mouth. Dream spoke softly to herself and the blue light filled the room again. The clear sticky substance I had produced disappeared and the blood from Nicky melted away. Dream made a gesture, simple but elegant and the blue light halted. She stood and walked over to Nick. I wiped my mouth and took a deep breath. Dream gently attempted to wake Nick. He continued to sleep. Frustrated she shook him again.

                "Baby, wake up. " She paused and her voice became urgent. "Please child, awaken." Nick's body tensed and his body lurched. A deep cough rattled in his chest and blood splattered on Dream's shirt. My insides leaped and that strange white liquid dripped from my mouth. Leighanne grabbed a nearby tissue and wiped it away. Dream lifted Nick's eyelids to reveal what haunted my nightmares most. A crimson yellow fire burned where blue should lie. I screamed and flashes of light streamed from every corner. Darkness swallowed the flashes and spat them back up. Everything was spinning. Images dipped and swayed. I saw a small boy, frightened and alone. Children were running and playing, laughing. He sat, bounded by an invisible chain. He watched the happy children, yearning to join in the game but the chain grew ever tighter around his neck. He struggled but the chafing rubbed his tender skin raw. Tears stung at my eyes as I watched this boy. All he wanted was to smile and laugh alongside the other children. All that ran through his mind was the forbidden "No" of the people he loved. Such disappointment. I wanted to run to this boy and hold him in my arms and tell him to go play and smile and just...just be happy. But I could not. A weak heart held this boy back. A weak heart. I wept for the child of broken promises, for the child of silent tears...for myself.

                "Brian!" A voice screamed inside my head. My eyes opened to focus on a tiny face. Blond curly hair streamed over her cheeks and she had her hand on my forehead. Dream. I rolled slightly to my left and found Nick lying motionless against my side. No movement occurred in his chest and panic filled my throat. Dream removed her hand and turned to Kevin. Kevin….Kevin. How did he get here so fast? And why did he change his clothes? Dream spoke. "No fever. It's coming."

                "Are you sure?" She nodded.

                "All the signs are right." Kevin choked back a sob. She patted his back and he hugged her gently.

                "Dream?" My voice was hoarse and raspy. She ignored me and continued to hug Kevin. "Dream?" This time I called louder. Still no response. I became desperate. "DREAM!" She slowly released herself from Kevin's embrace and softly glided over to where Nick and I lay. I was trying not to cry but it was hard. Why couldn't she hear me? She knelt beside the bed and pulled the covers around Nick's chin tighter.

                "Such little ones," her voice was soothing and musical. "I just want you to know that I'm sure my presence has not been the most endurable and much has happened. You've both been so strong and I just know you can pull through this one. Just believe in yourselves and the rest is up to you now." She kissed Nick's cheek and leaned over to kiss mine.

                "Wait," I started but stopped from the uselessness. She couldn't hear or see me. Everything was clear. I no longer existed. Days, weeks or even months had passed yet no difference was noticed. There was no more Frick and Frack. The legend had been stolen in instants. All by this, this Darkness. This evil force. Now I was left alone in this world where I had no identity. I was completely alone. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Alone....completely alone.Anger flushed my face and I slammed the bed with my fists but as my arms came down I felt my palm hit something warm and soft. Flesh. Human flesh. Nicky. The charcoal mark above his left eye began to pulsate and my palm throbbed gently in rhythm alongside it. An unseen force slowly began to pull them closer until my palm hovered, wavering, above his brow. My breath caught in my throat as I lowered my palm. Dream's eyes widened as the room filled with an unholy light. She thrust her delicate hands onto our chests and spoke in a tongue both cryptic and ancient as the stars above. But it was of no use. Something clicked and I shrieked as the fiery white light shred my soul into an endless oblivion, then…..darkness.

Chapter Sixteen

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