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.