NOT HUMAN

Chapter 23 - Two Nightmares

The view from the glass was melancholy. The way the leaves in the wind blew softly landed onto the hard ground, and the cast of darkness from the night. It was quiet too very quiet. It unsettled Trey. His senses were enhanced by the paranoia he was facing. That he swallowed the spit in his throat slowly believing that someone might hear him swallow it, or something.

He was always a confident man who feared nothing. But since his father passing and the apocalypse occurring in the midst of it. All of that confidence was taken from him.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them close to his body. He held back tears in his green orbs for he couldn't cry. It would ruin him to do so. It was unmanly of him. He wouldn't dishonor his father by doing so again.

"It's late."

"Zane?" Trey looked over his shoulder to see the tall guy standing a foot away from him.

"Yeah, dude, you remembered my name." He nodded nonchalantly.

"I'm just admiring the stars is all. Lost track of time," Trey lied through his teeth smiling up a fake facade.

Zane at that moment could see through his lie. But he did the decent thing not to push him with further questioning. He understood. He was even reminded of himself sitting at the windowsill looking out of the glass for something to give him hope from his father beating him every day.

So, Zane understood why he chose that spot to peer out the window.

"Yeah, dude." Zane accepted his response. "Just get to bed."

"Alright." Trey stood up and begin walking off in the opposite direction of Zane.

"Wait," Zane says reaching into his sweatpants. Trey meets his eyes confused and stops at the doorway.

"Yes?" He asks.

"Here take this," Zane pulls out a flask from his gray sweatpants. "Might do the trick hopefully."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it." He nods accepting the alcohol.

Trey saw a brief expression of shame flash on Zane's face. He wondered why the shame in it if he weren't a minor.

Zane knew what he'd done passing up the urge of taking another whisk of that vodka. He didn't need the damn thing to cope with the bullshit. That was weak.

Weak like his father.

...

The night dragged on. Everyone was in deep slumber or a deep nightmare.

In Lily's room, she was snoring soundly one would think dreaming peacefully. However, her dream wasn't so.

Many trees were crowding the poor blond she was feeling claustrophobic. Lily attempted at breathing slowly but to her racing heart and fearful thoughts, she begin hyperventilating.

"S-some one, p-please, help me!" She shouted, panicky.

"BLADE!" She beckoned for him. She knew being in the woods at a dark hour like this one and feeling watchful eyes on her back wasn't mere imagination or paranoia

"Lily Valerie." A dark voice rasped out. An ugly tall figure emerged from the thick cluster of trees. It was gray and held sinister pearly white eyes that stared at Lily with greed.

Her breath hitched at the horrendous sight of the first again. Seeing the oculos this close-up was unnerving.

"AHHHH!" She screamed startled.

"Phew." She sighed. "It's just a silly nightmare." She reassured herself sitting up in bed. She leaned back her body begin to relax back in the covers when suddenly she heard Blade shout, "NOOO! Please!" From across the hall.

He was asleep in his room.

"No!" Blade scrambled up onto his feet quickly searching the empty lab. His father's nowhere in sight. He heard his phone ringing in his back pocket. He retrieved it.

"Yes?"

"It's Bill Ferguson. I was right, sir. The salt theory works.?"

"Good- wait a minute-" Blade paused feeling deja vu. "Is this a dream?"

"No, sir. It has already happened." Bill says as his voice is cut off by the static on the other line. Then Blade finds himself back in the lab. Only it's not empty. It's full of the dead.

"No, not again." He pleaded to kneel next to his dad's lifeless body.

"It's alright, Blade. I'm here." A familiar voice startled him awake. He was relieved it was a dream after all. But surprised to find himself wrapped up in Lily's arms. She was holding him motherly something he could grow used to.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Lily." He says softly blushing at the fact he's still in her arms.

"It's fine. You didn't." She grinned. Not resisting the temptation to run a hand through his soft dark hair. Blade sighed instantly to this and relaxed encircled in her embrace.

"I guess we both had unpleasant dreams," She said.

"Yes, indeed," He chuckled, and wrapped his arms around her and they stayed like that chest to chest, tangled in one another's arms. It was quite intimate. But they both didn't mind it and found comfort in it.

"What time is it?" It was sad for the moment to end. But she knew it'd have to eventually.

"It's 5 am," Blade answered glancing at the clock on the wall behind her.

"Do you want to start breakfast early?" She beamed.

"Yes, as a team again?" He smirked, his hands holding her lower back firmly. It made her feel safe there embracing him.

"Will always be a team, " She says.

"Forever?" He blurted out, wincing at how bad it sounded out loud. How silly and immature he sounded.

"Yes, of course, forever," She smiled meeting his gaze and holding it. Her hand suddenly had a mind of its own as she brushed against his fingers, he responded by doing the same but intertwining their hands.

"Guys!" Nixon shouted frantically bursting through the doors. "You better come see this now-" He stopped and stared at the two in bed and let it slowly sink in.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry I-I didn't mean to interrupt!" He stammered out flustered and shut the door quickly.

"It's not what you think we-" Blade begin but turn and looked at Lily.

"Blade had a nightmare, I'm simply checking upon him as a good friend would do."

"Oh, I see." Nixon cracked the door and peeked in. "So, this is quite urgent and again didn't mean to spoil the moment for you two." He bowed his head in shame. Blade and Lily were both standing at each other's side a bit awkwardly now considering the embarrassment they were just in.

"Alright, if you insist this better be good," Blade said, agitated. He was upset he was no longer holding hands with Lily.

TO BE CONTINUED...