Part 2
Fog is spread around me, strangely lighting up the darkness around me. Where am I?
“Ari…. ari-” Who’s voice is that?
“I can’t- you!” another called. Seriously, where were they coming from? I looked around frantically, but found nothing but a blank, white TV screen. Wait….
A blank, white TV screen in the middle of a foggy black void? My curiosity gets the better of me and I walk towards it. Images flash as I get closer, getting clearer as I do. I can make out Carl, the purple haired funny vamp, Uncle, Su, and two adults I’ve never seen before, but they feel so familiar.
“Leave- help!” That was definitely Carl’s voice. And It was coming from the TV. “Arianne!” I jumped back from the TV, only now realizing how close I was when Carl popped under the screen. He was in some kind of department store, pulling me away from some lady in a nice dress. It was a little too formal for being in a department store, but it was pretty. I guess I have to wear something like that someday. “Leave the nice lady alone.”
“Oh, it’s alright,” the lady said. Her voice was strangely deep. Not like a deep woman’s, either. Like a man imitating a woman. Now that I thought about it, she did seem fully she. “I don’t mind explaining things like this. Especially to questioning kids.”
“Right, well-” The image turned staticy and all of us disappeared from view. The TV now showed a panicked Carl running around frantically in the store. The purple haired vamp was close behind, seeming to be just as worried as Carl was. Surely a trick, right? But Carl wasn’t facing him, nor was anyone he would need to fool. “Oh where is she?”
“I knew as much as you!” the vamp snapped, earning weird looks from around them.
“Just do your thing and-” the image grew staticy again and I couldn’t hear anything but a few words.
“-I want to find her as much as you!” the vamp yelled, his brown eyes flashing golden. Carl just scoffed and ran off, asking anyone who would listen where I was. What was happening?
“Just like a vamp to lie to me about having a coven!”
“I don’t have a damn coven!”
“So who was that orange haired girl that distracted us so the others could take Arianne?”
“An old friend.”
“She seemed like more than that!” He seemed kinda more spiteful than he should be if he was just mad at him for lying about a coven. The vamp’s rebuttal was cut off with static. Now a loud siren sounded throughout the entire void, like a fire alarm. No, it was a fire alarm. And now the lights were flashing in the same way all around me. Standing up, which I didn’t realize I was sitting down, and ran away. Where, I didn’t know. All I knew is that I needed to leave. Now.
Growling sounds, dangerous and looming. Getting so much closer by the minute. Where the hell is the exit? All I see is complete darkness, the little light the fog gave me slipping away.
“Get back here, little girl!” the growling voice called. I couldn’t tell who it was, but I didn't care.
The entire area around me is now pitch black and I have no idea where I am. Even the TV screen is gone, so there’s not any light whatsoever. That is, until I see two glowing golden eyes staring at me. And I scream.
* * *
I
sit up, gasping for air. I think whatever it was that attacked me grabbed my throat. I feel my throat, but there are no cuts and no more warmth than usual, plus I don't feel anything wet, so it was likely just a dream.
I hate having these stupid nightmares. For the past few weeks, I keep having them. This is the first one I’ve remembered, but I think it’s been the same dream as before. I groan and roll over, trying to sit up. I’m still on the floor, so Carl hasn’t come home. My back aches in a way that I feel Carl’s does half the time.
I rub my eyes, getting used to the light that I forgot to turn off before I went to sleep. Maybe I was too hard on Carl. I just hate it when he lies to me about how he’s feeling. He thinks I’m too young to understand everything he goes through, but I know I can. He helps me so much. I can do more than he lets me, I know it. I give a sigh through my nose and check the time on my digital clock. 4:45am. I sigh again knowing that I’m not going to get any more sleep tonight. But I couldn’t care less. I know I can help my brother. I know I can make it so he won’t have to worry anymore. I know I can.
I know it.
I know it….
YOU ARE READING
Midnight Falls
FantasyCarl finds himself walking home through Central Park at midnight after a long night of bussing tables and dealing with picky people. He knows it's dangerous, for more than one reason, but it shortens his trip by a few minutes and he needs to get hom...
